Review- Zaandam NB Alaska July 6 sailing

We took the July 6 cruise on Zaandam from Vancouver to Seward. It was my fourth cruise and my teenage son’s second. We are physically active and independent travelers. I’m focusing on HAL and Zaandam here, and will review ports and excursions on the Alaska board.

Flights- We flew Alaska Airlines and their subsidiary Horizon Air from Orange County, CA to Vancouver. We arrived 2 days early since my son had never been to Canada. I was very impressed with both airlines. The only flights available using frequent flyer miles had a 4 hour layover in Seattle. At check-in, I asked the agent about an earlier Vancouver flight. It was full, but she put our checked bag on the flight and said to get on the standby list when we arrived in SEA. We did that and the gate agent really pulled for us. She said several passengers hadn’t checked in and our chances were good. The instant the 10 minute cutoff arrived she printed out boarding passes and we were on our way. Horizon Air offered free wine or microbrews from Washington…on a 35 minute flight!

We flew home from Anchorage with a connection in SEA. Flights were on time and uneventful except for the landing at Orange County. I’m a private pilot and it was the hardest landing I’ve experienced in an airliner. During the arrival announcements the flight attendant thanked everyone for participating in their “2 landings for the price of 1” promotion. :eek:

Alaska employees seem to really care about doing a good job, and I didn’t see any of them loafing or copping an attitude like I have on other airlines.

Embarkation- We arrived at Canada Place around 11:30 after walking 2 blocks from our hotel. A luggage dropoff area was set up in the parking garage, where we put our luggage onto carts. Next was the security line, which had Zaandam and Star Princess passengers. Reps from both companies were providing instructions and answering questions. After 20 minutes we cleared security and passengers separated according to their ship. We went through a US Immigration / passport check to “re-enter” the US and then to the HAL check in counter. There was very little wait; luggage drop to the gangway was 40 minutes. FYI, before entering the security line there are vendors selling last minute items, souvenirs, and tours.

Cabin- A few weeks before sailing we were upgraded from a Cat FF Guarantee (unobstructed outside, Dolphin Deck) to Cat C cabin 3336. This was on the Lower Promenade a few cabins behind the Atrium. Although I heard that some cabins on the LP deck can be noisy, this was never a problem since we were under the wine bar and art gallery. The location was outstanding; it was easy to get outside. In Juneau the gangway was less than 50 paces from our cabin. :)

Steward- I can’t say enough about “Lis", our cabin steward. He was very personable and connected with my son. He’s been with HAL for 12 years so must really like his job. Every minor request or problem was taken care of immediately, even though I let him know it wasn’t a big deal and not urgent. I had picked up a bottle of white wine in Vancouver to drink in-cabin…he put it in an ice bucket which he kept renewing and also brought wine glasses, all without my asking.

Dining- We were glad we chose open seating. Our focus was on ports and excursions, and being back at the ship and dressed at a certain time would have been a major hassle. It gave us a lot more flexibility and time on land and also accommodated my teenager’s very unpredictable hunger schedule. We were able to be seated by the window every night, and met many more people than we would with traditional dining.

Dining room service was generally excellent. The staff for our table dropped the ball once. Bar service didn’t show up automatically, so our table had to ask since we wanted wine and soft drinks. The waiter said he would get someone right away, but they never came. When our entrees arrived, none of the staff picked up the cue that everyone at our table had only water. They also set the wrong plates in front of a few people.

We aren’t into cooking but took the kitchen tour. It was fascinating!

Lido- Quality and variety were several grades above Carnival and on par with Celebrity. We ate all breakfasts, lunches, and one dinner there. In Juneau the Lido closed before a lot of excursions were completed. A number of people were rushing up to the Lido right as they were closing. Several people behind the counter were a bit terse and surly about having to serve passengers when they thought they could close. Coordinating Lido hours with port times would help prevent this. Also, the coffee machines were constantly out of order. One morning, only 1 was working and it was dispensing lukewarm coffee! Last comment, the table service was not as prompt as Carnival and Celebrity. It was unusual for someone to take our plates or trays; we usually had to bus our own table and there were often growing stacks of used tableware sitting around the Lido. It was hard to find an open table that was cleared; we often had to clear off a table ourselves.

Poolside grill- My son said the pizza was excellent. The poolside area was nice, especially with the sliding roof that they adjusted to the weather. When the roof was closed it smelled very chlorinated in the area, so we ate in the Lido.

Pinnacle grill- We used PG for the second formal night. The PG dress code matches the main dining room although it seems strange to dress casual for a place like PG. The food and service was outstanding; my son said it was the best filet he ever had! I wanted him to experience top-notch dining and PG came through! Only 5 tables were in use when we were there, that was typical whenever I peeked in.

Dress code- Attire was quite casual, perhaps due to it being Alaska or the new airline hassles. I often saw jeans and t-shirts in the dining room ( I really don’t pay much attention to other’s attire unless it’s outlandish). A tablemate saw one person in shorts turned away.

Room service- We used room service on Juneau night (see Lido above). Dinner arrived in about 45 minutes as promised. Wine cards cannot be used for room service.

Wine / soda card- We purchased both. The wine card is good for house wines only, and they made sure I knew this when I purchased it. Choices are merlot, cab, white zin, chard, and pinot from relatively unknown labels. Wine aficionados will probably be disappointed with the house wines; I put them in the $8-$10 retail per bottle category. Otherwise both cards are a good deal.

Ports- We were very happy with the itinerary; I will post about these on the Alaska board. It rained almost every morning and ended by noon; the exceptions were sunny weather on sailing day in Vancouver and at College Fjord. Also, it was cloudy in Skagway but didn’t rain. We docked at all ports instead of tendering, and HAL seemed to have the best dock assignments.

Meet & Greet- We set up a M&G from our Roll Call. It was great putting #1 Eagles Fan, DaiseMA, Mcleani, and Jar0110 screen names to faces. Too bad we missed other CC’ers that didn’t show up. What amazed me is the entire senior staff including the captain attended, and answered all our questions. They didn’t directly say whether they browse CC but the answer made it clear that they do. They agreed their favorite cruise is Antarctica, time for me to carve out time and budget to do it!

Kids- There were about 100 on our cruise (2 toddlers, 50 kids, 44 teens). My son enjoyed The Loft . It is perfectly designed for teens to “chill” and hang out. He made several great friends that he plans to stay in contact with. He also had good things to say about Amy the manager of the area. Most of the structured teen activities didn’t happen due to lack of attendance. But he still had a lot of fun; basketball and ping-pong seemed very popular. The Oasis looked like a nice area but wasn’t used due to the weather and port-intensive itinerary. They spent a lot of time in the pool. I didn’t see any kids misbehaving or out of control, a big contrast to what I experienced on Carnival. Teens told me from their perspective the ship is a “floating retirement home”!

For kids and 'tweens there are video games and a dedicated area for them. There's another area for preschoolers that looks well-equipped.

Entertainment- We skipped most of the shows. The magic show was quite good, and my son did karaoke with his new-found friends.

Glaciers- I had dreamed of seeing Glacier Bay ever since a movie in elementary school…that’s a LONG time ago! :rolleyes: The captain did a great job of getting the ship in close and turning it so everyone could get a view. (Of course simply walking to the other side of the ship did the same thing). The pea soup they serve on deck is the best I’ve ever had!

The Last Night- This is the only thing that went badly. About 9pm, a very strong chemical odor invaded the 3 lowest decks. Some passengers said it smelled like diesel fuel. It was strong enough to make my eyes water and could even be smelled outside on deck. Several hours later the smell was still there, I wanted to go to bed, but wasn’t sure it was a healthy or safe thing to do. The lady at the front desk was apologetic and trying to be helpful, but she was truly clueless on what the problem was, when it would be fixed, and whether or not there was a health issue. I did not see the crews doing much to air out the staterooms…passengers were opening doors on the LP deck. Later the crew set up fans in the corridors. I fanned out our cabin by flapping a bedspread, since the A/C was shut off and there was no other way to remove the stale air. Meanwhile, about 100 people were sleeping on the chaises next to the pool. As far as I know, an explanation or apology was never extended from HAL. We were fortunate to be on the LP deck, I hear it was very bad on the Main, Dolphin, and crew decks. (In all fairness, maybe the crew was working hard to help passengers and I simply didn’t see it).

Disembark- This went smoothly since we self-disembarked. There are a few minor things that could improve. First, a questionnaire was left a few days prior. I indicated we wanted our luggage portered off, and we had independent travel after disembarking. We were given a disembark time of 9:30- 10am. This was pretty late since we wanted to maximize our time in Seward. When I asked the front desk about changing the man was polite but rather officious and too focused on procedure. He said it would be very difficult to change due to something with US Customs that made no sense. I saw the same guy handle several other passengers in the same “transactional” and somewhat cold manner. Later, I asked a lady at the front desk and she said it would be no problem at all. She just asked my cabin number and made the change.

The disembarkation was rather annoying. At 630am the CD started disembarkation announcements at max volume, including the in-cabin speaker that was not used any other time during the cruise. If announcements were brief and to the point, that would be OK, but the CD obviously liked to hear himself talk and prattled on for several minutes saying the same thing 3 different ways. Even though we were already awake it was a jarring start to the morning.

The actual disembarkation was smooth since we were DIY. A lady at the Seward visitor’s booth gave us directions, we walked about ½ mile to the “Train Wreck” where they stored our luggage while we visited Seward.

Here’s a few more random and hopefully helpful comments:

Cabin mail- “Mail” is left in a wall holder built into the cabin number sign. I noticed several times that the passenger name, and in one case a list of medical services from the infirmary were in plain sight to anyone walking down the corridor. I wonder if some people might consider this a violation of their privacy. Leaving an itemized medical billing in the open is worse, as it violates US HIPAA laws. This is something for HAL to review.

Furnishings- The cabin has 2 beds that can be configured as a queen or two twins. The mattresses are very comfortable. I have a waterbed at home and usually have problems sleeping on a conventional mattress. I had no problem with the beds on HAL. There is a nightstand with 2 drawers. The headboard area is the full width of the cabin; the drapes could be drawn so they fully blocked out the midnight light.

The middle section of the cabin has a loveseat-sized sofa, a small moveable table, and an ottoman. There is work desk / dressing table with a lighted makeup mirror. The LCD TV and DVD player are above the desk, and 3 storage drawers are below. 12” wide curtains with tiebacks separate this area. They are a bit strange as they don’t close and partly block the view of the TV from one bed.

The section of the cabin closest to the cabin door has cabinets. There is ample storage, and it has been well thought out. Ample coat hangers are supplied; they are the contoured wooden type. A safe is in one of the cabinets; my small 12”x9” laptop was too large to fit inside. The hallway section has a closeable curtain that allows it to be used as a dressing area after coming out of the bathroom.

The bathroom is pretty standard for a cruise ship, except for the tub/shower. The medicine cabinet provides a lot of storage.

Electrical stuff- The cabin has a DVD player that worked with a Region 1 (North America) DVD that we brought along. The ship has a pretty good DVD library with a $3 rental fee. Feeding video from your camera or PC would be very difficult because the way the TV is installed makes the jacks inaccessible. There may be a way to input to the DVD player and pass video through to the TV.

The light switch scheme is odd. One switch controls lights in the hallway and above the beds. The other switch controls the middle area of the cabin. If someone is getting dressed and needs light in the closet area, it will turn on lights that shine right into the face of anyone still asleep. Individual reading lamps are provided for each bed.

The one outlet provided is a conbination 3-prong 110V type and the 220V European type. I’m brought a multi-tap extension cord and I’m glad I did. There’s no easy way to “hijack” the TV or DVD player’s plugs.

I don’t recommend the onboard WiFi. Access to the HAL and NY Times websites is free. I tried these and they were very slow, similar to dial-up speeds. Access time has to be purchased for anything else.

The ship provides cell phone service that links through a satellite. Our Verizon phones showed a good signal and a roaming indication. Calls made through the ship’s site are very expensive. In Alaskan ports our phones showed “Extended Service” with no roaming.

Smoking- I don’t smoke, and I rarely noticed any except in the lounge areas. In Glacier Bay the rangers, Native Alaskan, and displays were in the Crow’s Nest. The air was pretty smoky, which is not good since a lot of kids and non-smokers were present. I suggested that Crow’s Nest be non-smoking in Glacier Bay. The casino was non-smoking on several nights.

At the end of the cruise I received a survey that asked:

- Do you smoke?

- Will you cruise again with HAL if smoking is prohibited in all staterooms (including Veranda balconies)?

- Will you cruise again with HAL if smoking is prohibited in all areas on board their ships (including staterooms)?

Laundry- Our cabin was very close to the self-service laundry. The machines and room are more spotless than my laundry room at home. Wash is $2 and dry is $1, using quarters available at the front desk. Low-pollution detergent is provided. The machines are the small European type and take what would be a small to medium load in a US washing machine. Washing and drying take about 60-90 minutes.

We were highly impressed with HAL and would not hesitate to use them again. If my negative comments seem minor, you’re right….except for the last night everything was done so well it’s hard to find anything wrong. I hope this review is helpful and I will post a thread on ports when I have a chance. Last but not least, my thanks to the many people on this board who made our trip a great adventure. I hope I can pay things forward with this review.

Thank you for your review.

We have been getting that quesyionaire about smoking on our last several cruises as well.

A long while ago I was told this story about airplane landings: Smooth landing that you can barely feel? That's an Air Force pilot. They're trained to make smooth landings.

Hard landing that rattles your teeth? That's a former Navy man whose flight training involved primarily carrier landings. :)

Blue skies ...

--rita

Thanks for writing about the ship I'll be sailing 8/10 and have been looking for any updated information. Glad your review was upbeat:)

A long while ago I was told this story about airplane landings: Smooth landing that you can barely feel? That's an Air Force pilot. They're trained to make smooth landings.

 

Hard landing that rattles your teeth? That's a former Navy man whose flight training involved primarily carrier landings. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

LOL! My friend was an Air Force flight surgeon. He says the Navy's definition of formation flying is four Navy planes somewhere over Texas on the same afternoon. Of course the old "bad landing" joke is....did we land, or were we shot down? :)

Something I forgot to mention. During the kitchen tour, I saw a sign breaking down the number of passengers in each seating:

Early Upper- 267

Main Upper- 309

Open- 959

Total- 1535

Open seating was almost twice as popular. Not suprising for a port-intensive Alaska cruise with a lot of families with kids.