DAMshipscruiser

Wang Wang as many have voted, but also Pomegranate Ginger Drop.....mmmmmm

Anchorage resident here with a little insight. I worked for HAL/GLA from 1999-2009, serving as the Motor Coach Operations Manger at HAL from 2005-2009. Several friends and my sister still work for HAP here in the state (although she was just furloughed today for up to 6 months) so I keep my pulse on the industry goings-on here.

 

A little back history:  During Winter 2003-2004 Carnival Corp. built the dock in Whittier and and Princess and Carnival started using it beginning 2004. With Whittier being only about 60 miles away, vs. Seward being 125, it helped reduce on-road time for tour coaches on disembarkation/embarkation days. This meant less time on the road for guests as well. It also helped Princess to slightly reduce the size of its coach fleet because you can use the coaches ANC-Whittier for 2-3 round-trips per day vs. 1 round trip per day (or 2 if the timing worked out right) for most coaches Anchorage to Seward, which also reduces payroll for the reduced number of drivers needed, etc.. It also reduced fees (pull costs) to the Alaska Railroad (AKRR) either utilizing AKRR train cars (cruise train transfers) shorter distances or using Princess Rail cars. The pull costs Anchorage to Whittier are less than Anchorge to Seward, and they could move guests further in a single day with less inconvenience because of it. Princess was able to get guests directly from Whittier to Denali in 1 day via train, where HAL ran coaches making a very long day for guests. No options for Seward to Denali via train in a single day.

Despite Princess moving to Whittier, HAL stayed put in Seward, choosing to maintain an emphasis on giving guests the opportunity to experience National Parks, including Kenai Fjords. Also, they had several pre/post tour options that included overnights in Seward, tours to Homer, etc. For the summer of 2005, HAL started running tour patterns that included a 12 hour coach ride direct to (post cruise) or from (pre cruise) Denali. Initially there were only about 12 coaches worth max (4-6 in each direction). The tours with Direct Denali transfers have become more popular and in summer 2019 they were often running 10-12 coaches in each direction. Less passengers are choosing tours that stay in and around Seward and Anchorage. The Homer tours have been gone for several years.

 

Also, in 2009 HAL and Princess combined their land operations that had previously run independently. The combined land operations company, Holland America - Princess Alaska (HAP-Alaska or HAP) now manages and schedules the transportation and tours for both companies' land-tour products. In light of all these "moving parts", so to speak, it's for simplification and savings from  cost, time, logistics, and asset-usage stand-points that HAL finally decided to move to Whittier as the turnaround port for Anchorage.

 

Hope that helps give you some (long-winded) insight!

85 or so miles between Seward and Whittier. Whittier is closer to Anchorage (60 miles) vs. Seward (125 miles)

Yes, those are definitely the reasons.

 

I worked for Holland America Tours (HAT) and Gray Line of Alaska (GLA) from 1999-2009 here in Alaska, and my sister still works for HAPA (Holland America Princess Alaska since the operations combination in 2009). I was part of the Shore Ops and Transportation team that opened up Whittier when Carnival and Princess started bringing ships into Whittier in 2004. Just have an affinity for Seward however.

Looks like it is finally happening. 2021 Alaska Cruises and Land+Sea Journeys are bookable online and showing that Nieuw Amsterdam and Noordam will be using Whittier instead of Seward as the Embark/Debark port for cross Gulf of Alaska Cruises.

 

Sad to see it finally happen, but definitely makes sense for transportation logistics and cost reductions.

 

 

Unfortunately, with the ages of Maasdam and Veendam and the high costs of such technological upgrades, they are focussing on resources where they make financial sense such as the R class, Vista, Signature..... I wouldn't be surprised to see Maasdam and Veendam finally sold off in the next couple of years. Sad for me, Maasdam was my first ship, though I was sadder to see Statendam and Ryndam go. Loved those two ships. Never had a good experience with the Veendam...that one won't be such a difficult loss for me.

Don't know why they're offering those particular cruises, probably capacity problems in ports they would usually do a 7 day RT itinerary with.

 

However, I wouldn't trust those departure dates. HAL ships on the Vancouver/Seward run are on Sunday departures each direction. The HAL website is showing Saturday departures, but the Seward cruise ship schedule is showing Sundays:

 

http://crew-center.com/seward-alaska-cruise-ship-schedule-2018

 

Vancouver ship schedule is too:

 

http://crew-center.com/seward-alaska-cruise-ship-schedule-2018

 

Everything seems to be off by a day on HAL's website, might be worth a call to verify your dates if you're looking at booking.

We were on the Noordam for the first time July 2017 on a SB Seward to Vancouver (We live in Anchorage). While some public spaces had newer carpets and were in generally great condition (they were actively recarpeting stairs during the night in several stair wells), the cabins are sorely in need of refurbishment and updating. We were a group of 10 people in 5 different cabins ranging from insides, outsides and a Neptune Suite. Would be a big disappointment if she doesn't get her drydock and suite overhauls this Spring prior to the AK season.

 

We've been on the Westerdam a couple times (prior to her most recent refurb) so I've only seen pictures of her updates, but the ships had a few notable difference before the refit, now there are even more.

 

If it's true that Noordam isn't getting her refurb this spring AND If cabin updates are important to you then definitely go for the Westerdam. Otherwise we enjoyed the Noordam so if it's more of an availability or pricing issue take what you feel is the better deal.

 

I will say, after taking a Seward to Vancouver SB run for the first time (vs our usual Vancouver to Seward NB) we much prefer to start out in Vancouver. NB usually ports in Skagway, where the SB goes into Haines. Haines is a nice change of pace if you've been into Skagway several times before, but if not, more of the tours run out of Skagway than Haines.

 

Bus ride into/out of Anchorage is approx 2 1/2 hours while the train ride is approx 4.

We attend the Mixology classes religiously while onboard. We've been told by a few bartenders on a few cruises during these classes that they no longer have the Wang Wang on the published menu because they've had a few incidents with the guests that drink too many and get plastered. They'll generally still make you one if you request it.

 

Another of my favorites, the Pomegranate Ginger Drop, has been absent from the menu the last few times I've been aboard as well, but I've never had a problem getting the bartender to make me one regardless of the bar I'm in.

We cruised the Westerdam two consecutive Thanksgivings (2014 and 2015). 2014 there were about 175 kids, 2015 there were 225. Both occasions they brought in extra Club HAL staff to manage the holiday influx. Westerdam is slightly larger than the Rotterdam, but I'm guessing you'll still have 100+.

 

Itinerary length will also be a factor as 7 day holiday cruises will have more multi-generational families (and kids) than say a 10 or 14 day sailing.

Could you please explain what is EXC? Thanks

 

EXC= Explorations Central. You can find information about it on Holland America's website. Some of the programming/shorex componants should be fleet-wide by the end of the year. Other aspects that use technology and hardware in some form or another will be installed during the various ships' dry-dockings over the next couple of years.

Did Eurodam already got her first dry dock?

Eurodam was in dry dock in Dec 2013. My husband and I were aboard for a short 4 day "reset cruise" on December 18-22. We were the first sailing after her dry dock, before she reset to 7 day cruises going into the holidays.