I’m presently 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 strains.
Observe: All images on this article had 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I’m crusing with my spouse and three yr outdated son on this journey.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 company of the cruise line with a gaggle of media on board. You possibly can learn my earlier assessment of Koningsdam right here once I sailed on the ship a number of years in the past.
After spending almost per week on the ship, listed below are 10 explanation why I believe 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 another cruise line on this planet. Due to all of this expertise, they can present the absolute 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 Areas
At each port that we visited, Holland America Line ships had the very best docking places out of all of cruise strains. We had been typically 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 helpful since it is going to doubtless 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 doubtless the latter.
Whereas we had been docked proper on the town, different ships had been 15-20 minute stroll away.
On our day in Juneau, it rained nearly the complete 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 recent fish program presents the freshest fish you can find on any cruise ships on this planet.
How recent it’s? On my Alaska cruise, recent 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 deliver the fish to the processing plant that’s 50 meters from the ship. The fish is then introduced on board and it’s so recent, it’s by no means quite a lot of hundred ft inland. No different cruise line presents fish this recent.
They’re additionally in fixed talks with the fisherman and to allow them to regulate the menu primarily based on primarily based on the recent fish that’s caught. The menus are primarily based on the recent fish that’s out there, 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 basically 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 Crimson Bull. The person working behind the bar stated,
“We’re all out, however I bear 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 Crimson Bull. In my 15 years of cruising, I’ve by no means had that occur earlier than. We went fully out of his method to serve me.
He wasn’t the one crew member to face out. Track, who works within the spa, did such an important job on my haircut, that my son additionally bought one and she or he styled my spouse’s hair. She actually is superb.
The crew members within the World Cafe remembered my son’s title from day one and all the time greeted him by it.
I actually can’t say sufficient nice issues concerning the crew members on Koningsdam.
Glacier Assure
Holland America Line just 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 the 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 another 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 strains have approval to go to with Holland America providing probably the most sailings.
You’re doing your self a disservice if you happen to guide 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 deliver you as shut as doable to the glaciers.
Onboard Programming
With Holland America Line, you aren’t simply visiting Alaska, however in addition they deliver 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
- Methods to Use Your Binoculars
- Alaska Up Shut: The Iditarod
- Alaska Up Shut: Ancestral Recollections
- A Spectacular Day in Glacier Bay
- Film: Thriller Alaska
- Glacier Bay Park Ranger Program
- Native Voices: Tales of the Tlingit Folks
- Salmon: Keystone Species
For particular Alaska associated actions, they had been marked with WE ❤️ ALASKA in The Each day so you might simply discover them.
Ships Have Pool With Retractable Roof
All of Holland America Line’s cruise ships which can be presently crusing in Alaska have a predominant 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 the complete cruise.
Secondly, it creates extra space the place you look out the home windows and benefit from the unimaginable 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 pleasant expertise.
As an added bonus, the lined space by the aft pool on Koningsdam had heaters so you might benefit from the views and never be so chilly.
Remark Lounges
All Holland America Line ships that go to Alaska have an commentary lounge, aka the Crow’s Nest. This offers a local weather managed space the place you possibly can see each the port and starboard facet of the ship.
Early one morning, they’d a whale watching occasion right here as this space offers 270 diploma views from the highest, entrance of the ship.
Wildlife and Wilderness Alternatives
A cruise to Alaska is in contrast to another cruise and Holland America Line presents extra wildlife and wilderness viewing alternatives than another cruise line. This consists of almost 180 totally different shore excursions that may take you on a wildlife or wilderness encounter.
They’ve a wildlife professional on board that can assist you spot humpback whales, orcas, bald eagles, sea otters and black bears. Their each day program tells you what time you possibly can meet the professional so you possibly can see wildlife of their pure habitat.
Vancouver or Seattle?
When taking a cruise to Alaska, you may have the choice of crusing from Seattle or Vancouver. Whereas lots of the ports that you simply go to are the identical, crusing from Vancouver has two distinct benefits.
The primary is that you simply get to sail via the Inside Passage twice. As I’m scripting 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 simply don’t need to make a port cease in Canada. All round-trip cruises from Seattle to Alaska need to 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. Nonetheless, it’s required as a result of Passenger Companies Vessel Act of 1886.
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