HAL Alaska cuise tour on Zuiderdam 5-22-10

[juliang]

Did the May 22, 2010, 11 night Holland America Alaska/Yukon Cuise tour on Zuiderdam from Vancouver to Anchorage

This is truly one of those once in a lifetime trips. I added 5 days at the end by renting a car in Anchorage and driving to Homer, AK in the southwest Kenai Peninsula for a bear viewing flight the next day, and then drove to east and south to Seward to do the day long marine tour in the Kenai Fjords.

There are two ways of doing this trip—from Vancouver, end in Anchorage, or the reverse, starting in Anchorage, to Skagway, then get on boat for 3 days to Vancouver. I preferred starting in Vancouver, because then Denali and the train rides on the McKinley explorer comes at the end. The trip to me was mainly about spectacular Denali. However, some may prefer getting pampered on a short cruise at the end.

The White Pass Railroad out of Skagway is not to be missed—and you can’t if you do this cruise tour. A bus picks you up when you cross into Canada, and that is where the cruise tour really begins. No sooner were we on the very comfortable bus than we saw two black bears close to the road. I thought , this was a good omen. However, we did not see any more bears until we got to Denali. Glad I booked the Homer leg/bear viewing flight.

The bus trip is made or not upon the quality of the driver and your tour director, who become life sustaining appendages. It is like being on a cruise ship..they do most everything except get you out of bed in the morning and feed you. Our driver , Lori [our cruise # 24], was simply fantastic. Much narrrative about history and geography on the way , with a great sense of humor..there are many stretches of long drives, but she fills up the void and then some, plus you get the awsome scenery. Maryann, our cruise tour director, was adorable, attentive, great sense of humor, and just fun to be around..they made a great team. Without them, it would simply be like riding a greyhound from one strange, remote village or city to the next.

As I recall, our first stop was in a little Yukon hamlet named Carcross.. neat to see people actually lived there. Then overnight in Whitehorse, Capitol of the Yukon territory. That was likewise interesting as it is the Capitol of a huge territorial province with only 35,000 people living in the whole territory. They have everything there you would need.

Then on to Dawson, sight of the Klondike gold rush and all of its rich history. Dawson is a highlight of the trip, because of its location and history. The goldrush brought great riches to only a very few, and the more than 30,000 men who left the U.S. to there had no idea what they were getting into and how brutal the trip would be, if they even made it, and then there would be nothing for them at the end, because the decent claim sites were already staked out. They were cheated and lied to, much by the U.S. press who hyped it up to sell newspapers to desperate people , during a very serious depression.

The Westmark hotels, owned by HAL are all good, and staffed by very attentive young people up there for summer jobs. The thrill is getting up every morning in this other-worldly land , looking forward to the next days adventure, with stories and levity from our driver and cruise director, and the company of your fellow passengers. There are several excursions to do in Dawson, plus walking around that interesting historic town . I switched from a sightseeing trip to Tombstone nat’l park, to a float trip, because I needed to be on something other than a bus. People who did Tombstone loved it, and I enjoyed my float trip.

 

Then came one of the very special events—the 100 mile trip on the Yukon Queen boat—seats about 200—with big engines , up the mighty Yukon River from Dawson, Yukon to Eagle, Alaska. A wonderful trip in the cabin and on the deck with great scenery—they slow down and stop for wildlife—saw moose..It is doubtful you will ever experience anything again like that.

Eagle is a tiny hamlet with about 100 permanent residents; and the women had tables out like a craft fair selling the beautiful jewelry they made during the winter, when they are snowed in. There is also a national park ranger station there which amazed me.

Then on to Tok, Ak on this long day. The key point of interest in Tok is the Westmark hotel—well kept, with very good food in the dining room, and a great staff. Then to bed, to look forward to next day’s adventure…the road to Fairbanks.

Fairbanks, which is really close to the artic circle, is a highlight, because we stopped to see the Alaskan pipeline, and went to a gold mine and did gold panning. When I saw this was in the itinerary, I thought it would be kind of hokie, but I really enjoyed it. It was fun learning how they do it, and then we all did it . There is still lots of gold and lots of prospecting in Alaska. One of our group found a nugget and was paid $83 for it..better odds than the slots on the ship. My take—zero—better than on the slots on the ship—plus I bought some great souvenirs and have great memories. We also ate miners stew at the goldmine for dinner which was very good.

There has been chatter on the message boards on whether to do the HAL meal plan. IMO not necessary and overpriced. I researched on the CC message boards , tripadvisor and other sites. The only stop where you must eat dinner in the hotel is Tok. And the food is good and reasonably priced. Breakfasts are in the hotels and can do full buffets for about $14, or continental..I couldn’t help myself—I got the full buffets.. For lunch, you stop along the way anyway, like Chicken, AK. In Whitehorse, there was a subway around the corner, and a reportedly great seafood and rib house across the street from the hotel. I got subway. In Dawson, I treated myself to an ample T bone steak at Klondike Kates, which was delicious. With drink, $34, about what you would pay for similar where I live.

The Fairbanks Westmark is a beautiful hotel, but not being well taken care of..the desk chair in my room has a broken caster, so I sat at an angle..the bed looked like someone slepped in it; the walls were paper thin and I heard Larry King from next door till 10pm; there was no luggage rack in the room, so I called down for two of them, and even then they only brought me one—another guest complained about no luggage racks..

However, I walked to an absolutely great Italian restaurant recommended by Maryann [our tour director]—1st class with lots of atmosphere and a roving accordian player who will play your request at your table

Then what every one was looking forward to—the Mckinley Explorer domed train to Denali—Fabulous and first class with a first rate dining car…and—Denali itself. The Mckinley Chalet Hotel is out of a picture book and really special. The food is wonderful, as are the gounds. Then the 8 and ½ hour tour on a converted , but comforatble school bus deep into Denali. Breathtaking. Words are insufficent. We had a wonderful tour guide/driver with a vast expanse of knowledge a wonderful sense of humor, and he is an excellent driver—thru Polychorme Pass, you are 1500-2000 feet up with one lane and no guardrail. It doesn’t get any better than that. And here I am to tell about it. A group of Dall sheep with the curled rams horns butting heads and then grazing right by the road. Then near the end of the trip at about 10 pm, a mama grizzly and her baby crossing a river bed 50 yeards from the bus!!

 

There are am excursions the next morning b/c train leaves for anchorage at 1230—but didn’t do any—slept in then shopped for stuff which would prove to the world that I was in Denali—I’m sure they are all quite interested..

 

Then the great train ride in the domed train to Anchorage….the most beautiful train ride ever out of the park—which is about 50 miles just to get out of the park and environs—and finally saw mt Mckinley/Denali from 45 miles away—inspring and overpowering. The highest mountain in the world by vertical rise—from base to top—Everest is taller, but it starts much higher up in the Himilayas. Denali is massive x ten.

The train ride is 8 hours long, and serves dinner—I had prime rib which matched the best steak I ever had which was in Puerto Rico 20 years ago.

In Anchorage stayed at the Hilton, and the next day rented a car, then drove the Seward Highway towards Homer- This is an incredibly beautiful drive, past the Turnagain Arm, just outside of Anchorage. Then cut over on the Sterling Highway to Homer AK, an artsy/fishing town for my schedukled Bear viewing flight to Katmai NP 140 miles across the enormous Cook Inlet the next day , with K Bay air…We went to Clarke, NP, further north on the western peninsula instead because more bears there. Flying to the wilderness in a Beecraft prop plane and landing on the beach in this wilderness was ½ the thrill..and saw many grizzlies—aka brown bears..

 

The drive after the flight back on the Sterling Highway to the Seward Highway , and down to Seward was so gorgeous—past the Kenai River..thru mountain passes..had to slam on the brakes for a black bear that was crossing just in front of me.

Seward is a neat down…the train can be taken down to it from anchorage and I highly recommend it either before a cruise tour starts [for those starting in Anchorage], or at the end of a cruise tour like I did—just so you can do the day long marine cruise of the Kenai Fjords..you will see Orcas and much other sea life; glaciers; and they had a prime rib and salmon buffet which was very good. Dress warm..it is cold out on that deck—maybe 30’s with wind; wear ear muffs so you can be on the deck taking pics..[north of that the weather is in the 70’s during the day, even in the Yukon—but not in the Kenai].

 

Holland Amercia has got the cruise tours down pat, from accomodations, destinations, and staff. They take good care of you.

But I have three bones to pick with them

 

The dinner buffet—resembled an army mess—nothing up to their or other cruise lines standards. Only a couple main courses, and those were mediocre—on other lines, what is served in the main dining room is pretty much what is served on the lido /windjammer/etc decks [where you eat breakfast buffet]..the quality was not at all what I am used to; and they have one side for staff and crew and I discovered they were serving jumbo shrimp cocktail to them, but not in the guest line/side—couldnt believe it..that, and the quality, shortage of choices, and what they did is really insulting to the guests.

 

The second thing involved the bums rush off the ship at Skagway and some shiftiness at the Casino. [Whatever money is left on your room key card from gambling, you have to collect from the cashier before you get off the ship].

You don’t learn until you get back on the ship in the evening at Juneau , on a piece of paper left on your bed, that you have to leave your luggage out that night, except for what you will need to take in an overnight bag on the trip from Skagway to Whitehorse, and that you have to be off the ship by 730am, because the passengers coming the other way are getting on the ship at Skagway.

I paid for the hydropool to include Wednesday am—the morning we would be docked in Skagway—no way could I use it.

And, how much should I pack??the weather through the White Pass can be unpredictable. The front desk had no idea of what the weather was going to be in the white pass, on the way to Whitehorse, or even in Whitehorse—we , I have never been there. And, Was I supposed to be roaming around Skagway for four hours pulling a bag? Later I noticed in the fine print on the handout on my bed when I got back from Juneau we could stow it at the Westmark hotel in Skagway.

The day before Juneau, we cruised the Tracy Arm [spectacular]..that night, they could have had a 20 minute debriefing session for the passengers going on the cruise tour about what would happen. Totally thoughtless on HAL’s part.

Then there is the Casino. You have to get your money before you get off the ship, or it is gone, assuming you can remember what it was. I discovered when I got back from touring Juneau that the Casino was closed until 11pm, when it left Juneau, even to get money—which is not gambling—so I had to stay up.

Then , when I went to the cashier, and gave them my card and my pin number they told me I had $18. I said , I thought it was more like $50—they said no--$18; I said I played texas holdem starting with $70, and quit when I had about $50. They said “ oh, you played Texas holdem, that is different, you have [about] $50 Texas holdem, and $18 on the slots”. I asked them if they used the same pin number for texas hold em as they did for the slots. They said Yes.

Now, they know that Texas Holdem is in a different account, or whatever than the slots, and they knew, or had to know that I did not, but never asked whether I played Texas Hold em. They also knew they used the same pin number, so it would have been very easy for them to just check at the same time, or ask me whether I played Texas hold em. This is not buyer beware. I am a guest.

If a merchant sees a customer drop his wallet on the floor, and says nothing, and waits and watches as the customer walks out, then takes the wallet and its contents, even though it started with a mistake by the customer, it is stealing. If I am not the first one that they have done this to, and I suspect I am not, it is stealing. If it was stealing , then as soon as the ships docks in Skagway it is a federal matter and the U.S. Attorney’s office in Anchorage has jurisdiction. They will be taking there chances from now on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for taking the time to write your report.

 

I am surprised that the number of offerings for the entrees in the Lido for dinner have been downsized to only a couple of choices.

[Sailkeywest]

Thank you for writing your review, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I am wondering if the shrimp was about to go bad, and that perhaps is why they were getting rid of it on the staff? Really disappointed to hear about the buffet, I was really looking forward to white linen table service during dinner at the buffet.

 

About the casino, dang, I don't know what to say about that. I am hoping that it was just an oversight on the cashier's part, but I would think when your pin number pops up, they would see your TOTAL winnings.

 

Thanks again :)