14 day Alaskan Statendam Cruise June 15 - 29

I am an avid reader of Cruise Critic, and although we have taken ten cruises, I learn something new almost every time I log onto this site. Even though with ten Holland America cruises, I rarely give an opinion as there are so many of you who express yourselves so well. I also enjoy the reviews of other cruisers, and I wish I possessed the knowledge and time to include pictures in this review, as it makes a review so much more interesting.

We took the 14-day Holland America Statendam Alaskan Cruise from Monday, June 15 to Monday, June 29, 2015. This was our fourth Alaskan cruise.

There seems to be disagreement about the quality of service and dining on Holland America, but we thoroughly enjoy the size of the ships, the friendliness and attention of the staff, and the wonderful cuisine and service. We have not found anything going “downhill.”

We spent Saturday night in the Kansas City Airport Hilton. It is a great place to stay before a cruise, and the restaurant is excellent. We flew Southwest to Seattle with a layover in Denver. We took the hotel shuttle, with an excellent driver, to the Seattle Airport Hampton Inn. The driver also took us to the Copperleaf Restaurant in the Cedarbrook Lodge. This restaurant was outstanding and was in a beautiful setting.

We ate the hotel’s breakfast and boarded a van that was arranged by the hotel. This was not a pleasant trip as we were very crowded on the small van. Next time we will definitely order our own transportation to the pier.

Embarkation did not take long and went very smoothly. There was no waiting to get our key cards. Our cabin was ready, so we left our carry-on bags and went to the Lido for lunch as the MDR was closed. The Lido was a zoo, but the sandwiches and salad bar were very good. We are just not Lido fans and avoid it except for breakfast.

Our luggage had arrived, so we unpacked. We signed up for Internet minutes in the Exploration’s Café; signed up for the Navigator’s Wine Package; attended the muster drill; and dressed for dinner. After dinner, we went to the Explorer’s Lounge and listened to the Adagio Duo and then to the Showroom at Sea where the Statendam singers and dancers performed.

Our day-to-day schedule was very routine. My husband and I do not take many excursions as the cruise ship is our destination. We cruise to enjoy the relaxation, cuisine, and entertainment. We like to read, attend the lectures and demonstrations, walk on the deck, go to wine tastings, play trivia, meet new people, dine, go to the shows, and watch the ocean.

A short review of the ship follows:

EMBARKATION: The best ever! Went very smoothly.

THE STATENDAM: We found the ship to be in excellent condition. Some of the furniture and carpet need replacing, but since it has been sold to P&O, I’m sure Holland does not want to put a lot of money into refurbishing items. Of course, there was cleaning going on all the time.

STATEROOM: We were in an inside stateroom on the Main Deck (5) in the middle of the ship - #603. I think, from now on, we will get an outside cabin as I do like to awaken and see the condition of the weather and ocean. There was plenty of closet and drawer space plus two small cabinets, with locks, beside the bed. There was also a safe in the closet. The bathroom had a shower and plenty of counter space. The bed was excellent with nice linens and the towels were huge. We did not experience any plumbing problems and the a/c worked perfectly.

We very seldom saw our cabin stewards, Wan and Budi, but we cannot say enough good things about them.

DINING: We were able to get early fixed seating (5:30 p.m.). Our table for four was by a window #19, so we had an excellent view of the ocean. Our outstanding dining room stewards were Ardi and Lukman and the excellent wine steward was Allan.

Every meal in the MDR was superb. We so enjoy trying different items and my husband always looks forward to the chilled soups. Contrary to many comments on Cruise Critic our service and food was beyond outstanding. The prime rib, beef tenderloin, and lobster were excellent.

Maybe because it was a long Alaskan cruise, the dress attire seemed more relaxed than on previous cruises. Passengers were dressed nicely, but on formal nights, the sport coat or suit recommendation was not followed. The dress code is now called Gala Attire. We love to “dress up” as we don’t get many opportunities to do so in our area. I try not to let other passengers’ attire bother me, but I do think many of them should just go to the Lido or have room service.

We chose to eat breakfast in The Lido since we are early risers and the MDR did not open until 8:00 a.m. Personally, I do not care to ever eat in The Lido, but the food was good, and it was not very crowded at 6:30 a.m., so I could tolerate breakfasts there.

ENTERTAINMENT: We went to the Explorer’s Lounge after dinner every evening to listen to the Adagio Duo, Robert, the violinist, and Livia, the pianist. They were fantastic!!

The other lounge entertainers had good followings also: Solo Guitarist Michael; The Neptunes; and Piano Bar Diane Fast.

We also enjoyed all the shows in the Showroom at Sea: The Statendam singers and dancers performed “Listen to the Music”; “Bob Mackie’s Broadway”; “Street Singin’”; “Encore”; “Unforgettable”; “Stardust Lounge”; and “Dancing with the Stars” (did not attend). The costumes, dancing, and singing were well done. We were so glad the sound system was not overbearing and there were no strobe lights.

The other entertainers were also excellent: “The Comedy Magic of Fred Becker”; “Jim and Anne Curry’s tribute to John Denver”; “The Comedy of Benji Hill”; “Vocalist & Comedy Impressionist Tricia Kelly” (did not enjoy this act); and “Comedian Don McEnery”.

EXCURSIONS: As I stated before, we do not do many excursions, but we do walk and explore each town. Ketchikan: We love Ketchikan and the weather was beautiful. We took the funicular to the Cape Fox Lodge and had a second breakfast, and then did some shopping for our four teenage granddaughters.

Tracy Arm: It was too foggy to attempt Tracy Arm, but we did go to Endicott Arm which was quite nice, but very cold on the deck. We walked four miles while viewing the glacier.

Juneau: We have always taken the Mt. Roberts Tram and did so on this trip. It is always a thrill to look down on the Harbor and see our ship. We then walked around town and I bought the most comfortable pair of shoes at Shoefly Alaska. I can never find a pair of shoes in my size, so I was ecstatic to find these.

Icy Strait Point: This is a tender port and we chose to remain on the ship. Our friends went into town and enjoyed the trip.

On the Sea Day, we went to the Premium Wine Tasting: North Pacific vs. Old World. This was a fantastic wine tasting event. The Cellar Master, Jean Francois, had interesting, unique presentations of wine, and we thoroughly enjoyed all three that we attended. One might say that this is our “excursion” while cruising.

Anchorage: We went into Anchorage early; walked around; enjoyed the beautiful flowers and clean neat business district. There was a very nice, large mall downtown, and we decided to eat at Sullivan’s instead of going back to the ship and then into town again. We had an excellent meal, and best of all, avoided eating in The Lido. I really shouldn’t run The Lido down, as the food and service are great, but we would rather sit at a nice table and be waited on in a quieter atmosphere.

Homer: We rode a school bus over to the Homer Pit. There were several little bars, restaurants, and shops; and we did see fishermen cleaning halibut. Homer is the Halibut Capital of the World. After lunch, we took the ‘Ho-Ho-Ho’, Homer Hop On, Hop Off Shuttle (school bus) to downtown Homer. Homer does give one a feel for a real Alaska town, and it was bigger than I had imagined. There were four stops along the way. Sorry to say, we did not get off the bus, but did enjoy seeing the town.

Kodiak: This archipelago is the second largest island in the U.S. – about the size of Connecticut. I didn’t talk to anyone who saw a Kodiak bear as they were just coming out of hibernation. A better time would be in July, August, and September. We rode the shuttle, another school bus, into town, although many people walked. We enjoyed walking around Kodiak although it was quite cool, and I was glad to have a warm coat and hat. We visited the Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Cathedral, with its blue cupolas – very interesting. We then went to the Alutiiq Museum which was wonderful. Luckily, there was lunch in the MDR, and then we attended another wine tasting: Around the World Wine Festival, where one could enjoy a variety of twelve wines from six different countries. Excellent.

Hubbard Glacier: This is a large glacier and I did get to see a “calving”.

Sitka: We took the tender to Sitka. This is a very interesting town and we enjoyed walking around. We also walked to the Sitka National Historical Park and enjoyed the hike through the tall trees and the totem poles. Since there was no lunch in the MDR, we had clam chowder and crab cakes at the Westmark Hotel. Very nice.

Another Sea Day: Another relaxing day. We attended the Mariner’s Lunch and then went to our last Team Trivia. We did Team Trivia every day and also did some of the Food Trivia. I must mention our cruise director, Ross McTaggart. He was the best CD we have ever had. He was very professional, witty, and kept things on time. I would love to see him on another cruise.

Victoria: We did the Butchart Gardens Tour. It was just as beautiful and interesting as we had been told. We had been to Victoria on other cruises so we did not go downtown. The finals of Dancing with the Stars was held that evening, but we did not attend.

DISEMBARKATION: Disembarkation went very smoothly.

This was a fantastic cruise and we highly recommend it, and would take it again. Luckily, we had smooth seas (with only one day of high white caps). Once again, the food, service, entertainment, lectures, and ambiance were outstanding. We are looking forward to our next cruise in December. :):D

Thank you so much for your review. We will be on the same cruise on Sept 7. We are also staying at the Hampton Inn. Thanks for the heads up on the shuttle to cruise port.

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.

We have done this itinerary a couple of times on the Amsterdam and loved it.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

ENTERTAINMENT: We went to the Explorer’s Lounge after dinner every evening to listen to the Adagio Duo, Robert, the violinist, and Livia, the pianist. They were fantastic!!

The other lounge entertainers had good followings also: Solo Guitarist Michael; The Neptunes; and Piano Bar Diane Fast.

We also enjoyed all the shows in the Showroom at Sea: The Statendam singers and dancers performed “Listen to the Music”; “Bob Mackie’s Broadway”; “Street Singin’”; “Encore”; “Unforgettable”; “Stardust Lounge”; and “Dancing with the Stars” (did not attend). The costumes, dancing, and singing were well done. We were so glad the sound system was not overbearing and there were no strobe lights.

The other entertainers were also excellent: “The Comedy Magic of Fred Becker”; “Jim and Anne Curry’s tribute to John Denver”; “The Comedy of Benji Hill”; “Vocalist & Comedy Impressionist Tricia Kelly” (did not enjoy this act); and “Comedian Don McEnery”.

Thank you for your review. I'm delighted that you mentioned the entertainment, and even more pleased that you gave the names of the entertainers, and the production shows.

I had heard that Diane Fast had left HAL, so am thrilled to see she was on the Statendam. I enjoy her every night she's on my ship.

I'm particularly fond of the costumes in Bob Mackie's Broadway, and love the show Encore.

This was a pleasure to read. Welcome back.

Thanks for detailed review.

We were also on this cruise but had issues with the quality of food in the MDR and Pinnacle Griile at breakfast and noise problems in our cabin

I will provide further details later.

Thank you so much for your review. We are on this ship starting 27 July and it was reassuring to hear so many positive comments. Looking forward to this trip...

Leon

Thank you for your review. We'll be doing this itinerary in 2016.

We are also on the July 27 sailing, so this is a very reassuring review.

Thanks for the review, hummingbird! We will be on the July 27th sailing for the 3rd time on this itinerary. Glad to hear about the premium wine tasting, and looking forward to the presentation. We, too, have been satisfied with the MDR cuisine. We were on the Statendam last November for 31 days, and the show cast performances sound the same.

Your review is appreciated!

Karen

Thank you for taking time to write your review.

We too have enjoyed Jim & Anne Curry's tribute to John Denver.

Thank you for your review. We were on the Statendam March 30-April 14 and also had Alan for our wine steward (we sure enjoyed chatting with him every night!) and we also listened to Adagio every night (Robert and Livia), a very interesting and talented married couple. :)

Thank you for your review. So happy to read all your positive experiences. I will be on the Statendam soon and, similar to you, the ship is my destination, so I appreciate your comments about your cruise experience. I'm really looking forward to my cruise.

Thanks for the review! We loved this itinerary when we did it in 2012. Hope to do it again some day!

I am an avid reader of Cruise Critic, and although we have taken ten cruises, I learn something new almost every time I log onto this site. Even though with ten Holland America cruises, I rarely give an opinion as there are so many of you who express yourselves so well. I also enjoy the reviews of other cruisers, and I wish I possessed the knowledge and time to include pictures in this review, as it makes a review so much more interesting.

We took the 14-day Holland America Statendam Alaskan Cruise from Monday, June 15 to Monday, June 29, 2015. This was our fourth Alaskan cruise.

There seems to be disagreement about the quality of service and dining on Holland America, but we thoroughly enjoy the size of the ships, the friendliness and attention of the staff, and the wonderful cuisine and service. We have not found anything going “downhill.”

We spent Saturday night in the Kansas City Airport Hilton. It is a great place to stay before a cruise, and the restaurant is excellent. We flew Southwest to Seattle with a layover in Denver. We took the hotel shuttle, with an excellent driver, to the Seattle Airport Hampton Inn. The driver also took us to the Copperleaf Restaurant in the Cedarbrook Lodge. This restaurant was outstanding and was in a beautiful setting.

We ate the hotel’s breakfast and boarded a van that was arranged by the hotel. This was not a pleasant trip as we were very crowded on the small van. Next time we will definitely order our own transportation to the pier.

Embarkation did not take long and went very smoothly. There was no waiting to get our key cards. Our cabin was ready, so we left our carry-on bags and went to the Lido for lunch as the MDR was closed. The Lido was a zoo, but the sandwiches and salad bar were very good. We are just not Lido fans and avoid it except for breakfast.

Our luggage had arrived, so we unpacked. We signed up for Internet minutes in the Exploration’s Café; signed up for the Navigator’s Wine Package; attended the muster drill; and dressed for dinner. After dinner, we went to the Explorer’s Lounge and listened to the Adagio Duo and then to the Showroom at Sea where the Statendam singers and dancers performed.

Our day-to-day schedule was very routine. My husband and I do not take many excursions as the cruise ship is our destination. We cruise to enjoy the relaxation, cuisine, and entertainment. We like to read, attend the lectures and demonstrations, walk on the deck, go to wine tastings, play trivia, meet new people, dine, go to the shows, and watch the ocean.

 

A short review of the ship follows:

EMBARKATION: The best ever! Went very smoothly.

THE STATENDAM: We found the ship to be in excellent condition. Some of the furniture and carpet need replacing, but since it has been sold to P&O, I’m sure Holland does not want to put a lot of money into refurbishing items. Of course, there was cleaning going on all the time.

STATEROOM: We were in an inside stateroom on the Main Deck (5) in the middle of the ship - #603. I think, from now on, we will get an outside cabin as I do like to awaken and see the condition of the weather and ocean. There was plenty of closet and drawer space plus two small cabinets, with locks, beside the bed. There was also a safe in the closet. The bathroom had a shower and plenty of counter space. The bed was excellent with nice linens and the towels were huge. We did not experience any plumbing problems and the a/c worked perfectly.

We very seldom saw our cabin stewards, Wan and Budi, but we cannot say enough good things about them.

DINING: We were able to get early fixed seating (5:30 p.m.). Our table for four was by a window #19, so we had an excellent view of the ocean. Our outstanding dining room stewards were Ardi and Lukman and the excellent wine steward was Allan.

 

Every meal in the MDR was superb. We so enjoy trying different items and my husband always looks forward to the chilled soups. Contrary to many comments on Cruise Critic our service and food was beyond outstanding. The prime rib, beef tenderloin, and lobster were excellent.

Maybe because it was a long Alaskan cruise, the dress attire seemed more relaxed than on previous cruises. Passengers were dressed nicely, but on formal nights, the sport coat or suit recommendation was not followed. The dress code is now called Gala Attire. We love to “dress up” as we don’t get many opportunities to do so in our area. I try not to let other passengers’ attire bother me, but I do think many of them should just go to the Lido or have room service.

 

We chose to eat breakfast in The Lido since we are early risers and the MDR did not open until 8:00 a.m. Personally, I do not care to ever eat in The Lido, but the food was good, and it was not very crowded at 6:30 a.m., so I could tolerate breakfasts there.

ENTERTAINMENT: We went to the Explorer’s Lounge after dinner every evening to listen to the Adagio Duo, Robert, the violinist, and Livia, the pianist. They were fantastic!!

The other lounge entertainers had good followings also: Solo Guitarist Michael; The Neptunes; and Piano Bar Diane Fast.

We also enjoyed all the shows in the Showroom at Sea: The Statendam singers and dancers performed “Listen to the Music”; “Bob Mackie’s Broadway”; “Street Singin’”; “Encore”; “Unforgettable”; “Stardust Lounge”; and “Dancing with the Stars” (did not attend). The costumes, dancing, and singing were well done. We were so glad the sound system was not overbearing and there were no strobe lights.

The other entertainers were also excellent: “The Comedy Magic of Fred Becker”; “Jim and Anne Curry’s tribute to John Denver”; “The Comedy of Benji Hill”; “Vocalist & Comedy Impressionist Tricia Kelly” (did not enjoy this act); and “Comedian Don McEnery”.

EXCURSIONS: As I stated before, we do not do many excursions, but we do walk and explore each town. Ketchikan: We love Ketchikan and the weather was beautiful. We took the funicular to the Cape Fox Lodge and had a second breakfast, and then did some shopping for our four teenage granddaughters.

Tracy Arm: It was too foggy to attempt Tracy Arm, but we did go to Endicott Arm which was quite nice, but very cold on the deck. We walked four miles while viewing the glacier.

Juneau: We have always taken the Mt. Roberts Tram and did so on this trip. It is always a thrill to look down on the Harbor and see our ship. We then walked around town and I bought the most comfortable pair of shoes at Shoefly Alaska. I can never find a pair of shoes in my size, so I was ecstatic to find these.

Icy Strait Point: This is a tender port and we chose to remain on the ship. Our friends went into town and enjoyed the trip.

On the Sea Day, we went to the Premium Wine Tasting: North Pacific vs. Old World. This was a fantastic wine tasting event. The Cellar Master, Jean Francois, had interesting, unique presentations of wine, and we thoroughly enjoyed all three that we attended. One might say that this is our “excursion” while cruising.

Anchorage: We went into Anchorage early; walked around; enjoyed the beautiful flowers and clean neat business district. There was a very nice, large mall downtown, and we decided to eat at Sullivan’s instead of going back to the ship and then into town again. We had an excellent meal, and best of all, avoided eating in The Lido. I really shouldn’t run The Lido down, as the food and service are great, but we would rather sit at a nice table and be waited on in a quieter atmosphere.

Homer: We rode a school bus over to the Homer Pit. There were several little bars, restaurants, and shops; and we did see fishermen cleaning halibut. Homer is the Halibut Capital of the World. After lunch, we took the ‘Ho-Ho-Ho’, Homer Hop On, Hop Off Shuttle (school bus) to downtown Homer. Homer does give one a feel for a real Alaska town, and it was bigger than I had imagined. There were four stops along the way. Sorry to say, we did not get off the bus, but did enjoy seeing the town.

Kodiak: This archipelago is the second largest island in the U.S. – about the size of Connecticut. I didn’t talk to anyone who saw a Kodiak bear as they were just coming out of hibernation. A better time would be in July, August, and September. We rode the shuttle, another school bus, into town, although many people walked. We enjoyed walking around Kodiak although it was quite cool, and I was glad to have a warm coat and hat. We visited the Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Cathedral, with its blue cupolas – very interesting. We then went to the Alutiiq Museum which was wonderful. Luckily, there was lunch in the MDR, and then we attended another wine tasting: Around the World Wine Festival, where one could enjoy a variety of twelve wines from six different countries. Excellent.

Hubbard Glacier: This is a large glacier and I did get to see a “calving”.

Sitka: We took the tender to Sitka. This is a very interesting town and we enjoyed walking around. We also walked to the Sitka National Historical Park and enjoyed the hike through the tall trees and the totem poles. Since there was no lunch in the MDR, we had clam chowder and crab cakes at the Westmark Hotel. Very nice.

Another Sea Day: Another relaxing day. We attended the Mariner’s Lunch and then went to our last Team Trivia. We did Team Trivia every day and also did some of the Food Trivia. I must mention our cruise director, Ross McTaggart. He was the best CD we have ever had. He was very professional, witty, and kept things on time. I would love to see him on another cruise.

Victoria: We did the Butchart Gardens Tour. It was just as beautiful and interesting as we had been told. We had been to Victoria on other cruises so we did not go downtown. The finals of Dancing with the Stars was held that evening, but we did not attend.

DISEMBARKATION: Disembarkation went very smoothly.

This was a fantastic cruise and we highly recommend it, and would take it again. Luckily, we had smooth seas (with only one day of high white caps). Once again, the food, service, entertainment, lectures, and ambiance were outstanding. We are looking forward to our next cruise in December. :):D

We were on this same cruise, and I agree with you, it was a wonderful cruise.

I have done the 14 day before, but this time we did do a couple of tours,

(my husband has some "walking" issues).... In Ketchikan we took a "Ride the ducks" tour, it was fun, and interesting to see the docks and boats from water level.... we saw a lot of Ketchikan we had never seen before, although this was our 7th visit!

the Endicott arm was a great alternative to the tracy arm, I thought. I had been to Tracy arm before on the Amsterdam, and it is always exciting to go so close to the sides of the rock cliffs, but I thought Endicott arm was also a wonderful experience. for those that were disappointed not going to Tracy Arm, it will give you a reason to go on the 14 day Alaska cruise again!

In Juneau, we took the tram to the top of Mt Roberts, very nice views . We checked out the gift shops, and paid a visit to the eagle .

In Anchorage, we had a private tour, set up by a CC member! A wonderful tour, there were 2 vans and we had lots of space in our van, and good views, the driver was very knowlegable and took us on a 7 hour tour... We went on a tram and had lunch at the top , it was very reasonably priced, especially if you were 70 years old!! it ended up costing us $25.00pp, but at the restaurant at the top, we had a voucher for up to $20.00 for food.... , had a great time up there., we also went to the Chugach national park , beautiful views of downtown Anchorage... Our driver, Michael, was very informative... it was one of the best tours I have ever been on.

In Icy point we took the shuttle into Hoonah, and stopped in a couple of the shops there, I bought a tshirt., We watched the zip line riders come down the zip line.

In Homer, we rented a car and drove all over the place, way up to a bluff high above the city. We went to the Pratt museum, saw the little log cabin, and went to the Oceanic bldg. (I forget the name of it), that was very interesting!

the time in Kodiak was short, we took a bus into town, and walked around a bit.then went back to the ship. I found the weather perfect, I had only a hoodie sweatshirt, and I was comfortable....

I like the size of the statendam, because one doesn't have to walk very far to get from one end to the other.

We had some issues with our toilet not flushing a couple of times, but the plumber came promptly! My husband is a picky eater, and most of the time in the MDR he ate the daily fare.... steak, baked potatoe, vegetable.

I had the French onion soup every night, and only once had to resort to the steak! Our waiters were very attentive and learned our names the first night.

we had open dining, but had the same table with same waiters every night...

but ate late 7:45

We ate in the Pinnacle grill and had a delicious meal... We went to Cannaletto

that was a disappointment for my SIL, and DH, they couldn't find anything on the menu that they liked, they ended up ordering a steak, and my SIL said it was one of the best steaks she ever had.

We ate at the dive in for lunch, like you, I'm not a lido fan... but we do like the dive in.... We ordered continental breakfast in our room, and my DH always went to the lido for his omelet! We played trivia on sea days, and the music one "name that tune"... We went to dancing with the stars, I always do, and they are pretty much all the same, but the dancers seem to put so much time into it, they need an audience.

We also enjoyed the tribute to John Denver...

I wondered why they did not have the MDR open for the welcome back lunch?

should've been from 12 - 1:30, but it was not .

We went to dive in, instead. I really liked the Statendam, with their kind of

glamour décor.... We watched for whales, but didn't see a whole lot of them, may have been too early in the season... In Sitka we went on a sea otter and wildlife tour, the boat was VERY comfortable, and had big windows. I had wanted to go on this tour, because our friends went last time, and had an amazing time... they went again this time, but the excitement wasn't there this year.... we saw one resident whale, named Dominoe.... a few sea otters, and a couple of eagles... it was around a 3 hour tour, and was a little expensive for what we saw.

We love to go to Alaska, mainly because we don't have to fly!!

I know a few people that LOVE the Statendam, and I can see why!

All in All, we had a great cruise! (sorry this turned into a review):D

Carri Cruiser: Thanks for sharing your experience, too. I will be on the cruise soon and all this information is very good for me.

Thank you hummingbird and carri cruiser for your reviews. I enjoyed reading both of them.

We will be on the Statendam sailing on August 24th. We did this itinerary in 2012 on the Amsterdam, but had to miss Kodiak, Homer and Hubbard due to weather. We are going back to catch these stops and my DH's goal is to sail on all of the "dam" ships. So six cruises and six ships.

Okie1946

Thank you carri cruiser for adding your experiences. Which tour company did your CC group use in Ketchikan?

hummingbird, thanks again for your review.

Thank you carri cruiser for adding your experiences. Which tour company did your CC group use in Ketchikan?

 

hummingbird, thanks again for your review.

We went on the "Ride the Ducks" in Ketchikan, it was booked with HAL, but named something else, if you look up the tours HAL has for Ketchikan, you will find it! it was a fairly inexpensive tour.... You can find those "ducks" in most big cities, they go on land, and into the water! it was fun!

Thank you hummingbird and carri cruiser for your reviews. I enjoyed reading both of them.

 

We will be on the Statendam sailing on August 24th. We did this itinerary in 2012 on the Amsterdam, but had to miss Kodiak, Homer and Hubbard due to weather. We are going back to catch these stops and my DH's goal is to sail on all of the "dam" ships. So six cruises and six ships.

 

Okie1946

OH, that would be such a "bummer" to have to miss those ports, if when you are in Homer you take one of those hop on hop off, be sure to get off for the Pratt museum, and for the Ocean (whatever it's called) , very interesting!

we rented a car while we were there, and drove all over the place, the cost of the 8 passenger van was only $138.00 for the day, we rented through Alaska Adventures.

Carri Cruiser: Thanks for sharing your experience, too. I will be on the cruise soon and all this information is very good for me.

The weather this summer has been great in Alaska! We, here in the PNW have been having a heat wave., Have a wonderful cruise!!

I posted this question already on the HAL board, but I'll ask here, too, since you both just got off the Statendam. Do you happen to remember what movies were showing in the theater on the ship? I know the movies aren't brand new, but I'm behind on movies and like to catch up on a couple movies during a cruise. Thanks.

Thanks for your review. My husband and I almost chose that cruise for June 29th but he thought it would be too long. We chose the 7 day on the Westerdam on June 27th instead. We did enjoy that one.

I also posted this on your thread, but will copy it here in case anyone else is interestd.

Here are the movies from the June 15 sailing:

"Pride" -- U.K. gay activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984. Bill Nighy, Staunton & Dominic West 2014 R

"The Imitation Game" -- During WW II, mathematician, Alan Turing, tries to crack the enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians. Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, & Matthew Goode 2014 PG-13

"Disneynature Bears" -- Two mother bears raise clubs in the Alaskan wilderness. 2014 PG=13

"Two Men in Town" -- A Muslim ex-con forms a friendship with his parole officer. Ellen Burstyn, Forest Whitaker, Harvey Keitel 2014 R

"Roald Dahl's Esio Trot" -- A retired bachelor has a thing for his neighbor who only shows affection to her pet tortoise. Dustin Hoffman, James Corden, Richard Cordery 2014 PG

"The Last Five Years" -- A struggling actress and her novelist lover each illustrate the struggle and deconstruction of their love affair. Anna Kendrick, Jeremy Jordan, Tamara Mintz

2014 PG-13

"Kingsman: The Secret Service" -- A spy organization recruits an unrefined, but promissing street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program, just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius. Colin firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson 2014 R

"McFarland USA" -- A cross country coach in small Calif. town transforms a team of athletes into championship contenders. Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Ramiro Rodriguez 2015 PG

"Cinderella" -- Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden 2015 PG

"Diveregent: Insurgent" -- Existing between the time lines of Divergent and Insurgent in the divergent film series, this short film view in 360 degree places you in the chair as Jeanine and the head of her Erudite faction test your skills as a Divergent. atrick Cronen, Mekhi Phifer, Miles Teller 2015 PG

"Home" -- An alien on the run from his town people, lands on Earth and makes friends with the adventurous Tip, who is on a quest of her own. Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin 2015 PG

"Taken 3" -- Ex-govt. operative Bryan Mills is accused of a ruthless murder he never committed or witnessed. As he is tracked and pursued, Mills brings out his particular set of skills to find the true killer and clear his name. Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace 2014 PG-13

"The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" -- As the hotel has only a single remaining vacancy -- posing a rooming predicament for two fresh arrivals -- Sonny pursues his expansionist dream of opening a second hotel. Judi Dench,Maggie Smith, Bill Nigby. 2015 PG

"While We're Young" -- A middle-aged couple's career and marriage are overturned when a disarming young couple enters their lives. Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver 2014 R

We are on this cruise on August 24. I hope you did not increase my expectations too much! We are looking forward to getting back to Alaska and enjoying Statendam.

Hummingbird: Thanks again for posting that list. I really appreciate it.