Nieuw Amsterdam or Noordam Alaska

[californiacruiser]

We were trying to decide on these two ships. Do they both have covered pool areas? What are pros and cons to them?

Any other advice?

[Himself]

They are both nice ships. The N.A. will be doing round trips from Vancouver lasting a week at a time. The Noordam will be going from Seattle to Seward and back. I must tell you I think the Noordam will have the best for Alaska in the person of Captain Pieter Bos.

[Kamloops50]

They are both nice ships. The N.A. will be doing round trips from Vancouver lasting a week at a time. The Noordam will be going from Seattle to Seward and back. I must tell you I think the Noordam will have the best for Alaska in the person of Captain Pieter Bos.

 

Ships can't do one ways between Seattle and Seward . Vancouver BC is the only port where they can do one way's to Alaska.

The PVSA (Passenger Services Vessel Act) restricts the carrying of passengers between two American ports to American flagged vessels only.

Since most cruise ships are foreign flagged no way.

[jtl513]

They're both great ships. We've been on the Noordam 3X and the N.A. twice. I'd give the edge to the N.A. because of the Tamarind, although I prefer the Noordam's Exploration Cafe down on deck 3 rather than up in the Crow's Nest.

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Edited April 10, 2016 by jtl513

[crystalspin]

We were trying to decide on these two ships. Do they both have covered pool areas? What are pros and cons to them?

Any other advice?

 

Nieuw Amsterdam : R/T (Vancouver)-Cruising Inside Passage-Cruising Tracy Inlet & Juneau-Skagway-"cruising Glacier Bay-Ketchikan-Cruising Inside Passage-(Vancouver).

 

Noordam: (Vancouver)-Cruising Inside Passage-Ketchikan-Juneau-Skagway-"cruising" Glacier Bay-cruising Bay of Alaska (only place my DH got mal-de-mar)-(Seward).

 

So you see both have the ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway and experience the Inside Passage and Glacier Bay. The Nieuw Amsterdam does something a little different (I don't yet know what) at Tracy Inlet presumably getting a little closer to it, at which point they transfer people to catamarans, for the SX getting close and personal with Traci Arm and several glaciers. The ship leaves them behind to join up later at Juneau, at 3:30-4pm. That timeframe makes many of other SXs offered in Juneau impossible to join but you can ride the tram or catch a bite at a restaurant.

 

My main take on the two routes, is that if you have something to DO in Seward or Mail-land Alaska, it's a cool way to get there, as we did in 2009 which we follows by 2-weeks self-driving. If you even have a few days in Seward, it would be worth it! But to be herded off the ship and on to the bus or train to Anchorage to gather your bags in a bus shelter and be herded some more to your airline queue there... Meh. But if you do have something to do "at the top", I vastly prefered the one way cruise North. Each stop getting More and More Alaskan!

 

For myself and the seven members of my family, I chose the same itinerary (but on the Volendam) Vanc.R/T and spend some of the extra on slightly upscale SX -- whalewatching and glacier viewing in Junean, The train in Skagway, but rail on one way and the other being a bus done the other side that will reportedly stop for photo ops. At Ketchikan I have us signed up for a low price van-trolly sight-seeing with time for last minute souvenir shopping... But I'm looking another couple lower price SX with a bit more closure to them. They much return in time for my sister and others to partake of fish and chips one last time!

[Krazy Kruizers]

In choosing between itineraries and ships.

The Nieuw Amsterdam is round trip from Vancouver.

The Noordam starts in Vancouver and ends in Seward. Then you have to choose a transportation to get to Anchorage to fly back home. Have you taken this into consideration?

We love the Nieuw Amsterdam as she has the extra specialty restaurant -- Tamarind -- Pan Asian food.

Have you checked the length of time you have in the various ports for both ships?

[gpb11]

What you're doing at the end of the cruise is definitely a factor to consider. With one you'll be back in Vancouver and can spend time there, with the other you'll be in Seward/Anchorage and can spend a couple days if you wish.

 

In either case you only have to rush to the airport if that's how you choose to set up your travel plans.

[dot73]

I have been on the Noordam (3 cruises x 10 days each) and the NA (2 cruises x 14 days each) and both ships are great. If you have never been to Vancouver, I would highly recommend spending a couple of days before or after the cruise. It is a beautiful city to explore and also has some great attractions (Stanley Park, Grouse Mountain, etc.) Do a comparison of the itinerary, times in port, flights to and from cruise, etc. and then make a choice. You won't go wrong with either ship.