I’m at present on a seven evening cruise to Alaska on Holland America Line’s Koningsdam. Though I’ve beforehand sailed on cruise ship, that is my first time cruising to Alaska with Holland America Line. I’ve visited Alaska with different cruise traces.
Be aware: All images on this article have been taken throughout my cruise to Alaska with Holland America.
I’m crusing with my spouse and three yr outdated son on this journey. We’re crusing as friends of the cruise line with a gaggle of media on board. You may learn my earlier assessment of Koningsdam right here after I sailed on the ship a couple of years in the past.
After spending almost per week on the ship, listed here are 10 explanation why I feel that your subsequent cruise to Alaska must be on Holland America Line.
Cruising to Alaska Longer Than Any Different Cruise Line
Holland America Line has been cruising to Alaska longer than every other cruise line on the earth. Due to all of this expertise, they’re able to present the very best cruise to the forty ninth state.
Holland America Line has been cruising to Alaska since 1947, longer than most of us have been alive.
Higher Docking Places
At each port that we visited, Holland America Line ships had the very best docking areas out of all of cruise traces. We have been usually in port with one or two different of HAL’s ships.
A greater docking location means much less strolling to get into city, and this is available in actually useful since it’ll seemingly rain on a number of days of your cruise. Hey, that’s simply the climate in Alaska. It may be 70 and sunny or 40 and raining, extra seemingly the latter.
Whereas we have been docked proper on the town, different ships have been a very good 15-20 minute stroll away.
On our day in Juneau, it rained nearly all the day so having the very best docking location was very nice.
Contemporary Fish Program
Whereas I used to be onboard the ship, I had the chance to take a seat down with Michael Stendebach, VP of Meals and Beverage, and John Mulvaney, Director of Culinary Operations for Holland America Line.
The cruise line’s new contemporary fish program affords the freshest fish you’ll find on any cruise ships on the earth.
How contemporary it’s? On my Alaska cruise, contemporary fish was introduced on board in Vancouver, Juneau, and Ketchikan. It’s by no means frozen and goes from fished to plate inside 48 hours.
In Juneau, the fishing boats convey the fish to the processing plant that’s 50 meters from the ship. The fish is then introduced on board and it’s so contemporary, it’s by no means quite a lot of hundred ft inland. No different cruise line affords fish this contemporary.
They’re additionally in fixed talks with the fisherman and to allow them to alter the menu primarily based on primarily based on the contemporary fish that’s caught. The menus are primarily based on the contemporary fish that’s obtainable, not on frozen fish that was caught weeks or months earlier than.
Crew
Whereas the crew on most ships are unbelievable, there’s one explicit factor that occurred throughout my Koningsdam cruise that actually stood out.
One evening whereas I used to be having fun with Billboard Onboard with my household, I walked over to Rolling Stone bar and requested for a Purple Bull. The person working behind the bar stated,
“We’re all out, however I keep in mind you additionally asking for one yesterday. I’m going to get you one, let me go discover one for you.”
He then left and got here again a couple of minutes with an ice chilly Purple Bull. In my 15 years of cruising, I’ve by no means had that occur earlier than. We went fully out of his technique to serve me.
He wasn’t the one crew member to face out. Music, who works within the spa, did such an awesome job on my haircut, that my son additionally acquired one and he or she styled my spouse’s hair. She actually is wonderful.
The crew members within the World Cafe remembered my son’s identify from day one and all the time greeted him by it.
I actually can’t say sufficient nice issues in regards to the crew members on Koningsdam.
Glacier Assure
Holland America Line lately added a Glacier Assure on all cruises to Alaska. In case your ship doesn’t go to a glacier, you’ll obtain a 15% credit score in direction of a future cruise.
They’re the one cruise line to supply this. Their ships go to Glacier Bay, School Fjord, Dawes Glacier, Hubbard Glacier and the Tracy Arm Fjord’s Twin Sawyer Glaciers.
Entry to Glacier Bay
Talking of glaciers, Holland America Line has extra permits to go to Glacier Bay Nationwide Park than every other cruise line.
Visiting Glacier Bay was a spotlight of our cruise and I can’t think about taking a cruise to Alaska and never visiting this nationwide park.
Not each cruise line can go to Glacier Bay. In 2024, solely 5 cruise traces have approval to go to with Holland America providing probably the most sailings.
You’re doing your self a disservice when you e book a cruise to Alaska and not using a cease in Glacier Bay.
They opened the bow of the ship on the day we visited Glacier Bay to convey you as shut as potential to the glaciers.
Onboard Programming
With Holland America Line, you aren’t simply visiting Alaska, however in addition they convey Alaska to the ship. The onboard leisure and programming will immerse you deep into Alaska so you may make probably the most out of your cruise.
Within the World Stage (theater), the ship had the next programming throughout the cruise:
- Vacation spot Alaska: The Route. The Ports. The Excursions.
- When and When to Spot Wildlife
- Alaska Up Shut: Pacific Giants
- Easy methods to Use Your Binoculars
- Alaska Up Shut: The Iditarod
- Alaska Up Shut: Ancestral Reminiscences
- A Spectacular Day in Glacier Bay
- Film: Thriller Alaska
- Glacier Bay Park Ranger Program
- Native Voices: Tales of the Tlingit Individuals
- Salmon: Keystone Species
For particular Alaska associated actions, they have been marked with WE ❤️ ALASKA in The Each day so you could possibly simply discover them.
Ships Have Pool With Retractable Roof
All of Holland America Line’s cruise ships which are at present crusing in Alaska have a important pool with a retractable roof over it. This vastly enhances cruises for 2 causes.
First, it permits this space for use it doesn’t matter what the climate is. As I discussed earlier, the climate isn’t all the time the very best in Alaska so the pool can be utilized for all the cruise.
Secondly, it creates extra space the place you look out the home windows and benefit from the unbelievable views in Alaska. On most ships, you’ll be chilly or moist when the climate isn’t the best. On Holland America Line, they only shut the roof and you’ve got a extra pleasurable expertise.
As an added bonus, the coated space by the aft pool on Koningsdam had heaters so you could possibly benefit from the views and never be so chilly.
Remark Lounges
All Holland America Line ships that go to Alaska have an statement lounge, aka the Crow’s Nest. This supplies a local weather managed space the place you may see each the port and starboard facet of the ship.
Early one morning, that they had a whale watching celebration right here as this space supplies 270 diploma views from the highest, entrance of the ship.
Wildlife and Wilderness Alternatives
A cruise to Alaska is not like every other cruise and Holland America Line affords extra wildlife and wilderness viewing alternatives than every other cruise line. This contains almost 180 totally different shore excursions that may take you on a wildlife or wilderness encounter.
They’ve a wildlife skilled on board that will help you spot humpback whales, orcas, bald eagles, sea otters and black bears. Their each day program tells you what time you may meet the skilled so you may see wildlife of their pure habitat.
Vancouver or Seattle?
When taking a cruise to Alaska, you will have the choice of crusing from Seattle or Vancouver. Whereas most of the ports that you just go to are the identical, crusing from Vancouver has two distinct benefits.
The primary is that you just get to sail via the Inside Passage twice. As I’m penning this, we’re crusing via the Inside Passage and just some hundred ft offshore. The views are spectacular as we cruise via this pristine wilderness.
The second benefit is that you just don’t must make a port cease in Canada. All round-trip cruises from Seattle to Alaska must make one cease in Canada and that’s normally a brief go to in Victoria. It may be as brief as three to 4 hours, which makes it pointless to even go to. Nevertheless, it’s required as a result of Passenger Companies Vessel Act of 1886.
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