Ryndam-Alaska, Reviews Please

[1char]

Would welcome reviews from anyone that has sailed to Alaska on the Ryndam this year. We have never traveled with HAL and are wondering what to expect. Any info/tips that would help make our trip more enjoyable would be appreciated. SB Seward to Vancouver, July 11th.

 

Thanks, Charlie

[echotumi]

the ship it self is great the opera show is not to be missed try canelettos one night its yummy .i loved the size of the ship ,, college fords is wonderful cruising so is glacier bay ,,

[1char]

the ship it self is great the opera show is not to be missed try canelettos one night its yummy .i loved the size of the ship ,, college fords is wonderful cruising so is glacier bay ,,

 

Did you eat dinners in the MDR or other places? Did you go to any of the lounges for music/dancing?

 

How were the ports you visited? Any recommendations for sight-seeing? Trying to stay away from guided tours. Thanks, Charlie

[echotumi]

we rented a car in haines for around 79 with tax .goggle car rentals in haines . in juneau we took the glacier express .. was nice and in kethican we took the public bus to totem state park ..we ate in the mdr everynight the last night we ate in the canellato we have seen the masters chef dinner many times and it is the last night.we were up in the crows nest alot at night ,any other ??

[trophy_23]

Haven't been on the Ryndam this year to Alaska, but did in both 2008 and 2009. She is a beautiful ship and I think you will have a wonderful time!!

[cruzn single]

We were on the Ryndam in May to Alaska. Still the beautiful ship that it was before in 1998. Looks great after dry-dock. New bar area replacing casino bar is very nice. We ate in Canaletto 2 nights and enjoyed the meals very much. Other evenings we ate in the MDR. Only went to one show, as that is not really our thing on cruises. Crew, as always, was great!

 

Feel sure that you will enjoy your cruise on the beautiful MS Ryndam.

[Silverwing]

Our first cruise was on the Ryndam - Alaska northbound from Vancouver in July 2007. Being in the UK, most people hadn't heard of Holland America then. Thankfully HAL is raising it's profile here and they are offering itineraries which start and finish in the UK which is fantastic for us. Back in 2007 even our TA was surprised when I asked her to book a HAL cruise for us! I did a lot of research on the net and knew I had found the right cruise for us when I started reading the reviews and posts on this Cruise Critic forum.

 

Everything we experienced on our Alaska cruise far exceeded our high expectations! We loved everything about our week on the Ryndam and wouldn't hesitate to recommend such an amazing trip.

 

My top tip might sound obvious, but we couldn't believe how many people we saw without suitable clothing on deck who were very cold. We also talked to people who had only viewed the glaciers from behind the windows of the Crow's Nest. So make sure you take layers, then you can be a comfortable temperature and spend lots of time out on deck - the only place to really experience the glaciers and hopefully see and hear the calving. We were very pleased we had warm hats and gloves - they don't take up much space in your luggage, but were well used!

 

Wishing you a wonderful 'Alaskan Adventure'.

[aliaschief]

If you check out the Cruise Critic Members Reviews there have been several recent reviews on the MS Rydam cruises in Alaska. I'm happy to say that they have been very good ones.

 

For tours, don't forget to check out the Ports of Call section of Cruise Critic. Always many comments on tours etc. and not just from Holland America cruisers. Reading lots of reviews from present to past will help you plan a great cruise.

 

By the way. We are booked on the MS Ryndam in December and would appreciate hearing about your experience upon your return.

 

Have a great cruise.

[cruz chic]

Thanks to all that replied. I'm looking forward to my cruise in Oct. but I was a little worried about reports from last year. Good to hear all is well.

[1char]

Thanks for the info. How was the music/dancing? We enjoy the "old" folks music. Charlie

[IAGrown]

WE just returned from a northbound cruisetour on the Ryndam. We cruised from Vancouver to Seward June 20-27 and completed a land tour through July 3.

 

The Ryndam crew is amazing. The ship itself is also first class. We had a suite since it was alaska and wanted a personal viewing area - it was well worth the investment! the views of glacier bay, college fjord, and the entire inside passage were amazing!

 

As for the ship itself:

 

1. The restaurant (pinnacle grill) is fantastic! The food is first class, the staff is amazing (ask for Dia as your waitress - she did a great job!) it is well worth the price and not to be missed.

 

2. The shows are pretty good but we opted for other activities such as the casino or a casual night in the Mix Bar listening to the live music. It is light outside all night long so it is nice to sit next to the window and have a casual drink and watch the amazing scenery go by.

 

3. The Main Dining Room is great. There are plenty of small tables if you would rather enjoy a meal by yourselves as well as the more traditional 8 person tables. We preferred open seating and never had more than a 10 minute wait to eat at our leisure. The food is fantastic and the deserts are not to be missed!

 

4. After only 1 or two visits to each location the staff all knew our names and our drink choices (maybe we drank too much) :)

 

5. We are younger - so most of the music and dancing was not really our style - but having said that - they were great people watching activities!

 

6. As for dress - a few were in tuxes on formal night, but honestly a traditional blue blazer with a tie for dinner and khakis is just fine. anything more and you might feel over dressed. It is a great chance to get dressed up if you enjoy that - we preferred to wear a shirt and tie and then after dinner drop the jacket and tie. often it is too warm in many areas to endure the jacket and tie much longer. My recommendation - bring less clothes than you think you will need. Especially if you are in a suite - they do your laundry for you and you can expect to get anything you put out to be back the next day by 9AM folded and ready to wear!

 

The staff is amazing. We have never had such a great time cruising. The ship is the perfect size to be personable with people and the staff really works hard to meet all of your expectations. We have made some lifelong new friends who we are already planning to meet up with again on another HAL cruise next year.

 

My impression of the people who were unhappy with things on board - there is llittle that woudl make them happy. People have remarked on the waiting time for dinner, as if 15 minutes is a long time. Or that the entertainment was sub-par - its all about expectations. we think this was the best DAM cruise we have ever taken - we would definitely sail the Ryndam again and again.

 

We are HAL for life!