Phenominal First Experience

Item: Zaandam
Rating: 4
Author: JenniferW11

Zaandam Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage

JenniferW11

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 33

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Alaska Explorer (Seattle Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 27, 2010

Ship: Zaandam

Cabin type: Oceanview

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 13 years ago

Review summary

This was my first cruise, and I have to be honest by saying that I was worried about "living" on a ship for 7 days. The minute I walked onto the Zaandam I knew I had nothing to worry about. We were immediately greeted by a warm and friendly staff and throughout the entire week, it felt like every crew member was going out of their way to make sure all of the passengers felt special and were having a good time. The staterooms were a comfortable size. My husband is 6'4" and we never felt cramped or like we had to work at getting around each other. All of the food was great, I probably even brought home a few extra pounds of it with me! We enjoyed the shows every night, especially the ones with the Zaandam singers and dancers. Eric, our cruise director seemed to really enjoy his job, and that joy was passed on to all of the passengers. I found that anytime we were on the ship, I had no problem finding either a fun activity to do or a quiet corner to read in. I will absolutely take another cruise with Holland America!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

I can't even give enough "stars" for the quality of the staff! They were exceptional!

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ports of call

Ketchikan, Alaska

3 out of 5

We didn't book any excursions in this port. Maybe we would have enjoyed it better if we had. However, if you just get off of the ship to walk around, mostly you will just find lots of shopping and touristy stores. The Lumberjack show was within walking distance, but we missed the show that would have let us out in time before our ship left.

Thumbs Up 0

Sitka, Alaska

5 out of 5

We really enjoyed the Fortress of the Bear. Even though it's small, we were able to see the bears pretty closely and I was glad that by visiting, our money helped to fund this private bear cub rescue facility. We also did the Sea Otter Expedition and saw several gray and humpback whales along with bald eagles, seals and of course, sea otter. The captain and the on board guide were both very good at finding and pointing out wildlife and there was plenty of time for pictures (if you were quick enough for the animals themselves!) =-) We also visited the Raptor Center which was nice.

Thumbs Up 0

Juneau, Alaska

5 out of 5

We booked a canoeing trip on Mendenhall Lake. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. The view of the glacier was spectacular! I also highly recommend adding the Mt. Roberts Tramway to any excursion you choose to do. The hike up there is worth it, as long as you're up for the walk. The view is not to be missed.

Thumbs Up 1

Don't Miss: Mendenhall Glacier, no matter which way you decide to see it.

Victoria, British Columbia

5 out of 5

Beautiful city that I would like to return to but we didn't have nearly enough time here. (yes it was 5 hours but we didn't even get into the port until 7:30 at night).

Thumbs Up 0

Pros: Exceptional crew goes above and beyond

Phenominal First Experience

Overall rating:

Review summary

Ship experiences

Ports of call

Recommends Zaandam? Yes!

Be the first to comment