ms Zaandam - Alaska 5/5/06

[Mark & Joyce]

WOW…What can we say…Beautiful, Spectacular, Breathtaking…words are hard to find to describe the sheer beauty and scope of Alaska.

 

Before we talk about the trip and wonderful cruise experience with HAL, we just want to thank all on these boards who take the time to provide such valuable advice and opinions. We picked out excursions based on this information and we were not disappointed.

 

Ok…going to try and cover as much as possible…got to go back to work tomorrow :(

 

We sailed the ms Zaandam out of Seattle for a 7 day, 5/5 – 5/12, inside passage Alaska experience. Long day on Fri the 5th, flew from the east coast, 6 am flight, connection in Dallas. Arrived in Seattle at 11 am. We had purchased transfers when we booked and that worked out nicely. Bus had us at pier 30 by 1 pm. If time had permitted we would have come in a day early and toured Seattle.

 

Check in was smooth, 30-40 min in line and we were processed and on our way up the gangway!:D

 

Zaandam…such a classy ship..we loved her. Very clean and nicely laid out, never had any trouble finding our way around. We like the fact that she has 3 sets of elevators even though she is a smaller ship, 1,400 passengers. State room 2557 was perfect, ocean view and close to elevators. Loved the walking deck on the Promenade level. Wonderful lounge chairs and warm blankets. All the public areas are so comfortable and most have great views out the windows.

 

Food….and more Food!!...we ate most meals in the Rotterdam dining room and all meals were wonderful. Service was top notch and we really enjoyed the open seating at breakfast and lunch…very pleasant meeting new people everyday. We had 2 formal nights and 5 casual nights (no informal even though it was listed on some of our welcome aboard info). We did take a couple of snacks Lido style and it was also very good. Did the Pinnacle grill one night and even though it was very nice, we will skip this on our next trip.

 

 

Shore Excursions…someone on these boards said “Alaska is not the place to skimp in shore excursions” I think it was Budget queen, and she was right. We did not book through HAL but booked our own independent tour operators, well in advance I might add. We only did two but they provided memories that will last a lifetime. The first was Whale Watching in Juneau with Captain Larry of Orca Enterprises. We saw 6-7 humpback whales and several bald eagles and sea lions. Capt. Larry and Capt. Shawn are passionate about whales and that translates into a first class excursion. Our second was in Ketchikan with Michelle of Island Wings. Michelle was wonderful. She flew us into the Misty Fjords National Monument and set us down on a beautiful peaceful lake and allowed us to get out on shore for about a half hour for pictures. The Misty Fjords was absolutely spectacular and so very peaceful at the lake. We could not have asked for a better pilot to take us to such a beautiful place…Michelle, if you read this “Thank You”.

 

Sitka was awesome. We waked the town and had the best time shopping and site seeing. The Totem Park is a must do. Also got some great pics of our beautiful Zaandam while walking the totem trails.

 

 

Going to end this now…I got to get ready for the real world tomorrow!! If only we were still sailing the high seas!! Better get planning for our next cruise!!

 

 

Quick Tips:

 

Take LOTS of pictures…if you are thinking about digital..Alaska is the place to have one w/extra memory cards…we took about 350 pictures..(Hard to take pics with a knife and fork in hand):)

 

Alaska in early May…GREAT..just layer cloths and enjoy the snow covered mountains. We were the only ship in all ports and that I’m sure was a big plus..no crowds.

 

Get out of bed early..5:30 – 6:00…there are just too much beautiful scenery, don’t miss it sleeping!!! (We had coffee and Danish delivered every morning at 6 just to get us going…you need something to hold you over till 8 am breakfast!!

 

Talk to your ship mates…we met so many nice folks from all over this great planet…Hello to my special friend from down under “we are on the same team”

 

Take the time to take to the crew..They really appreciate you asking about their home and families.

 

Lastly…take in the special land of Alaska…we will go back

 

 

Please feel free to ask any questions…

 

Mark & Joyce

North Carolina

[DFD1]

Thanks for your review. Sounds like you had a great time. We're booked on the Zaandam for September. You review makes me wish it were tomorrow. Thanks.

[Robin7]

We sailed the ms Zaandam out of Seattle for a 7 day, 5/5 – 5/12, inside passage Alaska experience.

 

Thanks for posting a review of your cruise. We are booked on the Zaandam July 28th and I can't get enough information. (Okay, I'll admit it. I'm an information junkie.)

 

How were the seas going around Vancouver Island? I've been a little apprehensive about going out of Seattle.

 

Robin

[Mark & Joyce]

Robin,

 

Believe it or not the sun was shining bright when we sailed out of Seattle. The seas were a bit rough Sat which was our 1st full day at sea and this may have been the portion around Vancouver Island you are talking about, not sure, but I think we were beyond that.

 

From what I understand it was unusual. Many passengers had trouble with that day, Joyce included. I took ginger root pills twice daily and had no problem…I’m not saying that is the answer but it seemed to work for me and I like the no side effect aspect. You can find them at any drug store or Wal*Mart type store that sells vitamins. The captain always came on the intercom and informed all about any high sea issues. Bottom line, if you think you might be susceptible to sea sickness, have one or two remedies available to use. You can also visit the ship doctor for meds.

 

Enjoy..it is truly beautiful…

[missygirl]

Thanks for a great review. We are leaving May 19 also from NC to Seattle but on the Oosterdam. We were able to go in a day early to tour some of Seattles hotspots. I hope that our trip is just as enjoyable as yours was.

 

Missygirl:)

[NancyIL]

Thanks for your review...and glad you had a wonderful trip! Did your ship go to Glacier Bay?

[Mark & Joyce]

Nancy,

 

Yes, Glacier Bay was one of the highlights. HAL had a few national park rangers board ship the night before and they were available to answer any questions throughout our time in the park. (I thought this was a very nice touch) One of the rangers was providing information over the intercom from the Crows Nest. At first I was thinking this may intrude on the solitude the park instilled, but it was just the positive. She provided almost poetic highlights and history in a tone that was perfect for the experience.

 

We spent a good amount of time in the bay. The captain would turn the ship around about every half hour to give those who chose to use their balcony’s for viewing (again a nice HAL touch) Amazed at how the captain could turn that ship so smoothly and with basically no noise.

 

Glacier Bay was by far the coldest part of the trip but there are plenty of warm blankets out on the Promenade deck and the crew serves hot green pea soup, very good!

 

 

Enjoy it….I had no idea such a beautiful place even existed…

[revrick3]

2 weeks and 4 days we will follow your path to Alaska, we will be leaving out of Charlotte, we are just south of Charlotte. I got excited when I saw your review, there havent been many for the Zaandam. My wife and I will be on first HA cruise and first Alaska visit. I cant wait to get on ship. Your report helped sure up my decision for Zaandam over some other ships and iteneraries. Thanks and sorry you have to work tomorrow. Real world is tough.

[revrick3]

2 weeks and 4 days we will follow your path to Alaska, we will be leaving out of Charlotte, we are just south of Charlotte. I got excited when I saw your review, there havent been many for the Zaandam. My wife and I will be on first HA cruise and first Alaska visit. I cant wait to get on ship. Your report helped sure up my decision for Zaandam over some other ships and iteneraries. Thanks and sorry you have to work tomorrow. Real world is tough. We are just going to take a leisurly day in Sitka also, what are some of the must sees there we should not miss.

[eastonce]

Mark & Joyce,

 

Thanks so much for your review - loved it. We are on the August 18th sailing of the Zaandam and are really looking forward to it. First question - is Sitka a tender port? Were there any tender ports on the cruise? After reading your review we might try the Misty Fjords flight again. On our last Alaska cruise we got partway in and the flights turned around - the pilot, who was very uncommunicative, would only say that the Fjords were "too misty". That was fine with me as I wanted to continue with the cruise. Princess refunded our money.

 

Carol

[Krazy Kruizers]

So glad you enjoyed your cruise, the Zaandam and Alaska.

[JasmineF]

Thanks for the review Mark & Joyce.

 

We will be taking our first Alaska cruise on the Zaandam in July. It is also our first time with HAL, so it is good to see a positive review of the trip we have chosen. (In fact, this is a post of 'firsts' as it is my first time to post on CC - I normally lurk!). We have also booked Captain Larry and Island Wings - glad you enjoyed both.

 

Just one question. We have an early morning trip booked in Sitka - how soon after docking were you able to disembark, or did the tender cause much delay?

 

Cheers!

Jasmine.

[TLHB]

2 weeks and 4 days we will follow your path to Alaska, we will be leaving out of Charlotte, we are just south of Charlotte. I got excited when I saw your review, there havent been many for the Zaandam. My wife and I will be on first HA cruise and first Alaska visit. I cant wait to get on ship. Your report helped sure up my decision for Zaandam over some other ships and iteneraries. Thanks and sorry you have to work tomorrow. Real world is tough.

 

Thank for the wonderful information Mark & Joyce! I had to quote RevRick3. DH and I also live south of Charlotte and will be flying out of CLT for Seattle on June 3. We board the Westerdam for our first Alaskan cruise. It will also be our first cruise with HAL. It looks like DH and I will have some of the same ports as you..............Sitka, Ketchikan, Juneau and British Columbia. We have booked many excursions, all of them through HAL because this is a new place for us and I was too afraid to branch out on my own for this first time, since I didn't know much at all about Alaska. We do know that the beauty we have seen in pictures, books, etc. is breathtaking and we can't wait to go!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a feeling we will fall love with Alaska and want to go back often!!!!!!!

 

I do have a couple of questions. What did you and most other people wear on excursion/port days. I have read conflicting information about clothing in Alaska and I am having trouble figuring out what to pack. DH and I do not hike so we do not have all of this weatherproof clothing that I am reading about online. We do have bluejeans and sweaters/sweatshirts. Our hiking friends have offered us their weatherproof/3-in-one jackets for the cruise. Will our sweatshirts/t-shirts/sweaters with jeans and those jackets be ok for port days? Or will we be dressed totally different than all of the others? We did go out and buy one pair of weatherproof hiking shoes (Merrell) for the trip. We also have some nice tennis shoes. We thought those shoes would be appropriate. I am basically wanting your feedback on clothing for port days. Also, what were most people wearing on days at sea during the daytime? Are the jeans ok then too? I am covered on dinner/nights on ship. I do know what to pack for that.

[Mark & Joyce]

Hey all,

 

We are so glad you enjoyed the posts. Will try and answer your questions tonight....for some reason we have to go to work this morning???? Was looking for our coffee and danish room service this morning but all we heard was that dang alarm clock....:D

 

Got to pay for that next adventure somehow...

[mimi6]

We are sailing on the Zaandam June 16 so this information is so exciting. Thanks for posting anything and everything about your trip that you have time to write.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Mark and Joyce, so glad you enjoyed your week in Alaska. We left just a couple of days after you from Vancouver. We both picked a great weeks for weather for cruising and getting to see so much snow on the mountains. It was truly breath taking scenery. Also glad you liked the Zaandam we will board the Zaandam for a 10 day Thanksgiving cruise this year. We also went to Glacier Bay. I actually thought there was slightly more to see there than Hubbard Glacier. We stayed out on the Bow of the ship for at least 3 hours and I too had Dutch Pea Soup:p

Again glad you had a great cruise hopefully you can post some of your pictures. By the end of this week I hope to post about 200 of the 400 pictures I took on our Webshots. We then can compare pictures:D

[Mark & Joyce]

Jasmine,

 

We arrived in Sitka at 7:00 am. Make sure you are up for that because it is really a beautiful site with the mountains and Edgecombe in the distance (Mt Edgecombe is a dormant volcano and we only saw brief outlines of it because of the weather). The tenders started running soon after we arrived. Anyone who had early excursions had priority; I don’t think you will have a problem. It takes less than 5 min from ship to shore. Make sure you visit the totem park and also there is a shop that has the most beautiful local art and sculptures we saw. It is called the Sitka Rose Gallery…all was out of our $$ range but it is a must see. Another nice store was Harry Rice Pharmacy and Photo…they have an old fashion soda fountain and we enjoyed a coke and root beer float…also check out the back of the store..they have a great photo shop where you can download you digital camera card onto a CD and have a fresh card for more pics!:D

 

 

TLHB,

 

Jeans are the best bet for ports…most everybody was wearing them..a light waterproof jacket is good also because it does rain. We also took a small travel umbrella and used it in Juneau during a brief downpour. Sweat shirts and jeans w/ hiking boots are a perfect choice. We also took along a couple of hoodies to wear under our jackets and that worked out great.

 

You can certainly wear jeans around the ship, most all did. Of course on the 2 formal nights if you are going to lounge in one of the public areas anytime after the 1st early seating starts you will want to be dressed in your formal wear, even if you have late seating. Formal wear is for the entire evening, not just dinner. Don’t stress about what to wear..you will see a little of everything.:eek:

 

 

LAFFNVEGAS,

 

I agree it was the best time to sail; the snow covered mountains were spectacular. We were on the bow for a few hours in Glacier Bay too…great viewing and great soup! Enjoy the Zaandam on your Thanksgiving trip! Working on my photos tonight..loading a slide show using ProShow Gold..good stuff!:cool:

[TLHB]

 

TLHB,

 

Jeans are the best bet for ports…most everybody was wearing them..a light waterproof jacket is good also because it does rain. We also took a small travel umbrella and used it in Juneau during a brief downpour. Sweat shirts and jeans w/ hiking boots are a perfect choice. We also took along a couple of hoodies to wear under our jackets and that worked out great.

 

You can certainly wear jeans around the ship, most all did. Of course on the 2 formal nights if you are going to lounge in one of the public areas anytime after the 1st early seating starts you will want to be dressed in your formal wear, even if you have late seating. Formal wear is for the entire evening, not just dinner. Don’t stress about what to wear..you will see a little of everything.:eek:

 

 

 

Thank you so, so much! I feel prepared to pack now!

We only have a few weeks left!!!!!!!!! :D

[Mark & Joyce]

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/

 

Member Name: markeasterly

 

 

Enjoy!!!:)

 

Mark & Joyce

[cruiseplease]

:) We loved your terrific review. DH and I will be on the Zaandam June 23, same ports, same excursions. Thank you for all of the wonderful information and sharing your experiences. Your slide show was wonderful, beautiful pictures. What type of camera were you using?

[Mark & Joyce]

Thanks...glad you enjoyed it. All were shot with a Kodak Z740. Great camera for the money, we love it!

 

Enjoy that cruise...Alaska is a special place...makes you think we still have one more chance to get it right...

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Mark and Joyce, Great Pictures, very impressive display:) You can certainly tell we were there the same week we have some similiar pictures. You got some great pictures of whales and eagles.

Tom and I both watched it together and enjoyed it.

Thanks so much for sharing :)

[c-legs]

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/

 

Member Name: markeasterly

 

 

Enjoy!!!:)

 

Mark & Joyce

:D Good evening,Mark & Joyce.

Absolutely fantastic ''slide show''....and I simply loooove your choice for the musical background .Enya is out of this world.....

 

Many many thanks for sharing every facete of your glorious cruise.

 

Cheers

Claude

;)

[Robin7]

glad you enjoyed it.

 

Wow! I really did. Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to board the Zaandam myself on 28 July!

 

Robin

[cruznon]

Those of us awaiting our turn to board an Alaskan bound ship are getting soooo excited!

Glad you had a wonderful cruise.