Mrs. and Ms. Payne Salutes You!
Oosterdam Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 59
Review summary
This cruise delivered more than my mom and I could have hoped for. This was our third and longest together and by far the best. We live in the PNW so we know how beautiful it is, but nothing compares to seeing it from a cruise ship in Alaska. And the way the Captain moved the ship away from Hubbard sideways!! It's like every element of this experience was thought about and put together flawlessly. We couldn't have been more grateful for everyone's efforts to make my mother's Christmas present and my birthday the most memorable on record. See you in 2021 for some more cold sailing!Embarkation
Amazing, thoughtful and fun!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Staff had a great attitude while serving; food was always a surprise; prepared on the spot; Pinnacle was superb--Clifford and George of the Jungle were a hoot! Was always given more than was requested. We left dinner on the last night feeling like a red carpet was under our feet. :)
Onboard Activities
I bought a one week fitness class pass. I attended 3 spin classes Kate and Co. The first day was the 'rough sea' day lol. Spin class was interesting that day. I also bought a one week spa pass. WORTH EVERY PENNY.
Entertainment
I sat in on the Lincoln Center Stage group. Just having this group available to perform almost every night was amazing! It was like being in DC at an actual performance. I did not attend any other shows---after this one it didn't seem necessary.
Children's Programs
I don't have kids, but I WAS happy to see an area for them away from adults and an indoor pool that families seemed to gravitate to.
Service and Staff
I could spend a few MB's on this!!! We had Warham and Sit(?) for our room team. We wanted to take Warham home with us!!!! Every time my 71 year old mother saw him she was filled with appreciation and raved about him (and his team mate) every day!! We never had one worry about our room/services. My mother and I also rented a Cabana on the Hubbard Glacier day--it was transferred from that Monday-rough-seas-day--we had the WHOLE deck to ourselves!! Ven and Elvis took care of us all day--no one told me when I rented the Cabana what it included--this was probably the high water mark of the cruise. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! We picked the best day to reschedule and were pleasantly shocked every time one of them brought us something we didn't expect. So nice, so pleasant and good sense of humor (a necessity when waiting on my mother and I) I will be booking a Cabana on my next cruise for sure!!! And then there was Mimi on the Lido deck. She was the first person we encountered once we dropped our bags and hit the bar. She was super bubbly, funny and running around making sure we had everything we needed to set sail. When we disembarked at different ports, she was on the gangway offering beverages. When she saw my mother and I she grabbed both of us for a HUGE hug, telling us to have a great day. THAT is the type of stuff you remember on a cruise. I'm sorry I didn't get a selfie with her!! Those were the folks that stood out, but there wasn't one staff person on board that didn't smile or wish us a good day. AND I like the fact that the staff was so diverse. I am a world traveler and I like to get to know the people that look after me on a trip. Honestly, nice to see a deficit in American workers (sorry USA!). I booked my next cruise to Antarctica, KNOWING it will be a fantastic experience.
Ship Quality
I thought the whole ship was clean and was kept clean on a daily basis. The carpets in some areas and our stateroom were old and stained. The spa had some areas that didn't work or the doors to some of the steam rooms needed tightening (kept opening on their own).
Cabin / Stateroom
I'm not sure if we got an upgrade to a 'better' interior cabin but the folks across the hall with a verandah were commenting about how much bigger our suite was. It DID seem bigger than most interior rooms...we enjoyed it. Some of the lights didn't want to turn on sometimes...we had to call a maintenance guy to fix our shower drain--he came and went fast and fixed us up! it was good for what we wanted it for. Perfect for mom and I--but on my next cruise I booked a verandah :)
Ship tip
learn where you will be the most and the easiest/quickest ways to get there--port, starboard, bow and aft!
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
We did the Mendenhall Exploration--a bus ride to the glacier and some trails. Best bang for the buck!
We rented a Cabana--THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO EXPERIENCE HUBBARD! Best views, best service best everything!
We did the volcano exploration trip--saw otters, eagles and seals! so so so much fun!!! did some shopping. Sitka was our favorite port!
We didnt do any excursions here, just walked around town. Lots of construction everywhere. A little put off by how the cruise population is catered to SHOPPING. but i also believe in supporting small communities so I did my part :)
Victoria, British Columbia Did not visit port
Disembarkation
Besides my mother's bag weighing 100 pounds, it was fast and easy.