We arrived at Pier 91 for our 1:40 boarding time for the Holland America ship, Nieuw Amsterdam! Our luggage was whisked on to the ship & we waited in line for our credentials to be validated then our 15 minute Covid test in order to board the ship.
This voyage is for adults only who have been fully vaccinated and have a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of sailing. We had tested negative in West Virginia on Tuesday but had been on the train until arriving in Seattle. The ship provided testing before we were allowed to board. We were masked except for eating on the ship or when in our veranda room. I felt very safe on this voyage.
Our veranda room has a beautiful view of the harbor in Seattle
Life on a cruise ship can be exciting especially if after you leave port and hear from your captain that several storms are currently brewing in the Pacific, so Holland America must change our itinerary. We will be going to the inland passage earlier to avoid one storm and go directly to Juneau. Then because the later storms will be near Sitka, Alaska we will be going to north to Skagway on Tuesday.
With the Pacific storm brewing, I find navigating the ship a new experience. Walking down the port side of the cruise ship toward our room on the fifth deck, I find myself catching air as skiers say. It feels like you’re almost on a roller coaster.
When you’re on a cruise ship it is really possible to eat most of the day. This is difficult when you’ve been on a diet to get ready for your vacation. However, I have found plenty of options to fit into my diet. The delicious food can spoil you for the real world at home, but I plan to enjoy every bite!
One thing they do on the ship to help keep you straight is change the rugs every day in the elevators to remind you what day it is. They also have directional rugs in each hallway to tell me which direction is the front rear of the ship along with each side and whether it is Port or Starbord.
After sleeping three nights on the train, having a bed to sleep in is a blessing. I look forward to giving you more information about the cruise and our Alaskan destinations in later blogs.
Ellen and editor Harriet
(Caveat: Writing and editing this blog page again after leaving the ship is a challenge. It is difficult to remember each event in our wonderful 7 days in Alaska. Presently I am in the Seattle Hilton lobby early on October 4. I hope to catch up soon)
Ellen’s Travel Journal 2016-2025 