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Amsterdam 14 day Alaska cruise questions

april47

By april47,
in Holland America Line

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april47

april47

Posted
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I am considering the Alaska cruise on the Amsterdam July27 of this year. I was wanting to find out if there are plenty of places inside the ship and on deck to view the scenery on the ship since I will need to get an inside room. I've never had an inside before. I also want to know if the ports are good to get out and walk around if I don't take a tour. Some I will, but not all. What is the best tour for a single, older lady with a little mobility problem. Nothing major, just joint problems. No hiking or anything really strenuous. Scenery, nature and history.

Thanks.

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Himself

Himself

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This is a wonderful cruise that I did last July. Unfortuantely, this is the last year HAL will be doing this. I would say you can see a lot from the Lower Promenade deck. You can also see a lot from the area in the AFT swimming pool. In Tracy Arm and Hubbard Glacier they do open the bow of the ship but you do have to climb some stairs to get there. If you don't want to go outside, the "crows" nest is good for looking around. I loved Anchorage and it is walking distance or a shuttle bus ride to the downtown area. I hope this helps.

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Southbound

Southbound

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We did the 14-day Alaska cruise on the Amsterdam in June of last year and it was a wonderful experience. There are lots of areas on board for viewing the beautiful scenery, so having an inside cabin won't be a disadvantage at all. HAL does a great job of making sure its guests have ample opportunities to see everything that will provoke the ahhs and wows. The captain will position the ship in various ways to allow for the best views of the glaciers and calving. My DH has a slight mobility problem, but we were able to easily work around that in each port. If you let me know your itinerary, I'll be happy to offer some suggestions on excursions if you'd like.

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Watson's aunt

Watson's aunt

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Hi

 

I did this cruise last year and I am going back this year. I am also a solo and have a inside room. There are lots you can do go over to roll call and read some of the posting there. I read most of them as people who have taken the cruise will be posting. My cabins were on mail deck. I loved my cabin. make sure you pack a battery pack night light room gets very dark.

 

You will love this cruise

 

Mary

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NMLady

NMLady

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I am considering the Alaska cruise on the Amsterdam July27 of this year. I was wanting to find out if there are plenty of places inside the ship and on deck to view the scenery on the ship since I will need to get an inside room. I've never had an inside before. I also want to know if the ports are good to get out and walk around if I don't take a tour. Some I will, but not all. What is the best tour for a single, older lady with a little mobility problem. Nothing major, just joint problems. No hiking or anything really strenuous. Scenery, nature and history.

Thanks.

 

For viewing the glaciers the ship opens up the bow area.

The promenade all around the outside of the ship provides excellent viewing areas.

The observation lounge at the very top of the ship has floor to ceiling windows on three sides so is excellent for viewing.

A windowside table in the buffet or any of the lounges gives good views.

So do windowside tables in the pool area.

You'll have plenty of public places for viewing and will love that cruise.

 

For tour ideas I suggest you check out the Alaska board here on CC. That is where we got excellent ideas when we took that same cruise.

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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Does anyone know why they aren't doing the 2 week anymore? The itinerary was amazing. I wouldn't want to go to Alaska for only a week!

 

HAL raised the prices for this year's cruise so much that many people couldn't afford to book it.

And some people can't get off 2 weeks plus a day or two before and after the cruise because of flight schedules.

HAL did not make money on those cruises the last couple of years.

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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We also did this cruise last year.

And we loved it so much that we have booked it for this year.

One thing -- in Ketchikan -- the ship does not dock in town. It docks at the new pier -- #4. There are free shuttles to get around. The small white bus shuttle runs about every 10 minutes. There is also a larger bus -- marked "DownTown" and it runs about every 20 minutes.

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luvteaching

luvteaching

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Good morning,

 

We are booked on this cruise as well and it's our second time doing it. We were planning on next year, but since it won't be on the schedule we're going this year! We normally get a balcony cabin but this time doing an ocean view due to cost. There are lots of places to see the scenery. These include everything from the promenade deck to the Crows Nest! There are many places on the Amsterdam to sit, relax and watch the world go by and feel like you have the ship almost to yourself. It's a great ship!

 

As for the ports, two years ago when we did it we did a few tours but were off in every port. My husband has to use a scooter for mobility and breathing issues and we were able to take it off in every port but Kodiak (yes, even in Sitka where you tender in). We did lots of walking in all ports (except Anchorage) and had a great time seeing the sites. Juneau has shopping nearby and the Alaska State Museum is great. Homer is a nice walk around the spit but you need transportation to go to the town. Two years ago there was a local school bus there to take you as well as other options.

 

Anchorage is the only port we couldn't get off and walk right at the port. It's heavily secured and everyone had to go off the port grounds by bus and then, once to the (I think) visitor's center you could go walking.

 

If you book the cruise come join us on the roll call board!

 

Karen

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Opinions

Opinions

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Posted
HAL did not make money on those cruises the last couple of years.[/font]

 

Perhaps they didn't make as much as other cruises...Do you have a link that supports your statement that "HAL did not make money on those cruises" ?

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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They still have old school buses taking people to the Apit in Homer. Also old school buses to go into town -- last year I think there was a charge for that.

We also had old school buses for shuttles in Kodiak -- not much is open on as you are there on a Sunday.

Tours in both of those ports also use school buses.

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Radbooks

Radbooks

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We also had old school buses for shuttles in Kodiak -- not much is open on as you are there on a Sunday.

 

 

I hadn't considered that we'd be there on a Sunday! I signed up for a boat excursion this year but a couple of years ago I went to some of the museums and they were quite interesting.

 

I find walking around Juneau and Ketchikan (once you take that shuttle downtown - I liked the other berth better!) quite easy. Typical touristy shops mostly, but Juneau does have that State museum and walking to Creek St. in Ketchikan is fun just for it's uniqueness. There is a nice tram in Juneau that I recommend if the weather is nice.

 

Icy Strait has nice easy gravel trails along the shore between the various buildings and we watched a whale last summer as it swam along very close to the shore - who needs to take a boat out? :)

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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I only watched the first couple of seconds but this video is about the Nieuw Amsterdam in what appears to be Europe. I'm not sure how it relates to the topic?

 

The person who supplied the link is from Pireaus - and has posted that same link in several places.

It has nothing to do with Alaska.

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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I hadn't considered that we'd be there on a Sunday! I signed up for a boat excursion this year but a couple of years ago I went to some of the museums and they were quite interesting.

 

I find walking around Juneau and Ketchikan (once you take that shuttle downtown - I liked the other berth better!) quite easy. Typical touristy shops mostly, but Juneau does have that State museum and walking to Creek St. in Ketchikan is fun just for it's uniqueness. There is a nice tram in Juneau that I recommend if the weather is nice.

 

Icy Strait has nice easy gravel trails along the shore between the various buildings and we watched a whale last summer as it swam along very close to the shore - who needs to take a boat out? :)

 

When we did out first Alaskan cruise back in the 80's -- in Ketchikan (after doing a tour) we walked Creek Street and then for only $1 we also toured Dolly's House.

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Loreto

Loreto

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We took this cruise 2 years in row, and I concur with the other posters as to suggestions. There was plenty of room for viewing on the top deck, just be sure you bring a hat and gloves. The Tracy Arm was unfortunately windy and showery and the Amsterdam could not make it all the way in. An unexpected surprise was Icy Staight Point. There are level walking paths right off the ship, with beautiful sights, good food and historical displays that cost nothing. It was 75 and sunny when we were there last September...the last sailing of the season. It was very relaxing.

 

The shuttle bus in Anchorage is great...it was a full size motor coach. You will have to do some walking to get to museums and restaurants, on level sidewalks in a "downtown" setting.

 

In Kodiak there is nothing at the pier, but they did have a shuttle bus. There are fascinating museums and orthodox church you can do on your own once there, but everything is on a hillside.

 

We took a HAL tour of Homer sites that did not involve strenuous walking, and got you away from the ship to visit an artist's gallery and small museums.

 

Do take a small flashlight and alarm clock and have a fantastic cruise...it is an amazing itinerery!

 

Karen

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fleckle

fleckle

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......I also want to know if the ports are good to get out and walk around if I don't take a tour. Some I will, but not all. What is the best tour for a single, older lady with a little mobility problem. Nothing major, just joint problems. No hiking or anything really strenuous. Scenery, nature and history.
In Ketchikan there is a free downtown loop shuttle with a wheelchair lift. If you have the schedule, you can use it to get a nice hop-on-hop-off tour of the town that way with very little need for walking.

 

Ketchikan Bus Timetable

 

Scroll down to bottom for free downtown loop shuttles.

 

Even the Ketchikan public buses are a real bargain, at $1 and only 50 cents for seniors!

 

If you enjoy totem poles, take a nice bus ride out to Totem Bight and Potlatch Park on the blue line bus. The two parks are side-by-side.

 

No need to pay for an expensive ship excursion to visit them. Admission to both parks is free.

(At least they were free the last time we were there. If that is no longer true, I hope someone will correct me.)

 

The drawback at Potlatch Park would be needing to walk downhill and then back uphill to the bus pickup point, but it can be done walking slowly and pausing to rest as needed. There is also a large garage housing antique cars at Potlatch Park.

 

At Juneau you can take a bus ride out to see Mendenhall Glacier (for about $8 each way), visit the visitor center, watch the film (bring senior pass for free admission), and do as little or as much walking around on the trails as you like.

 

I would recommend the easy, level and accessible

Photo Point Trail, Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska

 

For a wealth of information on things to do in Alaska at the various ports, here is a link to the

 

ALASKA Board

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