ms Zaandam Glacier Tour
Zaandam Cruise Review to Alaska - Gulf of Alaska
7 Night Glacier Discovery Southbound (Seward To Vancouver)
Sail date: June 04, 2017
Ship: Zaandam
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: AA 6196
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 7 years ago
Review summary
I highly recommend the Zaandam: it is just the right size ship. We were in AA Vista Suites, Cabin 6196, which is spacious and well positioned on the port side. It is near the rear elevators and convenient to dining on Decks 4 and 5, or Lido Resturant (and the excellent Canaletto Italian Restaurant) on Deck 8. IMO, the Casino is somewhat of a let down. Only one evening was "smoke free", and the payout on slots is awful and the minimum bet is actually about $.60 on penny slots. The Deck 5 Explorer Lounge is a great place to read, relax, work on puzzels, get on the internet, take digital courses, Do not miss the 3:00 pm High Tea. It is exquisite. The entertainment is good; the commedian and magician were very good, and music and dancers were enjoyable. You can tell they work very hard to show their talent. The cruise through Glacier Bay was beautiful and smooth. The ports are at well established towns (Haines, Juneau, Ketchikan). You have many tours to choose from; although most are expensive and for more active adults (helicopter, sea plane, kayak, raft, hiking, etc.). Still, there are a few sightseeing tours worth the time and money. All employees we met were pleasant, cheerful, helpful, and seemed to really care about our enjoyment. The one semi-serious complaint we had was toilet stoppages. It seems, due to narrow piping, that you shouldn't be mixing toilet paper and solid waste. They should be flushed separately, and HAL would do well to provide such a notice. We met one plumber who works full-time unplugging toilets. Here is a picture of the Zaandam at Port in Haines and two from the Mendenhal Glacier and Tram Tour in Juneau.
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Ship tip
Don't miss 3:00 pm High Tea. Go for open dining instead of a specific seating time. Bring a couple of bags. Eat at the Canaletto Italian Restaurant at least once.
Ports of call
Vancouver (Canada Place), British Columbia
Traveler Photos
