PattyCruiser2013

I already posted there as well, to maximize my chances of catching someone, but thanks for the suggestion!

Try posting this on the HAL board. There are a couple of threads from people now on the Zuiderdam. Don't know if they can help you or not.

Thank you!

Here are the dailies for last years Zuiderdam Alaska. At least you will have something until somebody posts this years:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/?page_id=1547

I had no idea there was such a thing. I will be interested in the replies as well.

I'm loving reading all the reviews of the various Alaska cruises on this board and Alaska board.

Does anyone have copies of the dailies for the zuiderdam/Alaska recent cruises? i know they are difficult to scan/upload, but if anyone has them -

thanks so much! :)

I'm loving reading all the reviews of the various Alaska cruises!

Does anyone have copied of the dailies for the zuiderdam recent cruises? i know they are difficult to scan/upload, but if anyone has them -

thanks so much! :)

Is there another private tour other than Chilkoot? They don't have availability on our date that also includes stopping at the musher camp and seeing the puppies, and that is one of the things we were looking forward to. not sure if the cruise tour offers this or not, but will check. heard great things about chilkoot so tried them and were hoping to get on that one.

thanks!

Enjoying your review!

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Great review ! We sail in a few weeks - so excited! How do we get the "Rogerisms"?? ;)

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Thanks everyone for the ideas! We are doing HOHO pre cruise but we may not get to spend much time in all the spots they'd like to see so I will consider that. I also like the lounge idea and the "day room". They are fairly experienced travelers w/in US. They drive all over visiting their 20 siblings from FL to NY to MN!

But, I plan to set up all the logistics for them ahead of time!

We aren't intentionally leaving them;) they had horrible flights going back to their hometown.

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Also - can you confirm the formal nights? Sunday and Wednesday? I've heard both Wednesday and Thursday for 2nd formal night. Thanks!

We have just returned from 7 night round trip Inside Passage Alaska cruise on Zuiderdam out of Vancouver and thought we'd share our thoughts. Rather than post an entire review on the Review section we thought we would follow other recent trends of bit by bit reports which will hopefully be of interest.

 

This was our first HAL cruise and our 14th in total. We chose this cruise for the itinerary. Having researched other lines and ships this cruise suited our needs best.

 

Just prior to sailing, we were lucky enough to be offered an upgrade from our verandah cabin to what HAL call a superior verandah for a small additional sum. We normally cruise inside cabin but had decided to take a balcony to allow us to enjoy the scenery for this specific cruise in a degree of comfort.

 

We took up the offer and were pleased we did as the balcony and cabin were much more roomy than our original choice. The balcony had a table and chairs as well as two padded plastic wicker style lounger type chairs - normal balcony cabins seemed only to have the loungers and a very small and low table.

 

We are husband and wife, M (early 50's); F (late 40's). We flew BA out of Heathrow the day before and stayed 1 night pre-cruise. We also stayed 3 nights post cruise. Our hotel was Pan Pacific on Canada Quay. We chose it because of proximity to the ship and the convenience of a walking transfer - another first!

 

We arranged all our cruise and travel elements through HAL via our Travel agent. We booked 2 excursions direct with HAL via their website and 1 via the tour desk.

 

Although we could probably have booked flights and hotels cheaper independently we like not having to worry about anything and like the security that booking everything directly brings. We had previous close calls with volcanic eruptions and snow at home potentially affecting previous cruises which influence our thinking on this front.

 

Our travel arrangements went very smoothly and flights and transfers were good. We were able to book seats on the BA flight using the reference number on the pre-cruise documentation.

 

HAL reps were at the airport to greet us and as there were around a dozen people staying pre-cruise we had to wait a short while for the bus to transfer us to our hotel. The transfer took around 20 minutes. The driver gave us some useful information about Vancouver during the transfer. Guests were staying at 2 hotels and we were lucky enough to be the first stop.

 

We were able to check in immediately on arrival and a welcome letter with arrangements for joining the ship were waiting for us. Our room was on the pool deck level (8th floor) and was very roomy with a super king size bed and a sink and complimentary tea and coffee making facilities - snacks were extra. We arrived late evening and having been fed on the plane we decided not to have anything else to eat and went fairly early to bed.

 

In the morning our letter advised we should go to the HAL desk in the hotel to arrange our transfer. We were also advised to leave our bags in our hotel room and they would be collected and taken direct to the ship which was a bonus. I would thoroughly recommend this hotel for the convenience and location.

 

In the morning we went to see the rep and asked about the transfer process. We were advised we could take their transfer which was fairly early so we asked what our options were. As our luggage was being taken care of we decided to go slightly later on our own as we weren't sure our cabin would be ready if we boarded early.

 

After going to see the HAL rep we had a fast food breakfast in the food court directly below the hotel. There were a number of outlets to choose from ranging from burger bars to fruit and smoothie ones. We then went to board the ship at around 11am. The process was fairly smooth with HAL reps there to guide and assist all of the way.

 

The biggest delay, as expected, was in getting through the US customs who were on the quayside to check everyone going aboard, this presumably because the ship was sailing directly to the US. There was a considerable queue however we passed through customs and HAL registration in around 1 hour and we were on the ship and in our cabin just after noon.

 

After speaking to others a few days after we boarded it seems we timed it just right as other people who arrived later said they took more than 3 hours to go through the process.

 

What we did see whilst queuing was several people being taken away from the customs desk to a small office. We assumed, perhaps wrongly, that they had perhaps not completed the ESTA process in advance. We were well aware of the process having travelled to the US before but others may not have been aware as the cruise was departing and returning via Canada. We didn't think there was enough advance warning of the need to complete the ESTA process either by HAL or our travel agent in any of the pre-cruise documentation.

 

As we boarded relatively early, the ship was still quiet and we had our first and only main meal in the lido at a fairly leisurely pace. The lido was server based for the first two days due to recent previous noro virus outbreaks. This may be standard process for HAL but is something they might relax for cruises if the ship has been healthy for a period of time. As the ship was quiet we didn't have any trouble with queuing to be served. We weren't aware of any noro issues whilst on board and it seems HAL did a good job of eradicating it following earlier problems on previous cruises.

 

After our meal we went to explore what the ship had to offer. The layout was fairly standard for a Vista class ship which we had sailed on before with other lines. If anyone is still interested we will post more about the ship later and about our cruise in general. If everyone is bored rigid by the facts thus far we won't post any more. Let us know if we should continue..........

:pyes, please continue! great detail. we are going in a few weeks and enjoying reading everything I can. thanks for the review!

We have just returned from 7 night round trip Inside Passage Alaska cruise on Zuiderdam out of Vancouver and thought we'd share our thoughts. Rather than post an entire review on the Review section we thought we would follow other recent trends of bit by bit reports which will hopefully be of interest.

 

This was our first HAL cruise and our 14th in total. We chose this cruise for the itinerary. Having researched other lines and ships this cruise suited our needs best.

 

Just prior to sailing, we were lucky enough to be offered an upgrade from our verandah cabin to what HAL call a superior verandah for a small additional sum. We normally cruise inside cabin but had decided to take a balcony to allow us to enjoy the scenery for this specific cruise in a degree of comfort.

 

We took up the offer and were pleased we did as the balcony and cabin were much more roomy than our original choice. The balcony had a table and chairs as well as two padded plastic wicker style lounger type chairs - normal balcony cabins seemed only to have the loungers and a very small and low table.

 

We are husband and wife, M (early 50's); F (late 40's). We flew BA out of Heathrow the day before and stayed 1 night pre-cruise. We also stayed 3 nights post cruise. Our hotel was Pan Pacific on Canada Quay. We chose it because of proximity to the ship and the convenience of a walking transfer - another first!

 

We arranged all our cruise and travel elements through HAL via our Travel agent. We booked 2 excursions direct with HAL via their website and 1 via the tour desk.

 

Although we could probably have booked flights and hotels cheaper independently we like not having to worry about anything and like the security that booking everything directly brings. We had previous close calls with volcanic eruptions and snow at home potentially affecting previous cruises which influence our thinking on this front.

 

Our travel arrangements went very smoothly and flights and transfers were good. We were able to book seats on the BA flight using the reference number on the pre-cruise documentation.

 

HAL reps were at the airport to greet us and as there were around a dozen people staying pre-cruise we had to wait a short while for the bus to transfer us to our hotel. The transfer took around 20 minutes. The driver gave us some useful information about Vancouver during the transfer. Guests were staying at 2 hotels and we were lucky enough to be the first stop.

 

We were able to check in immediately on arrival and a welcome letter with arrangements for joining the ship were waiting for us. Our room was on the pool deck level (8th floor) and was very roomy with a super king size bed and a sink and complimentary tea and coffee making facilities - snacks were extra. We arrived late evening and having been fed on the plane we decided not to have anything else to eat and went fairly early to bed.

 

In the morning our letter advised we should go to the HAL desk in the hotel to arrange our transfer. We were also advised to leave our bags in our hotel room and they would be collected and taken direct to the ship which was a bonus. I would thoroughly recommend this hotel for the convenience and location.

 

In the morning we went to see the rep and asked about the transfer process. We were advised we could take their transfer which was fairly early so we asked what our options were. As our luggage was being taken care of we decided to go slightly later on our own as we weren't sure our cabin would be ready if we boarded early.

 

After going to see the HAL rep we had a fast food breakfast in the food court directly below the hotel. There were a number of outlets to choose from ranging from burger bars to fruit and smoothie ones. We then went to board the ship at around 11am. The process was fairly smooth with HAL reps there to guide and assist all of the way.

 

The biggest delay, as expected, was in getting through the US customs who were on the quayside to check everyone going aboard, this presumably because the ship was sailing directly to the US. There was a considerable queue however we passed through customs and HAL registration in around 1 hour and we were on the ship and in our cabin just after noon.

 

After speaking to others a few days after we boarded it seems we timed it just right as other people who arrived later said they took more than 3 hours to go through the process.

 

What we did see whilst queuing was several people being taken away from the customs desk to a small office. We assumed, perhaps wrongly, that they had perhaps not completed the ESTA process in advance. We were well aware of the process having travelled to the US before but others may not have been aware as the cruise was departing and returning via Canada. We didn't think there was enough advance warning of the need to complete the ESTA process either by HAL or our travel agent in any of the pre-cruise documentation.

 

As we boarded relatively early, the ship was still quiet and we had our first and only main meal in the lido at a fairly leisurely pace. The lido was server based for the first two days due to recent previous noro virus outbreaks. This may be standard process for HAL but is something they might relax for cruises if the ship has been healthy for a period of time. As the ship was quiet we didn't have any trouble with queuing to be served. We weren't aware of any noro issues whilst on board and it seems HAL did a good job of eradicating it following earlier problems on previous cruises.

 

After our meal we went to explore what the ship had to offer. The layout was fairly standard for a Vista class ship which we had sailed on before with other lines. If anyone is still interested we will post more about the ship later and about our cruise in general. If everyone is bored rigid by the facts thus far we won't post any more. Let us know if we should continue..........

My aunts are cruising with us from Vancouver to Alaska. I expect we will get off the ship on Sat @ 9. Their flight home is at 11 pm. I really had no choice because the only flights were at 6 am (before ship arrives!) or late at night (weird, I know). Anyway, trying to figure out what they can do in that time. One of my aunts just turned 80 so she will get awfully tired hanging around vancouver and the airport for a full day - with no where to go for a rest.

I will post on Canada board too - but wanted to check here to see if anyone has had a similar long wait for a flight home and what you did or what the options are for them. Even if they decided to do more touring around vancouver - is there a place for them to leave their luggage until its time to head to the airport?

Thanks!

Thank you. Kids are 7 and 10 and while they are good travelers, just trying to decide if it would be an interesting trip for them vs the length of time. I see that the train is 4 hours so we will have to consider that. How many stops do the train and bus make?

The olders like to travel and do it frequently so I'm not worried about them being bored, just about the level of comfort and ability to get up and stretch and walk around.

You don't mention the ages of your children. There's a big difference between a 3 year old and a 12 year old when it comes to something like this. I think most young children would be bored with an all day tour. You will be confined to the train or bus for long periods of time, with other people who might not appreciate being stuck with bored, whiny children. Not saying that yours are like that, just giving you something to think about. With kids, you might be better off with a car rental so you can go at your own pace, stop and let them move around, etc.

 

Last year I did the Lake Bennett tour with my mom and aunt, who are both around 70. They enjoyed it very much. They did not get tired of sitting, nor did they find it "jostling". Of course, like children, "old" people can be different and like/dislike different things.

 

What do you miss if you take the 3.5 hour tour? The Yukon. The scenery changes as you get further up into the mountains. You miss lunch, which may or may not be a bad thing. Depending on which tour you are looking at, you will miss either Lake Bennett or Caribou Crossing. You miss Emerald Lake and Carcross. But you can see most of these on your own with a car rental... and save quite a bit of money.

Thanks everyone!

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thank you!

When I was on the Zuiderdam a couple of weeks ago, the second formal night was the day of Glacier bay.

 

For the dining room, you can only reserve 2 days in advance. They don't allow more than that, except for the specialty restaurants which you can book in advance.

sorry to jump in on your post! We've been looking at this tour as well but we have 2 children and traveling with 2 older family members (they are mobile but not liking to sit for long periods or get jostled around for many hours).

Has anyone taken with kids? Is it too long (I know, depends on children). My children are good travelers, but not sure if it is too much to get off the ship and then take an 8 hour tour.

What about for older people? Have you traveled with older family members? Does it get tiring for them?

If we take the shorter tour (3.5 hours) what do we miss? Do we still get to see a lot of great scenery?

Thanks!

We are sailing on Zuiderdam in July to Alaska. I've been scouring these boards and have found a lot of great info! I've done on my past cruises too and find the board to be very informative.

A few things I couldn't seem to confirm from HAL website or in other posts:

1. Are the formal nights set nights? I think I've discovered the first night is Sunday. Does anyone know when the 2nd formal night will be?

2. Tried to book a specialty restaurant for my mom's birthday, but they only allow 6 per table. We have 7. does that sound right? Max is 7?

3. We have "open dining". how difficult is it to call for a specific reservation to fit all 7 of us at the same table in the MDR? I would call the day we get on the ship, if I can. birthday is not until mid-week

4. I see that you can pre-order flowers to be delivered to someone's stateroom. but, there is only one date of delivery - the day of sailing. Is there any way to get a delivery on a specific day (i.e. the actual birthday)? Has anyone tried this? If not, I will stick with the sail away date.

5. Does HAL do any other special things on their own if they know it is a passenger's birthday?

ok, so that was more than just a few ?s....

Thanks!

We are going this summer on HAL with our DDs 10 and 7 and I have no worries they will have a great time! Although I know at a certain age it gets harder bc the older kids want more independent stuff to do.

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We just booked our first cruise to Alaska so I can't say if it's worth it or not. But I agree with others. If you can afford it do it. If it means sacrificing shore excursions that you'd love to do, don't get it.

I'm like another poster - I won't cruise if I can't get a balcony. I need to see what's going on and get fresh air if I need it without going up on deck!

My DH would be fine without one but it's a must for me!

We will be traveling with my mom and 2 aunts and this is a once in a lifetime for them as they are older and won't do this again. So I talked them out of the inside cabin to the balcony so they can also have constant views when they are in the cabin. On our last cruise my family was on the balcony a ton. We ate breakfast there a few times, DH and I sat out there at night when kids went to sleep and we enjoyed it while getting ready for the day or dinner/night plans.

My DDs took their dolls out there and played quite a bit and that was priceless seeing the dolls and their gear hanging out on the balcony chairs ;)

To some people it's not important at all and if that's you, you have to decide

Good luck!

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I've done a ton of research. I know that it is best to go out of Vancouver for the best views (and less rocking, maybe). We've heard rave reviews and don't miss it advice about Glacier Bay. I've looked at so many ships, itineraries and read so many reviews on here, that my head is spinning.

I found a great itinerary on HAL but there are not many great cabins left so that is making it difficult. We've cruised on Celebrity before and so started looking at those as well. I know they don't have as many "ins" as HAL and Princess (we've ruled out Princess and NCL already - not because of reviews, but some other things that just aren't working in our favor) but the intineraries are not bad, and we'd still get to see Alaska!

So here are our final 3. I know you will say - base it on what you want to see. I'm leaning heavily toward Vancouver route with Glacier Bay. However, we also had hopes up to maybe see Victoria (but maybe that is another time and we focus on the rest of the intinerary ? - one of my Qs here)

That's our issue - we can't decide what to miss and what is a must with so many options on the intineraries.

If just my husband and myself,we're open to rooms. But, we have 2 young kids with us and need some space. even balcony rooms can prove a challenge sometimes, but we've done it and had fun! also traveling with older family (70-80) and 3 in a room - so an upper berth doesn't really work for us, so looking for rooms with a pull out couch or something easier to get into :)

So you can see where my challenges arise since although I've been researching this for MONTHS - we are still a little late in the game and missed out on some of the best rooms, which has made it harder to decide. We are also fairly limited on the weeks we can go.

HAL - not so great rooms left and traveling with kids and older family and need some "comfort" level in rooms

Vancouver, IP cruising, Tracy Arm, Junuea, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, IP crusing, Vancouver

Celebrity (better rooms available - i.e. more space/views)

Vancouver, IP cruising,icy strait point, hubbard glacier, juneau, Ketchikan, IP cruising, Vancouver

Celebrity (again, some better rooms) - and Victoria - but not as "pretty" as Vancouver route

Seattle, Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, Skagway, IP, Victoria

(traveling July so may have issues in Tracy Arm as I've read)

Any input? I know its a personal decision but just trying to see if there is something I'm missing in our final selection process.

thanks!

I don't think so. Whenever we've had a room over the MDR, at dinner time we have either been there ourselves, or at a show, or elsewhere on the ship. :)

K thanks! I read a review where poster said they could hear them in kitchen at 5 am! But some other reviewers and posters said 4th deck is ok.

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Thanks that's helpful!

Is it noisy on 4. - just above dining room?

I may be overthinking now ;)

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Thanks!

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So - if you had a choice of mid cabins on 5th DECK overlooking lifeboats on 4 OR cabins near aft - not by lifeboats - which would you choose? Sounds like the cabins on 4 have larger verandas which may be nice. I'd prefer to be higher but nothing else available other than 4 or 5 DECKS. I don't really want to look at lifeboats even tho I get that you cans till look out. Decisions, decisions! Thanks for the advice -and laughs!

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Thank you. That is helpful!

The deck 4 cabins are not bigger inside, but the balconies are. All of the balconies of the side cabins on deck 4 are 7.5 ft deep, while most above them are 6 ft deep. However, the outer 1.5 ft of the deck 4 verandas are not covered. The people at the railing in this picture are on deck 4.