We are back from our May 5 Zaandam Alaskan cruise...

[Sundiego]

Had a great time! If there are any other Zaandam cruisers with questions, I'll be happy to answer them.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you had a great time. Hope you post a review.

[wolfatlga]

Greetings...

We have heard that May is a great time to go to Alaska...I was curious how the weather is that early....

We would like to sail out of Seattle also, so I know that limits the ships that Holland sails ..

Thanks...

Wolf

[Sundiego]

Greetings...

We have heard that May is a great time to go to Alaska...I was curious how the weather is that early....

We would like to sail out of Seattle also, so I know that limits the ships that Holland sails ..

Thanks...

Wolf

Wolf, we thought we had fairly good weather, all things considered. Daytime temps were in the high 40's, but the chill in the air just added to the Alaska experience. We had some downpours in Juneau in the morning as we were walking about town, but that didn't slow us down. The weather cleared up before our 1:00 pm Capt Larry whale watching.

 

Caught a little rain in Sitka and in Ketchikan, but also saw the sun, so again, no problem.

 

I will say that we wished we were visiting Sitka later in the year. We didn't see any salmon in the streams but heard stories about how it's "wall to wall" salmon starting mid-June and that would've been fun to see.

 

On the plus side, we were the only ship in all 3 ports so we had the towns to ourselves, nothing was crowded. Sadly, it was too windy to port in Victoria. And because they had no tender accommodations we were unable to go ashore. It was only a 4-hour stop, but we would've enjoyed even that.

[mjmagee]

Sundiego, we sail on the Zaandam on 5/26. Our first time on that ship and our first Alaskan cruise. How was the ship? Dining? Shows? Any info you can offer would be appreciated. Thanks. Marilyn

[raadsel]

I'll be on the Zaandam in August. I'd love to hear a review/travelogue of your experiences and impressions. I'd especially appreciate any suggestions you might have.

[Sundiego]

Sundiego, we sail on the Zaandam on 5/26. Our first time on that ship and our first Alaskan cruise. How was the ship? Dining? Shows? Any info you can offer would be appreciated. Thanks. Marilyn

Marilyn, you will have a great time. The ship was very sparkling clean. We spent a lot of time in the Explorations Cafe area because DH loved to curl up in those comfy chairs and read his book. They have a great library and also a huge selection of DVD's to rent ($3.00 for 24 hours or free if you're in a Verandah cabin or suite).

 

Our cabin was 6197 which was aft. We loved it because it was right above the Rotterdam dining room! We ended up eating breakfast there a few times because it was actually easier for us than the LIDO deck. Speaking of the Rotterdam, wow... the service was excellent. The first night we ordered wine and each subsequent night the wine list was thoughtfully placed on our table before we were seated. The meals were great. Only disappoinment that comes to mind was surf & turf on the last formal night. We sailed with another couple and we were given a table for 4 in a wonderful location upstairs. There were four seatings... we were the first group in the second seating and went to dinner at 7:45 pm. That time worked out great for us, but the after-dinner shows didn't start until 10:15 which was kind of late but not bad.

 

The entertainment was not HAL's strong suit. The Zaandam singers and dancers did shows 3 nights... a Broadway theme, a "water" theme and one other that we skipped. There was a comedian who performed on another night and he was good. We also had "WHYTE", two brothers who sing Beatles songs. You will definitely want to go that night, we thought it was a lot of fun.

 

We ate at the Pinnacle Grill and thoroughly enjoyed that. Wonderful service, wonderful food. We had the fillets and they were huge, tender and cooked perfectly. Try the scalloped potatoes. They were delicious, as was the grilled asparagus. The dessert menu was lacking and the desserts were frankly not that good. That surprised us because in the dining room and on the Lido deck, the desserts were *AWESOME*. I had bread pudding every day, in addition to my daily rations of chocolate creations, lol.

 

Our cabin had more than enough storage. The flat panel tv and dvd player were nice. I liked HAL's shampoo, soap and hand lotion. DH loved HAL's bathrobe! And everything you've read about the comfortable beds is true! Awesome. If your steward does not set out extra blankets for you, look in the 2 drawers at the foot of the bed. There are two plaid wool blankets (for outdoor use) and two lightweight blanket throws for the bed. We also discovered extra pillows by removing the lid from the stool seat at the vanity. The room had two hairdryers... the old one (which still worked) in the bathroom that looked more like a vacuum cleaner hose. It was great for de-fogging the mirror, lol. The handheld blow dryer in the vanity drawer was adequate. It had 3 heat settings but only one speed which was "full force". Wasn't a problem for me, but others with "tricky 'dos" might not like it. One problem we experienced... our room tended to be on the warm and stuffy side, even tho the thermostat was always set at the coldest setting. Our friends' cabin had the opposite problem. They were always cold. Their situation got corrected, but ours was never corrected to our satisfaction. Although I will say that the front desk probably called twice a day to follow up. I think the Zaandam is known for quirky A/C in cabins and we did NOT luck out. Also, our toilet failed to operate twice and we had to report that as well. But it was quickly fixed. For whatever reason, the little flush button just didn't "press". It wasn't an issue of back-up or anything like that.

 

Let's see, what else? Oh, the room service. We ordered breakfast two different days and it showed up very timely. Our friends also ordered (by filling out a card and hanging it on your door the night before). This was funny... they checked the boxes instead of indicating a number. So they got two of everything... two omelets, two boxes of cereal, two eggs benedict, lol. A ton of food. So the lesson here is if you want ONE omelet, mark the number "1" in the box, not a checkmark!!

 

My girlfriend lost $$$ in the casino. DH and I stayed clear of that.

 

Okay, enough of a ramble. Any questions? Ask away!

[mimi6]

We are on the Zaandam June 16.

 

What time did you board and how long did it take? What excursions did you choose at each port? We are also going with Capt. Larry and really looking forward it. Thanks for the information about your trip. Can't wait until June 13 when we fly to Seattle.

[mjmagee]

Sundiego, thanks for the review. We are just so excited. Did you happen to use or check out the pool under the dome? Others on this board said it was useable on an Alaskan cruise. Just wondered if it was heated and was anyone in it. We are just down the hall from you in 6226 (very aft!). Were you able to sit out on the verandah at all or was it very icy? Hoping the weather will warm a little bit in the next two weeks. Oh, what nights are the formal nights? Thanks for all your help. Marilyn

[Sundiego]

We are on the Zaandam June 16.

 

What time did you board and how long did it take? What excursions did you choose at each port? We are also going with Capt. Larry and really looking forward it. Thanks for the information about your trip. Can't wait until June 13 when we fly to Seattle.

We got to the port noonish and spent about 45 mins in line. There was definitely some disorganization on HAL's part. First of all, there were no porters readily available, we had to be a little aggressive finding assistance for that. The "Express Boarding" line (if you completed boarding info on-line) was very long. The non-express line was short and moved quickly. The problem occurred when the line got so long as to spill outside the building. HAL ushered newcomers into the short line, leaving those of us who had been waiting almost 45 minutes in the long line. As I've posted before, attitude is everything so we didn't really take it to heart, but it was a little annoying. Once we got to the counter things were very efficient. I'd say we were on the ship by about 1:00 and our stateroom was available. Luggage arrived shortly thereafter. So other than a few burps, the process went well.

 

Disembarkation was the easiest ever. We didn't sign up for any of HAL's airport transfers. Instead, we thought we'd grab a taxi. We walked out to the airport transportation area and there were three HAL-organized buses there. Instead of getting the taxi, we decided on the bus at the last minute. We paid $12 each. Nice bus, quick ride, super easy. We were off the ship and on the bus by 8:25 a.m. The ride to the airport was speedy.

 

We didn't exactly sign up for the most dramatic shore excursions. We had a person in our group who had a few physical limitations, so we stayed very tame!! Did Capt Larry's tour which was fun. He's a super nice and knowledgeable guy as was our "co-captain" Sean. A part of the Capt Larry experience that nobody mentions is the bus ride to Auke Bay to meet the boat. The bus driver (dang, I can't remember her name, but she is one of the boat captains, too) was very chatty. She had a great sense of humor and had lots of little tidbits about the area to share with us.

 

We made it to the Red Dog Saloon in Juneau and dodged a lot of rain :)

 

In Sitka, we did the Sea Life Discovery tour on the submersible boat. Not recommended. In Ketchikan we did the Duck tour. The land part was fun and interesting. The water part was kind of a yawn. In retrospect, wish we would've booked a bus tour instead. We also did the Lumberjack Show which takes place near where the ship docks. I wouldn't call it a "must-see" but it was fun to watch if it sounds like your kind of thing.

 

Glacier Bay was beautiful! And as I posted above, we missed out on seeing Victoria due to the weather :(

[Sundiego]

Forgot to mention...

 

As DH and I were exploring Sitka, we stopped by an internet cafe. For $6, we got an hour's worth of internet time which gave us a chance to have a cup of coffee and leisurely check our email, local news, etc. Much cheaper than the ship's internet service.

[babytraveler]

Thanks for the info!

 

I'm doing a Zandaam Alaska trip coming up soon! Our challenge is that we're traveling with a 2 year old and a 5 year old (family reunion, must attend).

 

Were there any real young kids onboard?

 

Do you have any advice on excursions that would be physically easy to do with kids? I either have to (2 year old at least) use car seats unless on a very big bus at a very slow speed on very calm gentle non twisty roads. Walking with stroller excursions also good.

 

Thanks!

[TLHB]

Disembarkation was the easiest ever. We didn't sign up for any of HAL's airport transfers. Instead, we thought we'd grab a taxi. We walked out to the airport transportation area and there were three HAL-organized buses there. Instead of getting the taxi, we decided on the bus at the last minute. We paid $12 each. Nice bus, quick ride, super easy. We were off the ship and on the bus by 8:25 a.m. The ride to the airport was speedy.

 

 

DH and I are flying to Seattle on June 3 and will board the Westerdam on June 4. We will have the same ports that you had. We will stay in Seattle two days after the cruise so that we can see that city. We didn't book any transfers or shuttles from HAL because we are staying in Seattle after we get off the ship. We also have planned to grab a cab. We were told by others that cabs are easy to find once you are off the ship. Did you find that to be the case? If you had decided to stick with the cab instead fo get on HAL's bus, would you have been able to get a cab easily?

[Sundiego]

DH and I are flying to Seattle on June 3 and will board the Westerdam on June 4. We will have the same ports that you had. We will stay in Seattle two days after the cruise so that we can see that city. We didn't book any transfers or shuttles from HAL because we are staying in Seattle after we get off the ship. We also have planned to grab a cab. We were told by others that cabs are easy to find once you are off the ship. Did you find that to be the case? If you had decided to stick with the cab instead fo get on HAL's bus, would you have been able to get a cab easily?

Yes, there were a number of cabs lined up.

[TLHB]

Yes, there were a number of cabs lined up.

 

 

Great to know! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[raadsel]

Do you remember what the choices were or have copies of the dinner menus?

[Curly57]

DH and I are flying to Seattle on June 3 and will board the Westerdam on June 4. We will have the same ports that you had. We will stay in Seattle two days after the cruise so that we can see that city. We didn't book any transfers or shuttles from HAL because we are staying in Seattle after we get off the ship. We also have planned to grab a cab. We were told by others that cabs are easy to find once you are off the ship. Did you find that to be the case? If you had decided to stick with the cab instead fo get on HAL's bus, would you have been able to get a cab easily?

HI TLHB,

My family's first cruise is the Westerdam from 5/28 - 6/4. We will be able to high five as we pass each other, us diembarking and you dropping off luggage ready to embark. :) Hope you have a great time.

-Sue

[Sundiego]

Do you remember what the choices were or have copies of the dinner menus?

Are you curious about the Pinnacle or the Main Dining room? I don't have copies of the menus, but here's what I recall...

 

From the Rotterdam dining room, each evening you will have a 4-course meal. All is beautifully presented. The starters were usually things like a small shrimp or crab cocktail, a pate, a fruit medley of some sort. there was escargot on formal night. Then on to soup or salad. All the soups were delicious. Many cream soups and also broth based soups. Lots of emphasis on fish (esp chowders). We also thought HAL's caesar salad was good. The entrees - again a lot of fish. There were always two salmons plus one or two other fish choices like a shrimp dish (scampi) and some type of fish fillet. Most nights had a pork entree. Two of the nights had lamb. There was beef tenderloin also. The first formal night had Chateaubriand and the second surf and turf. Honestly, the only entree that disappointed me was the surf and turf. The lobster had that sort of "thawed out chewy" texture and the "turf" looked more like swiss steak than the promised fillet. But we had so much EXCELLENT food, it really didn't matter.

 

The desserts in the main dining room were heavenly. We had the baked alaska once and then again on the "baked alaska parade" night. We didn't have a dessert we didn't LOVE with the exception of the Creme Brulee which my friend ordered. She's kind of a Creme Brulee snob and didn't think it was that good. I liked it though :)

 

The Lido Deck was fine. Again, the desserts were amazing and not a day went by that I didn't get that bread pudding! Breakfast isn't a real creative meal for us... dh always gets oatmeal and french toast, I do eggs. We had a lot of fresh fruit. Honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon every day. We went to the Rotterdam for bkfst a few days and tried the Eggs Benedict once which was good.

 

We were very impressed by the room service. Always speedy and always right. One day I ordered eggs over easy and they were perfect. That's hard to get in a regular restaurant so considering they came via the ship's room service, it was impressive.

 

If I haven't answered your question, let me know!!

[raadsel]

Thanks, that is what I was wondering.

[TLHB]

HI TLHB,

My family's first cruise is the Westerdam from 5/28 - 6/4. We will be able to high five as we pass each other, us diembarking and you dropping off luggage ready to embark. :) Hope you have a great time.

-Sue

 

Congratulations and happy sailing to you!

 

I will high five you. You will have no trouble spotting me. I will be the one with the huge smile, ear to ear, all over my face!!!!! :D