Last minute questions for first time HAL AK trip

[chinita415]

Thanks for everyone's valuable advice so far. We are off to AK in just a couple of weeks and I have some last minute Zaandam specific questions:

 

1. What fitness classes can I expect on the 7 day northbound cruise? Do they all have a fee?

 

2. Which nights are formal nights?

 

3. I am still confused about the pools and spa. The pool with the retractable roof will be heated and the hot tubs available?? Do people sit in the pool, hot tubs during glacier viewing days? There is no "free" area in the spa right? Just day passes or package or if you get treatments?

[Marie321]

My 20 something son sat in the aft hot tub and viewed glaciers at Glacier Bay. I can't address your other questions.

[TiogaCruiser]

Thanks for everyone's valuable advice so far. We are off to AK in just a couple of weeks and I have some last minute Zaandam specific questions:

 

1. What fitness classes can I expect on the 7 day northbound cruise? Do they all have a fee?

 

2. Which nights are formal nights?

 

3. I am still confused about the pools and spa. The pool with the retractable roof will be heated and the hot tubs available?? Do people sit in the pool, hot tubs during glacier viewing days? There is no "free" area in the spa right? Just day passes or package or if you get treatments?

 

.....but each cruise we have taken they offered some short stretching classes and an aerobic type "fab abs" class for no charge. For a fee they offered yoga, spinning and mat Pilates on some days. On our northbound 2008 cruise the formal nights were first full day at sea and glacier bay.

[chinita415]

Thanks for all the replies so far!

 

It will be great if they had kickboxing as advertised on the website. But I can make do with some weights and a treadmill or elliptical.

 

I guess I can wait until I get on board to figure out the whole formal night thing. Just bought a cute LBD with shoes. :p

[TiogaCruiser]

Thanks for everyone's valuable advice so far. We are off to AK in just a couple of weeks and I have some last minute Zaandam specific questions:

 

1. What fitness classes can I expect on the 7 day northbound cruise? Do they all have a fee?

 

2. Which nights are formal nights?

 

3. I am still confused about the pools and spa. The pool with the retractable roof will be heated and the hot tubs available?? Do people sit in the pool, hot tubs during glacier viewing days? There is no "free" area in the spa right? Just day passes or package or if you get treatments?

 

.....but each cruise we have taken they offered some short stretching classes and an aerobic type "fab abs" class for no charge. For a fee they offered yoga, spinning and mat Pilates on some days. On our northbound 2008 cruise the formal nights were first full day at sea and glacier bay.

[indokiwi]

My 20 something son sat in the aft hot tub and viewed glaciers at Glacier Bay. I can't address your other questions.

 

You were obviously not on the Zaandam which is what the poster is asking about. She has no aft hottubs, that is why the poster specifically queries about the mid-ship, covered/retractable roof area.

[indokiwi]

1. What fitness classes can I expect on the 7 day northbound cruise? Do they all have a fee?

You can expect lots of them. Usually the 8am, 9am, and 3pm/4pm classes have a fee. The 7am stretching and such are free. Usually there are also free classes in the evenings at 5pm (total body conditioning, abs, etc).

 

2. Which nights are formal nights?

Depends on your itinerary. Looks like you are doing a northbound from Vancouver to Seward, therefore your first formal night should be Day 2 (inside passage/at sea) and your last one should be either the night of Glacier Bay (Day 6) or the night of College Fjord/Gulf of Alaska (Day 7). I would assume that it would be Day 6 as they would want to do Master Chef on the last night. This was the case last year when I sailed northbound on the Statendam on this cruise. Your embarkation Daily Program will have the complete itinerary with the formal nights listed on it though.

 

3. I am still confused about the pools and spa. The pool with the retractable roof will be heated and the hot tubs available?? Do people sit in the pool, hot tubs during glacier viewing days? There is no "free" area in the spa right? Just day passes or package or if you get treatments?

Both pools are supposed to be heated. We did the polar bear plunge in the aft pool during Glacier Bay last year and it was WARM. Actually, way warmer than a pool normally is. The midship pool is also heated, as are the hot tubs (obviously :D). Usually the hot tubs also stay open longer (until 10pm) than the pools. All of the pools and tubs were very busy last summer during the Glacier Bay viewing times. Midship especially, since this is the pool that children were encouraged to use. The spa does have a couple free areas. Technically, the entire Greenhouse area, including the gym, are all together. Therefore the gym is free as is the saunas in the men and women's changing rooms. Have fun!

[chinita415]

Thanks indokiwi! Asking was much easier than trying to search old threads. I am only 2 work weeks away. :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

the spinning, pilates and yoga classes are $12 per class -- you have to sign up for them

 

not many people were using the lido pool or hot tubs -- talking midship pool -- on our alaskan cruises -- people wanted to be out onn deck for the glaciers