Zuiderdamn - We came to see glaciers but found so much more!

[Isla Gal]

Here is my review of our Alaska inside passage cruise on the Zuiderdamn 9/5-9/12. We had a wonderful time on this cruise and would probably do this itinerary again. The scenery of the inside passage is unbelievably beautiful and wild. Overall we loved the ship and the very friendly crew (just how are they able to remember your name!) We were traveling with friends who were first time HAL cruisers and we have previously sailed on both the Amsterdam and the Oosterdamn.

Embarkation Vancouver
Since we are only a 3 hour drive from Vancouver we drove and parked at CruisePark. Their shuttle took us directly to the cruise terminal. Once at the terminal it did take quite a while (approx. 30 mins) to get through security as they were also processing a Princess ship through the same checkpoint, but once we were at the HAL check in desk it was smooth and quick and we were onboard in time for lunch at the lido. Our staterooms were announced available promptly at 1:30 pm and our baggage arrived shortly thereafter.

Stateroom
We had cabin 4180 an aft corner balcony (SC.) I probably should not say this . . . but these corner suites are sweet! The balcony is huge and has 2 wicker arm chairs with ottomans, 2 lounge chairs and a small dining table with 2 chairs. Although we had some bad weather, there were 3 glorious days of sunny inside passage cruising and we were able to lounge on our deck! As for the room itself it is more the size of the SS or SY category suite with the exception of the dressing area. Also this cabin’s location is a bit far from the Neptune Lounge – but it made for a nice morning walk to get our cappuccinos. Our friends had an SS category suite, and it was a nice size and had a larger deck then the standard balcony cabin. I have read others asking about noise and vibration in this cabin. I could feel a slight vibration when in bed, it did not bother us, but if someone was very sensitive to movement it could be a problem for them.

As You Wish Dining
This was our first experience with the “AYWD” and the first night was a bit awkward as we showed up without reservations. We were seated promptly at a table for 6, which wasn’t a problem except we were smack dab in the center of the large lower dining room and it was very bright & noisy. After becoming chummy with the wine steward he recommended a corner aft window table. He also suggested that we make reservations for each night. We did make reservations for the rest of cruise and requested that table, although they said they were unable to guarantee it, we were able to be seated there every night and it really added to our dining experience. The main dining room fare was as I remembered it; some items exceptionally good others just so so. Our waiter was very good at recommending menu items and when I followed his suggestions I was never disappointed. The service team here was very friendly and we received prompt and very good service throughout the cruise. The Master Chef’s dinner was on the last night of the cruise, and was our least favorite dinner – the old baked Alaska parade I thought was a more festive touch then the napkin & salad dance!

Pinnacle Grill
We ate in the PG twice, both times the steaks were some of the best we have ever had and cooked to perfection. The service was not as good as on previous cruises. Water glasses were not refilled without asking, long lag times between courses and the wine steward all but ignored us after we turned down his recommendation of a $100 bottle of wine in place of a selection from our wine package. This was particularly annoying since just before dinner we had been at “his” wine tasting of the package wines in the Pinnacle Bar, where he sold us the wine package! On our previous two cruises the service in the PG had been stellar, so this was a minor disappointment since our friends had not cruised with HAL before.

Spa
I had one of the best spa experiences of my life this trip, mainly because I specifically asked not to be bothered by a sales pitch after my treatment. There is nothing like being super relaxed and then having all of your faults pointed out to you J The spa ran some great packages on most days and we were able to take advantage of several of them.

Ports
The highlights of the trip for us were Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay – Spectacular!! We saw calving glaciers, dolphins, seals, whales and bear. The park rangers and a member of the Tlingit tribe spoke and both presentations were very moving and informative. Ron our travel guide is one of the best speakers we have heard and we really enjoyed his talks as well.

Juneau - The one mistake we made was not to pre-book a shore excursion here. By the time we got off the ship (we arrived at 2:00 pm) it was slim pickings with 3 other ships in port. We chose just to look around town (aka window shop in 1,000 jewelry stores.) We did hear later at dinner that the whale watching trip was amazing.

Skagway – a much more charming town then Juneau. We rented a car here (Sourdough $80) and with Murray’s Guide in hand we drove up to the Yukon Territory. This is a very scenic drive; you go by alpine trees, lakes, and even a desert! We saw mountain goats, eagles and a bear along side the road. We stopped and had lunch at Caribou Crossing. The lunch was good barbequed chicken in a covered wagon and the rest would have been great if you had kids but wasn’t our cup of tea.

Ketchikan - We were unable to go to Ketchikan due to high winds and seas (60+ knot winds and 20+ foot seas) being boaters it was great to be out in these conditions on a 1,000 foot ship with stabilizers!

Entertainment
I have to say the singers on the ship were some of the best we have seen. We saw three shows and enjoyed them all. Before dinner we would usually have cocktails and listen to music. There were a string quartet, piano, guitar, and swing music playing each night in different bars. Kat and the Halcats also did a great show for dancing after dinner, Motown was our favorite night. The Northern Lights disco played good dance club music, but there were very few people there most nights-or at least before our bedtime J

Disembarkation
Could have been a nightmare! We walked off quickly at our appointed time no lines, no people milling about – very easy . . . .UNTIL we saw the customs line! Luckily for us our friend had hurt is knee and needed a wheelchair – this was our saving grace but I cannot say the same for the others stuck in that long line. Once we were all together with our luggage and customs far behind us we headed to the CruisePark pick up area only to find they are down to one van! So our friend takes a cab to the parking lot and is going to come and pick us up. Accept we find out he cannot drive down to the area we are in – so the rest of us are stuck waiting for the van with all of our luggage. After about a half hour wait we are reunited and ready to head home BUT wait we are missing a bag! Our friend had left a bag back in the baggage claim area. She went into the Terminal and found a HAL Rep who walked her through quickly the whole process. She was in and out in the time it took us to get lattes at the Pan Pacific Starbucks! So this is good information to know if this ever happens to you.

[IRL_Joanie]

Originally Posted by Isla Gal

Here is my review of our Alaska inside passage cruise on the Zuiderdamn 9/5-9/12. We had a wonderful time on this cruise and would probably do this itinerary again. The scenery of the inside passage is unbelievably beautiful and wild. Overall we loved the ship and the very friendly crew (just how are they able to remember your name!) We were traveling with friends who were first time HAL cruisers and we have previously sailed on both the Amsterdam and the Oosterdamn.

Embarkation Vancouver
Since we are only a 3 hour drive from Vancouver we drove and parked at CruisePark. Their shuttle took us directly to the cruise terminal. Once at the terminal it did take quite a while (approx. 30 mins) to get through security as they were also processing a Princess ship through the same checkpoint, but once we were at the HAL check in desk it was smooth and quick and we were onboard in time for lunch at the lido. Our staterooms were announced available promptly at 1:30 pm and our baggage arrived shortly thereafter.

Stateroom
We had cabin 4180 an aft corner balcony (SC.) I probably should not say this . . . but these corner suites are sweet! The balcony is huge and has 2 wicker arm chairs with ottomans, 2 lounge chairs and a small dining table with 2 chairs. Although we had some bad weather, there were 3 glorious days of sunny inside passage cruising and we were able to lounge on our deck! As for the room itself it is more the size of the SS or SY category suite with the exception of the dressing area. Also this cabin’s location is a bit far from the Neptune Lounge – but it made for a nice morning walk to get our cappuccinos. Our friends had an SS category suite, and it was a nice size and had a larger deck then the standard balcony cabin. I have read others asking about noise and vibration in this cabin. I could feel a slight vibration when in bed, it did not bother us, but if someone was very sensitive to movement it could be a problem for them.

As You Wish Dining
This was our first experience with the “AYWD” and the first night was a bit awkward as we showed up without reservations. We were seated promptly at a table for 6, which wasn’t a problem except we were smack dab in the center of the large lower dining room and it was very bright & noisy. After becoming chummy with the wine steward he recommended a corner aft window table. He also suggested that we make reservations for each night. We did make reservations for the rest of cruise and requested that table, although they said they were unable to guarantee it, we were able to be seated there every night and it really added to our dining experience. The main dining room fare was as I remembered it; some items exceptionally good others just so so. Our waiter was very good at recommending menu items and when I followed his suggestions I was never disappointed. The service team here was very friendly and we received prompt and very good service throughout the cruise. The Master Chef’s dinner was on the last night of the cruise, and was our least favorite dinner – the old baked Alaska parade I thought was a more festive touch then the napkin & salad dance!

Pinnacle Grill
We ate in the PG twice, both times the steaks were some of the best we have ever had and cooked to perfection. The service was not as good as on previous cruises. Water glasses were not refilled without asking, long lag times between courses and the wine steward all but ignored us after we turned down his recommendation of a $100 bottle of wine in place of a selection from our wine package. This was particularly annoying since just before dinner we had been at “his” wine tasting of the package wines in the Pinnacle Bar, where he sold us the wine package! On our previous two cruises the service in the PG had been stellar, so this was a minor disappointment since our friends had not cruised with HAL before.

Spa
I had one of the best spa experiences of my life this trip, mainly because I specifically asked not to be bothered by a sales pitch after my treatment. There is nothing like being super relaxed and then having all of your faults pointed out to you J The spa ran some great packages on most days and we were able to take advantage of several of them.

Ports
The highlights of the trip for us were Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay – Spectacular!! We saw calving glaciers, dolphins, seals, whales and bear. The park rangers and a member of the Tlingit tribe spoke and both presentations were very moving and informative. Ron our travel guide is one of the best speakers we have heard and we really enjoyed his talks as well.

Juneau - The one mistake we made was not to pre-book a shore excursion here. By the time we got off the ship (we arrived at 2:00 pm) it was slim pickings with 3 other ships in port. We chose just to look around town (aka window shop in 1,000 jewelry stores.) We did hear later at dinner that the whale watching trip was amazing.

Skagway – a much more charming town then Juneau. We rented a car here (Sourdough $80) and with Murray’s Guide in hand we drove up to the Yukon Territory. This is a very scenic drive; you go by alpine trees, lakes, and even a desert! We saw mountain goats, eagles and a bear along side the road. We stopped and had lunch at Caribou Crossing. The lunch was good barbequed chicken in a covered wagon and the rest would have been great if you had kids but wasn’t our cup of tea.

Ketchikan - We were unable to go to Ketchikan due to high winds and seas (60+ knot winds and 20+ foot seas) being boaters it was great to be out in these conditions on a 1,000 foot ship with stabilizers!

Entertainment
I have to say the singers on the ship were some of the best we have seen. We saw three shows and enjoyed them all. Before dinner we would usually have cocktails and listen to music. There were a string quartet, piano, guitar, and swing music playing each night in different bars. Kat and the Halcats also did a great show for dancing after dinner, Motown was our favorite night. The Northern Lights disco played good dance club music, but there were very few people there most nights-or at least before our bedtime J

Disembarkation
Could have been a nightmare! We walked off quickly at our appointed time no lines, no people milling about – very easy . . . .UNTIL we saw the customs line! Luckily for us our friend had hurt is knee and needed a wheelchair – this was our saving grace but I cannot say the same for the others stuck in that long line. Once we were all together with our luggage and customs far behind us we headed to the CruisePark pick up area only to find they are down to one van! So our friend takes a cab to the parking lot and is going to come and pick us up. Accept we find out he cannot drive down to the area we are in – so the rest of us are stuck waiting for the van with all of our luggage. After about a half hour wait we are reunited and ready to head home BUT wait we are missing a bag! Our friend had left a bag back in the baggage claim area. She went into the Terminal and found a HAL Rep who walked her through quickly the whole process. She was in and out in the time it took us to get lattes at the Pan Pacific Starbucks! So this is good information to know if this ever happens to you.

Great review!! We had friends on the Oosterdam and they also had to bypass Ketchikan due to the high winds and seas. But like you were ready for it and still had a gret time.

Glad to see you all made it home safely

Joanie

[mrsltg]

Great review! Thanks, and welcome home!

[jmps]

Great review! We were on the Zuiderdam for the same cruise this summer and loved it. Your review brings back fond memories.

[DutchByAssociation]

Glad you had a wonderful time!

[Dande1]

We were in 8147 - the aft corner balcony on the starboard side - on the same cruise.

Tracy Arm was beautiful and so pleasant with the weather cooperating and we were able to sit out on the balcony throughout.

Sorry you missed the whale watching in Juneau. Not only hump backs playing together but also a group of 7 or 8 Orcas! Mothers with their new calves, teaching them how to play before heading off to Hawaii. Truly amazing Even the experienced crew of the whale watching boat were truly amazed to see them so clearly and for so long.

At Skagway we were able to snag a 3:30 chopper up to the great glacier ice field. It is really not possible to describe the enormous size and breadth of this natural area. The air was so clear (and quiet when the choppers left) and the crevices and streams so blue - glacier blue!

My sense is that Captain Timmers navigated us much closer than normal to the Margerie and Johns Hopkins Glacier in Glacier Bay - and obviously we picked the right cruise (ie post Sept 1) to be allowed past Jaw Point now that the seal pups have been borne.

We picked this cruise because of this specific itinerary and the sights that it offered. We were not disappointed to skip Ketchikan because the active winds and wave heights offered us an extra sea day instead.

Pure bliss!

Dave

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome Home

Glad you had a wonderful Alaskan cruise.

[Isla Gal]

Originally Posted by Dande1

We were in 8147 - the aft corner balcony on the starboard side - on the same cruise.

Tracy Arm was beautiful and so pleasant with the weather cooperating and we were able to sit out on the balcony throughout.

Sorry you missed the whale watching in Juneau. Not only hump backs playing together but also a group of 7 or 8 Orcas! Mothers with their new calves, teaching them how to play before heading off to Hawaii. Truly amazing Even the experienced crew of the whale watching boat were truly amazed to see them so clearly and for so long.

At Skagway we were able to snag a 3:30 chopper up to the great glacier ice field. It is really not possible to describe the enormous size and breadth of this natural area. The air was so clear (and quiet when the choppers left) and the crevices and streams so blue - glacier blue!

My sense is that Captain Timmers navigated us much closer than normal to the Margerie and Johns Hopkins Glacier in Glacier Bay - and obviously we picked the right cruise (ie post Sept 1) to be allowed past Jaw Point now that the seal pups have been borne.

We picked this cruise because of this specific itinerary and the sights that it offered. We were not disappointed to skip Ketchikan because the active winds and wave heights offered us an extra sea day instead.

Pure bliss!

Dave

Thank you everyone for your kind words and I forgot to mention that I could never have planned this cruise without the help of these boards

Dave - You are right getting to see the seals at John Hopkins was very special! And indeed we were so close to the glaciers I felt I could almost touch them. I must say that living in the NW I have seen mountains, whales, and eagles - but the beauty of this wild area blew me away. . . we will absolutely do this itinerary again and do the whale watching trip. Of course we are now forever spoiled after having that aft suite!

[Sailkeywest]

Isla Gal -- Thank you for taking the time to post such a detailed TR, especially the details about your suite! I loved reading it.

Dande1 -- I hope this isn't thread hijacking, but how did you find the Starboard Aft for Glacier Bay viewing?

Safe Travels all

[Dande1]

Originally Posted by Sailkeywest

Dande1 -- I hope this isn't thread hijacking, but how did you find the Starboard Aft for Glacier Bay viewing?

We spent almost the entire Glacier Bay day up on the Lido deck, lured there by one of our dining room waiters who was serving hot Dutch pea soup! We remained bundled up in deck blankets at one of the aft outdoor tables under the canvas roof, adjacent to the stairs leading up one deck, listening to the park Ranger's commentary on the speakers.

With four of us it was easy taking turns rushing to the rail for photo ops, or climbing up to a different deck - forward and aft, as the captain turned the ship so slowly at the main glaciers.

It really was not cold, and I'm sure we would have had excellent views from our side and aft balcony, but we were comfortably ensconced and enjoying our hot pea soup and a few "other" beverages as we experienced the majesty of the amazing vistas.

Dave

[Sailkeywest]

Thank you for taking the time to respond, I love living vicariously through other people's stories. Safe travels

[room010]

We did this cruise a little earlier at the end of July and the weather was unusually hot (80+ every day) for the entire week; almost like the Caribbean! Seas were very calm with light winds so we got to see all the wonderful sights in bright sunshine in cloudless blue skies. We did run into some early morning or overnight fog on a couple of days but it had all burned off by noon. I know we were exceptionally lucky to have such perfect summer weather for 7 whole days so now I worry that this experience will set the bar too high for next time we visit Alaska (and there will be a next time).

[momofmeg]

We will be on the Zuiderdam for a partial Panama canal in January. Yesterday, I found on youtube, a video of the Zuiderdam going through the locks on October 8. I guess Grandma Pajama will be home soon to tell us about it-I wonder if she was one of the little "dots" of people I saw on that video!