Beginning to research for first ever cruise questions.Please help if possible.

[kjpabl]

I recently read very bad reviews of the Rotterdam, which I am interested in booking for our first ever cruise:a RT from Seattle to the Hubbard Glacier. Chose this because we live near Seattle and it cruises the Inside Passage both directions (am hoping to avoid the rough seas I've read about on the other Seattle departures).

1) will the Rotterdam be okay by Aug.? Or should I book the Zaandam?

2) this will be a belated 30th anniversary cruise put off due unexpected illness. So how far in advance can I book? Budget wise we can do a cruise in Aug. 2010(inside cabin and few shore excursions). But if I can plan for 2011 then we can do the cruise tour with balconey. We are stuck with July and Aug due to my school duties.

3) My husband is retired military, should we book thru a base TA or one closer to our home (we're about 2 hours from closest base).

4) I know there are arguments about this but are there enough open spaces on the ship that we can see all of the wildlife and scenery with an inside cabin and just being out of it all day?

5)I suffer from mild claustophia (don't like crowed elevaters,etc.) will there be proplems with space in an inside room?

6) Most importantly are there questions I haven't even thought of asking that you wish you had asked prior to the cruise?

Thanks for all your help in advance. Reading all these posts has made me so excited to cruise & my heart surgury has made my dream of seeing whales in the wild a priority in the next few years. No health issues, just a realization that putting this off due to cost may mean I never do it!

[fann1sh]

Joanie has gone to a lot of work creating a website showing actual traveler photos of HAL cabins. A quick look there didn't seem to turn up any pix of Rotterdam or Zaandam inside cabins (if if I'm wrong about that, I apologize Joanie!) So here's what I pulled off Webshots:

 

http://community.webshots.com/photo/fullsize/1091891469049695551tlKFaQ

 

http://community.webshots.com/photo/fullsize/1091891828049695551BabUnc

 

 

I am also inclined to claustrophobia. I don't have any problems in HAL inside cabins on the "R" class ships (both Rotterdam and Zaandam are R class). Some Vista insides are smaller, but that doesn't affect you.

 

On either ship, I strongly urge you to consider a category J on lower promenade deck. Very, very convenient cabins. About 30 steps to the open deck.

 

What did I wish I'd asked before I booked my first cruise?

 

- Pros and cons of different category cabins. Cabins lower down and either at the front or back of the ship often have a lot of noise, from anchors, bow thrusters, and engines.

 

- How to "read" ship reviews. Some reviews detail things that are only opinions: the food was lousy; the shows were bad; the crew wasn't friendly. (My last cruise, a friend complained "the crew smile too much" :cool: ) My motto: "Everyone is entitled to their own stupid opinion - even me".

 

Other reviews contain facts: air conditioning didn't work; ship had to miss a port due to weather; toilet didn't flush and maintenance had to be called. However, even "facts" can be misleading....if the temperature in the "a/c not working" room was 72 degrees and the poster wanted it to be 68 degrees (yes, regulars here know, that would be me!); cruise lines aren't responsible for weather; cruiser neglected to mention they tried to flush a baby diaper down that toilet :eek:

 

Reviews can raise real, serious issues. IMO there were things wrong on Rotterdam that can and will be fixed before you sail.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I recently read very bad reviews of the Rotterdam, which I am interested in booking for our first ever cruise:a RT from Seattle to the Hubbard Glacier. Chose this because we live near Seattle and it cruises the Inside Passage both directions (am hoping to avoid the rough seas I've read about on the other Seattle departures). I am not certain where you got your information but neither the Rotterdam or the Zaandam do the Inside Passage -- both ships move directly out to the Pacific and return that way to Seattle.

1) will the Rotterdam be okay by Aug.? Or should I book the Zaandam? Possible

2) this will be a belated 30th anniversary cruise put off due unexpected illness. So how far in advance can I book? Budget wise we can do a cruise in Aug. 2010(inside cabin and few shore excursions). But if I can plan for 2011 then we can do the cruise tour with balconey. We are stuck with July and Aug due to my school duties.

3) My husband is retired military, should we book thru a base TA or one closer to our home (we're about 2 hours from closest base).

4) I know there are arguments about this but are there enough open spaces on the ship that we can see all of the wildlife and scenery with an inside cabin and just being out of it all day?

5)I suffer from mild claustophia (don't like crowed elevaters,etc.) will there be proplems with space in an inside room? The elevators are not large on any HAL ship -- thus at times they will be crowded. If you are prone to suffer from clausetophia -- don't book an inside cabin -- no matter how little you be in the cabin.

6) Most importantly are there questions I haven't even thought of asking that you wish you had asked prior to the cruise?

Thanks for all your help in advance. Reading all these posts has made me so excited to cruise & my heart surgury has made my dream of seeing whales in the wild a priority in the next few years. No health issues, just a realization that putting this off due to cost may mean I never do it!

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

[4104ever]

Unfortunetely, Holland America is one of the few lines that does not offer a military discount to retired military. However, that does not stop us from sailing with them..they are worth it!!

[mimicruising]

Many cruise ships are offering huge discounts right now. Perhaps you could book far enough in advance to get a good price on an outside cabin. The scenery in Alaska is absolutely amazing. We really enjoyed having a balcony but even a window would help. The Alaskan inside passage is a great first cruise because the water is so smooth. I don't remember having any issues with motion sickness in Alaska.

 

Don't waste your money on drinks and photos. The cruise lines charge an exorbitant fee for their photos. Take your own digital camera and snap all the photos you want. Drink tea and coffee and skip the extra fee soft drinks and alcohol drinks. HAL allows you to bring wine aboard to enjoy in your cabin. They charge a corkage fee if you take it to a dining room.

 

You can have a marvelous time on a cruise without buying the cruise line's shore excursions. Don't worry about buying new clothes for the cruise. You'll see a mix of clothing from plain to fancy. Forget about extra fee restaurants too. The wait staff is charming and the food quite good in the main dining room. Hamburgers are good on the pool deck and the buffet is decent on most ships.

 

Cruising is a great value vacation, especially if you follow the tips above. Enjoying the company of your beloved is priceless, as they say in the ads.

[Kay240]

We had a 7 day "Inside Passage" cruise (out of Vancouver) in May 2003 with our kids (age 19 and 21). They had inside cabins and I don't think it effected their enjoyment at all.:D The cabins are 182 sq. feet with a shower only. There are curtains behind the bed and lights that make it look like the sun is shining in. The Ocean View cabins are 197 sq. ft. and have a bath tub.

We are going on a 14 day out of Seattle at the end of May. Prices are best in May and September, but the weather is better in May. If you check prices, you will see they gradually rise to their "peak" and then gradually fall. If you book @ 1 year in advance you will get a good price; it starts to go up at some point, and may never be that low again.

You may consider booking an "Inside Guarantee" which has the possibility of being upgraded to a better location; possibly even an Ocean View. Or you can book an O.V. "guarantee" and may be upgraded to a balcony.

When the ship is "parked" outside the Glacier, you want to be on deck where hot pea soup is served, and later hot chocolate. :D (Personally, I prefer the reverse order!!) You also will have a wonderful view (while you are nice and warm) from the "Crows Nest".

ENJOY!!

Karen

[rajkr74]

Alaska cruises that leave Seattle go out west of Vancover Island and crusies from Vancouver go out east of Vancouver Island which I consider the "true" inside passage. Go to the HAL site and look at the maps of the Alaska cruises from each port and you can see the difference. We took a July 2007 cruise from Vancouver and had a great time. You will enjoy yourself.

[Harry1954]

welcome to CC .. i suggest not rushing this and getting the better cabin. When on vacation, we try to book the best we can afford since vacation is not an everyday thing and the hassle getting ready/there etc lends to support making certain it is very rewarding. Inside cabin is ok, but if you can afford verandah, it is truly easier to enjoy the scenery IMHO.

 

If you have a TA you trust, use them; if not, then use commonsense to find one.

harry

[Willsot]

DW and I are booked on the Rotterdam for an Alaska cruise in August and I have every confidence that the recent problems will be corrected by that date. On our first Alaska cruise (14 days) we had an oceanview stateroom with easy access to the outside promenade and that was fine (we appreciated being able to at least look out to see what the weather was like). For our upcoming cruise we will have a verandah, which, weather permitting, should be nice for Alaska.

[rajkr74]

We also booked an ocean view that allowed us to view the weather outside which was a great advantage. I loved the outside light that came into the room. We were glad we did not book a veranda since the weather was not the best.

 

You should also spend a lot time reading these CC boards. Other crusiers provided a wealth of helpful information that made our two cruises very enjoyble.

[kjpabl]

Thank you all for the much needed info and advice. I am grateful. I did make the mistake when reading my HAL Alaska book of seeing the itinerary of the Vancouver departure with the ships of the Seattle departure. Is there any benifit to the sea part of the Seattle trip? Like more chance to see whale pods? If not I will definately look into a Vancouver departure and add a trip to Victoria as a start. Not wanting this special trip to be ruined by seasickness. Every page I turn in this book and all the trip photos I've seen have made me so excited for our first cruise. Thanks again.

[rajkr74]

When going to Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier HAL usually opens the bow for viewing. We spent a lot of time there looking for wildlife. There are other areas on the ship's decks that will be available for viewing. We saw eagles, whales, sea otters and porpoises (Dall's) but no bears or Orcas. We stopped in front of a glacier in Glacier Bay and were taken back on how noisy the glacier is from the moving and shifting of the ice.

Especially in Alaska, make sure you bring along a good pair of binoculars. In addition, don't forget raingear, Alaska weather is unpredictable. We had 4 days of rain out of 7 in July. It still did not ruin our vacation/cruise. The crew, staff and food were great.

[Willsot]

Thank you all for the much needed info and advice. I am grateful. I did make the mistake when reading my HAL Alaska book of seeing the itinerary of the Vancouver departure with the ships of the Seattle departure. Is there any benifit to the sea part of the Seattle trip? Like more chance to see whale pods? If not I will definately look into a Vancouver departure and add a trip to Victoria as a start. Not wanting this special trip to be ruined by seasickness. Every page I turn in this book and all the trip photos I've seen have made me so excited for our first cruise. Thanks again.

 

Our last Alaska cruise was round trip out of Vancouver and sailing the Inside Passage was beautiful from the start with many whale sightings.