Great Bear Rainforest cruise from Seattle 2025 and 2026 - Noordam

[Bimmer09]

I got an email this morning offering up some new Pacific Coast/Mexico HAL cruises and was instructed to book one pronto. Neither DeckChairQueen nor I have sailed HAL before and yet now I find we have 3 bookings. The cruises show on the HAL website so I didn't bother getting in touch with our PCC. Snagged an aft-wrap Neptune with HIA and booked online.

Ketchikan and Victoria are the only ports we are familiar with from our Princess sailings.

Anyone else get the email and book? We are on the 7 day Noordam April 19 2026. She also has a sailing in October 2025.

 

Norris

[jeh10641]

24 minutes ago, Bimmer09 said:

I got an email this morning offering up some new Pacific Coast/Mexico HAL cruises and was instructed to book one pronto. Neither DeckChairQueen nor I have sailed HAL before and yet now I find we have 3 bookings. The cruises show on the HAL website so I didn't bother getting in touch with our PCC. Snagged an aft-wrap Neptune with HIA and booked online.

Ketchikan and Victoria are the only ports we are familiar with from our Princess sailings.

Anyone else get the email and book? We are on the 7 day Noordam April 19 2026. She also has a sailing in October 2025.

 

Norris

You will love HAL, I think. In Alaska, they are reputed to have the best naturalists onboard because of their longevity sailing to Alaska. I have been sailing on HAL ships since 1959 (age 17+). Most recently (since 2012) on the Westerdam, Oosterdam and Rotterdam (Koningsdam in January 2025). Never cruised to Alaska but went there for business about 60 times. Now I'm retired. Have not been to the state in over 20 years. I look forward to taking my wife on a cruise there maybe in '25 or '26.

 

Jim 

[Bimmer09]

38 minutes ago, jeh10641 said:

You will love HAL, I think.

 

Jim 

Jim, I imagine we will. We will get to find out on our Christmas cruise this year on the Rotterdam. If we like that we'll continue with our Arctic and Scotland cruise June 2025 on Nieuw Statendam.  Christmas 2025 finds us at the Panama Canal via Celebrity Ascent. After that we'll be on Noordam as described.

The good word of mouth via YouTube and this board on the HAL food and amenities impressed me to make the case for trying HAL to She Who Matters. I was right about Princess in 2011. Right about Celebrity in 2016. Right about Azamara in 2019. We have 20 happy cruises under our belts. So I'm feeling lucky!

Thanks for your endorsement Jim!

I was surprised to be the first to mention this new cruise itinerary. Happy to get my pick of Neptunes though. There are apparently only 2 sailings scheduled.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/find-a-cruise/l6p07a/n621

That's our itinerary....

Norris

[Nodakboiler]

We just started the roll call for the 4/19/26 cruise. Looking forward to touring BC.

[Ken the cruiser]

2 hours ago, jeh10641 said:

You will love HAL, I think. In Alaska, they are reputed to have the best naturalists onboard because of their longevity sailing to Alaska. I have been sailing on HAL ships since 1959 (age 17+). Most recently (since 2012) on the Westerdam, Oosterdam and Rotterdam (Koningsdam in January 2025). Never cruised to Alaska but went there for business about 60 times. Now I'm retired. Have not been to the state in over 20 years. I look forward to taking my wife on a cruise there maybe in '25 or '26.

 

Jim 

Really? HAL is now booking naturalists to give lectures on their Alaska 7-10 day itineraries, other than having the “free” Glacier Bay NP Ranger come onboard when one of their ships visit there? That’s good to hear. But I'll still be a little skeptical until I hear it a few more times, especially when they only have their Cruise/Excursion Director rather than a professional lecturer giving the lectures/port talks on all of their other cruises.

[oakridger]

My last HAL cruise to Alaska did not have a naturalist on board as @Ken the cruiser referred to.  The CD presented some talks but there was no subject expert sadly.  I sure hope they start having a professional Alaska presenter!

 

Other than that, I have very much enjoyed my HAL Alaska cruises!

 

~Nancy

Edited March 15 by oakridger

[Cruise Junky]

This might be the first time ever I’ve seen someone excited about Prince Rupert and Nanaimo 😂😂

[oaktreerb]

5 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

I got an email this morning offering up some new Pacific Coast/Mexico HAL cruises and was instructed to book one pronto. Neither DeckChairQueen nor I have sailed HAL before and yet now I find we have 3 bookings. The cruises show on the HAL website so I didn't bother getting in touch with our PCC. Snagged an aft-wrap Neptune with HIA and booked online.

Ketchikan and Victoria are the only ports we are familiar with from our Princess sailings.

Anyone else get the email and book? We are on the 7 day Noordam April 19 2026. She also has a sailing in October 2025.

 

Norris

I’m happy to see HAL coming up with some unique itineraries for the Pacific Northwest!  If I lived in Seattle I’d be booking this, too.  We sailed the southern part of this itinerary on a Canadian Ferry, from Prince Rupert to Nanaimo.  Loved sailing past Bella Bella and between the scenic islands in the inside passage.  Your cruise will be much more leisurely.  Twice we have looked for bears in the Great Bear Rainforest, once we were successful.  Enjoy the journey!

[mgtravelsalot]

Just book the OCt 25 one Yippee  Have been to Alaska many times this one will be great and different for me Just what I was looking for Love HAL Thats 3 cruises next year for me lol

 

[Bimmer09]

7 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

I’m happy to see HAL coming up with some unique itineraries for the Pacific Northwest!  If I lived in Seattle I’d be booking this, too.  We sailed the southern part of this itinerary on a Canadian Ferry, from Prince Rupert to Nanaimo.  Loved sailing past Bella Bella and between the scenic islands in the inside passage.  Your cruise will be much more leisurely.  Twice we have looked for bears in the Great Bear Rainforest, once we were successful.  Enjoy the journey!

Thanks for the good wishes! 

I imagine Ketchikan is a requirement (foreign port) but although we have been there 3 times prior we are happy to visit again. It's a picturesque little town and I'm always armed to the teeth with cameras.

I saw some bears on one of our visits there...we visited the rainforest and I had my camcorder with me. I took 3 videos with bears.

 

I can never remember- did the guide say we should "keep quiet and don't move" or was it "run at them while shouting!" I guess I'll find out April 2026.

Haven't been in Ketchikan since 2016. We were on the Star Princess.

 

Norris

[Cruise Junky]

12 minutes ago, Bimmer09 said:

Thanks for the good wishes! 

I imagine Ketchikan is a requirement (foreign port) but although we have been there 3 times prior we are happy to visit again. It's a picturesque little town and I'm always armed to the teeth with cameras.

I saw some bears on one of our visits there...we visited the rainforest and I had my camcorder with me. I took 3 videos with bears.

I can never remember- did the guide say we should "keep quiet and don't move" or was it "run at them while shouting!" I guess I'll find out April 2026.

Haven't been in Ketchikan since 2016. We were on the Star Princess.

 

Doesn’t the cruise leave from Seattle?  How is Ketchikan the foreign port? 

[oaktreerb]

8 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

Doesn’t the cruise leave from Seattle?  How is Ketchikan the foreign port? 

This cruise has 3 foreign ports!  Ketchikan is the only US port outside of Seattle but a destination none the less!

[Cruise Junky]

50 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

This cruise has 3 foreign ports!  Ketchikan is the only US port outside of Seattle but a destination none the less!

Obviously. But not my question. The poster said Ketchikan was a requirement as a foreign port. So yes, your statement is correct but I have no idea what it has to do with what I posted.  

[Bimmer09]

1 hour ago, Cruise Junky said:

Doesn’t the cruise leave from Seattle?  How is Ketchikan the foreign port? 

LOL! Good catch. 

Norris

[jeh10641]

19 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

Jim, I imagine we will. We will get to find out on our Christmas cruise this year on the Rotterdam. If we like that we'll continue with our Arctic and Scotland cruise June 2025 on Nieuw Statendam.  Christmas 2025 finds us at the Panama Canal via Celebrity Ascent. After that we'll be on Noordam as described.

The good word of mouth via YouTube and this board on the HAL food and amenities impressed me to make the case for trying HAL to She Who Matters. I was right about Princess in 2011. Right about Celebrity in 2016. Right about Azamara in 2019. We have 20 happy cruises under our belts. So I'm feeling lucky!

Thanks for your endorsement Jim!

I was surprised to be the first to mention this new cruise itinerary. Happy to get my pick of Neptunes though. There are apparently only 2 sailings scheduled.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/find-a-cruise/l6p07a/n621

That's our itinerary....

Norris

Hi, Norris,

I use bold font because it is easier for me to see. I hope that does not offend you. In my signature below is a review I wrote on the Rotterdam after our cruise in December 2021. Pinnacle class ships of HAL (Rotterdam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam) are my perfect size ships. We are going on the Koningsdam in January 2025 to Hawaii. Talk soon.

Jim

[jeh10641]

18 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Really? HAL is now booking naturalists to give lectures on their Alaska 7-10 day itineraries, other than having the “free” Glacier Bay NP Ranger come onboard when one of their ships visit there? That’s good to hear. But I'll still be a little skeptical until I hear it a few more times, especially when they only have their Cruise/Excursion Director rather than a professional lecturer giving the lectures/port talks on all of their other cruises.

You are right. I meant to say National Park Rangers.

Jim

[JDinWA]

21 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

I got an email this morning offering up some new Pacific Coast/Mexico HAL cruises and was instructed to book one pronto. Neither DeckChairQueen nor I have sailed HAL before and yet now I find we have 3 bookings. The cruises show on the HAL website so I didn't bother getting in touch with our PCC. Snagged an aft-wrap Neptune with HIA and booked online.

Ketchikan and Victoria are the only ports we are familiar with from our Princess sailings.

Anyone else get the email and book? We are on the 7 day Noordam April 19 2026. She also has a sailing in October 2025.

 

Norris

I hadn't heard about this new cruise but it's great to see a new offering, especially one to an area I'm unfamiliar with. It's nice to get a full day in Victoria instead of the usual few evening hours. We've booked the Oct 2025 sailing, thanks for getting the word out!

[Bimmer09]

1 hour ago, JDinWA said:

I hadn't heard about this new cruise but it's great to see a new offering, especially one to an area I'm unfamiliar with. It's nice to get a full day in Victoria instead of the usual few evening hours. We've booked the Oct 2025 sailing, thanks for getting the word out!

I'm glad others are interested in this itinerary. Ten hours in Victoria give us ample time to reacquaint ourselves with Butchart Gardens. We took a very expensive seaplane flight there after of our Anchorage to Vancouver Princess cruise in 2011. Got a taxi in Victoria and had him wait for a couple of hours at the gardens. Despite the cost it proved worth the spend in terms of life experiences. No seaplane this time.

Carol has since grown her own garden and is a learned green-thumber. Her garden now is flower pots high above the streets of Chicago. We will walk through Butchart on air...

New Canadian ports are welcome. Off the beaten track.

It's odd to have 3 HAL cruises booked. Usually we try one cruise with a new to us line before booking another. The itineraries have made us commit, backed up with reviews and YouTube videos from HAL ships, principally Pinnacle class.

Only the night-time entertainment looks like a big step-down from Princess and Celebrity. Still it's 9 months until our first sail and maybe HAL can replace Lincoln Center and whatever other room it is currently dialing back. We will likely linger over dinners. A bonus on our Noordam sailing is breakfast in Pinnacle Grill which is a beautiful room. We have Club Orange on our Pinnacle class sailings.

I'll be watching the board in October 2025!

Cheers!

Norris

 

[ChinaShrek]

Does anyone think it could be raining every day of this cruise? I was thinking of booking the trip for April 2026 but I want some sun!

Edited March 16 by ChinaShrek

[jeh10641]

26 minutes ago, ChinaShrek said:

Does anyone think it could be raining every day of this cruise? I was thinking of booking the trip for April 2026 but I want some sun!

I live in Seattle. There are some days of sun every month of the year. April is usually fairly nice but I would expect a couple of days of rain for this cruise.

Jim

[ChinaShrek]

1 hour ago, jeh10641 said:

I live in Seattle. There are some days of sun every month of the year. April is usually fairly nice but I would expect a couple of days of rain for this cruise.

Jim

I have done two Alaska cruises but they were in July and there was some sun and some clouds. I'm okay with that. Do you think this is a good itinerary? It seem unique.

[jeh10641]

8 minutes ago, ChinaShrek said:

I have done two Alaska cruises but they were in July and there was some sun and some clouds. I'm okay with that. Do you think this is a good itinerary? It seem unique.

This is certainly a unique cruise. I think that only small ships spend this much time in these ports. Victoria is certainly worth 10 hours (or more). Butchart Gardens should be really colorful at this time of year.

Jim

[Bimmer09]

7 hours ago, ChinaShrek said:

Does anyone think it could be raining every day of this cruise? I was thinking of booking the trip for April 2026 but I want some sun!

I Googled a couple of ports for average rainfall...

Victoria 3 inches of rain in April, 8 inches October

Prince Rupert 8 inches in April, 16 inches October (wettest town in Canada)

I've done 3 Alaskan cruises. The first from Anchorage to Vancouver had 5 days of rain and fog then 2 days (Ketchikan to Vancouver 70F zero rain) That was mid August 2011.

Following year same time 7 days of sunshine/cloudy no rain Vancouver to Anchorage.

It's a different itinerary with only 2 sailings and weather isn't guaranteed.

I'm looking forward to it!

 

Norris

[skidroe]

Looks like these are going to be a popular cruise itinerary.

On both cruises, all the aft Neptune suites were sold out in 2 days.

Luckily, we got ours on both sailings.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Sounds like some good cruises.