Alaska on Amsterdam June 10-17

I've spent the last 4 months or so reading through these pages and collecting notes and tips. Here's a review of our recent cruise to Alaska to hopefully help out some others.

Traveled with 4 in our family. Myself, husband, DD 10 and DS 12. We started looking at cruises around last Thanksgiving. Our criteria included round trip from Seattle (a 5 hour drive for us), price, smaller ship and dates that worked with our schedule. We found a great deal through the big box store that sells hot dogs and pizza by the slice. I found and purchased the deal through their website. Did not have any communication with a TA. We chose to stay in an inside cabin. We did not anticipate spending much time in the room.

This was a first cruise for the kids. DH and I had been on a Caribbean cruise with Carnival 7 years ago.

We drove to Seattle the morning of our cruise. We'd left early and gave ourselves at least twice as much time to get there if needed. No troubles on the way so arrived in Seattle just after 11. We had pre-paid to park at the Armory. Everything flowed very smoothly. No delays anywhere. We took the shuttle to the ship, walked right through check in with no lines. Walked onto the ship, deposited carry-on luggage in the room and were eating lunch at the Lido within an hour. No crowds at that time and we spent a few hours exploring the ship. When we returned to the room, our luggage was there so we quickly unpacked before muster.

The room was larger than I expected with tons of storage space. We never had a problem finding a home for anything. The room was very warm so I left a note for our room steward asking if there was a small fan we could borrow. We ended up with a floor standing one, but it was tall and slim so didn't take up much room. Made the room a much more comfortable temperature.

I enjoyed the size of the ship. It rarely felt over-crowded and we could always find a quiet place to spend some time. The kids would have enjoyed more activities, but one of the reasons for not choosing a ship with waterslides and go-carts, was that we wanted to spend time with the kids. We did check out Club Hal and the kids weren't very interested. Most of the activities seemed geared more towards the 7-10 age group so they didn't want to go back. They did go to the movie theater a couple of times, spent some time in the pool and played basketball and shuffleboard. DS had a lot of fun exploring the ship on his own. DD and I spent a lot of time looking at the water and reading books.

I was often up earlier than the rest of the family, so would pick up coffee in the Lido and go to the Crow's nest to enjoy the view and read. It was always very quiet. We also liked places around the ship to sit and listen to music while looking out the window. Ocean Bar and Explorer's Lounge were our favorites.

Food: Most days we went to the Lido for breakfast. The kids loved this. Waffles and crepes to order was a hit! We did go to the dining room a few times. DD liked that as she figured out she could order a bowl of berries rather than the mixed fruit on the buffet we got tired of. We had room service one morning when we had an early excursion. Most days, we went to the buffet for lunch, but that did get old. There were a few stations that changed, but overall, there didn't seem to be much variety each day. We did like burgers from the Dive In and the Taco bar was good. Dinners were in the dining room. We did not have set dining. That worked well for us. We could go when we were hungry. Some days, that was late! No matter what time we went, we never had to wait. Overall, we thought the meals were very good. It was fun to see the kids embrace the experience of trying to new things. Everyone liked that we could order multiple things if we couldn't make up our minds. There is a kid's menu as well. We didn't order much from that, but DD was tired one night and just wanted mac and cheese. It was nice to have some of those types of things available as well.

There is a high tea most days. We went 3 times. It's a fun experience. The foods served varied each day. We did realize that it's best to get there right when it starts. There seemed to be a limited number of individual pots of water. It was much more pleasant to make your own pot of tea, rather than waiting for hot water to come around again for your tea cup.

We had a happy hour each day from 4-5 in the Ocean Bar and Crow's Nest. We always went to the Ocean Bar. We enjoyed the piano player and it seemed quieter. The deal is to purchase one drink and receive a second of the same thing for $2. Some days we wanted the same drink so that worked well. Other times, we each ordered our own drink and would receive two of them. That's what vacations are about! They would also usually serve appetizers with happy hour.

We did not book any excursions through HAL. We made our own arrangements.

Juneau: Took a taxi from the waterfront to Mendenhall glacier. We walked past the lines of people waiting for buses and followed the sign to taxi parking and picked one sitting there. It was $35 plus tip to the glacier. Plus there are park fees. We had a national parks pass we brought with us so we only had to pay the specific fee for that park. He gave us his number to call when we were done. Spent a few hours hiking around the park. It was a beautiful perfect day. Called when we were done and one of his associates was there in about 10 minutes. $35 plus tip return fee. We took the tram up Mt. Roberts. I'm not sure that was worth the cost, but the kids loved it. Not much of a line to get up, but there were a lot of people waiting to come back down, so we didn't spend too much time. Hiked a little and enjoyed the views. Back on the ship for a late dinner.

Hubbard glacier was more than I could have hoped for. Beautiful sunny day. Calving and seals. We found our way to the outside of the ship on deck 6. It was less crowded than deck 3, but we missed out on the split pea soup. DD wanted to try that.

Sitka: We didn't make any plans for here. Did quite a bit of hiking. Couldn't get over how many eagles we saw. Did some shopping. Enjoyed wandering the town.

Ketchikan: Salmon fishing was on DH bucket list, so we pre-booked our own fishing excursions. Just the 4 of us on the boat. We were off the ship right at 7 and his boat was parked right at the harbor so we were heading out quickly. It was a great day, unfortunately, no one anywhere was catching anything. We were a few weeks early, but decided to just enjoy the day. We did have a great sighting of a humpback and our guide made sure to get as close to the whale as he could.

Victoria: We've been here before, so didn't make any big plans. Took a water taxi which the kids thought was great. Wandered around town. Picked up a few treats. We love the tea from the Empress, so made a visit to the giftshop. Got back to the ship after 9 so just went to the lido for a quick dinner so we could pack up.

We chose a late disembarkation since we were just driving home. Gave everyone a chance to sleep in and get a good breakfast. Disembarking was a breeze and we were quickly back to the car.

A few other points of interest for us: DS was a regular at the Explorations Cafe. We didn't purchase anything there, but they did have snacks available (brownies, cookies, etc) that are included. He loved being able to stop by and pick up something. Kids loved having ice cream available each day with changing flavors at the lido.

We did not visit the casino, gym or spa. We did not purchase a beverage plan. We're not soda drinkers, so we were happy with water, coffee, tea, cocoa, lemonade and ice tea available in the lido. I brought a travel mug for my coffee each morning to take wherever I wanted. DH and I each brought on a bottle of wine. We chose wine with screw caps so we wouldn't have to worry about a bottle opener. Asked our room steward to leave wine glasses each day. We'd carry our glass of wine to dinner. No one cared and we'd just purchase a glass if we wanted another. Generally, we were happy with our happy hour special and then our glass of wine with dinner.

Dress: We did dress up for gala nights. Dress or blouse and slacks for DD and I. DH wore a sportscoat and slacks. DS a button shirt and slacks. Other nights we did wear nice jeans. We were comfortable in that.

We did not participate in many activities. DH attempted to attend one of the cooking shows and it was standing room only so he left. We went to one evening show with live music and video of Alaska. We spent a lot of our time either on deck somewhere or sitting by windows enjoying the view.

The kids were very comfortable in their beds. DD was in the pull down bed above me. She prefers to sleep in, so the rest of us could get around and not disturb her. DS was in the love seat that was made into a bed. It was kept as a bed all week. The kids also ordered movies 2 evenings. There is a huge list to choose from and the DVD is delivered to the room. They would also order room service hot chocolate to go with the movie.

We did not purchase internet packages. It was incredible relaxing to be unavailable! We turned our phones on in port to check for any important messages and send a few pictures to family. Otherwise, it was great to be off the grid for a week.

Extras that I packed: magnetic hooks - didn't use them. There were already hooks in the room and didn't need more. Post-its - We kept these in the bathroom and would leave notes for each other. High-lighter - we did use this to mark up the daily program so we wouldn't forget anything. Extension cord - I bought a small one from the Dollar tree that had 3 extra outlets. That was enough along with what was provided to charge up kindles and phones.

Overall, we had a great time. The weather couldn't have been better (ended up with a lot of warm clothing we didn't need, but glad I had packed just in case). We were able to spend quality uninterrupted time as a family, which is priceless. We did decide that a week was long enough for us. In spite of ice cream and all you can eat treats every day, everyone was ready to come home. DS said he was looking forward to mom's cooking! (I'll remind him of that the next time he complains) We're not likely to be regular cruisers. Once every 6-8 years is probably about right for us. It was a great way to see a part of the world we'd never drive to and a treat to be pampered for a week. Everyone on staff was very friendly.

I'm happy to help answer questions as I picked up tons of tips from previous posters.

Thanks for that. We will be doing the same cruise on July 1st. Cannot wait.

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.

Glad you all enjoyed your cruise.

Hope you cruise sooner than you plan to.

Thanks for the review! Any pictures of the ship you can share?

Thank you for reviewing your Alaskan cruise.

Don't recall having to pay a park fee at the Mendenhall Glacier a few years.

Thanks for your review. What would the entrance fee be at Mendenhal be if you don't have a pass of any kind?

Enjoyed reading your review.

Thanks for your review. What would the entrance fee be at Mendenhal be if you don't have a pass of any kind?

There is a $5 entrance fee for 16 & over at the visitor center during summer months (May 1 to September 30) when the visitor center is open from 8am to 7:30pm daily.

Editorial comment: Probably to track the Bears!

Thanks for your review!

Thanks for the review! Any pictures of the ship you can share?

Unfortunately, I didn't really get any pictures of the ship. Was too busy relaxing! It was fun to see my kids comment on how "fancy" it was. I thought everything seemed clean and in good condition.

Did you have your wine in carry on or checked bag? We are local, so no flying.

Unfortunately, I didn't really get any pictures of the ship. Was too busy relaxing! It was fun to see my kids comment on how "fancy" it was. I thought everything seemed clean and in good condition.

Thanks. We're going on her next year to AK. Have never been on HAL and was curious and excited to see pictures.

did the Amsterdam have the on demand TV system in the room or do they still have the DVD players?

Did you have your wine in carry on or checked bag? We are local, so no flying.

We did carryon. I used one of those wine bags you get from the grocery store when you buy 6 bottles. Put two bottles of wine in and some water bottles. I carried it on but they made sure hubby and I were together and that I wasn't carrying on 2 bottles for me. We use backpacks for the rest of our carry-on so it was easy to do.

did the Amsterdam have the on demand TV system in the room or do they still have the DVD players?

DVD players. We weren't impressed with the quality of the TV in our room, but we weren't in Alaska to watch TV! It worked well enough for the kids when they wanted a movie in the evening. Most of the time we had the TV on the channel that showed us where we were on the map or the one that shows the view off the front of the ship.

Did they have macarons at Explorations Cafe? These were our favorite cookies on the NA 2 years ago.

Did you have your wine in carry on or checked bag? We are local, so no flying.

My sister and her husband were on this sailings and their luggage arrived soaked in wine. They are not wine drinkers. Someone else had packed their wine in checked luggage and it did not survive the loading process. HAL did clean their clothes and bag, but some staining did remain.

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We were on the same voyage - me, 11 yo DS, and grandparents. It was a lovely first time experience. Ship was in great condition, great crew and activities. DS did get a bit disappointed with Club HAL, too many kids under age 10 so the activities were geared primarily to that age group but on the days he did go to the club he had fun.

Our highlights included the sunny and warm day at Hubbard - great views of the glacier!

We did the wildlife safari photo and Mendenhall Glacier hike excursion but in retrospect, we could have spent the day doing a solo tour of Mendenhall with time in Juneau as we also did a whale watch in Sitka. Juneau was booked via HAL with Gastineau Guiding; Sitka also booked through HAL with Allen Marine.

Ketchikan - didn't have time to do more than go to the Alaska Lumberjack show, shop, and have lunch but it was ok. Enjoyed the show, lunch was delicious, and got to buy some interesting souvenirs to bring home.

Juneau and Hubbard were my favorite two days.

Onboard - favorite shows were the dance highlights and Alaska with music shows. Didn't find Roadhouse to be that great. Watched a couple of movies in the Wanjang theater but didn't catch any of the America's Test Kitchen. Loved the trivia and enjoyed time in the Exploration Cafe with a few rounds of board games.

Most of our meals were in the Lido with a couple of lunches at the Dive In. One dinner in the MDR and one dinner at the Pinnacle Grill - both had great food but since my DS doesn't have that palate yet we chose to only have 2 meals without him.

DS loved the taco bar and ice cream in the Lido. Best time at Club HAL was the evening 7:00 - 11:00pm block. He also did the polar bear plunge.

Thanks for the review. Were there a lot of kids on your sailing? Also, were there any enrichment lectures, i.e. about whales, Alaska, etc? We board Amsterdam for the same cruise in 6 days!

We were on the same voyage - me, 11 yo DS, and grandparents. It was a lovely first time experience. Ship was in great condition, great crew and activities. DS did get a bit disappointed with Club HAL, too many kids under age 10 so the activities were geared primarily to that age group but on the days he did go to the club he had fun.

 

Our highlights included the sunny and warm day at Hubbard - great views of the glacier!

 

We did the wildlife safari photo and Mendenhall Glacier hike excursion but in retrospect, we could have spent the day doing a solo tour of Mendenhall with time in Juneau as we also did a whale watch in Sitka. Juneau was booked via HAL with Gastineau Guiding; Sitka also booked through HAL with Allen Marine.

 

Ketchikan - didn't have time to do more than go to the Alaska Lumberjack show, shop, and have lunch but it was ok. Enjoyed the show, lunch was delicious, and got to buy some interesting souvenirs to bring home.

 

Juneau and Hubbard were my favorite two days.

 

Onboard - favorite shows were the dance highlights and Alaska with music shows. Didn't find Roadhouse to be that great. Watched a couple of movies in the Wanjang theater but didn't catch any of the America's Test Kitchen. Loved the trivia and enjoyed time in the Exploration Cafe with a few rounds of board games.

 

Most of our meals were in the Lido with a couple of lunches at the Dive In. One dinner in the MDR and one dinner at the Pinnacle Grill - both had great food but since my DS doesn't have that palate yet we chose to only have 2 meals without him.

 

DS loved the taco bar and ice cream in the Lido. Best time at Club HAL was the evening 7:00 - 11:00pm block. He also did the polar bear plunge.

I meant this message for you, rocksteady27, the second reviewer :

Thanks for the review. Were there a lot of kids on your sailing? Also, were there any enrichment lectures, i.e. about whales, Alaska, etc? We board Amsterdam for the same cruise in 6 days!

Hi Curtdesilets,

You'll have a great time on the Amsterdam to Alaska! Per your questions:

Were there a lot of kids on your sailing?

Yes, quite a few ranging in ages from 6 through teens. A few babies as well but they weren't at club HAL. There were at least 20 kids in the 6-12 range and each time I dropped off my son, there'd be about a dozen kids in the club. There were at least a dozen teens I saw - both young men and young women who roamed the ship in small groups. They were definitely a fixture at the pool/lido deck.

I've been told by staff on the Amsterdam that the ship always has a good amount of kids for the summer Alaska cruises and I definitely saw lots of multi-generational families onboard.

Also, were there any enrichment lectures, i.e. about whales, Alaska, etc?

One evening in the main stage (Queen's Lounge) we had a fantastic movie about Alaska's nature that was a BBC production and narrated; the ship's musicians played live music to accompany the non-narrated scenes and it was quite nice.

Our EXC lead staff Kelly also did some brief lectures when we were cruising Hubbard, with information on seals, etc. I believe there were some naturalist lectures scheduled but I may have missed them. Most of my information on Alaskan wildlife was learned through my shore excursions. I really enjoyed the one in Sitka called Otters and Wildlife Quest - we got to see otters, seals, and a couple whales. It was with Allen Marine - the boat had indoor and outdoor seating/viewing and the captain was very informative. It also had a naturalist onboard explaining both wildlife and Sitka history/highlights.

Thank you for the review! We are leaving July 29th on the Amsterdam for our first cruise, first trip to Alaska. We're very excited!

Thank you for taking the time to post your comments.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

Hi Curtdesilets,

 

You'll have a great time on the Amsterdam to Alaska! Per your questions:

Were there a lot of kids on your sailing?

Yes, quite a few ranging in ages from 6 through teens. A few babies as well but they weren't at club HAL. There were at least 20 kids in the 6-12 range and each time I dropped off my son, there'd be about a dozen kids in the club. There were at least a dozen teens I saw - both young men and young women who roamed the ship in small groups. They were definitely a fixture at the pool/lido deck.

I've been told by staff on the Amsterdam that the ship always has a good amount of kids for the summer Alaska cruises and I definitely saw lots of multi-generational families onboard.

Also, were there any enrichment lectures, i.e. about whales, Alaska, etc?

One evening in the main stage (Queen's Lounge) we had a fantastic movie about Alaska's nature that was a BBC production and narrated; the ship's musicians played live music to accompany the non-narrated scenes and it was quite nice. Our EXC lead staff Kelly also did some brief lectures when we were cruising Hubbard, with information on seals, etc. I believe there were some naturalist lectures scheduled but I may have missed them. Most of my information on Alaskan wildlife was learned through my shore excursions. I really enjoyed the one in Sitka called Otters and Wildlife Quest - we got to see otters, seals, and a couple whales. It was with Allen Marine - the boat had indoor and outdoor seating/viewing and the captain was very informative. It also had a naturalist onboard explaining both wildlife and Sitka history/highlights.

Thanks for all of the info. We are so looking forward to some time away. Sounds like HAL still does a good job. - Curt.