Cruise Journal

August 23 -25, 2010 Boarding the Amsterdam,

inside passage, and Ketchikan.

First photo from the ship

showing Seattle skyline

Other view of the dock at the stern of the Amsterdam

First day after cabin assignment was the emergency drill

l (This time we were not required to don our life vest, just watch demonstration.)

Ship in moonlight heading within the inside passage

Inside passage the next morning 8/24/10

The Pinnacle Restaurant served food with flare in it's presentation

8-21-10
Alaska airways trip of about 4 hours was to say the least an
patient testing endeavor. Kids screamed, pregnant woman required
ems upon landing.
We originally sat across the isle 28c and 28d.
Upon arrival, we located Holland America rep who helped with
luggage and provided transportation to the hotel, Fairmont on 4th
and University. After arrival at Fairmont hotel on 4th and
University, it was late and we were hungry and since restaurants
were closed, we asked for room service.

8/22 was a free day -- being Sunday, we used copies of gospel
songs that Larie and I sung and we took the Lord's supper after
reading scriptures from 2 John. After we we found a specialty
shop for breakfast and coffee, a favorite place for the locals.
The meal, the specialty shop even had egg beaters. the coffee

and
meal was very good. Then we discovered a grocery store a few
blocks down the same street. After 9 pm we walked to both places
and being Sunday they were closed early.

8/23, Monday we made preparations for boarding the ship. ms
Amsterdam Our breakfast was at the specialty shop and we bought
cold drops and package of almonds. At 830 we checked in with the
Holland am rep to sign in and show our boarding pass and
passports. At 9:00 3 bags and a package that was shipped
earlier, containing heavy jackets and shoes were taken downstairs and the
next time we were to see the bags and box was when we got to the
stateroom number 3367. We waited until 1145 until boarding the
bus that took us to the ship. We then were subject to security
scan and as expected I set off the scanner just as I did at the
airport in Austin.

We then received our id card, required when disembarking and
boarding the ship at each port. Immediately after boarding, we had late lunch in the Lido, Lido,
not Leo...: ) After the meal an announcement was made over the
ship's speaker that our staterooms were ready. That was music to
our ears. We each had a carry on with our meds and essentials,
mine included my netbook. At 3 pm Larie slept while I followed a
special intro tour of the ship. Lot of stuff goes on and several
restaurants to choose from other than the cafeteria style Lido

on the L I D O deck.
7:33 PM 8/24/2010
Tuesday 8/24

About 915 A.M. Larie was playing ping pong with one of the crew
members within the gym and her foot slipped, falling backward
she hit her shoulder on a recycle receptacle. At 10 Larie found
me in scheduled talk about on shore excursions and we went to the
infirmary for Larie to be treated. Three xrays were taken, and
not broken bones, just bruises, but doctor suggested iboprophen
and ice packs. After a couple of hours sleep Larie was ok, but
complained about leg pain.

At noon today we had lunch in Pinnacle Grill, a very quite place
to eat, which Larie enjoys. We had halibut steak. I attended a
computer imagining workshop and at 6 pm we had dinner in the
Pinnacle Grill. Larie selected lamb chops and I had fillet minion
with large prams. Earlier we changed our shore excursion from
city view to an amphibious duck tour.
After 5 I subscribed to 100 minutes of internet access at about
50 cents a minute will result in limited email, but we will be
recording lot and uploading same to the travel blog, with address
that we will describe in e-mail to close friends. We will take
a few minutes here and there to post our activities on this
travel blog and budget our time to upload this journal to the
blog. Hours shown indicate times of day this journal was
updated.

10:39 PM 8/24/2010
After dinner in the Pinnacle Dining room we watched the floor
show for about ten minutes and returned to our stateroom to get
comfortable. The volume was too high for Larie's ears. Larie
mentioned at dinner that her foot, hand and back of her neck
were sore, the cold packs and Ibophropen this afternoon helped
some.

Before 9pm the temperature was 57 degrees with 95 % humidity. The
fog was too thick with no chance to get a good photo shot of the
sunset, that is remarkable in this part of the world, Last
night while eating dinner at the main (stern) dining room, we observed
an amazing sunset , but we did not have our camera at the time.
Larie stayed in our cabin while I went to the gym for 30 minutes
on the treadmill. Larie carries her pedometer and told the waiter
she had walked three miles since boarding.

(spell checked above with open office 11:04 PM 8/24/2010)

saved as tvllog0824
8:25 AM 8/25/2010

Wednesdy 8/25 at 6:25(I did not reset the clock as we enter a
different time zone today, it is now 7:25 am and while in the
shower I grabbed the shower pipe rather than safety handle and
the shower pipe came tumbling down.: ).
We were scheduled to dock at 7 am so we have to step outside on
the promonade deck to see. We have decided go downtown before
taking the duck tour, as the main street is at the warf.
We will have breakfast at the Lido (after experiencing room
service yesterday, we decided that it is more convenient to eat
beakfast there.
more this afternoon.

11:08 AM 8/25/2010
We had breakfast in Lido restaurant when it opened and looked at
the city of Ketchikan. After breakfast Larie had a sinking
feeling and we proceeded to our stateroom for her to rest. I am
in the Explorers/Internet/Library area as I prepare to send the
above journal on our travel blog.