bryanwal
August 10th, 2004, 04:59 PM
Saturday, July 31, 2004 – Debarkation
We are not in any hurry to get off the ship this morning as we live near Seattle, so I got up about 6:30, cleaned myself up and went out on the verandah to read until 7:30. Of course, we are already in port. I woke up the gang at 7:30 and breakfast, still warm, was delivered promptly at 7:45. While packing up I checked the drawer beside my bed and found socks and underwear belong to previous passengers – I took them to Darma. Then we just packed up in a leisurely fashion until all was ready, carefully checking everywhere to make sure that we left nothing behind. From time to time Jason made announcements over the intercom and channel 39 about which priority numbers or letters were being let off the ship. Ours, ‘S’, was first, which really meant that we could get off any time. This disembarkation is much better than on Disney. Everyone is assigned a number, unless you’re in the suites, in which case you’re assigned S and may disembark at any time. You may stay in your stateroom until your number is called. Around 10 or so we were finished and schlepped our belongings down to deck 2 (I think, or is it 4?) and off the ship. The longest wait was to get through immigration, where we breezed through, and then through customs, no problems there. Of course, we avoided the whole luggage pick up area. In front of the building we found a taxi, who was surprised to take us home, instead of to the airport. This driver seemed rather familiar though, like Mr. New York, going on and on about politics with people he didn’t even know. We listened politely, even though we didn’t agree with him about some of the positions he was taking.
Summary
This was a wonderful cruise. Of course, the suite upgrade was fantastic, the suite large and nicely furnished, the service excellent. The free laundry was a nice perk and we made good use of it. I’m not sure I could afford a suite again, but I’d sure like to try!
The food was abundant and there was quite a variety but it was mostly underseasoned, to my taste, and sometimes served not as hot as it could be. The portions were small, which I like, since it discourages overeating and waste and you can always order more if you’re hungry. The dining room servers and sommelier were attentive and friendly. We had a window seat in the dining room which was nice, since we could look out and see the ocean.
The kids never used the pool or Club HAL but did make some use of the video arcade on deck 10. There is also an arcade on deck 1 at the entrance to the Vista Lounge but when we found it there was some creepy guy in there who looked at us like “What do you want?” I didn’t feel good sending my kids down there since I felt that it was remote and out of the way and something nasty could happen. Still, they had a good time and enjoyed the shows and the cruise over all.
The entertainment was varied, somewhat typical (comedian, illusionist, production show) but well-done I think. The Mikes were unique and we enjoyed them the most. We liked the shows, but others might disagree. Holland America has invested a lot in the Vista Lounge, in any case. I found the seating spread out, which was nice, but somewhat uncomfortable.
The ports were interesting. Obviously we would do different things the next time. Elizabeth and I would like to come back on our own and do some of the pricier excursions, such as the glacier helicopter flights or Misty Ford Flightseeing. I’d like a cruise that combines Skagway, which wasn’t on this itinerary, with the Hubbard Glacier again.
The ship was beautiful and well maintained. Of course, there was a little wear and tear, but that’s to be expected. The colors are more harmonious than on the Zuiderdam and there is lots of different art displayed everywhere. It didn’t take me long to find my way around the ship. We’d like to try the Amsterdam next time, though, to experience the classic HAL cruise.
- Bryan Walton
We are not in any hurry to get off the ship this morning as we live near Seattle, so I got up about 6:30, cleaned myself up and went out on the verandah to read until 7:30. Of course, we are already in port. I woke up the gang at 7:30 and breakfast, still warm, was delivered promptly at 7:45. While packing up I checked the drawer beside my bed and found socks and underwear belong to previous passengers – I took them to Darma. Then we just packed up in a leisurely fashion until all was ready, carefully checking everywhere to make sure that we left nothing behind. From time to time Jason made announcements over the intercom and channel 39 about which priority numbers or letters were being let off the ship. Ours, ‘S’, was first, which really meant that we could get off any time. This disembarkation is much better than on Disney. Everyone is assigned a number, unless you’re in the suites, in which case you’re assigned S and may disembark at any time. You may stay in your stateroom until your number is called. Around 10 or so we were finished and schlepped our belongings down to deck 2 (I think, or is it 4?) and off the ship. The longest wait was to get through immigration, where we breezed through, and then through customs, no problems there. Of course, we avoided the whole luggage pick up area. In front of the building we found a taxi, who was surprised to take us home, instead of to the airport. This driver seemed rather familiar though, like Mr. New York, going on and on about politics with people he didn’t even know. We listened politely, even though we didn’t agree with him about some of the positions he was taking.
Summary
This was a wonderful cruise. Of course, the suite upgrade was fantastic, the suite large and nicely furnished, the service excellent. The free laundry was a nice perk and we made good use of it. I’m not sure I could afford a suite again, but I’d sure like to try!
The food was abundant and there was quite a variety but it was mostly underseasoned, to my taste, and sometimes served not as hot as it could be. The portions were small, which I like, since it discourages overeating and waste and you can always order more if you’re hungry. The dining room servers and sommelier were attentive and friendly. We had a window seat in the dining room which was nice, since we could look out and see the ocean.
The kids never used the pool or Club HAL but did make some use of the video arcade on deck 10. There is also an arcade on deck 1 at the entrance to the Vista Lounge but when we found it there was some creepy guy in there who looked at us like “What do you want?” I didn’t feel good sending my kids down there since I felt that it was remote and out of the way and something nasty could happen. Still, they had a good time and enjoyed the shows and the cruise over all.
The entertainment was varied, somewhat typical (comedian, illusionist, production show) but well-done I think. The Mikes were unique and we enjoyed them the most. We liked the shows, but others might disagree. Holland America has invested a lot in the Vista Lounge, in any case. I found the seating spread out, which was nice, but somewhat uncomfortable.
The ports were interesting. Obviously we would do different things the next time. Elizabeth and I would like to come back on our own and do some of the pricier excursions, such as the glacier helicopter flights or Misty Ford Flightseeing. I’d like a cruise that combines Skagway, which wasn’t on this itinerary, with the Hubbard Glacier again.
The ship was beautiful and well maintained. Of course, there was a little wear and tear, but that’s to be expected. The colors are more harmonious than on the Zuiderdam and there is lots of different art displayed everywhere. It didn’t take me long to find my way around the ship. We’d like to try the Amsterdam next time, though, to experience the classic HAL cruise.
- Bryan Walton