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Went to Alaska last year and I would definitely recommend adding a land portion to your cruise. We did ours through Princess and it was amazing. We feel it truly added to our Alaska experience!
Alaska is unlike any other cruises we’ve taken. It’s an absolutely visceral experience that leaves you feeling like you’re communing with nature. Just spectacular! 🍺🚢
Just returned from our first Alaskan Cruise Tour with Princess. We started out from Fairbanks (2 days) followed with a bus ride to two different Overnight locations within Denali. Throughout the whole day Mt McKinley was completely visible. A train took us to Whittier, where we boarded the ship and our cruise took us to Hubbard and Glacier Bay, Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Ketchikan and ended in Vancouver. Weather, Scenery and Excursions were absolutely great and we can't wait to go back. Alaska is a must for all cruise fans
Christel - we were on the Majestic Princess. Wondering if we were on the same cruise. Started out in Fairbanks on May 14 and ended at Vancouver May 27. We were able to see the beautiful Denali.
@@lvon1950 Hi there, I believe we were on the same Land/Cruise Tour. We stayed at Pike's Lodge in Fairbanks. And yes, it was incredible to see Denali for the whole day of our trip down to the Princess McKinley Lodge. Were you on the same train that got delayed? We (my best friend Regina and I) were on that train that everyone on the ship was waiting for to arrive in Whittier. We had the best time and I hope you enjoyed your trip just as much as we did
Christel - we stayed at the Westmark in Fairbanks. We were supposed to take a motorcoach from Denali Princess lodge to Mt McKinley lodge but military had some of the roads closed for maneuvers so we traveled by a very nice train. Top with a dome cover and a dining room at lower level. That was a bonus for us. Different from the train to Whittier to go on the ship.
We went on our first Alaska cruise 4 weeks ago, it was wonderful with one exception due to heavy ice flows our close up glacier excursion was cancelled. In Skagway I want to recommend the White Pass Railway excursion, it was our favorite on this cruise. There so much to see and do that we will definitely be going on another.
I went on my first Alaskan cruise in 2021. And I just loved it. From start to finish Alaska is absolutely beautiful. And the Alaskan people are very friendly and welcoming. I will go back probably several more times.
I’m so excited for our Alaska cruise! My siblings, their spouses, and I are surprising my parents for Christmas with an Alaska cruise next summer! It has been on their bucket lists forever but they are so frugal, they would never spend the money. Their first ever real vacation was just last year and that was only because accommodations were taken care of.
In August, we saw both Orca and Humpback whales and they put on quite a show for us. Our best Alaska cruise was a B2B where we went from Vancouver to the north and then came back. The cruise had the same ports each way, which allowed us to do "both" activities when we couldn't decide which we wanted most. Adding the second cruise was actually cost effective as flights out of Anchorage were quite costly but the round trip to Vancouver wasn't bad.
I was in Alaska 8 years ago and LOVED it! I do agree that the flight to Anchorage and 4 hour drive to Seward was a lot. We are deciding whether to do a back to back in July/ August north and south just like you mentioned. Celebrity has some great rates right now! I like the idea of going to the same ports as it was almost stressful trying to choose only one excursion. After watching this video and reading the comments, I think we will book the b2b cruise! 😊
I just came back from an Alaskan cruise with my family on the Eurodam. It was a fantastic experience. The highlight was cruising through Glacier Bay National Park. I have a 7 year old boy and he really loved the cruise and the kids program. HAL is a unique cruise line. They actually give you space, quiet time and I actually returned well rested. The service was great and the food program was well maintained with high standards. I would sail with HAL again.
Thank you for sharing. We just went on the NCL Jewel and had the same itinerary and I also agree my Alaskan cruise was one of my favorite trips of all time and I would say….never do an Alaskan cruise without Glacier Bay included. Only two cruise ships per day are allowed into glacier bay. It was spectacular and thank you so much for sharing your Holland American experience looks like an outstanding cruise ship!
We went on the Westerdam in May 2014 to Alaska. Yes it was older folks but also families. We did a crab fishing excursion at George inlet lodge and ate crab at Ketchikan. Sight see at Juneau, mendenhall glacier, sitka, glacier bay and Victoria. Now we have seen so many videos on others experiences we have much more knowledge and know what to see at the towns, what to try to eat. Cruise food and service was pretty good. Were going on Royal Caribbean next. We appreciate all the tips!
I’ve just gotten home from a Holland American Alaskan cruise so I very much enjoyed this video. This was my 5th or 6th time to Alaska. It’s such an awesome and beautiful cruise. I was happy to hear that Hubbard Glacier is growing regardless of global warming. This was a Celtic Cruise, all entertainers were from Ireland. It was fabulous. A shout out to “Clouds of Good”. I’m some what disabled so I rented a shooter - awesome company - great communication and service. I had a balcony - a must on an Alaskan cruise. I so . . . enjoy your videos. Thank you!!
@FGC. This was a chartered cruise with Holland America by Gertrude Byrne. She plans a Celtic cruise every year. Next year’s cruise is the Greek Isles and is already sold out but taking names on a waiting list. Gertrude Byrne Promotions
Went on a cruise to Alaska the week after y’all, and surprisingly - absolutely no rain at all! It was actually pretty mild and sunny the whole week, which I didn’t expect. One thing I wish we had is an indoor pool. I don’t swim too often on a cruise (maybe once or twice a voyage), but it seemed like such a waste to have a ship mostly dedicated to Alaska (Discovery Princess) that has pools that are mostly unusable 😢 I personally loved the nature and cultural lectures on our ship! Our expert even gave live commentary over the captain’s PA on a day where we saw an exceptional amount of wildlife.
We cruised Alaska in May a few years ago. The most memorable part for us was the White Pass Summit Railroad excursion. One of the best cruises we have ever taken.
We were like you, we booked an Alaska cruise in August-September because we didn't want to do much this year (just take the train/bus/Uber to the port). Cold weather exploring never had much appeal and we can see snow capped mountains out of our front door every winter. You are turning that around and getting me excited.
Our very first cruise was on Holland America to Alaska, the Ryndam, a small ship, a beauty. We celebrated our 25th. We went on several more cruises to the Caribbean , but the Ak cruise is by far spectacularly beautiful. We leave for another cruise to Ak in two weeks for our 50th, can't wait!!
Alaska glaciers have changed so much over the years. My first Alaska cruise, the glaciers were calving all the time and the glaciers were much bigger. My last cruise there in 2018, glaciers have shrunk and not much calving happening. Still a very beautiful place to visit. So many things to do in ports that you can go several times for different experiences. Halibut fishing is phenomenal!. Dog musher camp is fun too! White pass railroad has very scenic views. Food tour in Juneau takes you off the beaten path for food the locals go to.
I very much agree to the vanishing glaciers. Our very first cruise was in 2002 and this inside passage on Holland America. Our cruise into Glacier bay was a moment in time that will always stay with us. Our cruise through Glacier Bay in 2019 showed us how much the landscape is changing. The main glacier was reduced from a three mile face to a gravel bar. There were a lot of sizable ice floating with seals on the the larger ice. There was also noise coming out of the ice as tiny air pockets in the ice would escape during melting. The 2019 cruise was a tour/cruise. I very much recommend seeing interior Alaska. BTW, we had the Pea soup in 2002, great stuff.
I definitely know what you’re saying we have been on 20+ cruises just to Alaska and everyone is spectacular views. We first went to Alaska in 2000. There was lots of snow all over the ground and definitely a lot more glaciers and caffing than they have done recently. There was lots and lots of snow on all the mountains cruising in to the glacier area. Definitely, we seen the difference in 23 years of global warming. But still a beautiful sight to see whatsoever. Especially if you get lucky to see the Eagles coming around on the harbor when the fishing boats are coming in with their catch of the day.
I made my husband go last September because it was the best time for us. I wanted to make sure we could go ASAP, I kept telling him the Glaciers are melting and I want to see them now in case we can't go again. He has medical issues. We're in our mid 50's but medical issues are a pain. Do it now while you can is our new motto.
I just returned last weekend from a 7 day Seattle to Seattle cruise to Alaska on the Westerdam. Fantastic cruise! I also went dog sledding on Mendenhall Glacier which we accessed via helicopter. An absolutely wonderful experience which is unforgettable :)
I've been to Alaska twice, once by myself, one year later with my husband and I could go back again. Royal Caribbean for me. Ovation of the Seas. Vancouver, Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Glaciers, Ketchikan. 8 nights
We went on Koningsdam just the week after you went, and had cloudless skies the first 6 days, and finally rained/fog on the last sea day, which was amazing. I do want to mention, during the Glacier Bay day, they took away all the balls/paddles so you can't play Pickleball in the National Park. I think the staff said they didn't allow loose objects on deck for fear of falling into the water, so they store them away the night before, but will take them out after the rangers depart. Even the ping pong balls and the paddles got stored away, when those were in the enclosed pool deck. It was our first ever cruise, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. My wife was a bit sea sick the first sea day, as the ship was rocking a bit, but otherwise we loved every day there. Definitely a must do trip in our opinion. One caveat though, the excursions really are quite expensive...
Thank you, your video provided us with much to think about. Coming from Australia, well we want to get as much right as we can because it is a one-time trip for us. If we go with HAL, it will be our first time too. (We wanted to try something different from Princess after 6 cruises with them). We really enjoyed the quality of your video aswell; the information you shared answered the many questions we needed answers to. 🙂
I'm going on my first cruise in June - on board the Disney Wonder to Alaska! I've watched a number of "trip vlogs" specific to the Disney line but find your content practical as it covers everything to expect regardless of cruise line. I'm lucky since I live in the Vancouver area so I don't have to worry about hotel stays or flying in before the ship departs.
So many wonderful memories for me watching this video. In 2006 my husband and I and two of our adult children did the same itinerary on HAL Zuiderdam. Glacier Bay was by far the highlight. Would love to cruise there again someday.
I was on an Alaska cruise on the Holland and America Nieuw Amsterdam, we were the last cruise ship of the season, so we were the only ship in all the ports. What was quite strange as we were walking though Skagway, and as we passed each shop they would bring down their shutters for the end of season (they did wait until we had passed), many of the shops were selling gold items and would be moving on to the Caribbean for the winter cruise season. Loved Alaska and was lucky enough to see whales, sea otters, bears, salmon run and eagles.
I'm so glad you enjoyed your Alaskan cruise. We have taken a couple of Alaskan cruises on Princess and loved it but we definitely want to experience it on Holland America next. Today we're actually on a cruise in northern France, heading to Southampton.
I also went to Alaska on Holland American. I cabins and verandas are so much more comfortable then Princess. I enjoyed Holland 💯% more. BB Kings was very good. The food was fantastic and yes the robes were comfy. The crows nest info regarding the glaciers was very very educational
Hi Elana, we have done over 40+ cruises in our lifetime and at least half of them have been to Alaska. We have stopped at every port that cruise ships stop at in Alaska. Every single one of them we love we would never trade Alaska cruising for any other part of the world as of yet. Every trip we see something different. The scenery is spectacular. We always definitely book a balcony cruise from now on to get the best personal views possible. Very excited that next May we will be doing the first Alaska cruise since the Covid restart round-trip Los Angeles on the carnival old miracle ship. Only option for us now since we do not fly We are very very excited living in Southern California. We never get cool in cold weather. We look forward to this trip every chance we get. Hopefully other cruise ships will get it together and start making other itineraries to Alaska round-trip out of the California area for us down here in SoCal.
There were quite a few kids and multigenerational families when I went ten years ago in July. I'm also tickled you mentioned Skagway Brewing Company. That was suggested by our guide when we went white water rafting, and the halibut fish and chips and spruce tip ale are fondly remembered!
My late wife and I really enjoyed eating at Canaletto when we went on our Holland America cruise to Bermuda. Holland America is a good cruise line with a lot of history behind it. Am a subscriber and did hit the like button. Holland America has good food. Not all the ships have a craps table in the casino.
We're booked with Silver Seas, on Silver Whisper departing Vancouver on the 6.7.23. Thankfor your wonderful videos. Could you tell us where to eat and things to do in Montreal? Hugs from Western Australia 🦘🐨🦜🐨🦘
Hi! I am taking an Alaskan cruise in Jul and so looking forward to it, but I am worried about overpacking with different types of outerwear. And thank you for sharing your experience with us! It was great watching!
We leave June 30 for a 10 night Alaskan cruise on NCL Sun. So looking forward to all of the beautiful scenery! And thank you for showcasing HAL since we would like to try their newer ships down the road.
I suggest the seaplane excursions! You MUST book it months in advance! We went with local excursions, not booked through cruise line, and it was great. I really wanted the helicopter tour that lands on glacier but, those tours were canceled last second which sucked for those people because like I said, the good excursions have been fully booked for months. I have bad motion sickness and was just fine through modern medicine.
Thanks for sharing, brought back lots of memories. Our first cruise was last year on the Koningsdam to Alaska. Absolutely loved it! Ready to go back :)
In 2019 we had an Alaskan family cruise. My mama, her husband, my son, his stepmother and stepsister, ages ranging from 30 to 80. We are from St. Augustine, FL. We did Holland American’s land and sea tour. We left FL and traveled to Fairbanks, AK.
We were on the grand princess at that same embarkation. We took the cruise tour and loved it. The helicopter ride onto the glacier was absolutely a highlight.
We're heading on our very first cruise in 9 days to Alaska on the Koningsdam! This video was so informative and I've been watching all your other videos too, they're SO helpful! (especially for a first-time cruiser :).
Loved this video, as we do all of yours! We will be doing a 7 day Celebrity Alaska cruise back to back with a 7 day Pacific coast cruise this September. Both my wife and I are over packers so we will be using your tips and hoping for the best! One thing that I believe often gets overlooked is how to pack for a man. Men might not take as many outfits, but our clothes tend to be bigger, bulkier and heavier. Underwear, shoes, pants, sports coats, etc. take up a lot of room. Would you consider devoting a video for men? Thank you!
Hi Ilana, I know how you have felt cruising somewhere cold, we live in Ottawa, usually go somewhere warm in January/February, but had heard so many wonderful things about Alaskan cruises that we’re going end of April 2024 on Royal Caribbean, can’t wait! Thanks so much for the information!
What an informative vlog! On all levels you really did such a great job. Alaska not for me, but i enjoy seeing the vids. The ship is beautiful, and very HAL .
Woooowww very informative, thanks for sharing. Im planning a cruise alaska and wondering the best time with good weather. Looks like this cruise ship is good..
Ilana as always very well done, but you have to do one more thing....revisit and take the white pass railway. The scenery up the mountain is amazing :)
Holland America Koningsdam such a beautiful cruise ship inside and out incredible design 🛳️💙❤️🤍❤️💜💜🖤🖤💓💓🧡💖🌹🌹🪻🪷🪷🪻💚🐴🐴💔🌺💛🩵💖🧡🩶🩶🧡🩶💜🛳️🛳️💙💙❤️🤍🤍💙🛳️💜🛳️💜💓🩶🧡💖🌹💖💚💚🌻
A really good video, Alaska is on our bucket list but living in the UK and at our age it is not at the very top. We would probably include a train journey. We have cruised to the Norwegian Fjords and they were stunning without the superb wildlife likely to see in Alaska, anybody in the UK who asks I say that if you are not a sun worshipper and do one cruise then you must do the Fjords, you are a short drive from a port offering cruises. I am sure if you live in USA/Canada it is the same, go to Alaska.
I always wanted to go but never had the time until 2008. Went on the same cruise. On old Statendam. It was worn out and smelled like poo poo on one deck that we called the poop deck. I was told that's where the sewage tanks were stored and they didn't empty them every cruise we were the unlucky ones to have full tanks it was gross it wasn't until we left coming back that they emptied them out at sea and I thought this was just gross omg. Pollution at its finest. But I will say this I loved my cabin. We didn't have a balcony but we had a large view window that the ledge was big enough that I could sit in and enjoy the views. My travel companion always laughed that I was perched there but I loved it. We went near the end of the season and we were socked in with fog that didn't burn off until 3pm and that was disappointing I would have loved more sun but we didn't get rain. The ship was really stable. You did get sea legs but I didn't get the traditional rocking and pitching rolling. We only had about an hour of a little rough seas on our approach back near Northern Vancouver Island after that it was fine. Crowds are older but that didn't bother me. I kinda expected it. My complaint was the food. It was aweful cold and I felt like we were on a weight watchers cruise the portions were really small and cold. I think my one nice dinner was steak but I got it rare and returned it and got a medium well and it still was cold. Other than that I would not go on Holland America ever again. I found the service rude. I complained with Holland America and really only got a letter back giving me a 20 percent discount on a future cruise. I didn't accept it and I called and said keep it. I was going to try Princess but I was warned they hound you everywhere to buy things. I don't like that. All other lines seem to be out of Seattle. So I just never booked again ide like to try the Caribbean I don't know if western or Eastern is more fun. Any advice?
We're going to be going to Alaska this coming Sat. Looking forward to the whole experience! We are going on the Grand Princes and I understand the food is pretty good! We end up in Anchorage and then we will begin on a land excursion to Denali up to Fairbanks. It should be a lot of fun!
Your videos are very informative. My husband & I are planning May or June 2024. Where on the ship with a balcony would you suggest . I do have a week stomach.
I love your advice for everything! My boyfriend and I are joining my parents on their 'Bucket List Alaskan Cruise in September with Discovery Princess to celebrate their 50th Anniversary! Do you have any recommendations to make their trip any more special!
We just got back from our Alaska cruise on Holland America Westerdam. Great cruise, but not a lot to do for kids. I felt like I got ripped off in Juneau. Things were overprice such as $70 a pound for very average crab. But I loved the adventure karts in Ketchikan
I love your videos! I’m going on my first cruise ever next year to Alaska on Norwegian Jewel. Your videos have helped SO much, my Amazon list is growing thanks to you. I was wondering if you have any suggestions for cabins on this ship. We are getting a balcony cabin, and avoiding the elevator, cabins near clubs, under pool but what side of the ship would the views be best? Any help would be appreciated.
Have you done a Princess cruise? How would you compare them to Holland America? I'm considering an Alaska cruise tour. Does Holland America offer a multi day land portion, with the train ride, etc?
Hi llana, just watached your videos, thanks or the tips. We are crusing to AK next month on Prencess Ruby, do you suggest to purchase the Princess package ahead of time or on the day of? thanks
We just got back from our first Alaska cruise on the Koningsdam and I have to say, it was not our cup of tea. Although the scenery was beautiful we were disappointed in the ship and activities onboard. I have been on HAL before for a 2 week cruise of Norway and knew they are more laid back and less active cruiseline but we just expected more from the reviews we watched regarding the Koningsdam. The food was not as good as expected and the dining, especially in the main dining room, was disorganized and slow. We wondered if there was a big staff turnover or something because the dining was not the smooth and efficient experience we have previously had on HAL. We also found the entertainment lacking and have decided that perhaps Alaska as an itinerary and Holland America as a cruiseline just aren't for us. We met some lovely people onboard but overall the experience did not live up to expectations. If you are an active person who enjoys onboard activities and shows perhaps choose a different cruise because you may be bored on this one. One thing I will give big applause to our stateroom attendants, they were fabulous. I experienced a back issue while onboard and they really went out of their way to insure I had everything I needed including a steady stream of ice to apply to my injury.
Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s always good to leave the cruise line feedback in the post cruise survey, but it’s true not every cruise line will be the right fit
@@LifeWellCruised Agreed. We filled out the survey with our observations and remembered to give kudos to our fabulous stateroom attendants. I think NCL is our overall favourite cruiseline and our favourite itineraries so far have been European/ Mediterranean. We are pretty open to trying new destinations and ships/hotels/resorts and sometimes it just isn't a great experience and other times you are pleasantly surprised. That's life for ya.
Hi Ilana, thanks for the videos very helpful. I am doing the same Alaskan cruise as you did, you never mention Tracy Arm Inlet. Is it a port stop or something else? It seems we are there from 9am to 9:30 am the next day onto Juneau. There is only one excursion and it’s full, any advice? Thanks Sean
Hello. My husband and I returned just this afternoon from our Alaskan Cruise on the Koningsdam. Although we live in British Columbia, we aren't close enough to Vancouver to drive to the port on the same day as embarkation, so like you, we stayed at the PanPacific Hotel. It was very convenient to be right at the port. We parked our vehicle in the underground parkade at Canada Place and that was also convenient because it took us less than 15 minutes from the time of debarkation to the time we were in our vehicle and on the road for home. We enjoyed the food in the ship's dining room, where we ate all, but a few, of our meals. We had one delicious dinner at Rudi's Sel de Mer, and another delicious dinner at The Pinnacle Grill. We tried a few food items and coffee at the Lido Market buffet, but to us the quality and taste were not up to the same standards as the food and coffee served in the other eateries on board. We never returned to the buffet. Like you, we loved the coffee and treats from the Grand Dutch Cafe, but there was always a long lineup to place an order, and then another wait to get the order. It was the same at the Explorations Cafe. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but there was nothing in the ports of call for our budget that interested us. One port was just like the other with too many 'souvenir and tee-shirt shops' and too many jewelry shops. We took the White Pass Train Ride, and it was fine. We saw a lumberjack show in Ketchikan and it was good fun, but each town visited was like the other. Glacier Bay was lovely. We saw many sea otters, but even with binoculars, they are still far away. A few of us were lucky to see a whale (we think an orca) break the water and show its black dorsal fin 3 times - and this happened while we glanced out the window while eating dinner at the Pinnacle! I was hoping to see more marine wildlife and eagles, but I was disappointed. We have visited the Columbia Icefield in Alberta where we touched and walked on the blue ice of the Athabasca Glacier, so seeing the glaciers in Glacier Bay was pretty, but being up close and personal to a glacier is much more exciting! Every staff member we spoke to was friendly. The service in the dining rooms, the bars etc... and from the room stewards was excellent. Our aft balcony cabin allowed us to take in the sights of the voyage from our private room, but during some of the night cruising and the days at sea, there was no relief from the constant rocking of the boat. Anti-sea sickness medication is a need. Although I plan to take another cruise in the future, I will not be returning to Alaska!
![My First Alaska Cruise Was Not What I Expected. Here's Why [Holland America Koningsdam Review]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
