Wonderful first time to Alaska. No whales but blessed with good weather.
Oosterdam Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 121
Review summary
Overall, great experience for first taste of Alaska. Want to go back for more including Skagway and train to DinaliEmbarkation
Organized, but some waiting between stages. Not as smooth as Disney
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Very impressed with quality of food in Main Dining Room - early seating. Service was also excellent. However, one evening in Pinnacle Grill was not worth the extra. Service was marginal - better attentiveness in MDR.
Sports Bar
Did not have NBA final live, but would show after midnight. That’s OK, but bartender blurted out the final score, which was disappointing to my husband.
Pinnacle Grill
Food in MDR was so good - the upgrade to Pinnacle was not as impressive. SErvice was slow and not attentive. Had to ask twice for more water.
Onboard Activities
Love the Americas Test Kitchen lessons. Entertaining, fun and informative. Took tour of kitchen. Piano bar was very good. Shows were excellent quality - family entertainment.
Entertainment
Lincoln Center State entertainment (5 piece viola, cello, violin and piano) was EXCELLENT. Loved the last show Q&A where artists told us about themselves and the arrangements that had been selected. Loved that there were modern pieces presented in classical style. Very creative.
Musice with BBC earth program was also top-notch
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Crows nest great place to meet up and/or viewing of whales, sunsets.No
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
Nice walkable port. However, if you take the local native-run buses to raptor center, you may not get a presentation. Those are scheduled around the paying excursions. Still a lot to see. Bus drive to the bear exhibit stopped at viewing site for extended period because there was a whale in the inlet who was active. That was nice of him. Loved the bear reserve.
Excellent museums. Great to walk around. Mermaid Cafe had great coffee and excellent baked goods. Very “home made” quality and variety. Just be nice, be patient as it gets crowded. It will pay to be nice to staff and owner.
Disembarkation
Self disembarkation with carry on bags so didn’t have to wait.
Traveler Photos
