ron1946

Where do you send military documents to MSC. I have found all kinds of rhetoric about the discount, but no where on what or where to submit for the discount??????

Have you joined the roll call and M&M?

Yes I have, Thanks!

We are sailing at Thanksgiving

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Noticed couple of you sailing at Thanksgiving. My wife and I will also be aboard with some friends from KY on Thanksgiving. Looking forward to this one!

Great review, good pictures.

Thanks so much Suncrab!

Thank you, I have really enjoyed your commentary and pictures.

We are considering this itinerary for our Alaska trip and your review has been very useful. You have brought it all to life.

Thank you for your kind words. I hope you do take this cruise/tour because we consider it to be well worth while, and such a unique way to see the interior of Alaska, vice just the Inside Passage Ports.

After having done a tour would you consider DIY?

 

What from your tour would you include in a DIY tour/leave out?

I would definitely consider a DIY tour, however, I think there are pros and cons vs a Cruise/Tour.

First of all, it was great having HAL make all the hotel/travel/logistics/arrangements. We just arrived in Seattle and they took over from there! I am sure it is a lot of work just scheduling everything on a DIY. However, in a DIY you definitely have more flexibility and can go at a more leisurely pace. The cruise/tour was pretty rigid in it's scheduling, getting bags out, ETC.

I would definitely visit all of the places (cities) we visited. Perhaps only two days at Denali, but I would definitely take the Tundra Wilderness Tour while there. Time in Anchorage could have been a little longer. But all in all, I think we enjoyed the Cruise Tour better than a DIY. Keep in mind, I am 70 years old and my wife is 69, so have everything taken care of for us was a huge plus.

My very lengthy review with lots of pictures of our 2016 Holland America R2L Cruise Tour can be found at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2401485

After arriving at Canada Place, we found our luggage and cleared customs. There were HAL reps that directed us to where the bus was waiting for us.

The motor coach trip to Seattle was about 4 hours. We did have a couple of rest room stops along the way. When we left the ship, we drove right through the heart of Victoria, but it was a rainy day, so could not really get some good pictures. Here are a few of the buildings we passed along the way.

I was actually trying to get the Canadian flag flying here.

An unusual shaped triangle building.

Eventually, we arrived back in the good old USA! We had to wait on the bus while the drive took all of our passports into the building to get us cleared through customs.

After dropping folks off at the airport, our driver graciously took us and about 3 other couples by the hotels we were staying at in Seattle. We had to spend an extra night (at our expense) due to not getting to Seattle in time for our last flight out. We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites, just about 10 minutes from the airport, and left to return home at about 11:00 the next morning.

To kind of summarize all of this, we had an excellent time and would do it all over again. I must admit though, after the land tour, and the fact that we had done the Inside Passage twice before, time on the ship was melodramatic!. I have to say though, being in one place and not having to pack and unpack suitcases was a blessing! As I mentioned the food was excellent as well as the service aboard ship. It was also a welcomed break from the moving from one place to another, putting luggage outside the door, etc.! I think doing the cruise at the end of the tour gives you time to unwind and little time in preparation of going home.

I know this has been a very long review, and it has taken me forever to get it all posted between work, schedules and whatever, but I hope it will be beneficial to anyone that may be thinking of or actually taking the Holland America R2L Cruise Tour to Alaska. My wife and I had a wonderful time certainly enjoyed the trip tremendously!

I think it is now fitting to close out this review with the following picture of an Alaskan Sunset taken out our stateroom window, the last night aboard MS Volendam!

The trip via the Inside Passage from Ketchikan to Victoria had beautiful scenery, but again this was our third time, so we spent most of the time doing things inside the ship. I am sure most of you are aware that every evening the cabin steward prepares some sort of towel animal. We had an exceptional cabin steward that seemed to anticipate our every move, as every time we left the cabin, upon returning it was straightened up and tidy! Here is one of the animals we found from returning from dinner the last night.

During the day, HAL puts on a pretty good salmon bake on the lido deck. The food was excellent with a lot of "sides" to go along with it, and of course the ever present dessert line! Here is the serving line. We found it surprising that the salmon bake was not really crowded!

The pool area was closed during the salmon bake, but the weather was a little cool, probably discouraging some polar bear swimmers!

Our last night in the dining room, the entire kitchen staff serenaded us, and bid us goodbye. The food on the ship was very good, and of course, the service was excellent as always. There was always plenty to choose from and I guarantee, we never went away hungry!

That night we had to fill out our Customs forms and tag our luggage indicating we would be on the motor coach to Seattle. We still had to go through Customs when we arrived in Victoria. Our last two trips sailed out of Seattle, and we were unable to port in Victoria due to winds, so this was our first stop here.

We arrived about 7:00 in the morning, and as can be seen in the below pics, Canada Place where the ship docks, is right downtown Victoria.

Here are some additional shots in Ketchikan.

As I mentioned, the shopping is directly across from the pier. Here is part of it.

and another area

After returning to the ship, we went up to the lido deck from some hot chocolate and to warm up! Here are a couple of "aerial" views from the ship.

And as in all our travels, the statue to the different cultures and vocations right where Volendam tied up.

We had to say goodbye to Ketchikan, and here is the final departing shot as we were getting underway.

Next:

Various ship shots and Victoria, BC

This may sound corny but one of my favorite things about HAL is the daily rugs in the elevators. I love those. Love the pics. cant wait for rest..

We also enjoy the "Day" mats in the elevator. Helps to know what day it is especially on a long cruise!

We arrived in Ketchikan around 10:00 in the morning. It was a wet' date=' windy, cool day. Really the only bad weather day the whole trip. This was our third trip to Ketchikan, and each time it had been wet and windy, so was somewhat expecting it. We did not schedule any excursions, so decided to bundle up and do a little shopping. One thing on my bucket list was to see salmon spawning. So far we had been to far north to see much of it, so one of the stops was sure to be Creek Street to see it they were there.

The infamous "Welcome to Ketchikan" street sign:

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Ketchikan is another of the cities that it is very easy to get around in by just walking. The ship berths right "downtown" and most of the shops are right across the street from the pier. However, it is always advisable to get away from the main drag and head down some side streets to find a few better bargains! There is a tunnel within a short working distance from the piers as can be seen here. We have never been through it, so can't really comment about what is on the other side.

Creek Street, as implied, has many shops built over a creek that runs through Ketchikan. A board walk over and alongside the creek encompasses all the shops there. In the Gold Rush days, it housed the locale Brothels and Taverns. Today the river and creek was very clear and we could see the Salmon. It was not like you see on TV with the fish diving up the small falls, but they were in large schools heading up the creek.

Welcome to Creek Street. It is only about a three or four block walk directly across from where we were berthed.

The river and creek is not that large, but still very pretty, even in the rain!

And here are the salmon schooling to get up the river.

To show you how close the ship is to the shopping, here is a picture of our ship taken from the shops across the street, shortly before we returned after spending most of the day in Ketchikan.

More of Ketchikan follows.

Here are more pictures as we proceeded through Glacier Bay. I must admit, even though this was our second trip into Glacier Bay, it was still amazed by not only the glaciers and their size, but the overall beauty and serenity of being in the Bay itself. I apologize for the reflection in the window in some of the pics.

Saying goodbye to Glacier Bay

Next up: Ketchikan

We left Skagway at 10:00PM, and after a night of cruising entered into Glacier Bay. We had embarked a Park Ranger onboard prior to entering the National Park, and the ranger provided narrative as to where we were at as well as pointing out whales and wildlife along the way. The ship would approach the glacier and make a 360 degree turn so all aboard could get a good glimpse of the glaciers. Here are some pictures taken while we traveled through the ice and approached the glaciers.

Getting close!

Shortly after this picture was taken the glacier "calved", and the sailboat had a pretty good ride! Unfortunately, I was not fast enough with my camera to get a picture of the actual calving! It is preceded by a very loud "Crack" when it occurs.

Next up: More Glacier Bay

One of the pleasant things about cruising on Holland America that I really enjoy is the fresh flowers everywhere you go, the interesting sculptures and the art around the ship. Here are some examples of those items aboard Volendam:

This last one was really interesting. It is a dress made out of coins!

Next up: Glacier Bay

We are traveling to Alaska and Doing Denali next July. Thank you so much for taking time to post your adventure and pictures!

I know it will be a wonderful trip for you. While in Denali I HIGHLY recommend the Tundra Wilderness Tour if you can take it. You won't be sorry!

Is that nice sunny shot of the ship from 10 PM??? I am having a hard time even imagining what the skies will look like on a June night.

That picture was taken about 8:45 PM, end of August, when daylight is starting to get shorter. If you are going to Alaska in June your days will actually be longer.

We left the hotel around 10:00 AM and it was a short bus trip (15 minutes) to Volendam. Here we actually said “goodbye” at our Journey Host, Simon. Our luggage had been picked up earlier, and as we would find out, already delivered to our stateroom when we arrived. Volendam was berthed on the pier right next to the mountain. Boarding was simple, with a “progressive” check in, and we were given our sign and sail cards on the bus. Upon entering the ship, it was the familiar “ding” and through security. We had arrived! From there we were directed to the theater where our documents we checked and picture added to the sign and sail card, then we were turned loose to find our stateroom. Since this was our third Inside Passage trip, we opted for an oceanview to help with the cost factor. We had an oceanview on the Ryndam two years earlier, so we were familiar with storage, and the layout of the stateroom.

When we opened the curtains in our stateroom, we were looking right at the “signature” wall of the mountain. Every ship that calls in Skagway, on their first port visit is asked to “sign” the signature wall. There are many, many examples of the ships that have called here.

One of the first stops after boarding of course is the lido deck for some lunch/snacks. Volendam’s lido deck was typical of the HAL smaller class ships.

Of course we had to tour the ship a little bit, so one stop was the Atrium.

We also went back to the theater to get a better look since all the hub-bub of checking our tour group in was over and done with. Very pretty.

After settling into our stateroom, we checked on when we had reservations at the Pinnacle Grill. Good thing we did, as they were for that evening. We tried to change them, but were told it was impossible since the Pinnacle had been sold out already. This was part of our Explore 4 package. We really didn’t want to go the first night onboard, but had no choice in the matter. However, I must admit, it was a wonderful dinner, with excellent food and excellent service. I had the 16oz Ribeye, and my wife had the stuffed eggplant. Both were very good as can be seen in the picture below. We were somewhat disappointed in HAL though, since every evening we would pass by the Pinnacle Grill and it was half empty!

We went to dinner and afterwards strolled along the promenade deck. Here is a picture of the mountains behind us. The ship had not left port yet as underway time was 10:00 PM. It was a beautiful evening with a breathtaking view from the outside decks.

Up next: More of Volendam

Skagway is the “home” of the White Pass and Yukon Railroad. In addition to a period train depot, they have several displays about some of the original as well as modern equipment.

Here is a replica of one of the original trains that carried prospectors north over the White Pass to the gold fields.

Some modern day equipment included these rail cars that also had a snow removal car with blades that would remove the snow from the tracks.

To give you some idea of the size, my wife is 5’6” standing in from of the snow removal car.

As in most of the towns in Alaska and the Yukon, there are monuments to the prospectors. This one is located in the area where WP&Y Railway has there displays.

On somewhat of a sad note, we will be leaving our Journey Host in Skagway, and boarding MS Volendam. The last night we had a farewell party for our host and the AAA host and group that was journeying with us. It was held in one of the hotel's lounges, and very nice snacks were available. There was a pay as you go bar. It was also the time where each of us showed our appreciation to the Journey Hosts by providing their gratuities. Here is my wife and our Journey Host, Simon.

I mentioned shopping. We found the best shopping to be at the Outlet stores on both ends of the main street. One is just before you get to the Brewing Company the other is right across the street from the WP&Y Railway display. Very good selection, very good prices and be sure to pick up the flyer as you go in the stores as they have sales going on!

One final shot looking down the main drag of Skagway.

Next up - Welcome aboard Volendam!

When we arrived in Skagway, U. S. Customs came onboard the train and looked at each passengers passport, so make sure you have it with you.

We really enjoyed Skagway. The shopping is great, restaurants are very good, and there is a lot to see and do here.

The Westmark Inn in Skagway was the typical Westmark, however, be advised that there is no elevator and all the rooms are on the second floor. These old bones sometimes struggled to get up the stairs. Our room was in the back of the hotel, very comfortable and had a great view of the mountains behind us.

There are a lot of interesting things so see in Skagway. Many different types of buildings as well as things like this mural, which was actually on three different buildings.

The location of the hotel is on a side street, right in the middle of downtown (all 7 or 8 blocks of it!), so getting around was pretty easy. Here is part of downtown, again with some unique buildings.

This particular building was built in 1899 (as can be seen), but it is constructed totally of driftwood. It is still in use today!

Here is the infamous Red Onion Saloon, which was a brothel during the height of the Gold Rush. You can take tours and eat there, but we did not participate.

Here is another shot of the downtown area

Next we continue in Skagway.

When we arrived in Fraser to meet the White Pass and Yukon railcars, it was pretty foggy. The fog lasted for a while and as we started to head towards Skagway, it completely lifted. Again, the scenery was breathtaking (even what we could see in the fog!). Our tour group was assigned our own rail car. The cars are restored to the original décor as used during the Gold Rush days. Seats are really not very comfortable as can be seen in the photo! FYI there is a restroom onboard each car. Here is the car and our group just as we were leaving Fraser.

Just a little tip here. This is our second time on the WP&Y Railroad. If you are traveling from Skagway to Fraser (up the mountain) sit on the LEFT side of the train. Traveling from Fraser to Skagway (as we were this trip) sit on the RIGHT side of the train, otherwise for the majority of the trip you will seeing nothing but the side of the mountain and rock walls!

A few pictures of the rivers we crossed. I am not sure, but these pictures may all be of the same river, but needless to say, each crossing was just beautiful.

Looking out across the canyon we saw these buildings. Not sure, but I think they are actually the customs point location for entering from Yukon to Alaska along the highway.

Once again, the train ride was very nice, I just wish it had been narrated so we knew what we were seeing.

Next is Skagway

Baggage had to be out early the morning we left Whitehorse, as it had to go to Fraser and be placed aboard the White Pass and Yukon Railroad train we would be taking into Skagway. We left on a motor coach about 9:30, and had another pleasant, scenic drive. One of the places we stopped was the overlook above this river. Notice the beautiful color of the water!

Our next stop was somewhat of a nostalgic stop for my wife and I. We stopped at Emerald Lake, and although the pictures don’t do it justice, the water is a beautiful emerald color. This is a result of the way the algae grows in the lake.

What was nostalgic for us, is that my wife and I stood in this exact same spot four years ago and had our picture taken!

We continued on for a while and came to the Carcross Desert. This is literally a desert that was made as a result of the glaciers moving across the area depositing silt in lakes. When the lakes dried up the silt was left behind, so basically the “sand” is glacier silt. It was quite a large area, and it did feel just like sand.

We then went into the actual town of Carcross. There really isn’t much there. A visitors center a couple of general type shopping stores, and some pretty good ice cream!

The town itself was important during the Gold Rush Days, as it was the terminal point of the White Pass and Yukon Railway. It was originally known as Caribou Crossing and sits on the base of Bennett Lake and was originally home to some of the local native people.

It is pretty run down, but an interesting place to stop for just a little bit. There is a skeleton of a sternwheeler there to tour but not much more.

Next up our trip down to Skagway via the White Pass and Yukon Railroad.

Okay - Back after Hurricane Matthew provided a little bit of interruption.

As we continue on from Minto to Whitehorse, again via the motor coach, we stopped at several places to take pictures, making the trip not so tiresome and boring. However, I cannot conceive of anyone being bored travelling through a beautiful scenic drive of Alaska!

Approximately 20 minutes after we left our lunch stop at Minto, we stopped at a place called the Seven Rapids. This is a spot on the Yukon River that, according to history, was a treacherous spot for the paddlewheelers and steamboats. These treacherous waters supposedly claimed many of the boats during the Gold Rush days.

Very pretty, but as can be seen, it can be very treacherous too!

After about another 45 minutes to an hour we stopped for a restroom break, and this is where the huge cinnamon rolls can be purchased. As you can see from the picture, they are quite large, and quite frankly, taste very good. Just a little tip. We saved our last $10.00 Canadian bill to pay for this, rather than $10.00 US. The Yukon will always give you change in Canadian money even if you pay in US cash. At the time the exchange rate was $1.25 Canadian to $1.00 US.

We arrived at the Whitehorse Westmark Inn around 3:30 PM. The Westmark Inn was nice, typical Westmark, rooms were a little small, but comfortable. We decided to get out in town and look around before it became dark, and we did not have excursions scheduled here. There is a monument to the Gold Miners right in the middle of town (seems they all have a monument like this!)

Here are a few pictures of the “main drag” in Whitehorse.

Did you notice the time on the clock!

I had mentioned before the beautiful flowers that seemed to be everywhere in all of the towns we went into. Whitehorse was no exception:

Next up Whitehorse to Skagway, via Carcross.

Sorry folks, I'm going to have to put this on hold for a few days. Hurricane Matthew is heading our way, and I have to "batten down the hatches"!:eek: Be back as soon as I can!:(

Our next stop was for lunch in Minto. The “cabin” was located in a dense forest, and it was right on the Yukon River. Very nice serene location with the river running behind it. Lunch was very good and consisted of your choice of different soup, build your own salad and dessert. Coffee and tea also were available. This is also part of the tour.

Here is the “cabin” where we ate.

We were greeted by this guy as well as several other stuffed animals.

The Yukon River was located right behind the cabin, and many of the tour groups used this as a backdrop for their group picture.

As mentioned, it is in the middle of a dense forest, and the Whitehorse-Dawson main road used to pass right by it.

You never know what you are going to find at some of these places. This is a very well used birdhouse that was between the cabin where we ate, and the restrooms.

I believe this was also a camping area, but the beautiful trees and the river made for a very secluded and quiet area.

Next we continue on to Whitehorse.

Before the motor coach tour to Whitehorse, I just wanted to show you this last picture taken in Dawson City. We went into the General Store, which is right across the street from where we got on the Klondike Spirit. We just wanted to check prices to see how they compared to the lower 48. Most items were not that more expensive, fruits and vegetables were fairly comparable. Some of the local items were even at a bargain, however, we did come across this which I think you will agree is much more than what you or I would pay!

The motor coach trip from Dawson City to Whitehorse was about 8 hours long. However, there were many stops along the way for photo ops as well as restroom breaks. Of course the scenery was fantastic.

The Tintina Trench was a beautiful stop. It had a nice lake as well as the valley and mountains.

This was one of the first stops, and it was still fairly early in the morning so the clouds had not burned off yet.

I have mentioned before the beautiful wildflowers that we encountered everywhere we went. Here are some at one of our stops.

One of the stops for a restroom break was at the Moose Creek Lodge. This had a nice little gift shop, as well as coffee and snacks available. It apparently is also a popular camping site in the Yukon.

I have heard that the mosquitos in Alaska are large enough to carry you off. However, in three trips (two in May and this one in August) we have never been bothered by mosquitos or bugs of any kind. Maybe we should knock on wood, especially since this guy here was just outside the lodge door!