BunnyHatgis

That sounds perfect. I'll be on Nieuw Statendam next and really looking forward to that - and Greenland! Nice videos btw. 👍

My trip report comes a bit late, but better late than never. I took a northbound cruise from Vancouver to Whittier on Noordam last July. It was my first cruise to Alaska and my first cruise on Holland America. I have previously cruised with MSC, Celebrity and Norwegian, both in the Caribbean and Trans-Atlantic. I absolutely loved both my cruise and Noordam! Alaska was probably a one-time destination for me but I have already booked another HAL cruise for this summer, stopping in Norway, Iceland and Greenland. These were the things that made me appreciate HAL and Noordam so much: Delicious vegetarian and vegan food throughout the ship, including Beyond Meat products and other vegan proteins Noordam felt positively quiet at full capacity and had very few children Although the ship is older, I found it very well-maintained and charming Friendly service at all times Have it All package which turned out to be pretty good value and fit for us The Promenade which was a perfect place to take in the majestic scenery Expert talks and Alaska-sourced food and drink items There were many other highlights of course! Check out my full review of the trip in my blog which also includes tons of photos: https://www.hoppingaroundtheglobeinstyle.com/bunnys-7-day-northbound-alaska-cruise-on-holland-america-noordam/

Thanks so much for the excellent advice! This is exactly what I was looking for. I’ve been on the fence about taking the train in Skagway but your photo may have finally convinced me. Is it usually easy to go between the cars to take photos or does it get very crowded? Would you recommend doing the train just one way and taking a bus the other way? I don’t fancy just doing a loop on the train without getting off it at all.

Excellent, thank you. I will include sailing out of Skagway on my list. 👍

Thank you! In that case, I am tempted to book my speciality dinner for the first night of the cruise. Any particular scenic places or stretches later in the cruise that I should factor in (outside Inside Passage and the glaciers)?

Excuse my ignorance but does the Inside Passage start right after Vancouver? Is the first night of the cruise going to be very scenic already?

I have now booked my first cruise to Alaska for next July and I am starting to plan my time onboard in earnest. I will be on the Northbound Noordam in late July, with the following stops: - Vancouver leaving at 4pm - Inside Passage - Ketchikan 7am-3pm - Juneau 10am-10pm - Skagway 7am-8pm - Glacier Bay 7am-4pm - College Fjord 6pm-8pm - Whittier Based on this itinerary, what parts would you advise were the most scenic ones on this trip? Glacier Bay and College Fjord for sure but what else? We will have an inside cabin and plan to spend most of our time on the inside and outside decks, admiring and photographing the scenery as that's the primary reason we cruise. However, we also have to eat and sleep at some point. 😝 In order to book speciality dining and plan other activities on board, which parts of this cruise would be particularly scenic and not to miss? For example, would the first night of the cruise be good for speciality dining (we have one dinner included in the price) and if so, would it be better to have an early dinner or does the scenery get super nice right after leaving Vancouver..? Thanks in advance for those in the know.

Me again... I am now leaning heavily towards the southbound cruise on Noordam as advised by many. If I go for that option, I will arrive in Anchorage late Friday evening and leave for the cruise on Sunday evening from Whittier. I would like to make the most of my 1,5 days in the area before the cruise. What would be the best way to experience and photograph natural sights in the area? Rent a car and do your own exploration? Kayak tour? Hike? 26 Glaciers? We are very independent-minded and happy to explore on our own if possible. The key would be to experience things that make Alaska different (glaciers, wildlife). We are not so interested in museums, restaurants etc, so would there be any point in staying in Anchorage at all?

Thanks for that! I hadn’t noticed that thread before. Beautiful photos.

Thank you, everyone! This is very helpful. I didn’t realise one way cruises were so much preferred. It that’s the case, there is one more option I could consider as the dates match my itinerary: Grand Princess (Vancouver, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, College Fjord, Whittier) How would that compare to the HAL cruises? And if someone with experience could try and describe the differences of cruising Glacier Bay and taking the 26 Glaciers boat ride from Whittier, I would be very grateful. I am not sure what to expect since I’ve never been to the area. Thanks again!

I am certainly tempted by that, just a little bit worried about a potentially costly stay in Whittier (Alaska) prior to the cruise. I have to spend 3-4 days either there or in Vancouver before taking the cruise and I am trying to keep the costs down...

Thanks for your reply! My flights are complicated anyway because I arrive from a different country and return to another (it's a long trip where Alaska is just one leg) so in that scheme the flight prices are the same. My original plan for the Alaska cruise was to take a balcony cabin and enjoy the scenery from the comfort of my own room. On my previous cruises, I've always had a balcony. That said, in case of Alaska, I can either get a balcony, with no extras, or an inside cabin, with all the extras. The price is just about the same. I figured I would maybe enjoy the cruise more if I had the drinks package and could hang out in the common areas of the ship enjoying the scenery and various drinks. That is why I was interested in differences between the three ships: which one would be best for scenic cruising and photography if I don't have a balcony cabin? Basically, I am just trying to get most value for my hard-earned money. Maybe I should also have mentioned that I usually spend zero money onboard once I've paid for the cruise. So I wouldn't be having a couple of drinks per day if I don't have the drinks package or go for any speciality dinners (yeah, I am weird that way 😝). As for agents, they always seem to quote much higher prices that I find on the cruise lines' website or on icruise.com myself.

Hello! We are considering our first Alaskan cruise for August 2023. We have previously done two Trans-Atlantic and two Caribbean cruises on MSC, Celebrity and Norwegian. We are in our fifties, active hikers, vegetarian and enjoy quiet entertainment with drinks rather than crowded excursions and casinos. Our budget for the Alaska trip is limited and we are most interested in great scenery, photography opportunities, hiking and independent activities at various stops. I have narrowed down our selection on 3 different HAL itineraries which I think would be a good fit for us, particularly since they seem to be great for vegetarians. I would need assistance in making the final decision between these three 7-day cruises: Volendam Vancouver roundtrip (Inside Passage, (Tracy Arm) Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, Inside Passage) Koningsdam Vancouver roundtrip (the same itinerary but leaving on Saturday, instead of Wednesday which I understand would be more quiet itinerary in ports) Noordam Southbound to Vancouver (Whittier, Hubbard, Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Inside Passage) We are looking at the cheapest possible inside cabin and the prices for those are more or less similar on all these cruises (Koningsdam is slightly more expensive). There are no differences in flight prices. Which ship and itinerary would be best suited for an Alaska cruise, with comfortable common areas for viewing and photographing the scenery and enjoying the voyage? I realise the Southbound cruise would also allow us some time (not more than 2-3 days) in Alaska where we've never been before. How would things like 26 Glacier Cruise from Whittier compare to things that we are likely to see from the cruise? Would staying in Whittier and exploring the surrounding area be much more expensive than doing the same in Vancouver? We have never visited either. Finally, we are contemplating HAL's Have it All fare which would include drinks, wi-fi, some shore excursion credit, one speciality dining and 200 USD cruise credit. Does anyone have experience of this particular rate type? It seems like good value to me. Thanks for any input!