Zaandam Alaska trip report

[Vaca2006]

We recently completed a 7-night Inside Passage cruise roundtrip fromVancouver. I traveled with DW, 12-yo son, 7-yo daughter, and sister-in-law. As this was our first trip to the Pacific NW, we made it an 11-day vacation to try to squeeze in some extra touring.

Arrival: On Sunday morning (cruise day was Wednesday), we flew Alaska Airlines direct from DCA to Seattle (cheaper and more time-efficient than flying into Vancouver). Rented a car and headed north on I-5 with a scenic detour on the Chuckanut Drive. Backup at the border was about 30 minutes. Stopped in Surrey, BC, to visit a distant relative who had found me via the internet several years ago when she was doing genealogical research. Stayed for three nights at the Meridian at 910 Beach, an apartment hotel near the Granville Bridge. Look for my review at Tripadvisor.

Vancouver: Rose early (still on east coast time) Monday. Returned the car at Canada Place and spent an hour looking around. Picked up transit day passes and lots of advice at the tourist info center across the street. Had dim sum in Chinatown. Took the Sea Bus across Burrard Inlet and visited Capilano Suspension Bridge, which was well worth the price of admission. We even saw an osprey trying to snare a trout. Snacked at the Lonsdale Quay Market before heading back across the inlet. After relaxing a while at the hotel, walked up to Robson Street and spent quite a while trying to pick a restaurant, ending up at Zefferelli's Spaghetti Joint. We loved it, though they had run out of mussels and one of the specials.

We spent the first part of Tuesday in Stanley Park, enjoying harbor views as we walked along the seawall, viewing the totem poles, riding the shuttle, and lunching at the Fish House. We returned to the hotel for a bit, then went to Granville Island. It wasn’t as interesting as I had thought it would be, though the kids did enjoy the model train and boat museum. At the very appetizing public market, we picked up some bread, cheese, and prosciutto and ate it back at the hotel.

Embarkation: Wednesday morning, we walked along False Creek before packing and taking a cab to Canada Place. The entire process (baggage transfer, U.S. customs, and HAL check in) was very quick and easy so that we were lunching in the Lido before we knew it.

Cabins: Our party of five split between a Verandah triple and an outside double. This was my first verandah and I enjoyed having a private view on many occasions, including our trip up Glacier Bay. I don’t think, however, the verandah itself would be worth the extra expense on a less scenic cruise, such as HAL’s Western Caribbean itinerary or a transoceanic trip. Our steward Franciscus lived up to the high standard we’ve come to expect from HAL. There was ample drawer space and just enough closet space. We never used the refrigerator, mostly filled with minibar items.

Meals: we did two lunches and all dinners in the Rotterdam dining room, consistently impressive. I’ve only done one other cruise, but the menu seemed shorter. Maybe it was because each menu included a large section of Alaska-centric selections (typically three starters and two entrees). One of the casual nights was the “Master Chef” dinner which combines the Zaandam cast of singers/dancers with heretofore untapped talents of the cooks and dining staff in several unique presentations throughout the meal.

The food in the Lido doesn’t disappoint, but the line management remains wanting. Pinnacle Grill sold filled their reservations very early in the cruise, so we didn’t make it there this time.

Tracy Arm: magnificent glacier-carved cliffs on both slides. I was disappointed that we didn’t sail all way up to view the twin glaciers. This is a good point to tell about Chris Fisher, the on-board naturalist and travel guide who presented several lectures/slideshows on the geography, wildlife, and history of the Inside Passage. He is very knowledgeable on all the topics and an accomplished speaker. If he’s ever on your ship, I recommend you see all his presentations. His narrative over the ship’s speakers during our Tracy Arm cruise was insightful and engaging.

Juneau: The only port where we booked an excursion. We did the whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier package. The charter was a large catamaran shared with at least two busloads of people. After seeing a single whale then a pair from a distance, we hit the jackpot when we were able to watch a pod of 14 humpbacks “bubble-net” feeding. I’ll let you look up the meaning of the term, but the upshot is that we spent 30 minutes in the company of very active and vociferous huge marine mammals. That display alone was worth the price of the excursion.

Skagway: Based on advice from a friend who had taken the White Pass railway trip, I rented a car and drove the Klondike Highway up to Emerald Lake in the Yukon Territory. We stopped to take photos of in front of dramatic scenery more than a dozen times through the 150-mile round trip.

Glacier Bay: Breathtaking even before we saw the glaciers. When we stopped next to Margie Glacier, it calved more than 10 times. Seeing such a rare display from the comfort of my verandah was an unforgettable experience. A National Forest ranger provided occasional commentary as we sailed Glacier Bay. I missed the ranger’s formal presentation but did watch for a while when he spoke to the kids in Club HAL. A worthwhile addition to the cruise.

Ketchikan: did basically nothing here. While the ladies shopped, I took the kids for walk up the creek to watch salmon swimming upstream.

Shows: We attended the evening entertainment in the Mondrian Lounge very night. The singers and dancers put on three performances: Broadway love songs, songs with a Southern U.S. theme, and “H-2-Oh” featuring water-based songs. Very enjoyable as long as you can get past the basic corniness of such shows. The comic magician Freddy Fusion was very funny, though he did too many tricks that everyone has seen before (mainly tricks requiring volunteers from the audience). Delisco (winner of a TV talent competition a la American Idol) is a very good singer but also suffered from over reliance on audience outreach, wasting many minutes shaking hands with people, asking their names and hometowns. The highlight was comedian Frank King, who had the audience howling at his observational humor.

Disembarkation: We moved through Canadian customs and baggage claim very rapidly. Rental car counters and information all ground transportation options are right outside the secure area. I rented another car for the drive down to Seattle. The wait at the border was over an hour this time.

Seattle: We used our limited time at Seattle Center, mainly in the Experience Music Project and the Science Fiction Museum, with an obligatory trip to the top of the Space Needle at sunset. These 5 hours of light amusement cost from than $130 for our group of five. Spent the night before our flight home at the Seattle Airport Marriott, booked with Marriott Reward Points.

The longest vacation we’ve taken since we had kids, the trip comprised diverse experiences. But 20 years from now, we’ll probably remember mainly the whales and the glaciers and we’ll brag to people that we saw Frank King live before he was famous.

 

Lee

[gizmo]

Thanks for taking the time to write the review. I enjoyed reading it. :)

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Vaca, thank you for a really comprehensive and excellent review. What did you and your children think of Club HAL?

 

Karin

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for writing your review.

[SteakMama]

Youre review makes me so excited for our Alaskan inside passage cruise in Sept. Thanks for sharing!!!;)

[earl_m]

Sounds like you had a very interesting trip. I hope to do it next year.

[traveler1980]

Thank you for the review. I really enjoyed reading it as we have recently done the Inside Passage on the Zuiderdam. Does sound like some things were different on your ship, which is good so it will never be the same experience. I am so jealous of your calving activity! I wish we would have had that, but maybe next time!!!

[fsdj1097]

Hi Lee,

 

Thanks for sharing your review. We cruised on the Zaandam in 2005 out of Vancouver and it was our most memorable Alaska Cruise to date. The Zaandam is truly a wonderful ship and we enjoyed the beauty of the inside passage.

[Vaca2006]

Vaca, thank you for a really comprehensive and excellent review. What did you and your children think of Club HAL?

 

Karin

 

My 7-yo daughter, who is very sociable and artsy-craftsy, loved Club HAL and wanted to attend as much as possible. My 12-yo son, almost a polar opposite, only used the Club's Playstations, eschewing the organized activities. Like anything, Club HAL is what you make of it. The raw materials - friendly, competent staff, adequate child-focused facilities, etc. - are there for a great experience or a mediocre one for kids like my boy.

 

I wrote an extensive review of Club HAL on the Veendam when we did a western Caribbean cruise last year. It's a good primer for anyone considering a HAL cruise with kids; see http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=334361. Basically, my feeling is that Club HAL is as good as it needs to be given HAL's general demographics and the type of cruise experience they represent. If an elaborate kids' club experience is a major requirement for your family, I would think that Holland America should not be one of your top choices.

 

Let me know if I can give you any other information.

 

Lee

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Thank you, Lee; I have sailed HAL with my family and my daughter has enjoyed Club HAL. I just wondered what your observations were, and you answered me very nicely, thank you. I appreciate the link to your Club HAL review from last year, as I missed it the first time around. I concur with your opinion.

 

Karin

[hammybee]

Thanks for makig the times to share your cruise with us. I enjoy your writing.