Ships to Alaska - Holland America

[Hamburg Avon Lady]

Considering an Alaskan cruise next year. Holland has several doing this -- which are your recommendations, We love the Westerdam but she only does 7-days and we probably should include a land cruise. Thanks :)

[Kamloops50]

Considering an Alaskan cruise next year. Holland has several doing this -- which are your recommendations, We love the Westerdam but she only does 7-days and we probably should include a land cruise. Thanks :)

 

Look for ships that leave from Vancouver . They are the only ones that legally do one way cruises to Alaska . Also check out Princess for Alaska as well. Alaska is more about the ports than the ship itself.

Consider what you want to see and figure out what will work before for you.

[Alberta Quilter]

In Alaska, the ship doesn't matter, IMO. It's all about the itinerary.

 

If you want to do a cruise tour, then the Zaandam and Noordam are doing one way 7 day cruises between Vancouver and Seward, next year. I've not been on the Zaandam yet; the Noordam is a very nice ship. I think the only real difference will be size, the Noordam is larger, and younger, than the Zaandam.

 

HAL has lots of cruise tours listed on their website. You'll want at least two nights in Denali so that you can take part in the Tundra Wilderness tour there during the full day. When we did our tour, we also saw Dawson City which we thoroughly enjoyed.

 

I believe you'll have to go through Vancouver if you want to do a one way cruise. I think that HAL is unable to run one way cruises between Seattle and Alaska; it probably would be against the PVSA.

 

Decide what you really want to see. Look at the port times on each itinerary so that you maximize your time to do what you want to do.

 

Wow, Kamloops said pretty much the same thing but much more concisely! Sorry for the duplication!

Edited July 28, 2015 by Alberta Quilter

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes -- if you want to do a land tour along with a cruise, you will have to sail out of Vancouver.

I would choose the Noordam over the Zaandam (we have sailed on both ships).

Do the land portion first so that you can rest on the ship. The land portion can be long days.

[RuthC]

I absolutely agree that in Alaska, it's the itinerary that matters much more than the ship.

Choose what ports, and what areas of the interior are of most interest to you this trip; you can see others next time (yes, there WILL be a "next time"). ;)

Do the land portion first, as you will need the rest when you board the ship.

 

There are land tours with shorter cruises of 3 or 4 days (changeover is in Skagway). I recommend you look at the land tours that pick up the ship for a full 7-day tour (Seward is the changeover port). The coast has a lot to offer, and you don't want to go all that way only to miss it.

[POA1]

Do the land portion first so that you can rest on the ship. The land portion can be long days.

 

This is absolutely the best advice. Land first. Then sea. You want the relaxation at the end of the vacation.

[solocanadian]

Next May I'm doing Zaandam North bound and South bound for 14 glorious days. Much prefer this R class ship to the Vista class ships.

[Moriah]

I prefer the Vista class ships over the smaller ones simply because I really enjoy the thermal suite and it's so much better on the Vistas. That said, I agree that itinerary and day of embarkation are the most important things to consider. I'm sailing next month on Volendam for the first time and I'm sure that although I'll miss the big hydropool and the unobstructed view from the thermal couches... there will be other advantages. Also, I prefer leaving from Vancouver - so all things being equal I would take Oosterdam out of Vancouver. I've sailed on about 10 HAL Alaska cruises and every single one has been absolutely wonderful.

[Okie1946]

Considering an Alaskan cruise next year. Holland has several doing this -- which are your recommendations, We love the Westerdam but she only does 7-days and we probably should include a land cruise. Thanks :)

 

In June, 2012, my DH and I did the 15 day land/sea cruise through Holland America and was VERY reasonable for what we got. I did a review of it - a day-by-day one.

 

We flew into Seattle the day before. We were lodged at the Hilton SEA-TAC (by HAL) and were flown into Anchorage the next day (at HAL's expense). We were met at the airport and taken to the Hotel. At that time we met our trip coordinator. The Land portion included Anchorage, transportation to Denali, the McKinley Train), spent 3 nights at Denali, bused to Fairbanks, flew the next day to Dawson City - spent 2 nights, bused to Whitehorse, - the next day bused to the Canadian Border where we caught the White Pass Train that took us into Skagway.

 

Spent two nights in Skagway then boarded our ship - We sailed on the Volendam - where we went to Glacier Bay, Ketchican and Vancouver via the Inside Passage. At Vancouver - we were met by a bus provided by HAL that drove us to the Seattle Airport.

 

It was a wonderful trip and I would recommend this trip over all of the rest. Denali and Dawson City are both MUST sees.

 

Also recommend that you do the Land portion if you do the long one. It can be very tiring BUT is ALASKA is so worth it.

 

But - as someone mentioned earlier - Take the Land portion first then you can totally relax while on the Sea portion. Which ever tour you decide to take, I know that you will have a wonderful time.

 

Okie1946

[xlxo]

Thoughts...

• Don't forget to plan for additional days pre/post cruise in Vancouver. It's bigger than all the Alaskan ports combined.
  
• 7 days Vancouver return? 7 days one way? Yukon Denali combo? Too many options and excursion to choose. Many of us need to make multiple trips to Alaska to absorb it all.
  
• May to July for dryer Alaskan weather? August/September for wildlife?
  

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[Himself]

In Alaska, the ship doesn't matter, IMO. It's all about the itinerary.

 

If you want to do a cruise tour, then the Zaandam and Noordam are doing one way 7 day cruises between Vancouver and Seward, next year. I've not been on the Zaandam yet; the Noordam is a very nice ship. I think the only real difference will be size, the Noordam is larger, and younger, than the Zaandam.

 

HAL has lots of cruise tours listed on their website. You'll want at least two nights in Denali so that you can take part in the Tundra Wilderness tour there during the full day. When we did our tour, we also saw Dawson City which we thoroughly enjoyed.

 

I believe you'll have to go through Vancouver if you want to do a one way cruise. I think that HAL is unable to run one way cruises between Seattle and Alaska; it probably would be against the PVSA.

 

Decide what you really want to see. Look at the port times on each itinerary so that you maximize your time to do what you want to do.

 

Wow, Kamloops said pretty much the same thing but much more concisely! Sorry for the duplication!

 

The Seattle Cruises to Alaska stop at Victoria BC for a few hours and leave about midnight and end in Seattle the next day. Both the Westerdam and the Amsterdam do seven day cruises out of Seattle and next year the Maasdam will do the fourteen day cruise out of Seattle.

[serendipity1499]

Considering an Alaskan cruise next year. Holland has several doing this -- which are your recommendations, We love the Westerdam but she only does 7-days and we probably should include a land cruise. Thanks :)

 

Definitely do a Land tour!

 

This is absolutely the best advice. Land first. Then sea. You want the relaxation at the end of the vacation.

 

I agree with KK & POA, do your land tour first..Since you live in NYC, you can fly to Anchorage, do your land tour & then take the ship one way from Seward to Vancouver.. That is what we did in 2008 & as others have mentioned the land tour can be quite tiring.. Then you will have a week to relax before you fly home.. We live in SW Florida & flew via Atlanta to Anchorage..Overnighted in Anchorage & then from Anchorage we took a motor coach to Talkeetna, Fairbanks (2 days), Denali (2 days), took the train back to Anchorage-one overnight & then tour motorcoach to Seward to board the Veendam..We had stops in towns for lunch & breaks on the long haul motor coach rides & also overnighted in Vancouver before flying home..

Edited July 29, 2015 by serendipity1499

[serendipity1499]

sorry dupe post..

Edited July 29, 2015 by serendipity1499