Live Blogging from Veendam in Alaska May 30 - June 7

[Erica@cruisecritic]

Hi everyone!

 

Summer may be right around the corner, but I'm grabbing my fleece jacket and gloves and heading north to Alaska. I'll be boarding Holland America's Veendam on Sunday for a seven-night cruise with visits to Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. And I'll be blogging right here about the whole experience.

 

The trip starts with a day to explore Vancouver, followed by some independent exploration in Ketchikan and Skagway (which hopefully will include a hike in Alaska's gorgeous wilderness), a ship-sponsored canoe trip by Mendenhall Glacier, and scenic cruising in College Fjord and Glacier Bay. Veendam is just out of dry-dock, with new enhancements such as lanai cabins, with doors that lead out to the lower promenade deck (I'll be staying in one); the Retreat, a resort-style pool area; the Canaletto restaurant in the Lido restaurant at night; Showroom at Sea entertainment program; and a special Alaska dinner (including salmon 50 ways -- yum!).

 

I'll be blogging every day from the evening of May 30 through June 7, and sharing lots of details about the Alaskan ports, scenery, wildlife (if I see any) and the ship. If you've got any questions about what to do in port, first-time or repeat cruising in Alaska, Veendam's cabins and public spaces, onboard activities, or Holland America in general, please post them here. I'll try to answer as many as possible during and after the trip -- though please note, I cannot answer any questions about specific cabins.

 

Check back here throughout the week and share my journey from Vancouver to Anchorage. And keep your fingers crossed for sun!

[yogagal47]

have a fantastic cruise-will look forward to reading you blog as our cruise to the IP leaves next sunday!

[judynorth]

I look forward to your "Live From" thread. We did a b2b on the Veendam last year at this time and loved it. I'd love to be going back.

[jst4fun715]

Wow...I'll be looking forward to your blogs especially from Juneau and Skagway as we are headed there at the end of June. Thanks and have a wonderful time!

[Rosieo]

Great! I will be boarding when it is back in Vancouver on June 14th! I will be looking forward to hearing all about it.

[compulady]

I'll be looking forward to reading it. My Alaska cruise is June 12th so your blog will be a nice preview. How do you plan to do it? will you use the ships internet access or will you be reporting from ports? What is your method?

 

I have a verizon wifi card and am wondering if I will be able to use it in a few ports.

[krogerlady]

It will be great to read your reviews during the week I am packing to leave!! As if I could possibly be any more excited, you will make truly "up close and personal"...thank you.

[tannes]

Dear Erica,

We are going on the Veendam July 26 for a land/sea tour #23. Your blog will be great for us to read! We were on a HAL cruise 6 years ago and I am interested to know if they still have string music at their teas - that was a favorite from our last cruise. Also, it sounds like coffee is an extra expense at Explorations and am wondering what the charge for that is? Finally, I know we want to eat at the specialty restaurant but don't want to miss a special night in the dining room so will be interested to hear what menus are featured each night. Thanks for sharing!

[neilrr]

Dear Erica:

We will be going B2B June 14-28 on the Veendam. Hopefully, HAL has worked out all of the problems from the earlier cruises. We are avid cruisers, but my first time on HAL; my parter has been on HAL once before -many moons ago..

 

We are counting on your bolg...We want to hear the good:), the bad:( and the ugly:eek: ....Hopefully, very little bad and ugly..

 

Hello -- Rosieo -- fancy meeting you here.... See you on our cruise...

 

Have a wonderful trip...

Neil

[tetleytea]

I've got a not-so-live blog of our cruise from the Island Princess last week. It was just something to do while hanging out on the balcony in the middle of all the scenery. I haven't posted it just because it's so lengthy.

[judynorth]

I've got a not-so-live blog of our cruise from the Island Princess last week. It was just something to do while hanging out on the balcony in the middle of all the scenery. I haven't posted it just because it's so lengthy.

 

Go ahead and post it. I know I don't mind reading long reviews and those who don't like them don't have to read them. :rolleyes: I'd recommend that you start a separate thread though.

[fann1sh]

Erica, thanks for doing this. I realize Alaska itself is the star attraction, but I'll have questions about the Veendam herself :o. I'm a HAL regular, and while the same Signature of Excellence changes will occur soon on Rotterdam, the Statendam, Ryndam and later Maasdam refits have been revised, as of now.

 

I'm curious about piano bar entertainment in The Mix; storage and floorspace in the lanai cabin; how well the electronic door opener/closer works for promenade deck access; and whether you have any issues with your reserved lanai deck chairs.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[Coolcruise02]

Can't wait!! Hope you have good weather. :)

[Erica@cruisecritic]

Thanks for the well wishes everyone! I'm writing down all your questions and will happily investigate for you.

 

Compulady, I'll be using the ship's Internet -- but solely because I'm a journalist. ;) I have to take my own laptop with me because of the amount of writing I do, and it's easier to work on sea days and nights/mornings onboard. In general, I always recommend guests who just want to send a few emails home or catch up on the news use Internet cafes in port because they're so much cheaper. I'll try to keep an eye out for Internet spots in Alaska.

 

And fann1sh, I didn't know I got a reserved deck chair -- how exciting! I'll let you know if I have to shoo away any unauthorized loungers from my personal sitting area.

[cruisinsmoothly]

I would like to know if there is a Let It Ride table in the casino and , if so, it has the 3-card bonus. I need to adjust my gambling budget as LIR is my weakness and the 3cb affects my "cost of entertainment". I will eagerly read all of your posts to help pass the time until our June 28 embarkation. Have a great cruise.

[mountainhouse]

It's great of you to do this. It's a big effort, but MUCH appreciated. Thanks!

[lovebug33]

Thanks much! As you leave, I'll be getting on June 7!

[earl_m]

I will be reading every day your blog, Have a great cruise!!!

[HosannaB]

Erica,

First of all, I hope you have a wonderful time in Alaska and on the Veendam. I won't be sailing on Veendam until almost a year from and then will be going to Bermuda, not Alaska. However, after reading about the refit, I have to admit I am deeply curious about the condition of Veendam and the functionality of some of the new spaces.

My cabin next May will be an IQ cabin, Inside Spa cabin, on the Veranda Deck. I've never even been in an inside cabin and have more hopes and dreams about what a Spa cabin is than I have actual facts. I'm hoping that your blog will fill in some of the facts about this as well as other ship-related realities.

I was just in Alaska for my second cruise up there. So beautiful. So consistently interesting. So hard when it is time to pack up and head home. Have a great time!

-Bobbie

[Woobstr112G]

Have a great time.....

 

Bob

[Erica@cruisecritic]

I'm off to the airport in just a few hours, fittingly flying Alaska Airlines with a stopover in Seattle on the way to Vancouver. I'm not looking forward to my midnight arrival in Vancouver -- nor do I expect to log on when I get to the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel at 1 a.m. The hotel is across the street from the cruise port -- you can't get much more convenient than that!

 

I'm a big fan of arriving in port a day early, and in this case, I've allowed myself a full day in Vancouver to explore this wonderful port city. The last and only time I was in Vancouver I went directly from the airport to the cruise port and missed out on the city's attractions, so I'll log in Saturday evening to let you all know what's fun to do with your pre-cruise stay in Canada.

 

Send me your Vancouver questions (or activity suggestions) and I'll try to find out the answers during my brief stay. Talk to you again on Saturday!

[krogerlady]

We are also arriving near midnight at YVR. I will be interested in your impressions of the airport this late, as well as going to your hotel. Will you be using the airport limo company...the new one....i can't remember their name....use to be limojetgold...I have it somewhere....

[scopewest]

Thanks for taking the time to do this, can't wait to read about your cruise.

[texkan]

Anxious to read your posts. I will be doing a southbound cruise tour in mid-Aug with another

cruise co. Please let us know what you do in each port.

[galipemi]

Hi Erica,

 

Enjoy the cruise! I'm sure that you'll love both Vancouver and the Veendam. I"ll be sailing southbound in August and am hoping you might be able to find out what night they'll schedule Master Chef on the SB. Also, maybe who the Captain and HM will be around then?