Koningsdam Alaska cruise review 6 17-6 24 Holland America Line Cruise Critic Community
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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. Seems like there’s plenty more to do in Skagway than in Haines itself. Good thing I managed to find a local Haines company to book a tour with. And we were in our own group when we went to see the bald eagles up close (not to mention we didn’t pay the exorbitant amount the cruise ships were asking for). For dinner, we ate in the main dining room every night except for the first night where we had booked a table ahead of time at the Pinnacle Grill.
This Is Why You Cruise to Alaska
Neptune Suites also include access to Holland America’s Club Orange program (a private dining room, skip the line options, and special shipboard events). Passengers who are not booked in suites can purchase Club Orange as an add-on. I have already checked the dessert options for every night, hee hee. One issue we did run into several times was activities which were full so we couldn't partticipate, even when we arrived 10 or 15 minutes early. I DO avoid those jam-packed holiday cruises that sound chaotic with many little kids unsupervised, but otherwise it's a nice atmosphere on board for me. We did enjoy the choices in the Lido – there were tacos, Asian food, and steak… lots and lots of steak choices everyday.
Alaska Wildlife
While whales migrate from Hawaii and Baja, Mexico, in April, I didn’t expect to observe so many early in the season. The ship experienced a few choppy seas the following day, so bring some motion sickness patches if you suffer from seasickness. On the aft of the sports deck, Club Hal provides activities for kids and teens. The supervised activities are divided into kids (3 to 6 years), tweens )7 to 12 years), and teens (13 to 17 years). Being a night owl, I found it disheartening not to have a late-night venue or activities to enjoy in the later hours.
Fairbanks Aurora Borealis Tours: A Complete Guide to Viewing the Northern Lights in Alaska
After zipping, the bus transfer offered to drop cruisers in town versus at the dock (a short walk outside of town) and so we took advantage of that. We walked along the main street which is filled with some unique and local shops as well as tourist shops you’ll find in every cruise port. I’ve cruised enough times to know that I’m not a fan of group cruise tours with a bunch of other people.
Main Dining
We also learned a bit about the area and its wildlife along the way. I told you a little bit about our short time in Seattle above and I’d definitely recommend spending a day or two in Seattle either before or after the cruise. There’s a lot to see and do and it’s well worth leaving yourself some extra time.
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Pre-cruise, we had decided on a rather leisurely day in downtown. We had booked a lunch at Tracy’s Crab Shack and the Mount Roberts Tramway through the cruise line. Knowing I had to be up early, we ordered room service breakfast to be delivered for 7 am. Unfortunately, it was pretty uninspired, with watery scrambled eggs, fatty bacon, and a small pastry basket.
Where you’ll embark/disembark will change depending on your port, and you may need to walk through corridors with rooms just to get to the other side of the ship. I pity those people who stay in those rooms – it must get noisy. The shopping options were a bit small – as compared to Royal Caribbean, where the atrium is where everything is happening and makes the ship feel bigger than it is. There were onboard talks and presentations like what to expect while cruising, and how to buy stuff on shore.
The ship: Holland America Line’s Eurodam
The venue offered a mix of traditional favorites and some unique options. Like most of the final days of our trips, we had some last-minute items to check off the list. Not to mention, a few of the final bars for our drink around the ship. The first portion was an approximately 2.5 hour sea otter and whale watching boat tour. I liken this privately developed port to the cruise lines’ private islands in the Bahamas. With a few restaurants, a gift shop, a pier-side bar with fire pits, and an aerial gondola set amidst the forest, it offers just enough to experience in a short stop.
Alaska cruise review: a voyage through the Inside Passage - The Week
Alaska cruise review: a voyage through the Inside Passage.
Posted: Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
I had visited Alaska hundreds of times, but never from the water. I was excited about taking a water route and seeing the state from the sea. Although we walked the promenade deck while still in port in Vancouver, it was quite windy while at sea, so we didn't utilize it as much as we expected.
Additional taxes and fees are approximately $325 per person. Have it all pricing (which includes some specialty dining, beverage package, wifi, and a shore excursion is slightly higher. Before getting into specifics and recommendations for dining options, a few general thoughts. I like to try new dishes when I’m cruising, something I haven’t tried or that I don’t make at home. Sometimes I discover wonderful new flavors, sometimes not so much.
We mostly went to them in the hopes of winning a free item, but sadly we came home empty handed. When we got married in May 2016, we decided to go to Alaska and go on a cruise for our honeymoon. Picking a honeymoon destination seems like a big deal, with numerous destinations to go to, as well as options on how to get there. In the end, after numerous brochures, and research, we booked a Holland America Alaska Cruise with Holland America Cruises. I hope you’ll check out Holland America Line for your next cruise to Alaska and that you’ll have as much fun as we did!
Done with his talk before 4 pm, we had some time to browse the shops and snag a t-shirt as well as one of the last ship ornaments left on the shelves. The 35 minute presentation abutted the 3 pm talk being given by the naturalist, Russ. So, a quick hop up to deck 11 for more coffee, and we were back in similar seats to listen to his talk on the Alaskan Wilderness.
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