HAL newbie, Zaandam or Koningsdam for 2025 Alaska cruise?

[Tom47]

3 hours ago, 0106 said:

@Tom47See if post#7130 on this thread helps you download the Navigator app.

 

 

Thanks.  I am working on it.

[Haljo1935]

5 hours ago, Tom47 said:

Thanks.  I am working on it.

Hey @Tom47 you can use an older version of the Navigator App on your phone, it doesn't have to be on a tablet. That was my post that @0106 so graciously reposted, so if you need help, just let me know.

[Tom47]

1 hour ago, Haljo1935 said:

Hey @Tom47 you can use an older version of the Navigator App on your phone, it doesn't have to be on a tablet. That was my post that @0106 so graciously reposted, so if you need help, just let me know.

Thanks, I am still trying to find the right one.  I have sent an email to HAL app support.

[prescottbob]

Zaandam. 
 

Smaller = better IMO.

 

Safe Travels.

Bob

[Aardvaark]

On 4/24/2024 at 7:30 PM, Tom47 said:

Hi

We have never cruised on HAL and are planning on booking a 2025 Alaska cruise/land tour with Denali and Yukon.  I have identified 2 ships, Zaandam(older and smaller) and  Koningsdam(newer and bigger).  I have read some posts on this board that the Lido on current Koningsdam  cruises is crowded and understaffed.  Is this true across the board on all HAL ships?  Any thoughts pro or con?

 

Either ship will do just fine for the cruise.  On the land portion you'll be accompanied by hundreds of tourists.  You'll stay in nice places with hundreds of tourists.  You'l ride school buses at Denali with tourists, similar to the cruise.

If you have the time and money, get off the beaten track.  Fly out to Nome for a couple of days, and to Kotzebue, just above the circle, to see Inuits' lives.  If your tour ends in Anchorage, rent a car to go to Homer for a day or two.  Perhaps a day in Kodiak.  

And if you can't do it on one trip, remember what you're missing so you can do it the next time.

Best wishes for your discovering.

 

[Tom47]

2 hours ago, Aardvaark said:

Either ship will do just fine for the cruise.  On the land portion you'll be accompanied by hundreds of tourists.  You'll stay in nice places with hundreds of tourists.  You'l ride school buses at Denali with tourists, similar to the cruise.

If you have the time and money, get off the beaten track.  Fly out to Nome for a couple of days, and to Kotzebue, just above the circle, to see Inuits' lives.  If your tour ends in Anchorage, rent a car to go to Homer for a day or two.  Perhaps a day in Kodiak.  

And if you can't do it on one trip, remember what you're missing so you can do it the next time.

Best wishes for your discovering.

 

Thanks.

[noshoobie]

I am bumping this thread up as I have the same question as OP. We are planning a 7 night cruise from Vancouver for June 2025 and will be booking an inside cabin.  Thanks to everyone who has already replied - just wanted to see if I can get more opinions. 

 

 Because the Koningsdam is bigger - do you have to tender into any of the ports? 

[Ileneilene123]

23 hours ago, noshoobie said:

I am bumping this thread up as I have the same question as OP. We are planning a 7 night cruise from Vancouver for June 2025 and will be booking an inside cabin.  Thanks to everyone who has already replied - just wanted to see if I can get more opinions. 

 

 Because the Koningsdam is bigger - do you have to tender into any of the ports? 

We will be sailing this itinerary on the Zaandam next month, but we also considered the Koningsdam. Having been on neither ship yet, we asked for a lot of opinions and received excellent feedback.
 

It’s a question of the smallest ship in the HAL fleet (1400 capacity) versus the largest (2600 capacity). Koningsdam has the edge with more restaurant options, music venues and activities, Zaandam has the edge with more elbow room, an open promenade deck and fewer excursion sell outs.
 

Because the ports and excursions are the same, I believed everyone who said we really couldn’t go wrong with either ship.

 

We could have gone either way but it came down to excursion availability. Since we were a pretty late in planning, we ended up booking the Zaandam because one of the main excursions we wanted (Tracy Arm) was already completely sold out on the Koningsdam. 
 

I hope this helps! 

[Ileneilene123]

1 hour ago, Ileneilene123 said:

We will be sailing this itinerary on the Zaandam next month, but we also considered the Koningsdam. Having been on neither ship yet, we asked for a lot of opinions and received excellent feedback.
 

It’s a question of the smallest ship in the HAL fleet (1400 capacity) versus the largest (2600 capacity). Koningsdam has the edge with more restaurant options, music venues and activities, Zaandam has the edge with more elbow room, an open promenade deck and fewer excursion sell outs.
 

Because the ports and excursions are the same, I believed everyone who said we really couldn’t go wrong with either ship.

 

We could have gone either way but it came down to excursion availability. Since we were a pretty late in planning, we ended up booking the Zaandam because one of the main excursions we wanted (Tracy Arm) was already completely sold out on the Koningsdam. 
 

I hope this helps! 

I should also mention that we were comparing balcony cabins between the ships, not inside cabins as you had mentioned, so I can’t offer any insight. (Balcony cabins are more expensive on the Zaandam b/c they do not have regular Verandah cabins. This was discussed earlier in this thread. The Zaandam has Vista “suites” which are more expensive, but basically the same layout as the regular less expensive Verandah cabins on the Koningsdam) 

Edited May 31 by Ileneilene123

[noshoobie]

Thanks so much for your replies. They were very helpful.

[rj59]

Just got off Zaandam and have been on Kdam multiple times. Kdam is horrible for Alaska, for two reasons. First, it will be over 100% occupancy, so lines and crowds for dining, buffet, shows, and limited public spaces will be bad, with Kdam attracting lots of families. Secondly, it doesn't have a traditional outside promenade deck, and very little top-deck space, so horrible for glacier and whale watching. Zaandam has outdoor loungers on the promenade deck by the water, which was the best place for Glacier Bay, since it was drizzling, and I saw multiple whales while walking around it or sitting on a lounger, bundled up in provided blankets. To me, it doesn't show its age, and is ideal for Alaska, because it's easy to get around, there are secluded spots all over with good views, inside and out, and you get to know more passengers and crew with 1000 fewer passengers. The small size also saved us from a serious storm, since we were able to hide from 17-ft swells and gale-force winds by sailing a very narrow inside passage route from Ketchikan. Embarking/disembarking in Vancouver and ports is also a breeze with a smaller ship, so you maximize your port time better. Finally, it has the most eclectic and interesting art/antique collection of any ship, everything from signed guitars by Queen/Rolling Stones/Bowie to old stained glass and flower prints, to replicas of Egyptian art. It also has a huge library with a coffee shop with nice recliners to see out near the water, and no generic BB Kings/Rolling Stone/Billboard corporate bland entertainment, but instead a cool house band in one lounge and a piano player in the other, playing what they and the audience wants. There's also a sports bar showing games. Oh, and a secret forward viewing area outside crew doors on deck 5 in the theater, and they also opened up the bow on deck 4 for both sailaway in Vancouver and Glacier Bay, which was fun. 

[dmg1956]

Crusier 0106 implied the Zandam does not have Veranda cabins. It certainly does!! We spent 73 days in one for the South America Grand Voyage last fall. 

[Cruise Junky]

4 hours ago, dmg1956 said:

Crusier 0106 implied the Zandam does not have Veranda cabins. It certainly does!! We spent 73 days in one for the South America Grand Voyage last fall. 

They’re are actually correct. What is a standard veranda on other ships is a Vista suite on Zaandam and priced accordingly.  

[crystalspin]

5 hours ago, dmg1956 said:

Crusier 0106 implied the Zandam does not have Veranda cabins. It certainly does!! We spent 73 days in one for the South America Grand Voyage last fall. 

Zaandam has no staterooms classified as Verandah cabins. But it does have cabins with balconies! The Vista Suites (and up) are NOT the same as Verandahs on other ships. (1) they are larger, easily and comfortably holding three adults and their belongings, and (2) if you book one at published price you get double Mariner points.

[Sunseeker810]

I am looking at a 14 day Ultimate Denali on the Noordam in June of 2025.  Do anyone have any opinions to share about this ship?  Thanks

[Dancing Shoes]

I would choose the smaller ship.  We were on her sister ship, Volendam R/T for Alaska.  Love the wrap around Promenade deck.  

[AKJonesy]

We recently sailed from Tokyo to Seattle on Westerdam.  After that sailing I decided I'm tired of the "older" ships.  To me, they are darker, lower ceilings, etc.  Despite what some people say, getting lunch in the Lido is difficult on just about any ship.  At breakfast time you can find seating pretty easily if you are up before 9.  I attribute being able to get breakfast and seating more easily at breakfast because people wake at different times.  Also, Lido at Dinner time is not that difficult to find seating because people may be going to MDR or specialty dining for dinner.  Lunch is busy.  People often comment about the older ships because they like the smaller ship.  I like the Pinnacle class because more is offered to spread out plus it is bright and airy.  There is more specialty dining including the Dutch Cafe which just about everyone loves, a Gelato station out and the pool which has two level seating, etc.  The downside of Pinnacle class is that the promenade deck is basically for walking and no seating.  However, there are outdoor chaises on one or more of the upper decks and not just by the pool.  I would look at some YT vids of the ships and see what might appeal to you.  Also, do not book a stateroom anywhere near the music walk or the World Stage.  The noise DOES seem to travel more on the Pinnacle class   (Koningsdam, Statendam, Rotterdam).

[Tampa Girl]

On 4/26/2024 at 12:57 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

I realize it's been a while since we have cruised with HAL. But the last time we were on the Zaandam in 2018 in one of their Vista Suites, they were basically just regular verandas located on decks 6 or 7, other than you get double Loyalty cruise day points. Has something changed?

 

Aren't the balcony cabins on the Zaandam also larger then the Koningsdam's Vista Suites?  

[Ken the cruiser]

10 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

Aren't the balcony cabins on the Zaandam also larger then the Koningsdam's Vista Suites?  

It would appear as such.

 

  

Edited Tuesday at 04:34 PM by Ken the cruiser

[Ileneilene123]

5 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

It would appear as such.

 

  

I believe the layout of the Vista suites on each ship are also slightly different. In the Zaandam Vista, the bed is right when you walk into the cabin and the sitting area is next to the balcony. It’s the reverse in the Koningsdam Vista. However, the layout in the Koningsdam Verandah cabin is the same as in the Zaandam Vista suite. 

[Btimmer]

We've sailed to / from Alaska on the Maasdam, Amsterdam, Oosterdam (2x), Noordam (2x), Volendam, and Quantum of the Seas.  We've also spent 2.5 months on the Zaandam on the Grand South America (wonderful!) and have sailed for 3 weeks on the Koningsdam on it's inaugural cruise.  That being said, I'd take the smaller ship for Alaska, but we are booked on the Koningsdam for this August, 2024 to sail to Alaska and then do the land excursion through the gold country to Fairbanks and Denali before using the Grand Princess to sail back to Vancouver.  I'll be doing one of my "almost live" threads to report on that experience.

 

While I like the smaller ships, in my opinion the more important thing is to experience Alaska. In many respects, that's more important than which ship is used.

[Tom47]

12 hours ago, Btimmer said:

We've sailed to / from Alaska on the Maasdam, Amsterdam, Oosterdam (2x), Noordam (2x), Volendam, and Quantum of the Seas.  We've also spent 2.5 months on the Zaandam on the Grand South America (wonderful!) and have sailed for 3 weeks on the Koningsdam on it's inaugural cruise.  That being said, I'd take the smaller ship for Alaska, but we are booked on the Koningsdam for this August, 2024 to sail to Alaska and then do the land excursion through the gold country to Fairbanks and Denali before using the Grand Princess to sail back to Vancouver.  I'll be doing one of my "almost live" threads to report on that experience.

 

While I like the smaller ships, in my opinion the more important thing is to experience Alaska. In many respects, that's more important than which ship is used.

I agree with you about experiencing Alaska.  we have been 2 times--1995, Alaska Wildlands 10 day land tour, and Alaska Cruise West(now defunct) 120 day cruise and 2015, Alaska RR, Anchorage to Whittier, r/t, Seward r/t and to Fairbanks 1 way.  This cruise tour includes Yukon(1st time for us).

[Tom47]

3 hours ago, Tom47 said:

I agree with you about experiencing Alaska.  we have been 2 times--1995, Alaska Wildlands 10 day land tour, and Alaska Cruise West(now defunct) 120 day cruise and 2015, Alaska RR, Anchorage to Whittier, r/t, Seward r/t and to Fairbanks 1 way.  This cruise tour includes Yukon(1st time for us).

10 day cruise

[Niagarawine]

On 4/30/2024 at 9:45 PM, prescottbob said:

Zaandam. 
 

Smaller = better IMO.

 

Safe Travels.

Bob

Yep Koningsdam too crowded,mess on last month

[Ileneilene123]

On 6/5/2024 at 10:13 PM, rj59 said:

Just got off Zaandam and have been on Kdam multiple times. Kdam is horrible for Alaska, for two reasons. First, it will be over 100% occupancy, so lines and crowds for dining, buffet, shows, and limited public spaces will be bad, with Kdam attracting lots of families. Secondly, it doesn't have a traditional outside promenade deck, and very little top-deck space, so horrible for glacier and whale watching. Zaandam has outdoor loungers on the promenade deck by the water, which was the best place for Glacier Bay, since it was drizzling, and I saw multiple whales while walking around it or sitting on a lounger, bundled up in provided blankets. To me, it doesn't show its age, and is ideal for Alaska, because it's easy to get around, there are secluded spots all over with good views, inside and out, and you get to know more passengers and crew with 1000 fewer passengers. The small size also saved us from a serious storm, since we were able to hide from 17-ft swells and gale-force winds by sailing a very narrow inside passage route from Ketchikan. Embarking/disembarking in Vancouver and ports is also a breeze with a smaller ship, so you maximize your port time better. Finally, it has the most eclectic and interesting art/antique collection of any ship, everything from signed guitars by Queen/Rolling Stones/Bowie to old stained glass and flower prints, to replicas of Egyptian art. It also has a huge library with a coffee shop with nice recliners to see out near the water, and no generic BB Kings/Rolling Stone/Billboard corporate bland entertainment, but instead a cool house band in one lounge and a piano player in the other, playing what they and the audience wants. There's also a sports bar showing games. Oh, and a secret forward viewing area outside crew doors on deck 5 in the theater, and they also opened up the bow on deck 4 for both sailaway in Vancouver and Glacier Bay, which was fun. 

This a great write up of your recent inside passage Alaska cruise on the Zaandam! Before you left, you had posted on my thread about this cruise, so I am happy to read this before we depart next month. If you have a chance, a few more questions:

1) I’m sorry to hear that you ran into a storm. How bad was it before the ship routed back into the inside passage? Was this the only rough spot in the itinerary? 
2) how were dinners in the MDR? 
3) were there enough planned activities on board to keep busy during the sea days? 
4) were there any daily happy hours? 
5) any hvac or noise issues in your cabin (we will be on Deck 6)? 
Thank you!