ALASAKA CRUSING HOLLAND AMERICA

[HCI]

Looking to do a Alaska tour in June with land and cruise tours, found one tour that uses  Holland America ms Volendam

Has anyone been on this ship

Does is have a mix of ages and are lots to do with good music

Or do they recommend any other cruise line

this is our first time to Alaska

Many Thanks

[lyndarra]

Our second of fourteen cruises was on Voledam about six years ago. It still ranks as one of our most enjoyable cruising experiences. It was from Sydney to Singapore. Service excellent, food excellent, entertainment excellent. There were Australian entertainers. One was Mario d'Andrea a brilliant guitarist and singer/entertainer who grew up playing in pub bands in Newcastle and is now based in Los Vegas. Also, Jane Rutter, internationally known flautist. As your cruise is Alaska it's unlikely to have Australian entertainers but you never know. Although almost 20 years old it is still a popular ship and one on of the smaller ones these days, about 1400 pax, cosy and intimatebut no water slides or rock walls. As with other HAL ships it seems to attract and older cruiser but, if my most recent cruise is any indication (Noordam, December 2018) that seems to be changing. Whichever ship you go with Alaska is awsome, have done two Alaskan cruises.

You can find more info here;

https://www.cruisecritic.com.au/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=127

[losfp]

We've done 2 cruises to Alaska.

 

The first was in 2007, our honeymoon.  It was with CruiseWest (now defunct) and on the Spirit of '98 (now sailing as SS Legacy for UnCruise Adventures). Only 70-80 passengers, it's probably my favourite cruise that we've ever been on. If you can stomach the cost and the relatively basic facilities, IMO small ship cruising is the very very best way to cruise Alaska.

The second was on Star Princess in 2017 (our 10th anniversary).  One way, Vancouver to Whittier, with stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway plus Glacier Bay.

 

We enjoyed both cruises very much, and I would definitely recommend a one-way cruise so that you can do an inland tour to Denali as well (we loved our 2015 DCL cruise and were hoping to cruise with them to Alaska but they only offered round trip cruises, so no-go).  Glacier Bay NP is a must-see in my opinion and sadly not all lines go in there. From what I can tell, Princess, HAL and NCL are the main ones that do, so if you do go with Volendam you'll probably be fine (but double check the exact itinerary).

[Fletch1]

Alaska is fabulous......you will love it. 

 

We have cruised there twice, both with Princess. We have cruised once on Holland America (Veendam) in 2018 and they are a very good cruise line......I would recommend them. 

 

One comment I would like to make......most cruises in Alaska are 7 days, which I don't think is long enough. Holland America have three cruises this year on the Maasdam which are 21 days, doing round trips from San Francisco which I think are much more attractive. You go further north and see many more ports. 

 

Much cheaper booking through a US agent compared to local agents here at the moment too. 

 

Well worth a look! 

Edited January 15, 2019 by Fletch1

[lyndarra]

Yep, seven days isn't long enough. Our first Alaska cruise had a seven day pre-cruise tour Calgary to Vancouver, coach and rail, and a post cruise tour of seven days Seward to Fairbanks, also coach and rail, including a three night stay in Denali. It was an amazing three weeks.

[MicCanberra]

Our friends did Alaska on HAL, they are in their 40s and had a great time.

[MicCanberra]

1 minute ago, MicCanberra said:

Our friends did Alaska on HAL, they are in their 40s and had a great time.

Meant to add  that the music seemed to stop after 9-10pm and the ship tended to empty but there was some staff in one bar who would put on differing music for the ones that were still awake.

[HCI]

Thanks everyone, just need to find shore excursions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

thanks everyone

Now just need to look for shore excursions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fletch1]

What did you do to create such a huge post of nothingness?!

[lyndarra]

28 minutes ago, Fletch1 said:

What did you do to create such a huge post of nothingness?!

You can't see the photos of the polar bear in the snow storm?

[Fletch1]

5 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

You can't see the photos of the polar bear in the snow storm?

 

Nope......not even the eyes (unless he is blinking!)

[lyndarra]

2 minutes ago, Fletch1 said:

 

Nope......not even the eyes (unless he is blinking!)

He's running away.

[MicCanberra]

Blimey, is that what it is. I thought it was a picture of the artwork from Kazimir Malevich.

[mooche]

Sometimes things are better left unsaid...

here is a list of some more of them:

1.

2.

3.

4.

 

[Elorac123]

On 1/17/2019 at 4:26 PM, HCI said:

Thanks everyone, just need to find shore excursions

Hi,We did Vancouver to Vancouver on the Noordam a few years ago and at the time had nothing to compare it,,,

We found the size comfortable,,the food top notch and the staff most attentive to the point if being annoying in the dining room ,,couldn’t have a conversation without them hovering round the table for two.

No “night life”to speak of but the shows were excellent.

not too many young people on that voyage.

I can really recommend a tour company in Skagway that gave us the most wonderful day out to the Yukon,,there may be some recommendations on TripAdvisor if he is still operating,,http://www.*****/

 

Cheers Carole