Amsterdam June 29 - July 13, Cabin 7056

[djwho]

Second cruise, second with HAL (Zuiderdam 2010), so I have little to compare to. I wrote this up while we were cruising Alaska. This was from a perspective of travelling with a disabled traveler.

Amsterdam – 14 day cruise June 29th to July 13th,2012, Cabin 7056. I did go to Seattle for a few days prior and stayed at the Inn at the Market, excellent little hotel.

The ship is quite nice and I like the feel of a smaller ship. I do like the decor of the Amsterdam over the Zuiderdam. But at the end of the day I’m all about the destination, not the ship or company. It was the itinerary that I wanted and almost cancelled this cruise at Christmas time as we already did Alaska (our first cruise).

Unlimited laundry, we used this service and it was excellent. We sent out laundry almost every day and it came back the same day. Even when I was late getting it out and didn’t expect to get it until the next day, it arrived. I definitely could have packed a lot less than what I did.

Soda card, I wouldn’t buy one again. We do like the cans and we aren’t big soda drinkers, but thought the 14 days we would make use of it.

Internet – bought 100 minutes and I actually think the service has improved. It didn’t feel like it took that long to load compared to when I used it on the Zuiderdam, but it is still slow.

Dining – we had open seating, and only made it down to the dining room three times. We just found with our shore excursions we would had to the Terrace Grill when we got back and weren’t too hungry for dinner. Food is fine in the Lido, just I wasn’t eating as much for the last half of the cruise as I experienced seasickness and the food felt heavy in my stomach.

I arrived in Seattle a few days ahead of the cruise and toured and I managed to get three weeks off work. It was a good start to get into vacation mode before the cruise started.

Day one - sail away. After three days in Seattle with enjoyable weather, we were hoping for a sunny departure. Had some breaks, but was mostly cloudy. Still enjoyable as we were finally on our way to Alaska. We sat out on the “secret deck” for sail-away. There were about six other people at the time who were thinking the same thing. There were lounge chairs and benches on each side.

In our room was a notice from HAL regarding our booked shore excursion for Homer. The notice indicated there may be difficulty in getting to the tour boat due to tides and the ramp to get to the tour boat. The picture of the ramp was quite steep. We had till Wednesday to cancel if we wanted. Next day we cancelled. Guess we will “wing” it in Homer.

Day two at sea - started off cloudy and windy. We had our meet and greet today with a good turnout. What are the odds that at our small group 9 that there would be 3 teachers. We saw dolphins swimming at the back of the ship this morning and I managed to get a short video of it. In the afternoon, a break in the clouds and we had some sunshine. Were able to sit out on the back deck for a few hours chatting with another fellow traveller.

Day three - Ketchican - Well we had the average day in Ketchican, rain..... We booked the Misty Fjords tour from the ship. It was a good tour, but hard to take photos in the rain, overall enjoyable. We did have a window seat, which makes a difference (see Sitka). Did a bit of shopping at the souvenir shop for a fleece top (forgot to pack one) and some local souvenirs and back to the ship.

Day four - Cruising Tracy Arm - Day started off cloudy (but I've always said Alaska is beautiful rain or shine), then the sun came out for a little while. We watched whales this morning as we headed into Tracy Arm. We discussed this morning that this Captain doesn't inform the passengers when something is going on. When we were on the Zuiderdam, the captain would give us updates and inform us when whales were in the area, we heard from him throughout the day. This Captain is very quiet.

** BUT they did get us to South Sawyer Glacier. Amazing scenery but cold.

Day five -Juneau - we have an Orca tour booked for 11:30 today. We had Captain Larry for our tour. A note for those with mobility issues. Even though the boat is "considered" handi-cap accessible, the docks are not. Depending on the nature of your disability, I would say those with minor mobility loss, it's suitable. The tour was great and we saw breaches and several tails. Back to the ship to warm up. I'm working on a wind burn at this point in the cruise and I'm completely surprised I don't have a cold.

We camped out somewhere after Tracy Arm. We had wondered why it would take so long to get to Juneau.

Day Six -Icy Strait Point - Tender process was easy for hubby, much easier than I expected. NOTE: when going down to get tender tickets, don't need to be there much before 6:45 (for 7:00 tendering). Also when you arrive in the Queen's lounge, and if no one is there giving tickets out, go sit near the front of the lounge - they set up near the stage.

MISTY BAY LODGE - whale watching tour, what an amazing tour we had. I do prefer the smaller groups. We saw several whales today, both Humpbacks and Orcas. Also two bears and sea lions. Highly recommend this tour. Very cold today as we could see our breath when out on the boat, but well worth it. Thanks to the CC members that recommended this tour. If I ever return to ISP, booking this tour would be top priority.

Returned to the ship as there isn't much to do in ISP. We finally made it to the dining room for dinner. I have to say the quality of food is much better in the dining room. Will have to make an effort to get there for the remainder of the trip.

Day seven - at sea- hard to believe we are at the half way point in our cruise. Seas were rough and I experienced sea sickness this time. Managed to eat lightly and it wore off once we were off the ship in Anchorage.

Day Eight -Anchorage- we left as soon as the ship was cleared. The staff at this port take their time as we weren't cleared till around 8:15. We were heading to the Hotel Captain Cook which is on 5th Avenue as that is where we needed to meet up for the 26 Glacier tour bus. Since there were shuttles ready as soon as you got off the ship we took the shuttle to the Egan Centre and walked down 4-5 blocks to the hotel. NOTE: for the future Amsterdam cruisers, if you are booking the Glacier tour book through Alaskatours website, they sent a bus to the ship to pick up HAL travelers who booked. You might want to look into it, if they haven’t indicated your pickup point. While waiting at the Hotel this same bus came and picked us up as there weren’t enough people for two buses to run. Good news is they dropped us off back at the ship. The tour was worth it and didn't feel like it was a 10 hour day, as there is just so much scenery to look at. Another Note: when booking this tour and if you have mobility issues make sure the tour company books you in the main deck of the Klondike and confirm. Even though my email to them identified my spouse as having a disability, they booked us on the second deck. Now second deck was okay, as hubby can do stairs, just slowly, but I would prefer him on the main deck as descending is more difficult and you have to wait till everyone else leaves to exit. Also second deck has viewing access and washrooms. But the main deck they open the bow when they are stopped for viewing.

It was warm and sunny in Anchorage, but as the bus driver put it, we were going to the wettest area of Alaska, second to Ketchican. The tour bus is very comfortable to sit in and the rain held off for most of the boat tour. Lots of seals and otters at the glaciers. Would do this tour again.

Day Nine - Homer - we were winging it in Homer and had decided we would like to go to the Time Bandit store and the Salty Dog. This requires two different shuttles, one you pay for (to get to the Time Bandit). How do I put this politely. IF the only place you want to go off the spit to is the Time Bandit, get a cab and go. We were told it was a few blocks to walk. Few blocks, don’t think so. More like half a mile uphill from stop 4 and then back. Remember I have a spouse who can walk, but distances and hills we have to watch. When it came time to get him back on the bus he couldn't lift his leg as it was that stressed. So back to the ship we went. Better value in my books to zip around on the free shuttle and walk around the spit. Also better photo ops for Eagles, if you hang around the spit.

Day Ten - Kodiak- the sun was shining around 5:45 a.m., but by the time we got to Kodiak, it was cloudy, cold and threatening rain. We took the memory maker tour but the weather didn't cooperate with us, we had rain and fog move in. Nice couple, Dake and Kady and I’m sure the photo opportunities would have been great if not for the weather.

When we sailed away, the sun came out..... Go figure.

Day Eleven - Hubbard Glacier - Well the rain held off until we left Hubbard Glacier. I think I like Hubbard over Glacier Bay, but both are still spectacular. Hubbard was active today, and times you had more than one calving happening at the same time.

Day Twelve -Sitka - we are doing the Bear Fortress and Sea Otter Quest. The boat portion of this tour was very rocky and hard to take pictures for me. As for hubby, he had a seat in the middle and couldn’t move around. The downfall of this tour is the design of the seating and viewing areas. People stood up in front and all around so those who were in the handi-cap seating couldn’t see. Allen Marine posts this as a policy but doesn’t enforce it. A lot of money to pay for a boat ride, so with that, when I return to Alaska, I will avoid the larger tour companies and focus on private tours. The Fortress of the Bear was excellent but very short. We only had a half hour there. For $340 dollars and only being able to see the bears, I could have taxied all over, seen what I wanted and spent less. For those who could walk around, I’m sure it was a good tour, just not for us.

Day Thirteen – at sea… finally we have sunshine. My spirits perked up but I’m still feeling nauseous since crossing the Gulf. Guess “aft” cabins are not for me. Didn’t experience any sea sickness on the Zuiderdam, but I was midship. I did pack ginger Gravol and resorted to ginger ale to help with it and ate lightly.

They were cleaning decks today, and couldn’t make use of the back deck after our late lunch. Went up to the Lido deck, but they were closing things up to clean it…. It was only 4:00 and puzzled me why they would clean the deck on a sea day that was very sunny. Children in the pool, parents sitting on lounge chairs and they were stacking up the empty chairs all around them… :-\

Day Fourteen – Victoria….. this is where we disembark. The sun is shining though as we were travelling down Vancouver Island, it was foggy and the horn was blowing away. We disembarked just after 1:00 to wait for the main group to get to their tours. Got to our hotel and they had a room ready for us. We stayed at the Delta across the bay from the Empress. We ended up walking around the front of the hotel, watching the activity in the bay, enjoying the sunshine and then returning to the lounge for drinks and finger foods. We weren’t sure what to do, as we had reached a point in our vacation where we didn’t want to be tourists anymore. Hind sight being, we should have disembarked in Victoria and headed to the airport. But since we were not going home until Friday evening, we still had another day. We relaxed on Friday, didn’t want to book anything as it was threatening rain (and yes it did rain). Had a late breakfast and then checked out. To kill the afternoon, we went over to the Empress and booked one of their water taxi tours and then browsed some shops. There was something going on, on the water front so fresh mini-donuts were calling us and we enjoyed.

Calgary, back home. We got home around 11:30 p.m. On our way down the Deerfoot, we had two shows of fireworks. One from the Stampede and one from an extra due to the 100 anniversary of the Stampede. We are both eager at this point to get to sleep in our bed and pick up the dogs in the morning.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you taking the time to write your review.

We were also on this cruise.

This captain never comes on the PA for anything. Not even to report what route we will be taking the next day.

[kazu]

|Thanks for the very interesting review :) Welcome home:D:D

[Lisa63]

Thank you for your wonderful review. Our teenaged son has mobility issues, so I read this with great interest. Many thanks again.

[trophy_23]

Great review, I haven't even had time to put any thoughts together yet, but will also post a review at some point! It was nice to meet you on board. I agree, the captain was sure quiet, only a couple times did he even give any info about our route, I always like the updates so you have an idea of the key times to be on deck (though I was out there a lot anyways).

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for the very detailoed review of your cruise on the Amsterdam. Sounds like you had a good time.

[vbmom87]

I enjoyed reading your report. Good information on Anchorage for those wanting a PWS tour. Like you, we did not find it to be a long day at all. The scenery is non-stop entertainment that makes the time literally fly.

 

Like you, we were disappointed the captain did not come on the PA to make announcements on wildlife sighting when we were on this cruise last year. In 2008 we were on the Volendam and that captain kept us well informed.

[NHCruisr]

Thanks for your balanced and detailed review. We were on the June 15 sailing and had a great time. It's a shame this itinerary is being discontinued.

[carri cruiser]

Second cruise, second with HAL (Zuiderdam 2010), so I have little to compare to. I wrote this up while we were cruising Alaska. This was from a perspective of travelling with a disabled traveler.

 

Amsterdam – 14 day cruise June 29th to July 13th,2012, Cabin 7056. I did go to Seattle for a few days prior and stayed at the Inn at the Market, excellent little hotel.

 

The ship is quite nice and I like the feel of a smaller ship. I do like the decor of the Amsterdam over the Zuiderdam. But at the end of the day I’m all about the destination, not the ship or company. It was the itinerary that I wanted and almost cancelled this cruise at Christmas time as we already did Alaska (our first cruise).

 

Unlimited laundry, we used this service and it was excellent. We sent out laundry almost every day and it came back the same day. Even when I was late getting it out and didn’t expect to get it until the next day, it arrived. I definitely could have packed a lot less than what I did.

 

Soda card, I wouldn’t buy one again. We do like the cans and we aren’t big soda drinkers, but thought the 14 days we would make use of it.

 

Internet – bought 100 minutes and I actually think the service has improved. It didn’t feel like it took that long to load compared to when I used it on the Zuiderdam, but it is still slow.

 

Dining – we had open seating, and only made it down to the dining room three times. We just found with our shore excursions we would had to the Terrace Grill when we got back and weren’t too hungry for dinner. Food is fine in the Lido, just I wasn’t eating as much for the last half of the cruise as I experienced seasickness and the food felt heavy in my stomach.

 

I arrived in Seattle a few days ahead of the cruise and toured and I managed to get three weeks off work. It was a good start to get into vacation mode before the cruise started.

 

Day one - sail away. After three days in Seattle with enjoyable weather, we were hoping for a sunny departure. Had some breaks, but was mostly cloudy. Still enjoyable as we were finally on our way to Alaska. We sat out on the “secret deck” for sail-away. There were about six other people at the time who were thinking the same thing. There were lounge chairs and benches on each side.

 

In our room was a notice from HAL regarding our booked shore excursion for Homer. The notice indicated there may be difficulty in getting to the tour boat due to tides and the ramp to get to the tour boat. The picture of the ramp was quite steep. We had till Wednesday to cancel if we wanted. Next day we cancelled. Guess we will “wing” it in Homer.

 

Day two at sea - started off cloudy and windy. We had our meet and greet today with a good turnout. What are the odds that at our small group 9 that there would be 3 teachers. We saw dolphins swimming at the back of the ship this morning and I managed to get a short video of it. In the afternoon, a break in the clouds and we had some sunshine. Were able to sit out on the back deck for a few hours chatting with another fellow traveller.

 

Day three - Ketchican - Well we had the average day in Ketchican, rain..... We booked the Misty Fjords tour from the ship. It was a good tour, but hard to take photos in the rain, overall enjoyable. We did have a window seat, which makes a difference (see Sitka). Did a bit of shopping at the souvenir shop for a fleece top (forgot to pack one) and some local souvenirs and back to the ship.

 

Day four - Cruising Tracy Arm - Day started off cloudy (but I've always said Alaska is beautiful rain or shine), then the sun came out for a little while. We watched whales this morning as we headed into Tracy Arm. We discussed this morning that this Captain doesn't inform the passengers when something is going on. When we were on the Zuiderdam, the captain would give us updates and inform us when whales were in the area, we heard from him throughout the day. This Captain is very quiet.

 

** BUT they did get us to South Sawyer Glacier. Amazing scenery but cold.

 

Day five -Juneau - we have an Orca tour booked for 11:30 today. We had Captain Larry for our tour. A note for those with mobility issues. Even though the boat is "considered" handi-cap accessible, the docks are not. Depending on the nature of your disability, I would say those with minor mobility loss, it's suitable. The tour was great and we saw breaches and several tails. Back to the ship to warm up. I'm working on a wind burn at this point in the cruise and I'm completely surprised I don't have a cold.

 

We camped out somewhere after Tracy Arm. We had wondered why it would take so long to get to Juneau.

 

Day Six -Icy Strait Point - Tender process was easy for hubby, much easier than I expected. NOTE: when going down to get tender tickets, don't need to be there much before 6:45 (for 7:00 tendering). Also when you arrive in the Queen's lounge, and if no one is there giving tickets out, go sit near the front of the lounge - they set up near the stage.

 

MISTY BAY LODGE - whale watching tour, what an amazing tour we had. I do prefer the smaller groups. We saw several whales today, both Humpbacks and Orcas. Also two bears and sea lions. Highly recommend this tour. Very cold today as we could see our breath when out on the boat, but well worth it. Thanks to the CC members that recommended this tour. If I ever return to ISP, booking this tour would be top priority.

 

Returned to the ship as there isn't much to do in ISP. We finally made it to the dining room for dinner. I have to say the quality of food is much better in the dining room. Will have to make an effort to get there for the remainder of the trip.

 

Day seven - at sea- hard to believe we are at the half way point in our cruise. Seas were rough and I experienced sea sickness this time. Managed to eat lightly and it wore off once we were off the ship in Anchorage.

 

Day Eight -Anchorage- we left as soon as the ship was cleared. The staff at this port take their time as we weren't cleared till around 8:15. We were heading to the Hotel Captain Cook which is on 5th Avenue as that is where we needed to meet up for the 26 Glacier tour bus. Since there were shuttles ready as soon as you got off the ship we took the shuttle to the Egan Centre and walked down 4-5 blocks to the hotel. NOTE: for the future Amsterdam cruisers, if you are booking the Glacier tour book through Alaskatours website, they sent a bus to the ship to pick up HAL travelers who booked. You might want to look into it, if they haven’t indicated your pickup point. While waiting at the Hotel this same bus came and picked us up as there weren’t enough people for two buses to run. Good news is they dropped us off back at the ship. The tour was worth it and didn't feel like it was a 10 hour day, as there is just so much scenery to look at. Another Note: when booking this tour and if you have mobility issues make sure the tour company books you in the main deck of the Klondike and confirm. Even though my email to them identified my spouse as having a disability, they booked us on the second deck. Now second deck was okay, as hubby can do stairs, just slowly, but I would prefer him on the main deck as descending is more difficult and you have to wait till everyone else leaves to exit. Also second deck has viewing access and washrooms. But the main deck they open the bow when they are stopped for viewing.

 

It was warm and sunny in Anchorage, but as the bus driver put it, we were going to the wettest area of Alaska, second to Ketchican. The tour bus is very comfortable to sit in and the rain held off for most of the boat tour. Lots of seals and otters at the glaciers. Would do this tour again.

 

Day Nine - Homer - we were winging it in Homer and had decided we would like to go to the Time Bandit store and the Salty Dog. This requires two different shuttles, one you pay for (to get to the Time Bandit). How do I put this politely. IF the only place you want to go off the spit to is the Time Bandit, get a cab and go. We were told it was a few blocks to walk. Few blocks, don’t think so. More like half a mile uphill from stop 4 and then back. Remember I have a spouse who can walk, but distances and hills we have to watch. When it came time to get him back on the bus he couldn't lift his leg as it was that stressed. So back to the ship we went. Better value in my books to zip around on the free shuttle and walk around the spit. Also better photo ops for Eagles, if you hang around the spit.

 

Day Ten - Kodiak- the sun was shining around 5:45 a.m., but by the time we got to Kodiak, it was cloudy, cold and threatening rain. We took the memory maker tour but the weather didn't cooperate with us, we had rain and fog move in. Nice couple, Dake and Kady and I’m sure the photo opportunities would have been great if not for the weather.

 

When we sailed away, the sun came out..... Go figure.

 

Day Eleven - Hubbard Glacier - Well the rain held off until we left Hubbard Glacier. I think I like Hubbard over Glacier Bay, but both are still spectacular. Hubbard was active today, and times you had more than one calving happening at the same time.

 

Day Twelve -Sitka - we are doing the Bear Fortress and Sea Otter Quest. The boat portion of this tour was very rocky and hard to take pictures for me. As for hubby, he had a seat in the middle and couldn’t move around. The downfall of this tour is the design of the seating and viewing areas. People stood up in front and all around so those who were in the handi-cap seating couldn’t see. Allen Marine posts this as a policy but doesn’t enforce it. A lot of money to pay for a boat ride, so with that, when I return to Alaska, I will avoid the larger tour companies and focus on private tours. The Fortress of the Bear was excellent but very short. We only had a half hour there. For $340 dollars and only being able to see the bears, I could have taxied all over, seen what I wanted and spent less. For those who could walk around, I’m sure it was a good tour, just not for us.

 

Day Thirteen – at sea… finally we have sunshine. My spirits perked up but I’m still feeling nauseous since crossing the Gulf. Guess “aft” cabins are not for me. Didn’t experience any sea sickness on the Zuiderdam, but I was midship. I did pack ginger Gravol and resorted to ginger ale to help with it and ate lightly.

 

They were cleaning decks today, and couldn’t make use of the back deck after our late lunch. Went up to the Lido deck, but they were closing things up to clean it…. It was only 4:00 and puzzled me why they would clean the deck on a sea day that was very sunny. Children in the pool, parents sitting on lounge chairs and they were stacking up the empty chairs all around them… :-\

 

Day Fourteen – Victoria….. this is where we disembark. The sun is shining though as we were travelling down Vancouver Island, it was foggy and the horn was blowing away. We disembarked just after 1:00 to wait for the main group to get to their tours. Got to our hotel and they had a room ready for us. We stayed at the Delta across the bay from the Empress. We ended up walking around the front of the hotel, watching the activity in the bay, enjoying the sunshine and then returning to the lounge for drinks and finger foods. We weren’t sure what to do, as we had reached a point in our vacation where we didn’t want to be tourists anymore. Hind sight being, we should have disembarked in Victoria and headed to the airport. But since we were not going home until Friday evening, we still had another day. We relaxed on Friday, didn’t want to book anything as it was threatening rain (and yes it did rain). Had a late breakfast and then checked out. To kill the afternoon, we went over to the Empress and booked one of their water taxi tours and then browsed some shops. There was something going on, on the water front so fresh mini-donuts were calling us and we enjoyed.

 

Calgary, back home. We got home around 11:30 p.m. On our way down the Deerfoot, we had two shows of fireworks. One from the Stampede and one from an extra due to the 100 anniversary of the Stampede. We are both eager at this point to get to sleep in our bed and pick up the dogs in the morning.

enjoyed your review... wish you had had better weather. I am watching for reviews as the summer goes on, as I had cruised twice before late May, and this time June 1st... all beautiful weather. Once in August and lots of Rain. maybe it is impossible to predict!! glad you enjoyed your time in Alaska.

[aliaschief]

Thanks, We would like to do this cruise some day.

[SightCRR]

Thanks for great report with just the right amount of info (not to little, not to much). I just finished printing it out to reread and share. We are doing that cruise soon with some of the same shore excursions.

Thanks again, SightCRR

[Typhoon1]

Great review. Very informative. Thanks for taking the time.

[djwho]

Thanks for the replies everyone..... Since I was one of those moved from the July 13th sailing that was chartered, I just had to look at Ketchican on Sunday..... sunny.... go figure.... guess I'll just have to get back to Alaska to see if I can break that rainy streak.... :)

[erewhon]

Thank you for taking time to write your detailed review.

[KNOT2L82SAIL]

DJPARKER, Quick question... what did you think of this special cabin? Layout, noise from door to outside, light at night? Would you book it again?

[djwho]

Personally I didn't like it and no I wouldn't book it again. Not worth the extra charge for this room. Noise from door, and just too small. It felt okay at the beginning but as time went on, we felt we were stepping over each other. It really is meant to be for a single person. Also light didn't bother me, but it does light up the room a bit. In the morning between 5:00 & 5:30 the back deck is cleaned off by staff and hosed down, so the noise might bother you if you like to sleep in, but didn't bother me too much as I'm an early riser. Just couldn't make much use of the deck then as it was soaking wet if you wanted to go out and enjoy a coffee or what not. The deck is not so secret anymore, it's used quite a bit by smokers, so we ended up going down to the promenade deck and used it more than the back deck.

 

Bathroom is small but that worked fine for us too (shower only). Very small table if you order room service. I did send pictures to Joannie to load, not sure if she's got them up yet or not.

 

Donna

[KNOT2L82SAIL]

Thank you, Donna, for the quick reply. I sort of thought it would be interesting to cruise on that level, but was concerned about the layout. I love the light coming in at night... I like to have the sheers drawn, but the curtain just slightly open. They do the promenade deck early too, so not a problem with the hosing down. I guess I will stay on the largest balcony level - promenade deck - for any future cruises.

[djwho]

The other thing with the location of this room is I felt the ship rocking every which way..... woke up one evening and the wind had picked up and I could feel the sway and the vibration of the stabilizers woke me.... also got sea sick on the crossing of the Gulf and it lasted for the rest of the cruise... don't think I'm a aft cruiser....

[Assateague Island Princes]

Thanx for the great review. So sorry you didn't enjoy my secret cabin. We personally LOVED it and enjoyed the easy access to the aft secret deck and all the benefits that provided (quick flight up to the aft Lido). We found the space more than sufficient for us, but then we are used to camping and our small cabin in NY state where everything has its place so we're quite the team when it comes to surviving small spaces. Not everyone is so comfortable with that, and it is a rather strange cabin layout from what most are used to. Loved that the window is not under the bed but beside it so that we could have that aft view whenever we liked. We're also good sailors and have never experienced seasickness, thank goodness. I sympathize with how awful that must have been for you. BUT I am thrilled that you enjoyed this amazing 14 day itinerary and of course, magnificent Alaska. Welcome home! and again, thank you for the review, so appreciate hearing from everyone who is fortunate enough to be on these last sailings of this itinerary.

[canadianbear]

Great review-really enjoyed the read. Hope they bring this itinerary back again in a couple of years so all of us drooling can book it!:)

[JamesEM]

Thanks for sharing.

[oaktreerb]

I've been waiting for someone to post pictures for this room. We were booked in a similar room on the Zaandam in June but took an upsell to verandah in the final days before cruising. I did look forward to the ease of getting to the dining room and the Lido whether on the elevator or stairs. Actually we spent the day in Glacier Bay on the aft deck anyway and very few people even walked through. We felt like we had it to ourselves!

 

The veranda staterooms were so expensive on the Amsterdam this year that it would have been worth trying 7056 as an alternative. Another concern I had was that the cruise does not go up the inside passage and I expected that going out around Vancouver Island and across the Gulf of Alaska would be a bit rocky (as you confirmed). I'm hoping they will bring this itinerary back for 2014. We did it the first year it was offered and loved it.

[djwho]

Welcome, this is my second cruise so it's good to know for me that is, I need to be more in the centre of the ship... funny thing is I didn't realize at first I was getting sick, thought something was wrong with the food.. :), then it clicked in as hubby wasn't affected.

 

It still impacted me up to two days after I got off the ship.... didn't think it could have that impact on you. Good news, is I didn't gain any weight on the cruise as I didn't eat that much... :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great review-really enjoyed the read. Hope they bring this itinerary back again in a couple of years so all of us drooling can book it!:)

 

Don't think it will happen.

HAL makes more money on 7 day cruises than on 14 day cruises as people are willing to spend more money on those cruises on excursions (because they have only 3 - 4 ports - depending on itinerary) and they are willing to spend more on alcohol. On a 14 day cruise you see fewer booking ships tours and drinking in the bars.

HAL lost money the last year and is losing monry this year. The June 29th cruise was not sold out.