Volendam June 15 + tour #15

[thecook]

DH and I flew to Seattle on the 14th. We picked up our rental car and took our time driving to Vancouver. We crossed the border with no problems (10 min. wait) about 5pm. We proceeded to the Fairmont Waterfront where we were given a harbor view room..it was great!!!

The next morning we woke early 4am..our bodies still on east coast time..in fact we never really fully adjusted to the time change. We had coffee and crossed the street to watch the Volendam dock. What a thrill. Vancouver is a beautiful city, and the weather was perfect. We headed across to Canada Place about 11:15. Embarkation was quick..about 30 minutes. There was a line, but it moved along quickly . No problems.

Once on the ship we went to the Lido and had a lovely lunch sitting by the pool enjoying the music and activity. About 1pm we headed up to see if our Deluxe Verandah suite was ready..it was, and we settled on our verandah to watch for a few of our travel mates to arrive. DH and I debated to go for the Deluxe or regular Verandah room. I am so glad we opted for the deluxe..we loved the extra space and the large verandah to entertain others in our party. We spent many hours out there during the week viewing the beauty of Alaska. In fact, I had trouble many days tearing myself away from the sights as we cruised along.

The rest of our party didn't arrive until 4pm beacuse of a delay in a flight. I was so thankful that we planned our arrival a day early. I would have been a wreck thinking I would miss the boat. In fact I believe 16+ people did just that and met the ship in Ketichan...

Thus began a fantastic week..I can't say enough for HAL and the Volendam. The staff was wonderful..I don't remember a time when I saw a staff member that I wasn't greeted with a smile. Our room steward ,Simon,was a quiet but friendly young man that was always inquiring if he could do anything for us..and always with a smile...He took very good care of us that week..we appreciated him, and let HAL know on our comment card.

We ate breakfast and lunch in the Lido. Dinner in the dining room (AYWD worked for us). The food was good to very good. I enjoyed the bread pudding in the Lido, cold soups, shrimp cocktail, King Crab, and Prime Rib. We ate in the Pinnacle..that I considerd excellent..and well worth the extra $20pp. Room service was awesome. Since I was waking at 4-5am I would call for coffee. It was there within 15min. The second time I called the waiter said wouldn't you like a few danish to go with that? So thoughtful..as was the norm. We also had lunch in our room for all our guests the day we were in Glacier Bay ( we couldn't tear ourselves away)which as great.

TO be honest, SInce I never completley adjusted to the time, I didn't see any of the shows...the times didn't suit my needs as I was tired early.

The girls in our party used the specials in the spa and that was a great experience. All were pleased with the service and felt the prices to be fair.

The one problem I had that week was that DH and I decided to try to get on the train to Anchorage at the end of our cruise instead of riding the bus. I filled out the request and took it to the concierge in the Neptune around 2pm. Later that day we told our travel mates of our plan. They decided to try to join us and stopped by the front desk on the way to dinner about 6pm. We were both wait listed...understandable as we decieded last minute. The next day I found out they had received their train tickets...we did not. So DH went to the conciege to inquire why. He and the front desk insisted that our request was received AFTER our friends...the only way that could have happened was that our request sat in the Neptune for more than 4 hours...DH and I were disappointed but decided not to let this ruin an otherwise wonderful week. A word to the wise tho...should you be in this situation ask the concierge to deliver your request to the front desk promptly.

I can't say enough about how much we enjoyed our week on the Volendam and Alaska. I would recommend HAL to friends and family. It was a week of hits with only one miss....not bad in my book..

More to come on tour #15.....

[honeymooners2be]

Thanks so much for the review, great read and keep it coming.

We are aboard the volendam in a deluxe verandah suite for our honeymoon in september, cruisetour 18.

Were you mid-ship? How was the motion of the boat?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for your report.

 

Looking forward to land portion report.

[thecook]

Our Suite was forward... the ship rolled just a little the first few days...after that smooth as silk. I suffer from vertigo so I was a bit concerned about being seasick..I took meclizine the first 3 days..after that I stopped taking it with no problems at all. You will just love the whole experience. Savor every moment, it goes by in a flash.

I will get back to my review later this evening...

 

Sorry double post....

[thecook]

Our Suite was forward... the ship rolled just a little the first few days...after that smooth as silk. I suffer from vertigo so I was a bit concerned about being seasick..I took meclizine the first 3 days..after that I stopped taking it with no problems at all. You will just love the whole experience. Savor every moment, it goes by in a flash.

I will get back to my review later this evening...

[thecook]

tour #15

 

On Sunday morning we said goodbye to our travel mates as they headed home. We left our suite and bid a sad farewell to Simon our steward around 9am and headed to the Neptune Lounge to await lunch in the Lido. We were to meet our tour guide at 12. I had been to the Neptune several times beginning at around 7:30 to thank Guilbert the concierge, but found the lounge empty. The was still no one about at 9 except for the occasional appearance of a waiter from the Pinnacle refreshing the morning food. We relaxed for an hour or so and made our way to the Lido pool for a cup of coffee. I left the tip envelope with our thank you for the Netptune staff at the front desk as they never appeared. I'm not sure if this is normal or not.

After eating lunch around 11, we made our way to the Frans Hall Lounge and met Susan our tour guide. Susan gets strait A's. She was well orginized and did a great job of keeping us informed. She also had studied Alaska and was full of stories and history. She made sure that we recieved our envelope containing room keys and instructions at every stop. We couldn't have asked for more from a tour guide. We boarded our bus for the 4 hr. ride to Anchorage about 1..after a brief stop at an animal refuge, we arrived at the Hilton around 5. There was an interesting looking open air market across the street, but it closed between 5&6 so we had no time to explore. Once we got to our room, which was lovely, we freshened up a bit and headed to dinner. By the time we were finished, the only thing that was open were gift shops with the usual fare..so we headed back to the hotel.

Monday we had our luggage ready at the 6am as required with the proper tags on it. No problem for us as we were still getting up early. We met in the lobby with a hoard of others to be bussed to the train station for the 8 hour trip to Denali. The McKinley Explorer was great. The seats upstairs were large with plenty of leg room.We had a bar person for drinks and sodas..prices were fair. We also had a guide who pointed out things of interest along the way. Below was the dining car...food was expensive and only fair. We arrived in Denali after a long but pleasant trip. We were bussed to teh McKinley Chalet.

Our luggage was waiting for us in our room. I at this point realized I was getting a bad cold..with my not feeling well we did the easy thing and ate at the hotel. We chose the buffet in the Courtyard restaurant...it was awful. My fault for not checking first..others told me food from the menu was better. At $19pp I would have expected a much better selection..for instance there was only white bread, and one tray of mixed vegetables that looked like it had been there for quite awhile a pan of chicken adn something else that i couldn't identify. They were carving roast beef (tough) and Ham. The rest wasn't much better. After dinner we went to our room to rest. That's when we realized the mattress was one of the worst we had ever encountered in a hotel. We had 2 uncomfortable nights. Quite a disappointment after the bed on the ship which was excellent. Others on the tour complained as well...so it wasn't just DH and I.

We had to meet at 5:15am for our tour into Denali. Not a problem for us...the weather hadn't changed..unfortunatley. We had a wonderful guide for our 8 hour trek through the park. He spotted lots of wildlife for us. If it wasn't close enough to see he had a video camera and would broadcast it on tv's located throughout the bus. The ride is beautiful and we made the best of it despite the weather and my sick cold. We arrived back at the Chalet about 1 grabbed a burger from the courtyard stand and slept for a few hours. When we awake the sun was shining...we decided to take the shuttle back to the visitor's center in the park and explore. For dinner we walked across the street where there is a small strip of stores and restuarants..and a Subway. We took our dinner back and ate at one of the picnic tables at the Chalet. Day 2 we went on an excusion to the Huskey Homestead in the am arriving back at the hotel around 11:30. We had put our luggage out before we left as we had to be out of our room by 10am. We checked carry on luggage in a secure area provided by the hotel. Now we had nothing to do until 3pm when we met Susan to board yet another bus to take us to yet another train. All of the excursions offered would have us back too late to the hotel. We would have loved to have gone back into the park and picked up the free shuttle to try to view Mt. McKinley, but time would have been tight on that as well and we didn't want to miss our bus to the train station. So, as the weather was cooperating we got a coffee and planted ourselves in the courtyyard for 3 1/2 hours. The lobby was packed with others in the same boat..and there was no place to sit.

We left Denali at 4pm on the McKinley Explorer heading to Fairbanks (4 hours this time). The train was the same set up as the trip to Denali. On the way we finally got to see Mt. McKinley in all her glory...and are part of the 30% that get to view the whole mountain. It was impressive. We arrived at the Westmark a little after 8pm...and were relieved to find a larger and more comfortable room...my cold was taking it's toll and I needed a decent night sleep. THe next morning we met Susan and our group at 9am and headed to Gold Dredge #8 ( owned by Holland America we were told) after a brief tour, we panned for gold which was fun..and then had a lunch of beef stew and biscuits..which was good..from there we headed back to the hotel to drop off someone from HAL that had joined our tour and then on to another hotel to pick up two ladies from New Zealand. We headed to the River Boat Discovery. Honestly by this time I was over all the touring. Not feeling well didn't help the situation. I talked to several others on our bus who felt the same way, adn they were feeling just fine. We rode the boat which was pleasant..went back to the hotel ate and went to bed after putting our luggage outside our door to be taken to the airport.

IMHO...and please know that it is only my opinion, I would not tour again...there are positives ie not having to deal with luggage, not having to take the time to do all the planning..a tour guide to handle any problems and offer advice,as well as negitives...being standed with 3 1/2 hours to kill..going from bus to train to bus to train to bus...feeling like you are on a school trip... It was exhausting.

I have come to the conclusion that DH and I are not the tour type...we like to do our own thing...on our own time. HAL did a good job as far as guides,and drivers. The transportation was alaways on time..we never had to wait for a bus or train..the hotels were good except for Denali...and that would have passed if the matresses had been better.. I'm glad I went to Anchorage (although I would have liked another day to explore their museums etc) and Denali...Fairbanks not so much (again just my opinion). If I had it to do all over again I would plan my own travel.

 

Tomorrow...Tips from things I learned along the way

[CruisersfromOhio]

I can't say thank you enough for the review on HAL Cruisetour.

We are doing #16 southbound (land then sea) in August and I have been starving for information.

 

Keep it coming - very useful in planning our first trip to Alaska.

 

We can't wait and your review is so helpful !!!!

[thecook]

Some tips from thing I learned along the way

On the Volendam and Tour15

We enjoyed breakfast and lunch in the Lido. There was a nice selelction of food. If we tried something we didn't care for, it was easy to replace it with another entree. Don't forget that there is Pizza, burgers tacos etc in the corner by the Lido pool. It's easy to miss and is a nice alternative for something quick. Dinner in the dining room is better than the alternatives. Don't forget about room service if you are tired..it's quite good.

Try the bread pudding w/ vanilla sauce in the Lido..(to die for)..and the ice cream bar...cobblers are good too.

 

Food in Alaska is expensive. If you can plan to eat on the ship do so

 

You will find the same "stuff" ( about the same price)in the gift shops in all ports. If you like to shop go for it...if you don't get it over with at the beginning of your cruise.

 

In addition to the bow of the ship there is awesome viewing from the aft deck behind the Lido and the area forward of Club Hal..this forward area is shielded with plexiglass so it is a little warmer on cool evenings...grab a warm nightcap (coffee and Baileys was my favorite) and head outside in the evening..you'll be glad you did.

If you are from the east coast be prepared that your inner time clock may not allow you to sleep in. Take a nap in the afternoon, or retire early so that you can fully enjoy the next day's sights and evening fun.

 

Take advantage of the specials from the spa that you will find in your Daily Activities sheets..they are a good value and service is awesome.

 

The Crow's Nest is a great place for a drink..and to watch the sunset.

 

Don't pack a lot of dress clothes. You can change back into something more comfortable after dinner (saves on the dress clothes) and then head out for evening activities. I only used 1/2 of what I took. If you have AYWD you can wear the same outfit more than once...no one will notice.

 

The weather can change minute to minute. Layer...but be sure to take enough to keep you warm. I used my gloves, hat, and coat on more than one occasion. It can be cold and raw. On the other hand, if the sun was out strong, I would be shedding down to just a long sleeve T (and jeans of course LoL).

 

Keep an eye out for wild life. The Capt and Cruise director announced some sightings over the PA system...but we saw many more whales, dolphins otters and seals on our own. Along that line if you are in your room, tune the radio above your bed to channel 5 for announcements from the bridge..they come throughout the day

 

When at the glaciers and Fjords the captain turned the ship 360 degrees so to give everyone a good look...if it is crowded on one side of the ship stay put ..you will get your turn to see.

 

When on tour you will not need dress clothes we ate in an upscale restaurant in Anchorage..everyone was in jeans.

 

Fairbanks can be hot...pack a few short sleeved tops

 

Be sure to pack over the counter meds...I was so glad I had cold medication and advil with me when I got sick. If you are in Denali it is a long way to a drug store.

 

The stairs at the McKinley Chalet are steep. If you have knee problems it is a tough climb. Request a 1st floor room.

 

The Huskey Homestead tour in Denali is fun and interesting.. Jeff King who has won the Ididerod several times, sells his book that has lovely illustrations by his wife. He will personally sign it..a great unique gift for someone who likes to read.

 

If you are touring..plan ..Alaska is expensive...especially the food

 

Outdoor life in Denali is wonderful, but there is little else to do. I heard that the dinner show at the Chalet was good and worth the $

 

You never know who you will run in to...there are workers from all over in Alaska for the summer. We bumped into a neighbor while in Denali. He was bored with being retired and took a summer job as an auditor.

 

I hope this helps those that are new to HAL and Alaska as I was...I can only say..don't let gray weather get you down..there is a certain beauty in the clouds hanging over the mountains...have a positive attitude..and enjoy the scenery that surrounds you every day.. I know that you will love this trip as DH and I did.

 

If you have any questions feel free to fire away.. I will help if I can...

[thecook]

I forgot to add..that while at the Mendenhall GLacier (which was crowded with tourists) my friend decided to explore some of the boardwalk paths. She came within 5 feet of a small bear... and in Denali we saw Moose walking down the street in a couple of locations. So be aware of your surroundings even if there are alot of people about..you never know what is around the next turn