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With no more cruises booked for 2021, yet, I guess we have some time to catch up on life. Finally, we toured several of the exhibits in the Museum of Pop Culture. As luck would have it, one of the special exhibits was The Art of Disney Costumes. How appropriate as a visit to Walt Disney World is our next official trip. Unlike the two previous shows, this production did include some live vocals by the male lead in the All-Star band.
Holland America Line Alaska Cruise Review – Day 3
We finished up around 9 p.m and had to get back to the ship. There was a cool gondola ride that I wish we had time for. All in all, the kayaking was fun and once we figured things out, the tour went a lot more smoothly. For the life of us, we couldn’t get the dang tandem kayak to go straight for the first half of the tour.
Holland America Line Alaska Cruise Review – Day 1
Seating can get crowded during peak mealtimes however a bit of patience had us always able to find a table, and many times it was next to a window. I also want to note that using the HAL Navigator app is extremely useful while onboard. It helps you find what’s happening each day as well as the hours for each of the restaurants.
Fairbanks Aurora Borealis Tours: A Complete Guide to Viewing the Northern Lights in Alaska
Holland America is known for its impeccable service and the attentive way that the courteous crew treats each guest. Holland America is the only cruise line to include the Tundra Wilderness Tour into Denali National Park on all two- and three-night stays at McKinley Chalet Resort. Accompanied by wildlife experts and National Park Service Rangers, it explores the ecology, wildlife and gold rush history of Denali National Park. A complimentary Denali Natural History Tour is included for all guest on one-night park stays. Offered pre- or post-cruise, this inland trip begins with a scenic train ride on the glass-domed McKinley Explorer railcars to reach McKinley Chalet Resort.
Koningsdam accommodates 2,650 guests, making it a medium-sized ship by today’s expansive standards (and the best in that class, according to USA Today’s readers’ choice awards). They changed our tables so many times in Holland, so we didn’t get to connect with any of the waiters/attendants. In Royal, they made sure to seat us at the same table or area even if we had an open seating plan. We did, however, book one shore excursion… an extended Mendelhall Glacier experience. For almost 3 hours (2 hours exploring, and the other hour just getting to the glacier and back), you get a bus to the Glacier. Granted, you can do it yourself or book in another company outside the cruise line but the difference was only $5-10 per person and we didn’t bother.
This review will cover everything from stunning scenery, luxurious amenities, amazing ports of call, and incredible food. Holland America Line is one of the most popular cruise lines cruising to Alaska, having just celebrated seventy-five years sailing here. In contrast to the glacier flights, Ketchikan is more about the misty fjords and potential to see wildlife.
Holland America Koningsdam Cruise: Expert Review (2023) - Cruise Critic
Holland America Koningsdam Cruise: Expert Review ( .
Posted: Wed, 12 Jul 2023 15:38:28 GMT [source]
He would usher us around the city and our next two stops for the remaining 2.5 hours of the tour. His unique personality along with your typical historical narration made for an interesting city tour. While we have sailed in the region a few times now, this was our first visit to this small Alaskan city. After checking in for our tour, it would take another 20 minutes or so before we departed on the 40 minute bus ride from the base camp up to the loading platform.
Ports we visited on our Holland America Alaska cruise on the Eurodam
That’s one thing I really like and appreciate about Holland America; all of their ships are medium-sized and very easy to get around without a major learning curve. Holland America launched Eurodam in 2008, the first of two ships in their mid-size Signature Class of ships. From Seattle our itinerary included Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and the required stop in Victoria, British Columbia. In addition, Eurodam would spend a full day cruising spectacular Glacier National Park.
Holland America Alaska Cruise Review of Bars/Entertainment/Casino
While we did plan to ride this after the zip line, it was closed by the time our excursion was over. Grabbing coffees at the upstairs Explorations Café, this forward observation area was already packed with eager sightseers looking for a glimpse of glaciers and wildlife. Sadly, I didn’t have much hope for them given the current visibility.
Located in the heart of the Klondike Gold Rush Country, this town is filled with historic buildings and offers a charming trip back in time. It's hard to go wrong when you combine a great itinerary with one of your favourite ships. Noordam and Volendam are both part of the Alaska Land+Sea program, so you can take your pick.
Maximizing your time by booking excursions in the ports is also important. That does make things cost a bit more, but it really does make this a bucket-list trip. I think with a veranda, excursions, and some of the higher-end dining, as well as making use of the ship amenities that appeal most to you, will make for a wonderful experience.
Aside from the price, the Holland America southbound cruise that we were eyeing had a stop in Glacier Bay National Park. Holland America is classy and attracts a clientele looking for an upscale, cultured experience. Even in college, I was 20 going on 60 and am not big into nightlife and partying. I am an early riser and go to bed well before midnight, so some of the more lively nightlife you’ll find on other cruise lines isn’t my thing anyway. I’d say over 90% were American (whereas on our Norway trip, the majority were Dutch). Before last summer when Tom and I went to Norway on Holland America’s Rotterdam, I didn’t know what to expect.
That’s why more times than not, you’ll find me at the Lido Market scouting out my options. With only 11 decks and 2,104 passengers, based on double occupancy, it’s fairly small compared to the mega-ships of other cruise lines. We ate in the Lido a few times, and it was decent food, but a bit chaotic trying to find a table for 6 and then pick up and bring food and drinks back to the table. I like that the food was mostly plated by servers to limit the spread of germs, etc, and I took advantage of the fresh fruit at every meal.
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