RevNeal - LIVE from the Ryndam & Amsterdam

[Cruizer Bill]

Outstanding photos and commentary! Thank you.

 

We are on the July 17 sailing and wonder if the elevator and propulsion system problems been resolved?

 

Enjoy your stay in Seattle. We will be having three days of mostly sunny (and over 55 degrees:)) weather starting tomorrow.

 

Diana

[Susie51]

Thank you for posting those fantastic pics. While looking at them, I can hear the rumbling, grinding, and popping noises the glaciers make. Thank you for sharing. Your pics tell an amazing story. You and your mom look great together.

[fsdj1097]

In 2005, on our first Alaska cruise, we had a very similar experience at Magerie Glacier. Glacier visits such as you and we had are to be treasured. We're hoping for a similar experience at Hubbard it a couple of weeks.

[ginjer2911]

Such great pictures. I'm getting so excited!!! I don't think we will have the great weather that you guys are having, but I know I'm gonna have a great time anyway!!!

[sapper1]

Alaska has never been on my radar-----until your thread and wonderful pictures planted the seed. Since I live seven months a year in the cold, my natural inclination has always been to head south for a vacation. Maybe I need to rethink that position, pack the parka, and enjoy an extended winter. We'll see.

[Mary Ellen]

Your pictures have been making us yearn for another Alaskan cruise.

 

Oh - I was able to take care of what you want on HMC today!!!! ;) :D

[sail7seas]

Fabulous photos, Greg. Thank you.

 

And especially thank you for the "news flash".

 

Please send our regards to Jazzy. He looks great - as always. :)

 

Continue to enjoy....

[RevNeal]

Greetings from Seattle!

Well, we disembarked the Ryndam this morning after a wonderful, yet FAST, 7 days in Alaska. I'm going to have a mini-summary to post later tonight. I've also got LOTS of photos to put up and I plan on doing that tonight, as well. I figure, so long as I have the free internet I had better use it!!!!!! :D

 

Right now, however, I have to run to Mom's room and have a bit of Pizza with her. Then, at 7:30 pm, Scotty is coming by to pick us up and take us out for a drink and some chatting about mutual CCer friends, etc.

 

SO ... look for more posts from me, here in Seattle, on my "interregnum" between the Ryndam and the Amsterdam.

[RuthC]

Then, at 7:30 pm, Scotty is coming by to pick us up and take us out for a drink and some chatting about mutual CCer friends, etc.

Oh-oh. Er, I mean have a great time! ;)

[Two@Sea]

SO ... look for more posts from me, here in Seattle, on my "interregnum" between the Ryndam and the Amsterdam.

 

I guessed at the meaning, and ended up correct, but yep... I had to look it up!

[RevNeal]

Have a great cruise. Are you going to Mendenhall Glacier. I just checked the web cam and it appears the lake is starting the thaw. Hope you have beautiful weather.

 

Thanks for posting and allowing me to take another "trip" to Alaska.

 

Hope you and your Mom have a wonderful time. What a way to spend Mother's Day.:)

 

Thank you!

We did not visit Mendenhall Glacier while on our Ryndam cruise, and our plan is to do a whale-watching tour out of Juneau while on our Amsterdam cruise so there probably won't be time to do that one. Also, mom is really tired from the Ryndam cruise, so there's a good chance we may not be doing much this time but the whale-watching tour. We'll see.

 

Personally, I'm also tired. The transfer from Vancouver to Seattle was easy but long, and getting off the bus at the Best Western Hotel I tripped and pulled my Achilles Tendon (an old injury). It's not too bad, but I am limping some and plan on using the tub tonight. :)

[RevNeal]

Rev. Neal - I will be eagerly awaiting your posts. We are booked in a Cat. K cabin for Dec. sailing and hope the ship is not showing too much wear. We read all we can about the condition of the Ryndam and are wondering if it would be best to change to a 10 day on the Noordam. Then sail the Ryndam after its drydock. Tampa is less than an hour drive for us so would be nice to only have a short drive to the port.

Have a wonderful cruise.

 

I wouldn't worry about it. The Ryndam is a lovely ship; yes, she's old and has had some mechanical problems, but even younger ships (like the Noordam) can have those kinds of problems. AND, of course, on the Ryndam you don't have nearly so large of ship to run around to see the sights on (hence, you don't wear yourself out so much running from the bow to the stern, from starboard to port, from lower decks to upper decks). The Ryndam is big enough ... the Noordam is huge and will exhaust you trying to get all over her to see the sights.

[Susie51]

Revneal, I've never been to Sitka. I hope I can "visit the town" via your wonderful pics, as you report from your cruise on Amsterdam. Thanks for continuing to post.

[RevNeal]

RevNeal, could you please let us know the dinner choices each night, if you have the time? We are on the Volendam 5/20, their first Alaska cruise of the season and I figure they'll be very similar.

 

Janie, it was my full intent to photograph these and post them from the ship, but it's not easy to get a good photo of a menu and it not take up too much MB when sending up to the internet. So, transcribing them is the best option. Only, I don't have enough time to do that during this interregnum between cruises. I barely have enough time to finish out reporting from the Ryndam and get ready for the Amsterdam.

 

So, as I know you board the Volendam on the 20th, I am sorry I won't be able to follow through and post the menus for each night.

 

Keep in mind that just because one ship has a certain menu schedule, that doesn't mean that all the ships will have the same schedule. At least, this is what I was told b the Dining Room Manager aboard the Ryndam. Each ship's Chef and Dining Room Manager has at least some latitude on the order of menu items, etc.

 

If your interest is in avoiding the Master Chef Disaster (i.e., finding out early enough to reserve dinner in the Pinnacle for that evening), aboard the Ryndam they held it on the last evening of the cruise; I was as embarrassed as can be for my stewards, having to do the silly song-and-dance-juggling-act.

[RevNeal]

Your pictures are AMAZING! Thanks so much for taking all the time it takes to post. I can't wait to hear about your Ryndam experience. Hubby and I will be on her for 14 days in August.:)

 

You're going to love her ... the Ryndam is a gracious ship with a FABULOUS crew. Yes, there are small problems here and there, but they're always working on the ship and addressing the issues. For instance, we began the cruise with only one elevator functioning in the forward bank; by the end of the cruise there were three elevators functioning in the forward bank, with parts on order for repair of the other.

[RevNeal]

Rev Neal

I wish you and your mother the best cruise ever. Enjoy every second with your mom. This a very special time that the two of you will spend together. I was able to take my parents on a cruise back in the 1980's. I am so glad now that I did that.

If you are going to Sitka you might like to see St Michael's Cathedral and the Russian Bishop's house.

Enjoy it all and know that these memories will be kept in your heart for ever.

Maria

 

Thank you, Maria ... I'm looking toward possibly doing one of the Russian Cultural tours in Sitka. One of my undergraduate majors was Russian Language, so I have a particular interest in that tour, and particularly St. Michael's Cathedral.

[RevNeal]

Rev. Neal: Did you get to the Alaskan Fudge Company and taste the Fudge of DEB an BLUE. When I am in that area I usually send some back home and people say it is the best Fudge they ever tasted. There is also a store in Skagway. Sorry to hear it is cold up there.

 

Yes! The fudge was fantastic! We bought some and we plan on picking up more next week!!!!!

[innlady1]

Wow...seems like you just embarked on the Ryndam! Gorgeous photos, Greg. Am sure you and your mom had a great evening with Scotty...what fun! Enjoy the next leg of your cruise.

 

After looking at the photos from the Veendam, I'm so glad they've cancelled the wading pools on the other ships. We'll just have to suffer through on the Veendam to Bermuda, though! LOL!

[RevNeal]

Thank you for continuing to post your pics. Your S. America pics were incredible. Did you have a M & G with your fellow CC pax?

 

There was a Meet and Greet with CCers who were aboard, but I wasn't able to make it. I knew several crew on the Ryndam and they wanted to see me for coffee, etc., and the only tie we could arrange was then. I regret that, but one has to pick and choose one's events and timing is sometimes imperfect.

[RevNeal]

It's ok about the chocolate :):(. You've given me some before, so enjoy this. Er, btw---did the stewards catch up on the missing pillow chocolates? It's one thing to reuse a towel; it's another thing entirely to come up short on pillow chocolates! :eek:

 

Sadly, no. We're two chocolates short from that cruise! :(

[RevNeal]

Wow, it's amazing how much of life experiences are truly a matter of opinion. Another CC member did the same dog excursion as you and had a terrible time.:confused: It just goes to show you that every experience in life is subjective and different, and therefore personal :)..... thank you so much for your commentary on everything Ryndam!! :D

 

Yes ... experiences are always relative. Our Dinner-table-mates on the Ryndam were on the same Train-trip in Skagway and they HATED the trip up and back. Mom and I loved it. Tastes and interests will differ, and it behooves us to be a little humble in making proclamations that others will definitely love something just because we loved it. And, yet, we all do it. :)

[RevNeal]

It's not the world's greatest photo, but I thought I'd pass along this shot I took of the Ryndam leaving on Friday, from the decks of the NCL Pearl.

 

 

Thanks for this wonderful photograph! May I use it in my gallery when I get around to posting all my photos on my website???

[RevNeal]

Although we've never met, I feel like I know you from your wonderful, descriptive posts and great photos that you so kindly share with all of us on CC.

 

I have a request for information regarding the two glaciers that you will be visiting while onboard the Ryndam and the Amsterdam these two weeks.

 

We have been sailing HAL to Alaska for the past 5 years and we are very blessed to be able to bring along our two grown children and their families this year. We are booked on the Amsterdam for the May 30th sailing.

 

Please post with information regarding how successful you were at being able to get close enough to the glaciers (especially Hubbard) to view some calving. I know it's hit or miss this time of year and we are praying that the Amsterdam will get close enough on our sailing to witnesss this awsome event on our visit to Hubbard Glacier.

 

Thanks in advance for your reply.

 

 

As you may have been able to tell, we were able to get quite close to some of the glaciers in glacier bay. Of course, "close" is a relative term, and the size of the glaciers is often deceptive.

 

I'll let you know regarding Hubbard Glacier after next week. :)

[RevNeal]

I am enjoying this thread very much. I love seeing all the pictures.

Can you tell me about how long it takes (minutes) to upload one of your longer posts with several pictures?? I plan on doing a blog on the Grand South Pacific Australia New Zealand voyage this fall.

 

It doesn't take too long. I try process each picture with photoshop in order to reduce their size to about 100k in size (700 pixels wide), which helps matters greatly and keeps the upload time down.

 

What I do is I upload the processed photos, using an FTP utility, to a sub-domain of my website (http://www.revneal.org/Resources/alaska09/). I then pull from there using the IMG codes here on CC to pull and display them on the board. Overall, it will take about 2 minutes to upload a group of 10 or 15 images, depending upon the quality of internet access from the ship. And, since I write my posts off-line (for the most part), and get on and copy/paste them to the board, I save money. On the Ryndam this last cruise I only bought one package of 100 minutes ($55). I plan on doing the same thing from the Amsterdam, and I hope to have at least some photos of similar quality this coming week.

 

If you need further help, feel free to e-mail me and I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

[Himself]

Greg:

 

I assume you have made your way down to Seattle now and are getting a good nite sleep before you board the m.s. AMSTERDAM (my favorite of the dam ships) as you head up the outside passage to Alaska. Give BLUE and DEB my regards and tell them I will be up in a few weeks. I hope you give us a "scouting report" on the new terminal in Seattle which is quite a way North of where the old dock was. In any event, I hope you have a great cruise next week.

 

By the way BLUE and DEB know me by my real name and not Himself--but so do you.

All the best.