The Beauty of Alaska

Zaandam Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage

Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 46

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Zaandam

Sail date: July 01, 2007

Ship: Zaandam

Cabin type: Balcony

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 17 years ago

Review summary

The ship was very clean and well laid out. It was easy to navigate and there was rarely any crowding or crush of people. Elevators were quite easy to get. Leaving the ship at port calls and on the last day was the only time we encountered lines at all. The naturalists on board were excellant and we loved seeing the whales and bald eagles, as well as the breathtaking glaciers. The Captain spent a long time at the Marjerie Glacier when the calving was occuring at a particularly impressive rate.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
We were assigned an 8:15 dinner time, much later than we would have desired. It was difficult to get soft drinks- other ships we have been on have had numerous drink stations, but the only place to get a coke was at the bars. When eating at the Lido buffet, the only way to get a soft drink is to wait and hope the bar steward makes it to your table, or to make an extra trip to the bar for a relatively small glass of cola. BUT for the most part the food was very good and plentiful with many choices. During formal dinner, our steward was kind enough to bring me TWO lobster tails when I told him I did not want the "turf" part of my "surf and turf" meal.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
We spent so much of our time absorbing and photographing the incredible scenery, we really did not take advantage of too many of the alternate activities. However, the spa services were wonderful and Hannah gave me one of the best massages I have ever had.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
All were friendly and helpful. The shore excursion staff was particularly helpful when a major change was made in our excursion and we did not feel we were adequetely compensated by the meager refund they offered. After I requested further compensation in writing and explained why, we got exactly what we asked for with a lovely letter of apology.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
As noted above, the ship was very clean, attractive, and pleasant.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
The beds were awesome! Comfortable, large for a ship, with wonderful linens and pillows. Everything was in good repair and well thought out for convenience. Only complaint: There was only one electrical outlet in the room, which made things a little complicated as my spouse needs a medical device which must be plugged in at night. We ended up having to string an extension cord through the suite and switching sides of the bed to accomodate the situation. Our steward was attentive but onobtrusive.

Pros: We loved the balcony off our stateroom and the many places we could see unobstructed views throughout the ship, especially while eating on the Lido Deck.

Cons: We had the last seating for dinner- had requested an earlier seating but did not get it. We ended up only eating in the dining room twice, which was very enjoyable, but we just could not deal with finishing our meal at 9:45 at night.

Recommends Zaandam? Yes!

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