Which ship - Alaska

[tinkerbell1951]

I've never sailed on Holland America and was wondering which ship you would recommend, which itinerary and why as briefly as you can. Thanks:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Tough question as each ship and each itinerary has their own special appeal to different people.

We like Hubbard Glacier -- beautiful blue -- but you only spend a couple of hours there.

Glacier Bay -- you spend the day approaching the glaciers and have wonderful scenery on the way in and out -- spend a couple of hours there -- all day cruising in and out.

Ports -- this really depends on what you like to do -- helicopters, salmon bakes, etc.

We always look to see which ships spend the most time in the ports that we like.

[Atomica]

We really like the Zuiderdam roundtrip from Vancouver because we love the Vista class ships, and the itinerary includes Glacier Bay as well as Tracy Arm Fjord, plus the standard ports: Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan.

 

If you like smaller ships, the Zaandam will be doing the same itinerary but departing on Wednesdays from Vancouver.

[jtl513]

We like the R/S class ships for Alaska, because the fewer people you're competing with for port excursions the better. You should see both Hubbard and Glacier Bay in your lifetime, so just pick one and plan to back for the other! :)

[Old As Dirt Mom]

I've never sailed on Holland America and was wondering which ship you would recommend, which itinerary and why as briefly as you can. Thanks:)

 

Tinkerbell:

 

As others here have mentioned, there are so many factors to consider, such as air fare, time of year, ports, glaciers, excursions, and whether you want to combine a cruise with a land tour. If you want long daylight hours, pick June or July. If you want to see bears, pick August to September. If you want lower cruise fares, choose May or September. If you prefer open sea cruising, leave from Seattle. Do you like larger, newer ships, or smaller, classic ships? You see, the selection process goes on and on.....oops, sorry, you did ask us to be brief.......;)

 

Everyone has different reasons for choosing the ship and itinerary that they do. I like to do RT Alaska from Seattle, which is where I live, because it's so easy for me, and I don't have to factor in travel time or air fare. Last year I cruised in August on Zaandam, this year I've picked June on Noordam. As Jtl513 said, choose one ship/itinerary for this year, and then plan to be back to try another experience next time!:) There are so many wonderful choices!

 

Briefly, the smallest ships in HAL fleet are Statendam, Veendam, Ryndam, and Maasdam. These constitute the "S" class. The "R" class ships are Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Volendam, and Zaandam, and they are the "mid-size" ships in HAL's fleet. The newest and largest are the "Vista" class: Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, and Noordam. A new class of ship, the "Signature" class, is coming next year with the new "Eurodam".

 

Have you visited the Alaska board over on the Ports of Call forum here at CC, yet? There is lots of good info (and a few opinions;) ) over there.

 

Karin

 

ps duh, I forgot to address the "why HAL" aspect of your question. HAL has eight ships leaving from Seattle and Vancouver this year, and offers a tremendous variety of cruises and cruisetours. They have a lot of expertise and experience in Alaska. Seattle is "home base" for the company. I think they do a great job in Alaska.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Sorry, I forgot to mention Prinsendam, but she hasn't done the Alaska run for some time now. She stands in a class of her own:)

 

Enjoy your Alaska cruise!

 

Karin

[agabbymama]

I like the smaller ships, but there was a price difference of about $400 pp between the smaller Zaandam and the larger Zuiderdam for my August '06 Cruisetour to Alaska. I felt I could use that money for excursions, so booked the larger Zuiderdam. The itineraries are identical so it has to be just the fact that there are more balcony cabins on the Zuiderdam.

 

In '99 when we did the Inside Passage cruise we were on the much smaller Noordam (since replaced with the new Noordam, which is the same size as the Zuiderdam). I think the Prinsendam is about the same size as the old Noordam, but as middle-aged mom states Prinsendam doesn't do Alaska.

 

As to why HAL, they have a more elegant ambiance. Chimes ring to announce dinner, lots of wood and brass (like the ocean liners of old, of which HAL was a part, I believe they started with Trans Atlantic crossings), fresh flowers all over the ship, a teak wood promenade deck all the way around the ship (they are the only mass market line that still has this), teak wood chair loungers on deck with wool blankets, deck boys in their smart uniforms walking around to make sure you have everything when on deck, pea soup or hot chocolate ondeck during Glacier viewing, and the best food I've found in the Lido buffet. There's lots of other small reasons too, but you did say to be brief.:D

[gooselace]

agabbymam. those sound great, but what about Irish Coffee during the Glacier Bay viewing? I admit that it was 30+ years ago and on Princess, by my memory of Glacier Bay will be forever linked to those mugs of Irish coffee that were available to us as we came in from the deck, shivering from both the cold and the excitement.

 

I'm planning to go on a HAL cruisetour for my next Alaskan trip, but I'll sure miss those coffees.

[agabbymama]

gooselace,

 

I don't drink alcohol, so can't say anything about the Irish Coffee, but my friend does say they are excellent.

 

What HAL cruisetour are you taking? I'm on Cruisetour # 1 Yukon Wilderness in August. I wanted to see the Yukon as well as Interior Alaska. Did the Inside Passage in '99, so the ports weren't a great factor this time.

 

I'll be sure and post whether HAL has the Irish Coffee on Glacier Day.

Have a great cruisetour.

[jtl513]

... those sound great, but what about Irish Coffee during the Glacier Bay viewing? I'm planning to go on a HAL cruisetour for my next Alaskan trip, but I'll sure miss those coffees.

Oh, I'm sure Irish coffee will be available ... for a price! The hot chocolate and pea soup are free, but anything with alcohol is not. :(