Wandering_star Posted April 17, 2018 #1 Share Posted April 17, 2018 Hello! I am in the very early stages of helping my dad and brother plan an Alaska cruise. They would prefer round trip from Vancouver in the fall of 2018. From my initial research, it looks like the following ships will do a version of this itinerary at least once: Westerdam Nieuw Amsterdam Noordam Volendam I have only sailed on Princess, so I am asking for your help to understand the differences between the ships (which ones are newer? bigger? dare I asked, "better"?) and the differences between Princess and Holland America (what type of activities are on the ship? is there specialty dining? how is the spa? what are the must see shows?) Both my dad and brother have been to Alaska and have cruised on Princess and Celebrity, but neither are big researchers/planners (this is where I come in). To add an extra level of planning, my brother uses a wheelchair for mobility and will require an accessible stateroom (I know this may greatly limit when they can sail and on what ship, but like I said, the planning is in the initial stages). If anyone can share their experiences in sailing in an accessible stateroom on Holland America, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhannah Posted April 18, 2018 #2 Share Posted April 18, 2018 We are Princess Platinum members, and four-star with Holland America. Both lines are excellent products. HAL ships tend to have less "flash" than Princess ships. More brass and darker woods. I give a nod to the service on Holland America. Food is so subjective I generally don't get into those comparisons. Let's just say I've never lost weight on a cruise! :D You won't have problems finding an accessible cabin on any HAL ship ... unless it's getting late and they're sold out. We've sailed Alaska on both lines. No significant differences in the cruise experience. I would choose Noordam or Westerdam over the other two simply because they're a "happy medium" with regard to size. The Nieuw Amsterdam is the newest and largest of the four ... Volendam the oldest and smallest. I'm sure you'll have a fantastic journey. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted April 18, 2018 #3 Share Posted April 18, 2018 Since mobility appears to be an issue, I would pick the smaller HAL ships which are easier to get around and from side to side so you can take in all the views. No long hallways on the R and S class ships - more elevators on the R class ships (Zaandam, Volendam, Rotterdam, Amsterdam) that go up this way from Vancouver - though less frequently than the Vista ships which would be the next choice (Noordam-Zuiderdasm- Oosterdam- Westerdam) (Not all ships mentioned go to Alaska - just the names of the ships in each class - R class and Vista class) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creel5857 Posted April 18, 2018 #4 Share Posted April 18, 2018 We have sailed princess and holland and enjoyed both and found many things similar but i can say that we typically find the entertainment less appealing on holland than princess.....food is about the same depending on ships more than cruise line........you can sometimes get more space in less expensive rooms on holland like sofas can come in regular balcony rooms on holland where you have to purchase mini suite on princess to get sofa......we have been to Alaska 3 times and i would say just go with the itinerary you prefer and then the best room accommodations from there. (Possibly see which ships have been drydocked more recently)........hope you have a great trip....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennybear Posted April 18, 2018 #5 Share Posted April 18, 2018 We are platinum on Princess as well as three star on HAL. We sailed last year on Noordam and she is in real need of refurbishment. I would suggest the Nieuw Amsterdam as she is newer and not that much larger. She also has the wonderful Tamarind restaurant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wandering_star Posted April 18, 2018 Author #6 Share Posted April 18, 2018 Thanks everyone! I figured Holland America and Princess would be relatively comparable in terms of experience. Upon additional investigation, it looks like the Nieuw Amsterdam may be the best fit for them. Now the challenge is to find an accessible stateroom... the journey continues... Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancing Shoes Posted April 18, 2018 #7 Share Posted April 18, 2018 Nieuw Amsterdam has a better spa than the Volendam. I think this ship also has heated thermal loungers too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted April 18, 2018 #8 Share Posted April 18, 2018 Thanks everyone! I figured Holland America and Princess would be relatively comparable in terms of experience. Upon additional investigation, it looks like the Nieuw Amsterdam may be the best fit for them. Now the challenge is to find an accessible stateroom... the journey continues... Thanks again! Nieuw Amsterdam is a lovely ship. Think you will enjoy it and it still has the classic grace of the more traditional HAL ships but with some very nice extras like the Tamarind dining room. Bigger than other HAL ships (around 2000 passengers?) but probably still smaller than most Princess ships (about 3000 passengers?). Do you really want to bring that many people along with you in every port? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanlaur Posted April 18, 2018 #9 Share Posted April 18, 2018 Another thing to consider in your research is that Holland America seems to market toward groups. Last year we were on the NA with an Inspirations group that occupied more than half the rooms on the ship. It impacted our cruise experience significantly. Check out April Update: HAL Dry Docks, Charters & Groups (by Ship) (https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2620185) for the latest list of known groups on the HAL ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted April 18, 2018 #10 Share Posted April 18, 2018 Another thing to consider in your research is that Holland America seems to market toward groups. Last year we were on the NA with an Inspirations group that occupied more than half the rooms on the ship. It impacted our cruise experience significantly. Check out April Update: HAL Dry Docks, Charters & Groups (by Ship) (https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2620185) for the latest list of known groups on the HAL ships. That was a well reported awful experience and I believe management got the message loud and clear from the angry passengers and the later follow-up. Agree, be sure to check the list of "groups" that is provided here - and it does tend to affect the Eurodam more than all other HAL ships so I would not consider this a fleetwide problem, nor a problem when groups are small enough to not impact other passenger's expected amenities and dining times. Clue to watch out for is when you are informed upfront there is NO late seating dining, or something like that in advance of your departure. We all learned a lot from that awful Nieuw Amsterdam-Inspirations report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Roz Posted April 18, 2018 #11 Share Posted April 18, 2018 If your brother needs an accessible cabin and they want to sail this fall, I would book NOW if not sooner. Roz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammiedawg Posted April 18, 2018 #12 Share Posted April 18, 2018 Princess offers much better on board programming in Alaska and utilizes their on board naturalists for more enrichment activities. They involve the naturalists in more lectures, Alaskan cultural programs and wildlife viewing on the open decks. We’ve gotten to know a couple Princess naturalists who seem to return year after year. Princess brings more local cultural people on board. The schedule varies. We’ve seen the guys from Ketchikan’s Alaskan Lumberjack show or Deadliest Catch Bering Sea boat. We’ve been to Alaska many times and never get bored with these activities. Holland America had a naturalist on board who was underused and they offered less Alaskan Programming. We only did HAL Alaska once. The best ship for outdoor viewing on either line is Coral Princess, hands down. This ship was built to sail Alaska and the Panama Canal and offers fabulous sight lines all around the ship. It has a terrific layout with an excellent passenger space ratio. I don’t think Coral does round trip Vancouver. Whatever you decide, enjoy our favorite destination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisemom42 Posted April 19, 2018 #13 Share Posted April 19, 2018 Princess offers much better on board programming in Alaska and utilizes their on board naturalists for more enrichment activities. They involve the naturalists in more lectures, Alaskan cultural programs and wildlife viewing on the open decks. I have to agree Princess does an excellent job in Alaska with their naturalists and programming. I believe they are also one of the first lines to cruise Alaska regularly (especially if you go back to the days of Sitmar, which eventually became part of Princess). I went on a two week cruise out of San Francisco to Alaska in 1977 on Sitmar and it was fabulous. I took my son on a Princess cruise about 30 years later when he was about the same age -- still fabulous! While Alaska has become much more 'built up' at the ports visited, the naturalist program could not be bettered... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing husky Posted April 19, 2018 #14 Share Posted April 19, 2018 Princess offers much better on board programming in Alaska and utilizes their on board naturalists for more enrichment activities. They involve the naturalists in more lectures, Alaskan cultural programs and wildlife viewing on the open decks. We’ve gotten to know a couple Princess naturalists who seem to return year after year. Princess brings more local cultural people on board. The schedule varies. We’ve seen the guys from Ketchikan’s Alaskan Lumberjack show or Deadliest Catch Bering Sea boat. We’ve been to Alaska many times and never get bored with these activities. Holland America had a naturalist on board who was underused and they offered less Alaskan Programming. We only did HAL Alaska once. The best ship for outdoor viewing on either line is Coral Princess, hands down. This ship was built to sail Alaska and the Panama Canal and offers fabulous sight lines all around the ship. It has a terrific layout with an excellent passenger space ratio. I don’t think Coral does round trip Vancouver. Whatever you decide, enjoy our favorite destination. I agree...I think Princess has a much more local presence in Alaska than any other cruiseline...hands down...Puppies in the Atrium? Really? Only Princess....Libby Riddles who talks to every Princess ship that comes into port in Juneau....and usually brings one of her older dogs. Libby is the first woman who won the Iditarod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammiedawg Posted April 19, 2018 #15 Share Posted April 19, 2018 I agree...I think Princess has a much more local presence in Alaska than any other cruiseline...hands down...Puppies in the Atrium? Really? Only Princess....Libby Riddles who talks to every Princess ship that comes into port in Juneau....and usually brings one of her older dogs. Libby is the first woman who won the Iditarod. I forgot to mention Libby Riddles, I’ve seen her presentation multiple times. She is terrific! I have some of her books put away for little ones in the family. And the Princess cruisetours cannot be beat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wandering_star Posted April 20, 2018 Author #16 Share Posted April 20, 2018 A Princess cruise would be my first choice (no offence to HAL) but they do not offer a round trip Alaska itinerary from Vancouver. HAL offers the most dates with this itinerary and I have found one date in September with Celebrity. I may also have to look at round trip sailings out of Seattle and see if they (my dad and brother) can disembark early if they stop in Victoria prior to returning to Seattle. Thanks for all of the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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