Just Returned: Inside Passage to Alaska on the Zaandam (Long Post)

[Ileneilene123]

19 minutes ago, durangoscots said:

Address this with HAL. Not here.

I agree.
 

In fact, I’m also inclined not to address it with HAL as I do believe she worked hard. This is her livelihood in a different country & I have not walked a mile in her shoes. 

Edited July 22 by Ileneilene123

[bajae]

Thanks for the review. I’m sorry the weather was rainy/foggy for most of your cruise. There are so many things you can research and plan for ahead of time to try to have the best experience as possible and then the weather throws a monkey wrench in your plans.

[Sea42]

11 hours ago, Ileneilene123 said:

In fact, I’m also inclined not to address it with HAL as I do believe she worked hard. This is her livelihood in a different country & I have not walked a mile in her shoes. 

That is very kind of you but I would choose differently. Other people could be affected by her lack of knowledge and she did outright lie. At the very least, she is in need of additional training. I would not name her publicly though.

[XBGuy]

I just stumbled onto this post and am very glad I opened it up.  Thank you, @Ileneilene123, for a very interesting report.

 

Yours is the first report I have ever seen here on Cruise Critic that includes a visit to In Bocca al Lupo.  I am very interested in checking it out on our next AK cruise, and I would like to ask a couple questions.  What time of day did you visit?  Did you have reservations, or did you walk in?

[Ileneilene123]

39 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

I just stumbled onto this post and am very glad I opened it up.  Thank you, @Ileneilene123, for a very interesting report.

 

Yours is the first report I have ever seen here on Cruise Critic that includes a visit to In Bocca al Lupo.  I am very interested in checking it out on our next AK cruise, and I would like to ask a couple questions.  What time of day did you visit?  Did you have reservations, or did you walk in?

Thanks!

 

Yes, In Bocca al Lupo was selected by our friend after he read a rave review in the New York Times. The restaurant had not yet opened when we arrived a little before 5pm and we did not have reservations, so we joined the line that had formed outside and waited in the rain.
 

When it opened we were fortunate to snag the last available table for 4 in the “deli” area — the dining room is for reservations only.
 

We thought the food was delicious. Nothing fancy, just pizza, roasted cauliflower and bolognese over gluten free pasta. We couldn’t help but (unfairly) compare it to the food on board. I think it’s received some mixed reviews recently, but we had a truly great meal. 

As I mentioned in my post, we experienced a bit of a shock back on board when my husband discovered he left his credit card at the restaurant. With less than a half hour before sailing, they really came through for us holding onto our credit card and opening after closing to allow someone from the ship to retrieve it. We were very grateful to HAL and to the restaurant. 
 

Enjoy your AK cruise!

Edited July 22 by Ileneilene123

[XBGuy]

1. Thank you for the info.  I will definitely put that information into our plan.  The next time you cruise to Juneau--and if you think you are "one and done," you have much more will power than most--give thought to Deckhand Dave's.  The opposite of formal dining but absolutely fantastic fish tacos.  😁
2.  

 

40 minutes ago, Ileneilene123 said:

As I mentioned in my post, we experienced a bit of a shock back on board when my husband discovered he left his credit card at the restaurant. With less than a half hour before sailing, they really came through for us holding onto our credit card and opening after closing to allow someone from the ship to retrieve it. We were very grateful to HAL and to the restaurant. 

 

That is a terrific story.  Customer service such as this will bring people like me back.  This is much better than priority boarding or free drinks or other "loyalty benefits" that so many seem to to treasure.

[Ileneilene123]

47 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

That is a terrific story.  Customer service such as this will bring people like me back.  This is much better than priority boarding or free drinks or other "loyalty benefits" that so many seem to to treasure.

Absolutely agree — afterwards we gave a cash tip and sent a note of commendation to HAL through the Nav App “Let Us Know” feature. 

 

47 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

The next time you cruise to Juneau--and if you think you are "one and done," you have much more will power than most--give thought to Deckhand Dave's.  The opposite of formal dining but absolutely fantastic fish tacos.  😁

Thank you for the recommendation! 

 

 

 

Edited July 22 by Ileneilene123

[dopey1200]

Thanks for your review. While I have already been on the Zaandam 2 years ago (New England/Canada), I am leaving on July 31st for the same inside passage cruise. Sorry you had bad weather. 

[Ileneilene123]

1 hour ago, dopey1200 said:

Thanks for your review. While I have already been on the Zaandam 2 years ago (New England/Canada), I am leaving on July 31st for the same inside passage cruise. Sorry you had bad weather. 

Thank you. Have a great time — hopefully you’ll have better weather! 

[flcraigs5]

On 7/20/2024 at 12:57 PM, Ileneilene123 said:

I just returned my first cruise — roundtrip from Vancouver, sailing the Inside Passage to Alaska on the Zaandam from 7/10-7/17. We were two couples in our 50’s and this was the first cruise for all of us. It rained for almost the entire cruise, except for outside of Vancouver, but we still had a really great time! 

 

Cruise Critic was a great source of information while I was planning this cruise. I found first hand descriptions to be the most helpful because I am someone who likes to know what to expect!  This is a long post, but perhaps this detailed description of the pros/cons of my first cruise experience will be helpful to someone who is considering either their first cruise, cruising on the Zaandam for the first time or cruising the Inside Passage to Alaska. I’d also be happy to answer any questions if I can. Cheers! 

 

PROS:

We were terribly disappointed that we did not get to see much of the beautiful Alaskan scenery from the ship due to rain and dense fog, but you can’t control the weather. We treasured what we ended up with: one sort of decent day to explore the Tracy Arm Fjord and two beautiful sailing days in and out of Vancouver. The southbound route through the Inside Passage towards Vancouver was just spectacular. We could not stop taking photos. Whale spotting was so exciting — it was a magical way to end our cruise. Plus, our entire cruise route was smooth sailing — no seasickness. Whew! 

 

With an early morning return docking in Vancouver, we had the day to explore the lovely city on our own before our overnight flight home. Highly recommend checking out Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, as well as walking from Canada Place into Stanley Park. The warm weather and blue skies were a welcome change at that point and added to our appreciation of Vancouver! 

 

During the cruise, we made the best of the weather situation, explored every port in head-to-toe rain gear, did our excursions in the rain and kept moving forward. Our excursions were fantastic and one of the most memorable parts of the trip: the Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer outside of Juneau; the White Pass Rail to the Scenic Summit in Skagway (with a return bike ride for my husband and our friends); and the Rain Forest Zipline in Ketchikan. 

 

Unfortunately, our Dog Sled Glacier Excursions were cancelled in both Juneau and Skagway due to poor weather. It took some effort to get past my disappointment, but I enjoyed our other excursions very much especially ziplining for the first time and exploring the Tracy Arm. 

 

During our Tracy Arm excursion, the crew on the catamaran insisted that the BEST way to see the Tracy Arm is when it is overcast and gray — so, there you go!  The views of the Twin Sawyer Glaciers were outstanding and we spotted harbor seals, an orca, a bald eagle and a bear cub. I highly recommend this excursion in any weather. Just eat a big breakfast because it takes 6 hours and there is no lunch on board. 

 

The Zaandam itself was the perfect size for us. Generally, it did not feel too crowded even after picking up additional passengers in Skagway. At times, the Lido Market or Crow’s Nest would feel a bit busy. And, there was a wait to get on the pickle ball court and to play ping pong. But, it was easy to find another spot if we wanted more space or a different vibe. The public spaces are wonderful, from the open Promenade Deck to the expansive views in the Crow’s Nest to the impressive World Stage to the relaxing Seaview Aft pool area to the quieter Explorer’s Lounge. We always found a great spot with something to do: walk around, explore, hang out, play cards, play shuffle board, take in a presentation, etc.

 

Our Vista Suite cabins with adjoining balconies were spacious and comfortable, and we loved having the balconies so we could quickly jump outside during any brief break in the rain. Quiet at night too. No complaints at all about the bedding, pillows or temperature control. Loved having complimentary room service so I could enjoy my coffee and a small bite in our cabin each morning. Our cabin stewards Zam & Andrew were outstanding as well. The pillow topper they added to the bed was so comfy! 

 

The Ocean Bar and Crow’s Nest bar were fun and we enjoyed live music and daily happy hours with half priced drinks. They ran trivia games often — we played once and enjoyed it. 

 

With one exception (below), we found the Zaandam’s passengers to be mellow, pleasant and friendly. We saw only a relatively small number of kids on board, which was fine with us.  

 

The crew is hard working and friendly, despite varying degrees of communication issues due to the language barrier. Unfortunately, we witnessed a passenger screaming in the face of a crew member during muster. The crew member handled himself wonderfully and so professionally, but it was horrible to see. 

 

Every crew member that we encountered made the extra effort to be helpful. HAL saved the day for us when we left our credit card on shore in Juneau after dinner at In Bocca Al Lupo (yummy!). They sent a member of their port staff to retrieve it from the restaurant just before we sailed. Shout out to Paula & the Guest Services team! 

 

CONS:

The weather in Alaska was the worst issue. No one’s fault, but we were rained on in every port and did not see blue skies for 5 days straight. We were completely socked in by fog in Glacier Bay, except for a miraculous clearing that began at Margerie Glacier and lasted until the fog completely engulfed the ship once again just past Reid Glacier. The fog horn blew continuously and the park ranger offered little narration because there was not much to see.

 

At times, the language barrier with the crew was also an issue on board, especially with the waiters and servers in the MDR. We were surprised that anything beyond just pointing to the menu to order resulted in confusion. 

 

The food on board, though plentiful, was hit or miss for us (but food is subjective so ymmv). There were many up-charges on the MDR dinner menu. And, a surprising number of promotions/sales pitches on board. We didn’t expect this, but maybe this is typical in cruising. We did not partake in the add-on services or up-charged dining, except for ordering the steak and lobster entree in the MDR (the lobster was “not good,” said my Boston-born husband). 

 

The evening shows at the World Stage seemed pretty cheesy to us, but again ymmv. And, the outdoor smoking section was too close to the Seaview pool so the smell of smoke drifted over and lingered during our limited outdoor time. 

 

There was no notice of the cancellation of my dog sled excursion in Skagway, so I disembarked and showed up ready to go! I had even checked just before disembarking. The Excursions Desk was closed and Guest Services did not know the excursion had already been cancelled — so they told me it was still on! No cancellation notice arrived through the Nav App, no voice message was left on our cabin phone, and no note was placed at the cabin door. Annoying, especially since I had to wait in a very long line in the rain just to get back on board. 

 

One other mishap occurred when room service showed up at 6:30am — 45 minutes before the time requested on our hang card.  We were still in bed, in a deep sleep. My husband saw the look on my face and left the cabin for a bit. 

 

HAL’s never-ending IT issues both before and during the cruise became extremely frustrating. Our $183.99 premium 4-device internet plan never worked inside the cabin and I finally gave up on reporting it. Fortunately, there were no work related emergencies, nor any other emergencies, that required attention during our cruise. 

 

I noticed a few beverage overcharges on our daily statements, but I think they’ve been sorted out. Strangely, I have not yet received a final statement from HAL. I’ll need to check on that. 

 

Finally, we were disappointed with our experience with our Personal Cruise Consultant at Holland America. Too many issues to recount here. Next time we will use a travel agent.

 

A NOTE ABOUT CLUB ORANGE:

Many of our Club Orange benefits seemed  to be forgotten once on board. I’m not sure if many passengers purchase CO on the Zaandam since there is no separate CO Dining Room. We only purchased it to save some money on a cabin upgrade, which worked out well. We may have been seated sooner in the MDR but I am not certain. In any event, I would skip purchasing CO on the Zaandam unless a cabin upgrade is a priority and is less expensive with CO.

Can you tell me what you did with your luggage when you disembarked in Vancouver? We have a group of 8 adults trying to decide what to do once off the boat. We really dont want to go sit at the airport all day till our evening flight home.

[Ileneilene123]

29 minutes ago, flcraigs5 said:

Can you tell me what you did with your luggage when you disembarked in Vancouver? We have a group of 8 adults trying to decide what to do once off the boat. We really dont want to go sit at the airport all day till our evening flight home.

We stored our luggage at the Pan Pacific Hotel. $10 USD or $10 CAD per bag for all day storage or $5 USD or $5 CAD per bag if you pick up by 3pm. Cash only. Head to the Bellmen Desk on the Ground Level. The Bellmen are very helpful. They gave us coupons for the Capilano Suspension Bridge (we didn’t end up using them) and they also hailed us a van-size taxi for the ride to the airport. There are other storage options around the cruise terminal that may be less expensive — this was just easiest for us. 

Edited July 25 by Ileneilene123

[flcraigs5]

20 hours ago, Ileneilene123 said:

We stored our luggage at the Pan Pacific Hotel. $10 USD or $10 CAD per bag for all day storage or $5 USD or $5 CAD per bag if you pick up by 3pm. Cash only. Head to the Bellmen Desk on the Ground Level. The Bellmen are very helpful. They gave us coupons for the Capilano Suspension Bridge (we didn’t end up using them) and they also hailed us a van-size taxi for the ride to the airport. There are other storage options around the cruise terminal that may be less expensive — this was just easiest for us. 

Thank you so much for the information! We have a group of adults traveling together. Do you happen to remember the cost of the van to the airport?

[Ileneilene123]

2 hours ago, flcraigs5 said:

Thank you so much for the information! We have a group of adults traveling together. Do you happen to remember the cost of the van to the airport?

I think the taxi to the airport was under $50 CAD but I don’t remember the exact cost. It was mini-van size and could fit our 5 suitcases.

 

I believe there is a fixed taxi fare to and from the airport. It was slightly less expensive than the Uber van that we took from the airport. 

Edited July 26 by Ileneilene123

[TRLD]

On 7/21/2024 at 5:46 PM, Ileneilene123 said:

Yes, I decided to work with her after she told me she had been working as a PCC for HAL for ten years. However, this just didn’t add up. Though she was very nice, pleasant and kind, her mistakes included:

 

Not knowing that the Club Orange cabin upgrade is to the highest available cabin in the entire meta cabin category, not just one level up. I had to insist on this several times. 

Not knowing that exterior balcony doors can be unlocked and opened between adjoining cabins even if the rooms are not connected by interior doors. I checked on CC for the correct info. 
 

Not knowing of HAL’s new policy of potentially moving a couple into a smaller cabin if family needs their cabin with 3 or 4 beds. (She had booked us into a 4 person cabin so I was nervous). 
 

Telling us that a picnic lunch would be provided on the Tracy Arm excursion when there is actually no lunch provided or available for purchase. Again, I needed to double check here. 
 

Not returning several phone calls and emails from my friends who had requested assistance to receive the HAL educator $100 OBC. By the time she got back to them, it was too late. They had also booked directly with her and insisted she try despite missing the deadline. Ultimately they received $50. After this incident, they looked her up on LinkedIn. Turns out she had been with HAL for about 2 months when we booked with her, not 10 years. I felt lied to. 
 

There were probably more small mistakes that I can’t recall. I need to give some thought as to whether I want to name her here and/or if I want to address this directly with HAL. 
 

 

To be honest several of these items I would not expect a PCC to know. They only have access to what's on their system, which often is the same info you have access to.  Those are questions about the balcony partitions, excursion lunch, etc. 

[Ileneilene123]

10 hours ago, TRLD said:

To be honest several of these items I would not expect a PCC to know. They only have access to what's on their system, which often is the same info you have access to.  Those are questions about the balcony partitions, excursion lunch, etc. 

I get that. Honestly, we didn’t really care too much about the mistakes because I was able to find out the correct info here on CC, plus, she did work hard for us and ended up giving us the correct CO upgrade. 
 

This was until she did not return emails/messages resulting in the loss of the educator OBC for my friends. That’s when they looked her up on LinkedIn and found out she actually lied to us about her experience being 10 years at HAL versus the reality of just a few months. That bothered us, but it definitely explained the mistakes. 
 

But, as I said before, we did not report it to HAL because who knows what circumstances made her lie? She is in a different county, perhaps in a difficult situation. 

 

(Also, I wouldn’t expect even an experienced PCC to know everything. But I would expect her to say, “I don't know, let me find out for you” and then come back with better information. Heck, even I was able to find out the answers and this was my first cruise 🤷‍♀️.)

[3rdGenCunarder]

24 minutes ago, Ileneilene123 said:

 

(Also, I wouldn’t expect even an experienced PCC to know everything. But I would expect her to say, “I don't know, let me find out for you” and then come back with better information. Heck, even I was able to find out the answers and this was my first cruise 🤷‍♀️.)

 

@Ileneilene123, thanks for the review. I feel your pain about the weather. I was on Queen Elizabeth, and I think we were in Glacier Bay the same day. I didn't see more than 5 minutes of sunshine from leaving Vancouver the day after you did and getting back there 11 days later. Dogsled excursions for our ship were cancelled, too. I'm not sure about gray weather being the best way to see a glacier. A few "atmospheric" days are nice, but some sunshine mixed would be nice, too. 

 

I have a lot of respect for someone who will say "I don't know..." Too many people are afraid to admit they don't know something and just guess/make up an answer. Lying about her experience is unforgiveable. I agree with @Sea42 that claiming to be so experienced could make customers more inclined to believe and not check what she ways. Definitely needs more training!

[Ileneilene123]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

@Ileneilene123, thanks for the review. I feel your pain about the weather. I was on Queen Elizabeth, and I think we were in Glacier Bay the same day. I didn't see more than 5 minutes of sunshine from leaving Vancouver the day after you did and getting back there 11 days later. Dogsled excursions for our ship were cancelled, too. I'm not sure about gray weather being the best way to see a glacier. A few "atmospheric" days are nice, but some sunshine mixed would be nice, too. 

 

I have a lot of respect for someone who will say "I don't know..." Too many people are afraid to admit they don't know something and just guess/make up an answer. Lying about her experience is unforgiveable. I agree with @Sea42 that claiming to be so experienced could make customers more inclined to believe and not check what she ways. Definitely needs more training!

Thanks for your reply. Yes! We passed your ship in Glacier Bay! Sorry you had such terrible weather too. Awful, right? I’m still licking my wounds about missing out on Glacier Bay & the cancellation of our dogsledding excursions. Oh well. Thank goodness for sunshine in Vancouver! 
 

 

[kevingastreich]

On 7/25/2024 at 9:57 AM, flcraigs5 said:

Can you tell me what you did with your luggage when you disembarked in Vancouver? We have a group of 8 adults trying to decide what to do once off the boat. We really dont want to go sit at the airport all day till our evening flight home.

We use the "Luggage Hero" app now.  It shows you all the places you can store your luggage in virtually any city in the world.  Many thanks to "Bernie" the Tips for Travelers expert on Zuiderdam!