Volendam

Think twice about booking a Holland America cruise. We have about 130 cruise days over 5 years with Three Star Mariner status and were treated poorly. We booked a suite with a jet tub and lots of closet space. We were assigned a handicapped suite with no tub and limited closets. We were told nothing they can do, since sold out, right from CEO office. Finally, when we checked in, they assigned a regular suite. They tendered us in Bali, and it took 2.5 hours to get back to ship. They offered us nothing, not even a glass of wine for the inconvenience. They told us not their fault, since they hired a 3rd party. Not our fault either!! New CEO is on cost cutting kick. I always advised my clients as a CPA that you need to be careful, since if you cost cut too much, no one will buy!!! What a difference between them and Oceania. Worth the extra money!!!

It was our worst cruise ever by a mile. Holland America didn't inform us that we needed visas for China so that pretty much devastated our cruise. And whenever we tried to ask for help or for an alternative, the Front Desk ignored us and simply said, "the manager is working on it." On the second to the last day, we received a voicemail stating, "there's nothing we can do." We're still very hurt and very upset over what happened. That should never happen to anyone - there should be all kinds of warnings from Holland America from representatives, in notices, and within the on-line system stating that YOU NEED A VISA FOR CHINA!!!

Overall we had a great and interesting trip. The Filipino and Indonesian crew were very friendly and worked very hard! Others no so much. Embarkation/disembarkation was really well done. The Gala night was great also. The drinking water was terrible, tasted over chlorinated and stale. Had to buy some on land as on board prices are ridiculous. Too many crew members were sitting and eating in the Lido in prime spaces and were not friendly to the passengers around them.

I will never tire of visiting Alaska. This is some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The day in Glacier Bay is the high point of the trip. Having National Park rangers on board for the day adds to the richness of this experience.

This was a wonderful itinerary at a very reasonable price. We covered 7 countries in 28 days and were able to walk on the Great Wall of China which was the original objective.  I was continually amazed by the beauty of  these countries and the large population of most of the ports. We made a lot of new friends from all over the world.