How do you know which

[woodmill100]

Ship to choose!

 

We're looking at Alaska 08 and I have read in another post that several ships will be there in 08 however, Ryndam, Statendam and Veendam are the 3 that will be doing the Glacier Bay Inside Passage we are interested in.

 

All 3 ships seem to be of equal size with passengers and crewe. We want a cabin with a balcony but just don't know which ship to go with. How did you decide?

 

The rest of our holiday (we're in the UK) will be planned around the sailing so we are not restricted to specific dates.

 

Thanks for your help.

[grannynurse]

You may be putting too much importance on deciding between these 3 ships. They are almost the same age, and are the same class S. Not having been on any S class except the Maasdam, I would have no way of choosing. Each of the ships has it's loyal following so most opinions will be based on that. They are not that different except for predominant interior color scheme and art. Seeing that they all have similar itineraries, look at the day of the week each ship sails. Since you're coming from the Uk this may make a difference to you. A midweek sailing may result in less port congestion at boarding. If the ports are not dentical, then choose the itinerary that you favor. You can also check Cruise cal to see how many other ships are in each port and pick the least congested route.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the three you mentioned.

GN

[wannacruisemore]

I can tell you if you stay in a suite on the Statendam. You will love the balcony. It is HUGE!!!! Not sure about the other two HAL ships. Enjoy Alaska:)

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

I know that this is off the subject but I highly recommend that you plan to spend at least a day seeing Vancouver, and another day to see Victoria BC. There are several cruises that depart from Vancouver, and the ferry ride from Vancouver to Victoria is a treat in itself.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

Fred

[RetiredMustang]

woodmill100,

 

We have been in "B" class cabins on Statendam, Veendam and Maasdam, but have not been on Ryndam. They are all the same class: S (for Statendam, the first). Aside from color scheme and decorations, and some differences in art, they are pretty much identical. We enjoyed the cruise on each one we've taken. I realize that doesn't help you determine among the three, but I guess it may say that we think you'd equally enjoy any one you pick! Happy cruising!

[jtl513]

Ship to choose! ... Ryndam, Statendam and Veendam are the 3 that will be doing the Glacier Bay Inside Passage we are interested in.

We liked the Veendam and will be sailing the Statendam in Sept. Since they are so similar, maybe you should choose on the basis of when you can get the best airfare. :rolleyes:

[Silverwing]

We live in the UK and are cruising (and going to Alaska)for the first time this summer - Ryndam northbound from Vancouver to Seward leaving on 8th July. Previous post about airfares is good advice. We are flying BA from Heathrow on 1st July - our son does his GCSE exams this summer and their 'banquet and ball' is on the 29th June, so we are going as early as we can. If we could have flown on the 29th or earlier we would have saved well over £200 per person - quite significant for four of us! It is worth checking lots of dates - it's amazing how much difference 24 hours can make! We booked the cruise as soon as HAL opened the bookings (June 2006). Having done lots of research we knew which itinerary we wanted and which size ship - Ryndam suited us on both counts - we were able to choose the suite we wanted and also booking so early gave us a confirmed dining time. We are spending a week visiting friends in Vancouver and Vancouver Island before the cruise then driving in Alaska for 2 weeks afterwards.

 

We have visited both Canada and America many times, but this is our first time in Alaska. I have really enjoyed researching our trip for this summer - it's now all booked and we're getting excited! If it helps with your planning this is our itinerary for the month:

 

1 July Fly from London, England to Vancouver Blue Hiorizon Inn

 

2 July Ferry to Nanaimo to stay with friends

 

3 July Nanaimo

 

4 July Nanaimo

 

5 July Ferry to Vancouver to stay with friends

 

6 July Vancouver

 

7 July Vancouver

 

8 July Sail on Ryndam (HAL) northbound in deluxe verandah suite

 

9 July Inside Passage

 

10 July Ketchican

 

11July Juneau (Rent A Wreck hire car booked)

 

12 July Skagway (Avis hire car booked for drive to Emerald Lake)

 

13 July Glacier Bay

 

14 July College Fjiord

 

15 July Seward Dairy Hill B&B Collect hire car

Exit Glacier / Sealife Centre

 

16 July Seward Northwestern Fjiord Boat trip (9 hours!)

(highly reccommended by Budget Queen)

 

17 July Anchorage Alaskan Leopard B&B

 

18 July Anchorage

 

19 July Driving Parks Highway McKinley View Lodge

 

20 July In Denali NP North Face Lodge (near Wonder Lake)

 

21 July In Denali NP

 

22 July In Denali NP

 

23 July Healy Denali Lakeview Inn

 

24 July Fairbanks Comfort Inn

 

25 July Delta Junction Kelly's Alaska Country Inn

 

26 July Gakona (near Glennallen) Riverview B&B

 

27 July Wasilla Best Western Lake Lucille Inn

 

28 July Fly from Anchorage to Vancouver Best Western Abercorn Inn

 

29 July Fly from Vancouver to London

 

Everyone on these boards is really helpful - have fun planning!

[Atomica]

This site has some fantastic photo-tours of Ryndam, Statendam and Veendam. I always research & look at photos of the ships I'm considering sailing on to get a feel for them. The only S-class ship I've been on was the Veendam (both pre-and post SOE enhancements), and it's a fantastic ship.

 

http://www.shipcafe.net/shipcafe/shipcafe.htm

[woodmill100]

WOW! Fantastic advice there. Thanks so much. It is our hope to fly to Calgary and spend between 7 and 10 days driving through the rockies and spending some time in Vancouver. We'll then board the ship for 7 nights and then fly to New York and then home.

 

I think we will probably base our cruise around flights. We know it will definitely be HAL as they seem to be one of the few that actually do Glacier Bay!