Holland America Alaska Cruise

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Holland America Alaska Cruise Line – Volendam

After a few years of desirous to do an Alaska Cruise departing from Vancouver BC, we lastly made it occur in September 2023.
We chosen a …

selecting their 7 day cruise onboard the Volendam.

Holland America Line Celebrating 150 Years

In 2023, Holland America Line celebrated an astounding 150 years crusing the excessive seas. As a part of their anniversary celebration, they supplied a wonderful cope with added incentives, on their Alaska Cruise Itineraries and plenty of others.

It was their Anniversary Particular, that was simply too good to go up. Our relations even booked and joined us as effectively!

Residing on {Vancouver Island} in British Columbia, Canada for years, we’d watch the cruise ships crusing by every season coming to and from Alaska.

It was about time we lastly booked a voyage to Alaska!

About The Volendam

Volendam III, was launched again in 1999. This smaller cruise ship was then refurbished in 2019.

Volendam is the right ship for mature vacationers together with; {couples}, singles and buddies, looking for a standard cruise expertise, with private service.

Volendam – 7 Day Alaskan Inside Passage

Our seven day voyage departed and returned from the Metropolis of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Stops on our itinerary included;

Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay Nationwide Park, Ketchikan

We selected to sail on the finish of August into the primary week of September.

Wednesday, August 30 Vancouver, BC, Canada 4:00pm
Thursday, August 31 Inside Passage, AK (Cruising)
Friday, September 1 Tracy Arm (Twin Sawyer Glaciers), AK (Cruising)
Friday, September 1 Juneau, AK 1:00pm 10:00pm
Saturday, September 2 Skagway, AK 7:00am 8:00pm
Sunday, September 3 Glacier Bay Nationwide Park & Protect, AK (Cruising)
Monday, September 4 Ketchikan, AK 11:00am 7:00pm
Tuesday, September 5 Inside Passage, AK (Cruising)
Wednesday, September 6 Vancouver, BC, Canada 7:00am

We had been conscious the climate can be turning presently of 12 months in Alaska, with cooler temperatures, and the potential of rain showers extra frequent. We dressed accordingly for the cooler climate, and the potential of rain.

Holland America Alaska Cruise – Overview

Vancouver BC, Canada Harbour

Of all of the cruises we’ve taken through the years, we’ve by no means skilled a extra organized test in, then that of on the {Cruise Ship Terminal} in downtown Vancouver.

Previous to arriving, we got a test in time through e-mail and on the Holland America; cellphone App.
Our test in was at 1:20 pm for a departure time of 4 pm.
It’s as if everybody was already checked in and we breezed by the method, together with on the U.S. Customs strains, with no waits in any respect.

My spouse and I even have {Nexus} customs clearance playing cards, and we cleared customs in minutes. Our luggage had been dropped off after checking in, to be delivered to our cabin by ship attendants.

Lido Market

Quickly after boarding the ship and testing our assigned cabin, we made our approach to the; Lido Market Buffet, for lunch.

That is the primary buffet restaurant on the Volendam. We loved many nice meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on this restaurant. Sure elements of the buffet, are saved open for these wishing a … late night time snack.

You’ll definitely by no means go hungry on this ship, day or night time!

Departing The Port Of Vancouver

Our departure time was 4 pm and it was an exquisite afternoon leaving the Port of Vancouver. As we do dwell on this a part of the world, it was very cool leaving Vancouver harbor, and crusing beneath the Lions Gate Bridge and alongside town’s stunning …
Stanley Park.

We might even be crusing alongside Vancouver Island, the place we make our residence right here in British Columbia.

After having fun with the view from the surface higher deck and because the solar was setting, it was time to return our cabin and put together for our first dinner within the ships;
major eating room.

Partially Obstructed Outdoors Cabin – Decrease Promenade Deck

We chosen a stateroom on this deck and had been fairly happy with the general dimension and structure. Our cabin was the final one, positioned on the stern of the ship.

We discovered it very handy and quiet on this a part of the ship. We additionally had direct entry to the walkway outdoors, circling this decrease promenade deck. This was one thing we actually loved, strolling all through the day and night whereas crusing.

It made for simple entry outdoors, to get pleasure from leisurely walks across the whole ship.
The views all through the voyage had been wonderful!

Our different relations’ cabin was just some doorways down, having chosen a snug; inside stateroom.
Each staterooms had been effectively appointed and saved very clear always.

Our assigned attendants entered our cabin a couple of instances every day, maintaining our stateroom immaculate.

Stateroom Facilities

Each day housekeeping;
Complimentary 24-hour room service;
Elemis Aromapure cleaning soap, lotion, shampoo;
Luxurious bathrobes;
Hair dryers, make-up mirrors;
Beneficiant storage;
Recent fruit upon request;
Secure;
Ice service;
Shoeshine;
TV with On Demand motion pictures, programming.

Volendam – Eating

You do have a wide range of eating choices whereas crusing on the Volendam.

From the nice choice in the primary buffet for; breakfast, lunch, dinner and night snacks, to the primary eating room for extra relaxed served meals, the choice when and the place to dine is yours.

Beneath, is only a pattern of a number of the great dishes we had been served, the primary eating room for dinner.

For probably the most half, we selected the buffet for our breakfast and lunches. My spouse and I did get pleasure from breakfast in the primary eating room on a couple of events, on the mornings we had been crusing.

For probably the most half, we selected the buffet for our breakfast and lunches.

The eggs benedict in the primary eating room for breakfast, was excellent!

There are not any reservations required for the primary eating room. Within the night hours for dinner, you merely test in and also you’re handed a name monitor, informing you when your desk is prepared.

We by no means needed to watch for greater than 15-20 minutes every night, and went as much as the video games room whereas ready.

Dive-In Poolside Culinary Classics

One different choice to the day is informal eating on the Dive–In buffet and eatery. Right here, you’ll be able to get pleasure from excellent; basic burgers, hotdogs, fries and far more.

We loved eating right here on various events, for lunch and late afternoon snacks, as every thing was freshly ready and scrumptious!

There’s glorious poolside seating alongside the big view home windows. It’s also possible to deliver your meals from the buffet to this open space as effectively, if you happen to choose.

There’s additionally a pool cocktail bar positioned on this space, open all through the day and night.

You even have a selection of two glorious specialty eating places for dinner as effectively. Except included in your cruise bundle, these eating places are a further cost, for visitors wishing to make reservations for eating at.

World Stage

After all, one of many major sights onboard ship for cruise visitors, are the dwell theatre displays, held every day and night.

From glorious daytime informative lectures and movies, to dwell night performances, we attended quite a few talks and dwell leisure right here, all through the whole voyage.

Our cruise director spoke on quite a few events, together with invited visitors to lecture. There was number of very fascinating and informative subjects, effectively value sitting in for.

Health Room and Spa

Onboard, there’s a wonderful very massive health room, full with updated tools, for a whole exercise.

As effectively and positioned beside the health space, is a full facility well being spa. They provide a wide range of companies, together with attractive bundle offers to buy.

Cocktail Bars & Dwell Leisure

Along with the world stage, visitors can sit and calm down with dwell leisure carried out, within the ship’s major cocktail bars every night.

On line casino Open 24 Hours

There’s additionally a full on line casino onboard, for visitors leisure all through the day and night. As effectively, there’s a further adjoining cocktail bar to the on line casino, that includes nightly; dwell entertainers.

Crow’s Nest Lounge

A favourite amongst ship’s visitors, was the highest deck ahead Crow’s Nest Lounge.

Situated on the bow of the ship, this can be a good place to get pleasure from your favourite cocktail, and/or specialty espresso.
An excellent spot to take a seat and take in the attractive view forward of you, day or night time.

Our household had an exquisite time on this 7 day Holland America Alaska cruise. The climate was to be anticipated, cool and with some rain. Nonetheless, our morning cruising up by spectacular …
Glacier Bay Nationwide Park, completely stunning!

For those who haven’t but skilled an Alaska Cruise and have at all times thought of it, like we did for thus a few years, then simply do it!

You’ll not be disillusioned, and the surroundings alongside the whole route is … Beautiful!

Just some of our shore excursions included;

Mendenhall Glacier and Goldbelt Tram in Juneau;

White Cross Summit Scenic Railroad Journey in Skagway;

Lovely Glacier Bay Nationwide Park & Reserve;

Photographs of Ketchikan, Alaska.

We had been all glad we lastly and in any case these years, sailed to Alaska. The service on Holland America Line was glorious. From our ever so tidy stateroom, eating, leisure and shore excursions, it was all excellent!

For those who’re planning a visit to Alaska, whether or not by cruise ship, highway journey or flying, I’ve included a hyperlink to the official Alaska Tourism web site under. An excellent useful resource for planning that good Alaska trip.

Travel Alaska

You should definitely try the {Google Map} field on the backside of this submit for Alaska’s actual location.