Tuesday, April 23, 2024

10 Reasons to Love a Holland America Alaska Land and Sea Cruise

holland america alaska cruise reviews

Located in the heart of the Klondike Gold Rush Country, this town is filled with historic buildings and offers a charming trip back in time. Read on to discover 10 reasons why one of these voyages may be right for you. Mark Pells, Westerdam Hotel Director, says May and September are good for empty nesters who like a quiet environment with fewer kids. Besides traditional Bingo, casino, dance lessons and swimming pools, Westerdam offered Windows technology and group cooking classes which Rob and I attended. Along with customary evening stage shows, musicians and comedians, the B. B. King’s Blues Club played music that made Beale Street famous.

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In late afternoon a shuttle bus took us to a Dog Musher’s Camp on nearby Douglas Island, where we were greeted by 150 barking and howling Alaska sled dogs. Sixteen-dog teams were hitched to 6-passenger wheeled vehicles that enable dogs to train year-round for winter dog mushing, Alaska’s favorite sport. From the stunning glaciers to the charming coastal towns, this cruise showcases the best of Alaska’s natural beauty. If booking through an independent, ensure the operator guarantees to cover the cost to get you to the ship at the next port should the ship leave without you. I researched the activities made available through HAL and then through independent operators. The routines and procedures to keep a healthy ship were evident throughout the cruise.

Juneau, Alaska Cruise Tour

Even if everything else on board was terrible, and it wasn’t, the staff alone would make the experience memorable. Each day, you fill a given laundry bag with your dirty clothes and complete an itemized checklist of your clothes. The next day, your clothes arrive in your room, folded or hung.

Holland America Alaska Cruise Review of the Cabin

There was a pod of orcas probably a half mile from the ship with some impressive breaching action. Moving the clocks ahead one hour meant that I still felt tired when we woke up this morning. Even though we technically already sampled breakfast in the MDR, the Princess wanted to dine here again. For dinner, she went with the chicken curry, which was mild and came with a light sauce.

Holland America Line Alaska Cruise Review – Day 1

Disembarking the boat at Centennial Hall, we met Justin, our quirky tour guide/bus driver. He would usher us around the city and our next two stops for the remaining 2.5 hours of the tour. His unique personality along with your typical historical narration made for an interesting city tour. Once the ship was cleared, we joined the masses exiting the ship on Deck A. We easily found our tour provider, as it was the group with the largest line! Once everyone arrived, we were ushered to the next dock to begin the 5+ hours of exploring the Sitka waters and city highlights. While we have sailed in the region a few times now, this was our first visit to this small Alaskan city.

Holland America Zuiderdam Cruise: Expert Review (2023) - Cruise Critic

Holland America Zuiderdam Cruise: Expert Review ( .

Posted: Wed, 12 Jul 2023 15:38:27 GMT [source]

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Ready for dinner early, we headed down to the restaurant for a pre-dinner drink. As the rest of the crew arrived, we were sat at the same tables as our previous visit to the venue. Now, the Princess can’t complain that she didn’t get to see any wildlife on this trip. Following this portion of the tour, we took another 10 minute ride to our next stop.

Reasons to Love a Holland America Line Alaska Land and Sea Cruise

I pity those people who stay in those rooms – it must get noisy. Aside from the price, the Holland America southbound cruise that we were eyeing had a stop in Glacier Bay National Park. When we got married in May 2016, we decided to go to Alaska and go on a cruise for our honeymoon. Picking a honeymoon destination seems like a big deal, with numerous destinations to go to, as well as options on how to get there. In the end, after numerous brochures, and research, we booked a Holland America Alaska Cruise with Holland America Cruises. I hope you’ll check out Holland America Line for your next cruise to Alaska and that you’ll have as much fun as we did!

holland america alaska cruise reviews

Not to mention, Holland America Line offers 24-hour room service. This Alaska Land+Sea Journey is suited to cruise lovers who want to spice up their ocean adventuring with a short-but-sweet land-based experience. Book a suite on the ship and a suite at Denali Square to enjoy luxury accommodation. With up to three days spent exploring Denali National Park, you will have plenty of time to get back to nature and fully appreciate this region's rugged terrain.

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After the 45 minute show, we tried to find seats at the overflowing Billboard Onboard. Not seeing any spaces, some of our fellow media snagged some chairs at the nearby Gallery Bar instead. Thus, we spent the rest of the afternoon on our balcony. In between work and socializing with our cabin neighbors, we admired the scenery and soaked up the sun as the ship slowly pulled out of Ketchikan. The 45-minute show had us out just in time to get to B.B. While some of his stunts were entertaining, he certainly did not rank among the top illusionists that we have seen at sea.

As I understand is common on cruise ships, there are some extras, like internet and drinks, that you can opt to pay for as a package. The Quench package included espresso drinks, smoothies, and water cans. Even if you don’t upgrade to any of the paid dining options, the main dining room is honestly awesome. In market hall fashion, this was the place to go for variety, and it became our daily lunch stop.

If that is not enough time in Alaska, add a land package to your cruise to visit Denali National Park. After our first day on board, I commented to my husband that I didn’t think the word, no, was in the staff’s vocabulary. I would be remiss if I did not include a section on the staff in my Holland America Alaska cruise review.

As part of the Have-it-All package, one specialty restaurant visit is included. We used ours on the Pinnacle Grill on one of the two dressy gala nights. It serves the best specialty coffee drinks and light breakfast fare. The Crow’s Nest is a popular spot to begin your mornings, as it is a peaceful area to grab a cappuccino and enjoy the sights.

Tamarind is an upscale Asian restaurant onboard that features a delectable menu with options like Thai citrus scallops and wok-seared lobster and shrimp. Compared to other ships one thing I didn’t love was that the promenade deck view was mostly blocked by lifeboats. If you’re someone who likes to pop out on one of the mid-decks to enjoy the scenery and walk around, this ship isn’t the best for that. The restaurants are also beautifully decorated, while the casual dining options on the pool deck are laid back and perfect for families with young kids. At the top edge of the United States sits our 49th state, Alaska.

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