Alaskan Cruise - Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, or Zaandam?

[Khlela]

Hi All!

I see several different ships that do roundtrip Alaskan cruises (Explorer and/or inside passage). I am wondering, if anyone has done more than one, is the food essentially the same? I know there are different ports, and each ship may vary in specialty restaurants, etc. However, is the MDR and Lido food essentially the same for all ships or will there be differences there as well?

For instance, if someone had an Alaskan cruise coming up on the Eurodam or Nieuw Amsterdam, could they watch videos of Alaskan cruises on the Noordam or Koningsdam to get an idea of the foods that will be there? Or is the Lido and MDR ship specific rather than just destination specific?

[CruiserBruce]

The menus will be the same. To say the food will be the same will generate tremendous arguments, as it is totally subjective. 

[*Miss G*]

If you enjoy fresh local seafood, you will enjoy Holland America’s Fresh Fish Program.

[lcand1923]

Menus are the same.  HOWEVER, just like on land, food varies by kitchen staff that makes it.  Even a Big Mac or Whopper will vary from one location to another.

[Haljo1935]

Aligned w/others - menus will be the same, but actual tastes could vary. As could the local catch items.

AK is fabulous - safe travels, enjoy your cruise!

[Gsel]

I don't think the ship really matters, what does is the scenery and the discovery of Alaska and it's people! 

[OlsSalt]

Smaller HAL ships do the 14 day Alaska cruises - they are the best of all,  and often have new ports too.  Noordam or Zaandam, you can't go wrong. 

[Khlela]

Thank you so much everyone!

[cabland]

A few items:

 

1.  The itinerary (i.e. route and port stops) - Your FIRST decision is whether you are doing a round trip (i.e. Seattle to Seattle or Vancouver to Vancouver).  In your case, you are doing roundtrip.  In general, a roundtrip from Vancouver is my preference as you get to do more of the true inside passage (between Vancouver Island and the coast) vs. open sea.  For HAL they usually have certain ships sailing EITHER Vancouver OR Seattle, but not both...except at the very beginning or end of the season so that will automatically restrict you to some of the ships.  The Vancouver cruises are generally more expensive as is flying into Vancouver.  Beyond that, some of the ships appear to do roundtrips primarily, while others are used for the one way trips (North or Southbound).  Once you decide on your route, the ship selection whittles down pretty quick.

 

2. Age/Size of Ships - I think the newest and largest ship HAL has in Alaska is the Pinnacle class Koningsdam (built in 2016).  The next newest ships are the somewhat smaller Signature class ships  - the Eurodam (2008) and Nieuw Amsterdam (2010).

 

We have done two roundtrip cruises - both were from Vancouver.  The first, in 2018, was on the Nieuw Amsterdam and the second, in 2023, was on the Koningsdam.  I would not hesitate to do either ship again.  As other have noted, the real star is Alaska itself.  As such, you should (IMO) prioritize the route first and excursions you want to do.  The latter, in particular, can take your Alaskan cruise from nice to awesome - though the impact to your wallet can be, um, substantial.  However, if you really want to SEE Alaska, you need to take excursions (or rent cars, etc.) that get you out of the ports to where you can actually see stuff.

 

If you care more about amenities on the ships, then generally, newer is better.  I do, however, appreciate the more open rear lido deck and full size promenade deck on the Nieuw Amsterdam/Eurodam over the newer Koningsdam (for exterior sightseeing).

 

[cbr663]

You didn't indicate what month you are hoping to sail.  My first cruise to Alaska was in 2014 and it was the first cruise of the season out of Vancouver on the Volendam.  We had a wonderful cruise.  Sunshine every day.  The smaller ship was great and the best part was that the ship sailed midweek so we were the only ship in port.

 

Last year we again sailed to Alaska on the Koningsdam.  This time the ship sailed on the weekend and  we shared every port stop with 3 - 4 other ships as large as and larger than our ship.  Over tourism in the ports was a challenge and it negatively affected our enjoyment.  For this reason, I suggest you have a look at the Zaandam sailings on May 1st and 8th from Vancouver.