CNSJ

Train runs direct from Schipol airport to Rotterdam. Easy as can be. The few extra Euro for first class will make the luggage easier as it may be less crowded.

Our first voyage on a Pinnacle class ship was Koningsdam in the Eastern Med and it was perhaps the best cruise we have taken in Europe. The Pinnacle class are our favorite ships now less the design of the promenade deck for walking. The ability to get a good amidships verandah with a full sized balcony (not a suite) is a big one for us. Love Deck 6.

The transportation question would depend on where you are staying the night you arrive. Amsterdam or Rotterdam or by the airport?

Holland America will not offer many programs for the teenagers and there is no "young adult" themed parties etc. That said, Alaska is all about the ports and scenery/wildlife. It's tough to find a cruise line that will make such a wide age range all feel great. I wish you luck!

Everyone looks for their own best "deal" My strategy is based on hotel points being more useful than airmiles. That's because airlines fly specific routes and the availability of reward flight reductions is so hit and miss. With major hotel chains (Hilton/Marriott/Hyatt/IHG) as examples, you can usually find a hotel in most cities around the world, and then use points for the room. I find very good value in booking travel related (cruises/tours/parking/car rentals) with Chase Sapphire Reserve. At 3 points per "travel" dollar, which I convert to Hyatt points (worth about 1.7 cents each per many websites) I get more than a five percent return. (also, when you book Hyatt rooms with points you don't pay 'resort fees'. If I buy AARP gift cards to pay for HAL items, I use another no fee Chase card that nets 1.25 points per dollar, using the same plan to convert tot Hyatt points (1.25 x 1.7 = 2.125% return), plus the 10% (now only 8%) savings from AARP gift cards. I pay a portion of cruise fare with Chase Sapphire for the travel insurance protection. With the cost of cruising going up, we need to find ways to save when we can.

Totally agree with Frantic! You will do many times better with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Three points per dollar on all travel....including cruises no matter who you book them with. As for the Magic Jack, has a similar issue when I was issued a new card number. Barclays should work this out. Chase bends over backwards to help when I have any issues.

Lived in New England for 25 years and we did whale watching up North from Maine south to Cape Cod. The big difference is in the environment. In New England, we were out in the open ocean. In Alaska, when we took the excursion from Juneau, the boat was in very sheltered waters -at times like glass. We left from Auke Bay and heading out into Favorite Channel basically circling Shelter and Lincoln island. We saw many whales and many other sea wildlife, birds, and even some land creatures. The boat was well set up for the excursion. Recommend it.

This is a good strategy.

Yes. This is what I am talking about. You can use the AARP purchased HAL Gift Cards on HALs website to buy/pay for just about anything, cruises, specialty dining, internet access, spa time, and just plain old OBC. No need to wait until on ship or go through your TA, unless you are paying for cruise fare.

Since you are using the gift cards for gratuities and other OBC expenses, you can add them to your account yourself as long as it's a week or so before you sail. Just logon to HAL website, select 'my account', 'my bookings,' 'extras', and then "On Board Credit.' Buy OBC in any amount in increments of $5, $25, $50, or $100. You would buy eight $100. Then checkout using your gift card to pay. You can see your OBC purchase just like other pre-cruise purchases. If you cancel cruise, they refund back to your gift cards.

Are you roundtrip Vancouver? If so, it really doesn't matter. HAL tries to get the wildlife to show up on both sides of the ship (contracts vary). If you are Northbound or Southbound, then, it matters a bit more.

Great photos! Love Cadiz! Love Spain. We enjoy Spanish, Greek and Croatian ports the most in the Med. Lisbon is outside the Med, but we love it as well! Just have not had as good a time in the Italian and French ports. To each their own I guess.

Is there a way to know which Captains are on which ships? When picking cruise A or B, that might be the deal breaker!

We had great service and enjoyed the ACT Bug Bus Anchorage to the ship. They picked dup at the Captain Cook Hotel and dropped us off at the ship. Easy!

We said with Captain van Hoogdalem transpacific in the Fall of 2022. (In our opinion) He was by far the best of more than a dozen HAL Captains we have sailed with. He handled the tail end of COVID like a master, and was the most open and candid we could hope for. We often found him enjoying meals in the Lido and seemed to love his job!