Looking for Comments on the Oosterdam cruises to Alaska

[Himself]

Have any posters sailed the OOSTERDAM to Alaska out of Seattle. I am wondering how the cruise was. How were the Seas between Seattle and Alaska?

 

Any information you can pass on would be greatly appreciated

 

HIMSELF

[LAFFNVEGAS]

HIMSELF, I can honestly say this was the best cruise we have ever been on. Now we are far from cruise experts but we enjoyed the Alaska Oosterdam so much that within the week after we got home we booked 2 more cruises. Captain Mercer is wonderful, as well as his crew. The food was great, the ship beautiful and the Ports were fun. I never dreamed we would like the Alaska cruise as much as we did. We went in May and the abundance of wild life and their babies was wonderful. I was amazed at the Orca's and the young and getting up so close to them. Hubbard Glacier was more majestic than pictures can show. If you would like you can email me and I will email you my Photo Album of the cruise, under most of the pictures I describe what is in the picture. One of my favorites is the one I took at Hubbard Glacier of a Mother Seal giving birth on an Iceberg as Sea Gulls watcher over her.

 

My email address is laffnvegas@aol.com

[jan7487]

Hi

 

We live in the Seattle area and have done this cruise 3 times-once from Vancouver and twice from Seattle. Have enjoyed all 3, tho do believe the cruise from VR., which is a true inside passage cruise, to be the more scenic.

 

We are just off the O (8/28-9/4)---she is a lovely ship with a great crew, and now has Captain Jeroen Van Donselaar, rather than Captain Mercer. Having done this cruise both in May (once)and August(twice), will say that we had "bouncy" seas both times on the first day after leaving from Seattle.However, when you come along the Queen Charlotte Islands the afternoon of that first day, it smoothed out.We will do this trip again next year from Seattle and prefer May, tho have had beautiful weather on all three.

 

Agree with the above poster re the ports and Hubbard Glacier--it is awesome. If you should be interested in the Amsterdam from Seattle, it does Glacier Bay--also very, very spectacular. We have been on the Amster. three times, and are very fond of that ship---smaller than the Vistas; have been on the O twice and this last time with almost 2000 guests aboard found it seemed crowded at times.

 

You will love the Alaska cruise and bet you do it more than once!

 

Janet

[mcpepe]

 

 

 

We are just off the O (8/28-9/4)---she is a lovely ship with a great crew, and now has Captain Jeroen Van Donselaar, rather than Captain Mercer.

Janet

 

Hey, Janet, we were on the same cruise. :D We just LOVED the ship and the cruise. We had spectacular weather as Janet can attest to and the ship was lovely. Coming from the East Coast, don't know when we'll get back to Alaska, but it was definitely a wonderful experience I'd highly recommend.

[Thoth]

I was on the Oosterdam the last week of July. She is a wonderful ship with the elegance and ambiance one comes to expect from Holland America. What else can I say? The food, service, and shows were all to my liking. How were the seas? There were very smooth, except one evening out in the Gulf after departing Hubbard Glacier. That time we had what I understood to be 12 foot waves. The rest of the time was perfect!! I have been to both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay and both are equally good from what I saw. Last year I sailed out of Vancouver and this year Seattle and I found Seattle to be much easier to get into and out of.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I forgot to mention about the Seas when we were on in May. One word can explain "CALM" This was the first cruise we have been on that we never had Sea Legs when we got off:( I actually missed that feeling of still being on the ship. I had heard from several we could hit some rough waters especially out of Seattle but we never did.

[Himself]

Dear Laffinvegas, Thoth & jan7487:

 

Thanks for your responses. I was interested in the OOSTERDAM, and the sail from Seattle. I got good responses on both questions. I have sailed many times from Vancouver and did the Inside Passage. I have seen Glacier Bay on each trip. Did a "round trip" on the Ryndam several years ago between Vancouver and Seattle and back and missed Hubbard Glacier both times. I was glad to hear it is spectacular. I think I will try the OOSTERDAM out of Seattle. I would do the Amsterdam but it just will not work out for me.

Thanks for the help.

HIMSELF

[jan7487]

You will love the Oosterdam. She is big, but she is beautiful!

 

Janet

[Himself]

Thanks for the encouragement and good report. Janet--I do hope I enjoy this one as much as you say I will.

Lisa: I have never had sea legs and I have been doing cruises since 1996.

I have been in some rough weather also.

 

Himself

[1drifter]

My pictures from that cruise are at http://community.webshots.com/album/162366929YEVWDYWe both loved it & would agree with all of the good comments here. Shari

[EbayCruiser]

I was on the Aug.28 - Sept. 4 too! My husband and I travelled with my husband's brother and sister-in-law. We absolutely LOVED it and can't wait to plan our next cruise. The food was FANTASTIC (especially the Lido). Still missing those chocolate croussiants. :rolleyes: Weather was wonderful and Hubbard Glacier was unreal. The weather was so good at Hubbard Glacier that they had a photo op and lowered a lifeboat and took pictures of the ship with all the passengers waving and cheering. :) We bought the CD and it is great! Hope you cruise the Oosterdam - you will not be disappointed!!