oaktreerb

We have not had an overnight in the Anchorage port. We will have an overnight when we sail on our 28 day Alaska cruise in 2024. We’ll find out then! I wouldn’t be surprised if the ship has a curfew since the port is a working port, although the port could be open 24 hours due to the long daylight hours in June. Good question! The shuttles should run continuously throughout the day.

Yes, you have to take the complimentary shuttle bus out of the port area. It takes you to the downtown area where there is the visitor center and the convention center. You will meet the shuttle again at the drop off point when you are ready to return to the ship.

I’ve never seen the MDR crowded at breakfast. No need for a priority breakfast line, I would think.

We only eat in the Lido when we want to have a salad for lunch at the custom salad station. Your comments about dining lead me to believe you would probably be best with fixed early seating. Club Orange on the smaller ships would give you preferred dining if you don’t want a fixed dining time. You could choose your table size each evening depending on your plans to see the show or want to enjoy a larger shared table. Much better chance of consistency in serving the pre ordered meals. We loved our 16 day New Zealand cruise a few years ago with 4 nights in Sydney! Loved the scenery and the people.

It must have been nonrefundable at that time. $1 to hold a reservation until I made up my mind, it was a deal.

There is a lot of information online at Alaska tourism sites. You chose an excellent bear viewing experience on your previous trip. Prime bear viewing areas differ throughout the season and that information is available online. As you know, the bears follow the salmon. Hopefully someone will see your inquiry and offer their first hand experience. That’s a great picture!

I cancelled two impulsive $1 deposits made with my PCC two years ago and didn’t get the $2 back. I didn’t expect to get it back.

We’ve had many 2 hour dinners through the years (HAL fixed dining) at tables for 6 with lively conversations. The more we talked, the slower we finished our courses. A few years ago there were more courses. Dining in the MDR has become a less formal occasion with fewer dining room stewards. With a table for two, we usually finish the meal in the MDR within an hour.

We have done several Yukon itineraries and they have changed through the years. You’ll have a great time. It looks like you have one night in Anchorage and it will be at either the Westmark or the Captain Cook hotel. HAL may not know which one yet. They are both in the downtown area convenient to a lot of great places to eat and also the visitor center. We would have expected to have a transfer from the airport to the hotel. You are arriving early so just plan to be at your HAL Anchorage assigned hotel by mid to late afternoon on the first day of your tour. There will be someone in the hotel to give you your room key and let you know what time to have your bags ready for collection the next morning (or midnight maybe). The bags will be transported separately. Your group will be told what time to meet the next morning to board the bus to the train station. You will probably meet your journey host either before or when when you board the train. This is one of the best of the itineraries. I hope you’ll have an overnight in Skagway which is so amazing to wake up the next morning and see your ship in port. As I mentioned, these itineraries have been changed a few times. Have a great time! I don’t see Talkeetna on the Y4L. No need to go there, except the train stops to pick up passengers who are going on to Denali. Your group will have your own domed rail car.

Good question. HAL tries to meet everyone’s dietary requirements if you notify them prior to cruising. Since they offer lactose free milk, maybe they should consider offering the same in ice cream.

You should be able to do the Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise in Whittier. I’m surprised it’s not offered for in transit guests. We went from the ship to the 26 Glacier Cruise last year, then boarded the bus to Anchorage. The 26 Glacier Cruise could be sold out.

Have you tried the Breyers lactose free ice cream?

Ask if there is a cabin they can move you to. We had a noise issue of being under the Lido in Europe a few years ago and I mentioned it to an officer I saw in the Lido. He expedited my issue and we were given the option to move to another cabin. On Alaska cruises the part of the itinerary in and out of Seattle can have rough seas, also sailing across the Gulf of Alaska, otherwise with normal weather your seas should be calmer and the ship sailing slower for scenic cruising.

When you are part of a cruise tour you just follow instructions. You will board the ship with your group when you arrive in Whittier. The boarding time is meaningless. Your room will be ready and your luggage will be delivered to your room. You don’t need to dress for dinner on the first night. You can make reservations if you want. Delays can happen in Alaska due to weather. Do you like to watch sail away?

There was an area blocked off for staff but it was just a section along one side, not the entire aft. It was not a problem for aft viewing on the Koningsdam. The OP stated his experience on a specific ship on a specific cruise. He went on to ask what to expect on the Koningsdam. I, myself, was surprised to see a small side area reserved for staff on the K. but maybe that’s the only area that is available. A lot of crew members still smoke and the smoke stays in that small area. No problem, I had not seen this on any other ships, although I have seen staff areas in the bow of some of the older ships.

There was an area blocked off for staff but it was just a section along one side, not the entire aft. It was not a problem for aft viewing on the Koningsdam.

With the HIA excursion credit many excursions sell out prior to sailing. That leaves the most desired excursions sold out before you even board the ship.

If excursions are sold out the website will still list the excursion and indicate that they are sold out. You can get on a wait list. We had issues on our Hawaii cruise with sold out excursions and we were able to get the excursion through waitlisting. You do have to pay for it when you waitlist but HAL will credit your account onboard if you need to use your HIA excursion credit.

Sitka may be a better choice for a fishing trip.

The Denali trips are add ons to a cruise. You can just do a land tour by flying to Anchorage or Fairbanks and take the train to Denali. Look online at TravelAlaska which will give you options. Alaska is huge and the major cruise lines sail Southeast Alaska ports. I think the shortest cruise tour by Holland America is the 9 day Holland America D8 tour which busses you from the ship in Whittier to Denali for one day and on to Fairbanks to fly home. You could say you set foot in Denali National Park but only 30% of visitors even see the mountain. If you spent a few days in the park your chances improve.

The Neptune Suite on the Koningsdam entitles you to the more intimate Club Orange dining room for breakfast and dinner, priority boarding, priority tendering (no tender ticket needed), the Neptune Lounge for coffee, snacks and a host/hostess to assist you and answer questions, and free laundry services. The Have it All, if you want it, includes one dinner in a specialty venue but not Sel de Mer which provides a very special experience. Book Sel de Mer before you sail or have the Neptune Lounge assistant book it for you. It does have lobster but the Dover Sole is recommended by many people.

You can run into rough waters in September crossing the Gulf of Alaska on the cruise ship. Kenai Fjords on a sunny day is amazingly beautiful.

I would never book a cruise online. Cruises are expensive. There are a lot of variables you need to be aware of, even for an experienced HAL cruiser. You aren’t saving any money by DIY.

On our most recent cruises a BBKing male vocalist was brought onstage to perform one song with the Step One dancers. The vocalist was extremely talented and definitely enhanced the quality of the show. I’m glad HAL is making that change. I hope the vocalists are BBKing quality.

We cruise Holland America. They have been cruising in Alaska for a very long time as has Princess. Fewer kids on Holland America but many multigenerational families. Your time frame is perfect for the scenic beauty of snow in the mountains. It’s not too late to book 2024. Not every cruise line goes to Glacier Bay which offers guaranteed glacier viewing. That’s #1. Holland and Princess also get some of the best dock locations, especially in Juneau. Round trip Vancouver sails up the scenic inside passage between Vancouver and Vancouver Island for smooth sailing. Most ships sailing from Vancouver to Whittier or Seward also sail that inside passage. Seattle round trips sail outside Vancouver Island and have rougher passages generally. Most ships go to Ketchikan, Juneau, and Sitka or Skagway. Some ships may be in port all day, some just part of the day. Time in port is important so that you have time for excursions or time to get to know the area. Decide if you want to cruise one way or round trip. Then find a ship that goes to Glacier Bay. If you have time to add land based activities you will be sailing to or from Vancouver (one way). Round trip port times are generally shorter.