Trip Report on Zuiderdam 16th-23rd Aug

We are a couple in our late 50's, first time with Holland & America, been many times with Royal Caribbean & Ocean Village. No children came with us. We go for the itinerary of cruises when we book and have never been to Alaska before. We are not fit, slow walkers with bad knees!

We done an 11 day tour of the Canadian Rockies by coach before we boarded the Zuiderdam, so were in a hotel in Vancouver.

Saturday 16th August

HMS Zuiderdam

Up just before 7am had breakfast in a pot (we had bought cereal, juice and milk from a 7Eleven) and then got luggage ready, Rod went out to find an ATM to get money, we needed US dollars for the ship, saw some of our coach friends getting ready to fly home, so said our goodbyes. Left hotel around 10:45am (Elaine our rep had said don't get there much before 11am), had to ask the desk if they had staples for our ship labels, which they did and to call us a cab to the cruise terminal (Elaine had given us vouchers to get to ship by taxi as part of our package). The cab came in 5 mins and it took about 7 mins to get to terminal. Really easy and cab driver took the voucher with no hassle. Bags were unloaded and we went inside to find a very long queue, we then spent 2hrs 15mins queuing to get on ship because of very slow immigration! USA citizens went through quicker, about an hour. Must say the Canadians had it planned well, seating us in rows for the first hour or so before joining the very long queue through immigration, they took finger prints from both hands and iris recognition too. Its just there was not enough staff to cope and each person took a long time to process. Once on board we headed to get something to eat, but as the people were taking so long to board it had spread them out making the Lido okay for lunch. Our luggage was already in our room and the room was ready when we finally got on board, so we started to unpack then it was lifeboat drill which went well, then back to room to finish unpacking, then realised we were under way so rushed up on to top deck for sail away, they had a buffet around the indoor pool so we had salmon, rice, steak, chicken and roasted veg, and a coffee then relaxed. We found out dinner was arranged for 7:45pm this is to late for me so hubbie spoke to the MD and he did his best to change it, went back later and he had arranged a table for two at 5:30pm which suited me better, but it was too late to eat in the Vista Lounge this night. Went for a walk around the shops, tasted some liquor. Walked around deck 3 outside before having a drink in Oceans Bar, kept checking sunset but it was to cloudy. Went to Lido in the evening only had pasta, pizza, cookies and ice cream at 9pm, so we had pizza and a coffee, I took hot choc back to room by 9:45pm. I think the Lido closes to early for general meals. Watched a bit of television before sleep. First impressions of ship is very favourable, just the boarding let it down.

Sunday 17th August

Day at Sea

Woke at 6:30am to beautiful sunshine, slowly got up, no tea/coffee in room. Went to Lido for breakfast good choice, the staff served you for the first few days, asking people to use hand gel, but this was not enforced later in the week and we saw lots of people not using the gel before entering the Lido or any restaurant really. The coffee line was long as the machines were not working properly, this also continued for the rest of the week. Picked up choc milk cartons for tomorrow morning drink and took back to room. Walked up to the crow's nest and sat there for most of the day!, saw a few porpoises in front of ship. Then we think we saw a couple of orcas (they were definitely black/white with long dorsal fins). Many whales and whale spouts, and a bald eagle, almost every hour we saw something and it became very addictive watching and waiting for the next wildlife encounter, didn't want to leave incase we missed something! Weather was warm and sunny till late afternoon then it got windy, cool and damp. Sat outside for a short time and walked the deck. Some people were in swimming in both indoor and outdoor pools, but we were soon back in the crow's nest. Had to leave at 4pm as private function being held there, so walked around ship getting photos of the interiors. Formal night and dinner at 5:30pm so rushed to get ready, dinner okay but small portions, most people made an effort to dress up but not as formal as other ships we have been on. After dinner we watched a show with the Hal dancers and singers they were very good, but not many people watching, I have never seen a theatre with so little an audience, again this continued all week! It was the early shows we watched so maybe it filled up for the second shows. Had one drink in ocean bar, prices on par with Royal Caribbean ships, then hubbie went for pizza, I went to room to look at info for our first port of call Juneau, clocks went back tonight one hour and we found out we were tendering in tomorrow, nothing on paper work just over heard it! Room by 9:30pm, ship was very quiet. A little rough tonight, so took sea sickness pill just to be safe.

Monday 18th August

Juneau

Didn't sleep well at first because of the rough sea, I was on settee for the first half of the night, then into bed about 4am as sea calmed, our alarm went off 7:30am to get ready. Watched whales spouting and diving for awhile from our outside cabin window before showering. After breakfast we went to the crow's nest, very busy. We had now been told we were tendering in and as we were on a ships tour we were to go to Vista Lounge and wait for our tour to be called, stickers weren't given till boarding the tender, but the system went fairly smoothly, then the tender in front of ours was blocking the landing dock (don't know why) so we spent ages sitting in the tender waiting to get off. But once onshore it was on to the waiting coach and straight to whale watching, it was raining while on the coach, but stopped while we were whale watching, which was great! The wind was cold and it was grey and misty, but the sun poked though a few times. Lots of bald eagles everywhere even sitting on lampposts. We also saw seals and sea-lions, the whales were marvelous and we would have loved to have them closer, but we are not allowed to get too close, still a very special experience. We must have been on the boat for over 4 hours then we were taken to Mendenhall Glacier for a good hour, wandered the pathways and visited the visitor centre, raining again now, waited for coach down at the bus stop but found out it had broken down, another turned up late to take us back to town. We walked around the town as it was too misty for the cable car up the mountain, we think there are to many jewellery shops in all the towns and its a shame they don't push for more individuality. We were back on board by 8:30pm, we grabbed a quick dinner before the Lido closed. Then back to room as early start tomorrow.

Tuesday 19th August

Skagway

Up at 6:45am, docked in Skagway and could leave the ship from 7am. We showered and had leisurely breakfast before walking into town, it was a flat easy walk as the town is very close and easy to see from the ship. I had a walking tour on my IPod so did that and strolled a few shops and bought a few gifts, Hubbie took the gifts back to the ship before we boarded our coach for our ships tour on the White Pass Railway, we then took a short trip to train station. Well organise and off the coach straight onto our train carriage which was waiting for us, many people on platform queued up hoping to board the train, guess they had not pre-booked and were just waiting in line until there was space. Had a great one hour trip up the mountain with breath taking views everywhere before crossing the Canadian border and returning by coach to Alaska, you must take your passport as this is checked when you pass through into Canada. On to the gold panning next, we were given a brief history on gold prospectors and a humorous guide on how to pan for gold correctly, more to it than I thought! before doing it ourselves. Got gold weighed mine was worth 8 dollars, hubbies worth 10 dollars hubbie paid for it to be put into a locket, but you don't have to have this done, you can just take your gold as it is, we returned to Skagway by coach with a quick tour of town . Afterwards we took a brief walk back to get photos of the train before returning to ship about 5:15pm. The Lido opened at 5:30pm, so just after we went for dinner in the Lido, no hot puddings though again, we only saw one hot pudding the whole cruise. Hubbie wanted to watch the comedian but I wasn't keen, we ended up at the cinema watching "The Monument Men" which was very good, but the cinema was cold, air con up to high! Hubbie went for a coffee before we went back to room 9:15pm. Weather was great very warm, sunny and bright but it soon cooled as sun went down.

Wednesday 20th August

Glacier Bay

Weather today dry, sunny and warm although cold wind, the weather was the best seen in a long time in Glacier Bay. Woke early 6am, so we could be ready for Glacier Bay. Showered and had breakfast with fantastic views out the windows then we went onto the top deck, I was well wrapped up but still felt cold first thing as the wind was chilly, but as the day warmed up I was able to shed the layers. We were on deck from about 8am to around 2:45pm, the views were awesome, seeing glaciers close up and snow covered mountains, also some puffins! Which I have never seen before. There was pea soup in the crow's nest but we never saw any and I was not going inside to miss the view. Commentary was given by the rangers who boarded the ship in the morning, but it was difficult to hear everything out on deck. Had lunch on back deck near the outdoor pool, watching the spectacular views as we sailed along, sat on sun chairs for awhile but kept nodding off so went to room for a lie down till formal night dinner time 5:30pm.

After dinner watched the Hal dancers show, they were very good they put a lot of work into the show and all of the shows were much better than I had expected. we then watched the sun go down from the Ocean Bar before bed , tired but wonderful memories.

Thursday 21st August

Ketchikan

Another dry, bright, sunny day and the warmest yet in Ketchikan. Up at 8am ship docked at 10am. 5 ships in today but some left by mid afternoon. We had a tour booked which met on the dock side at 10.50am so we couldn't go too far into town, quicker off the ship this time so wandered shops before tour started. Went out to the rainforest sanctuary by coach and toured round the rainforest, the guides were very knowledgeable and were able to answer most questions. We saw a bear eating salmon it was so cool! Another magical moment. Then we saw the salmon hatchery and lots of dead and dying salmon, so sad but that's nature I guess. Met a bald eagle and fed reindeer which are kept at the sanctuary, also saw a totem pole carver working and just had enough time for a quick snack before the boarding coach. There were bald eagles flying around and we saw another bear as the coach set off, it crossed right in front of the coach, much to everyone's surprise. Once back in town walked to Creek Street and saw lots of salmon in the river, wandered the shops and bought a few gifts, surprised there was not more people around, before going to the lumberjack show, had an ice cream while waiting for the show to start. We had bought the tickets on the ship and we could just go straight to the show if we were already out in the town, saved returning to the ship for the coach trip back to the show. The show was an hour long and good fun, lots of shouting and cheering on your team, the lumberjacks were easy on the eye too! After the show we walked through the town, not very big, too many jewellery shops as always. Strolled back to the ship just before 5pm quickly relaxed before dinner at 5:30pm. Weather still very beautiful, quick stroll on deck, listened to the end of the trivia quiz before show-Recycled Percussion-they were excellent and very loud! Drink in the bar, tonight the waiter was very slow coming around asking for orders and then I had to wait another 20mins before my drink arrived, hubbies arrived long before mine, was not impressed, the bar was not busy. Clocks went forward one hour tonight so bed late, slept well, calm seas.

Friday 22nd August

Day at Sea

Woke just before 8am, leisurely breakfast then back to cabin to read paperwork about tomorrow's departure. We had declaration form to fill in and labels for luggage. Then went to two Windows 8 presentation about personalising and using picture gallery, it was good fun and passed the time, weather was foggy most of the morning but once back near land the fog lifted and the skies cleared. Had a snack and drink by the pool, bought Recycled Percussion's DVD and went out on deck in the fog for a short walk. Was going to chocolate and port tasting seminar but it turned out it wasn't free, didn't say on the programme it cost, so gave that a miss. Picked up a balance of our bill (would have to wait till early morning tomorrow otherwise) from main desk on deck 1 then went to cabin to check it off and finish filling out case labels. Watched a film about hockey players and Russell Crow in our cabin before dinner in Vista Dining Room. After dinner there was no evening show so we took a beautiful walk on deck before returning to our cabin to pack. Hubbie went to get hot choc before bed but they had none, came back with ice-cream! Off to bed by 10pm, cases put out in corridor before retiring. Long day tomorrow.

Saturday 23rd August

Travel Home

Woke to alarm at 6am, showered and went for breakfast, very busy but got a seat in the Lido. Ship docked around 7am. Cases went out over night and now we waited for our number to be called, our time was between 7.45 and 8am. Back to cabin for final check around and clear toiletries away. People were starting to collect around exit gangway which they had been told to leave clear! Once we were called headed to the exit, found our cases in the terminal and headed to the buses, asking where to go as we went. The lines for the buses was well organised and once luggage and ourselves were on the bus we headed for the airport. On the way the bus driver gave a brief tour of Vancouver and explained the arrival situation for both USA, Canadian and "other" citizens. If going direst to USA you got off and went through immigration before boarding so it was easier for them when they landed at their destination. Again there were many "helpers" to guide us in the right direction, went straight to check in, option plus cut the queues down for us, handed over luggage and set off to wander the airport before boarding the plane. Took off on time 1:35pm and arrived safely at Gatwick at 6:30am. Weather good in Vancouver, warm & dry and cooler in UK but dry and sunny.

Ship

Good points

Time in ports were a good length.

Itinerary excellent.

Getting off/on ship was fairly good, tender day a bit slow-we had tour booked so got off earlier than some.

Tours taken with ship were good length and interesting.

Weather excellent.

Drink prices were about the same as RC.

Ship

Bad points

2hrs 15mins wait to board ship to get through US immigration way to long! we are UK but US were waiting an hour or so as well, very slow.

Food was often cold and no one seemed to be checking food temperatures.

It was not enforced that people used the cleansing gel before entering the restaurant.

Ship looking bit tired needs updating/ few broke panes of glass.

No interactive TV's for checking statements etc.

To many bits of paper every day posted in your stateroom.

Drinks machines were often not working.

At least 2 lifts were always out of action-but others were adequate.

None of this would stop us from using Holland America again.

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.