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very cool trip ! by
karla w from vancouver washington Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: good food, good entertainment, very clean, nice staff Cons: waiting for room service Overall, a neat experience and great way to vacation! Ship Qualityvery clean and loved all the differnt decor used thoroughout the ship , model ships , marbles statues, paintings , figurines ...wonderful collection Dining/Foodthe food never disappointed us...fresh , hot, tasty, weel displayed Stateroom Qualitythe deluxe veranda had the most comfortale bed and pillows...i felt like sleeping on a cloud! Plenty of room and storage and ammenities..very clean and great for entertaining guests Ship Staff Qualityfabulous staff, so fun and friendly! Entertainment & Activitiesalways something going on , all thru the day ....great activities and enjoyed the entertainment on board as well  0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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  Great cruise, same food everyday by
Timothy and Teresa W from Spokane, Wa Sailing date: May 2009Pros: The staff was very helpful Cons: The food tasted the same everyday, front dest unable to solve problems My husband and I took the cruise as a late honeymoon. It really turned me off on cruising period. Most of the staff were helpful, front desk staff were extremely rude and unhelpful. The ship isnt really good about helping handicapped persons, my husband walks with a cane and getting food from the buffet was awful he couldnt carry and dishes and the staff wouldnt let us have a tray to carry food. Eating in the dining room was nice but the service was very slow. The ship wasnt good about letting people know about movies or shows. Ship QualityThe public bathrooms were very clean. Dining/FoodThe food tasted the same everyday. When we got on the ship the last cruise had stomach flu so people werent able to get there own food. Having staff serve everyone was very slow going. Stateroom QualityThe bed was very hard and uncomfortable. The sheets were rough and scratchy Ship Staff QualityRoom stewards did a wonderful job, very nice and helpful Entertainment & ActivitiesShips staff didnt do a very good telling people about the nightly shows or movies. The flyers outside the door at nite werent too helpful. The ship could of used the intercom to remind people of the shows and movies 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Tasteless food by
A Traveler from US Sailing date: Jul 2009Pros: Comfortable cabin Cons: The food With so many choices available, it is hard to recommend this ship. We sailed from Seattle to Alaska. Good cruise. Beautiful scenery, good excursions however some stops felt too rushed-especially Victoria. Good variety and choices in food. The food was bland in general but the desserts were completely tasteless. Very poor in fact. Nice crew but not all that friendly. Beautiful spa. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodThe choices are a plus. The desserts were terrible. Stateroom Quality
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Entertainment & ActivitiesJulie Barr is very entertaining. 0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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Great cruise - Lousy Front desk service by
Ken A from Florida Sailing date: Jun 2008Pros: Scenery Cons: Front desk employees who do not caare Good cruise but with lousy front desk service Ship Quality
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Ship Staff QualityFrond desk personnel would not or could not address problems. We we promised a value book when we booked this cruise, when I asked for it, I was told that that promotion was over. My wife went to the Spa after a 30% discount was promised, that discount turned out to be 10%. The front desk personnel would not address the problem in any way. Entertainment & Activities
9 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Alaska cruise by
Jerry C. from Fort Worth, TX Sailing date: Jun 2008Pros: The cabins had plenty of storage. Cons: The shows were dissappointing. Our family of four recently sailed to Alaska aboard Holland America's Amsterdam. We sailed round trip from Seattle. We got a better deal by booking two outsdie cabins rather tahn booking a cabin that could accomodate four people. Having two bathrooms made getting ready much easier. This was the fifth cruise for my wife and I. We really appreciated the extra closet space and the bigger bathroom with a small tub/shower. We never meet our cabin steward in 7 days. However, the cabin steward for my wife and daughter's cabin was great.
Our teenage daughter enjoyed all the activities for teens in The Loft, but our 12 year old son thought the activities for his age group were two "kiddie".
The food was excellent, but the serivce in the main dining room did not measure up to what we have experienced on other ships.
The shows with the HAL singers and dancers were dissapointing, but the guest illusionist was a big hit with our son.
We booked an dog sled execursion through the ship. We traveled by bus to the dog camp and had a great time. Our two kids loved it. Unfortunately, the bus company that transported us to the camp failed to send a bus to pick us up. After more than an hour of waiting in a gravel driveway in the middle of a forest, the owner of the dog camp was able to make arrangements for another bus to pick us up. We expressed our frustration to the Exercusion Desk and were dissappointed in hoe they handle it.
Alaska is a beautiful state. An Alaska cruise is a great way to see the Alaskan Coast, but I wouldn't recommend Royal Carribbean over Holland America. Ship Quality
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Juneau, AlaskaThe tram gives you some great views on a clear day.
Ketchikan, AlaskaMy son and I enjoyed the Lumberjack show in Ketchican. Unfortuanely the ship was only in port from 7:00am to 12:30 pm so we were limited in what activites we could do.
Sitka, AlaskaSitka is a small town with little to offer. Tendering into port can be a pain.
Victoria, British ColumbiaOur ship did not arrive in port until 6:00 pm, so a lot of places were closed. We really enjoyed the 45 minute tour aboard the double decker bus. It was great way to see a lot of the city and cost line.
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Excellent Cruise by
A Traveler from Florida Sailing date: Dec 2007Pros: Food and service were excellent. Enjoyed our visit to Half Moon Cay Cons: Ships are becoming Hospital Ships. Great number of ambulatory passengers on this ship. Know you have no control over this. This is our fourth cruise on Holland America, 8th cruise taken. The Amsterdam is a beautiful ship, well maintained, great staff. Our only problem was we were in a smokers stateroom which was not requested. The cuisine was the best we've had on any cruise. Overall a great cruise. Ship Quality
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Stateroom QualityOnly problem it was a smokers stateroom. Ship Staff Quality
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Bridgetown, Barbados
St. George's, Grenada
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island)Wish we had more time here. Would love to see Holland stay for at least two days. Great spot.
Pointe-A-Pitre, GuadeloupeSkip Guadeloupe all together. We got off the ship and got right back on.
Castries, St. Lucia
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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a great week by
A Traveler from Carmel, Indiana Sailing date: Aug 2007Pros: the cruising in Tracy Arm....seeing the glaciers Cons: smoking on the back deck delightful decorations in the main lobbies Ship Quality
Dining/Foodgood...I thought the chefs hats on the Master Chef night were silly Stateroom Qualitystateroom size very nice...I was glad they shampooed the carpets while we were there are our really needed cleaning. Ship Staff Quality
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Juneau, AlaskaWE walked around town
Don't Miss: nothing Ketchikan, Alaskacute town and friendly folks
Don't Miss: nothing Sitka, Alaskaunexcitint
Don't Miss: nothing Victoria, British Columbiascenic town
Don't Miss: Buchart Gardens 6 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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A wonderful first cruise by
Christine C. from Dubai, United Arab Emirates Sailing date: Jul 2007Pros: The whole cruise experience and the scenery Cons: the food in the main dining room and the commercial nature of the cruise This was our first cruise so we have nothing to compare it to. I can say that we really enjoyed the whole cruise experience. My worries beforehand were mostly the comfort and location of the cabin. I need not have worried though as our cabin was dare I say spacious. The way it was organized made it possible for three of us to put all of our things away. The best part of the cruise (aside from the fantastic scenery) was the crew. They always had a smile on their faces and warm wishes to convey. I would definitely take Holland America again and only wished that they went to the Carribean. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodThe food in the buffet was exceptionally good but we found the cuisine in the main dining room to be a bit 'gourmet' for our tastes. We also found that the quality of the food went downhill as the cruise progressed. Despite the few 'misses' we had in the main dining room, there was always something delicious somewhere else on the ship to be had. Stateroom QualityCouldn't have arranged it better myself. One small suggestion would be the arrangement of the television. For those sleeping by the window the screen was a bit far away to see. AC needed to be better as well. Ship Staff QualityExceptional! The crew (in addition to seeing to our every whim) put on a musical and dancing show midway through the cruise. This was one of the best things we attended. Entertainment & ActivitiesSome of the activities and shows were good but others (like the juggling) were just not my thing. I would like to have seen more lectures on different aspects of Alaska and on other self development topics.
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Juneau, AlaskaMust sees: Mt. Roberts tramway and Mendenhall Glacier. Don't spend a fortune on the shore excursion. There are taxis and buses at the pier to take you to Mendenhall Glacier.
Ketchikan, AlaskaA walk along the shops as this was the best place for shopping.
Sitka, AlaskaThe town was really quaint and we liked the Russian dancers
Victoria, British ColumbiaThe port area and downtown were very nice.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Not the best, not the worst by
Rhody R. from Long Beach, CA Sailing date: May 2007Pros: The itinerary - Glacier Bay AND Sitka on the same cruise Cons: Short time in Ketchikan and even less worthy stop in Victoria Typical HAL, good wait staff in dining room, good food. Easy ship to move around. Ship QualityShip layout fine, decor a bit unusual in color selection. Dining/FoodGood selection in the Lido buffet, plentifull salad bar. Stateroom QualityCategory E outside with big window and a love seat sitting area. Ship Staff QualityIndonesian staff exceptionally friendly. Entertainment & ActivitiesAbout medium quality, partially due to small stage. Four female dancers, two male dancers for the main shows. 10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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My cruise experience by
David M. from Harrisburg, PA Sailing date: Aug 2006Pros: Decor Cons: Dealing with so many seniors I left out of Baltimore on a long cruise to the Carribean. I loved not having to fly to Miami. I traveled as a young male alone, and had a good time until I got what they suspected was norovirus. Apparently Holland America has a problem with contagion, and I was truly miserable for 2 days, but they did everything they could to accomodate me, even picking up the tab for the doctor. All that you have read about Holland America and this ship is true--the food is bland, the guests very long in the tooth, and the levels of service high. Ship QualityAs the proud, yet small, flagship, you can tell they have spent lavishly on decor. Plus, there is a hint at their proud past as a big transatlantic line. Even the Lido deck was quite pretty and a cut above, if not modern. The ship is not very big, and only the movie theater seemed crowded (and it was always packed to capacity with old people scarfing down popcorn--you have to go very early to get any). There is not much to do compared with larger ships, but the show lounge is particularly beautiful. The dining room is too dark and the upper level hot. I did get stuck in one of the elevators one night by myself. The elevator seemed to fix itself, however, after about 10 minutes. Dining/FoodThere are no optional restaurants. It is too hot on the upper level of the restaurant, especially to sit in a tuxedo. I moved to the lower level and it was much improved. They try to seat you geographically. The best part of dinner was the company--I had some very accomplished and sophisticated seniors at my table. The food was so bland, saltless and tasteless that I was very disappointed. I didn't know you could make fancy dishes so utterly tasteless. Stateroom QualityMy first room was too small, an outside stateroom on the promenade deck. The promenade cuts into the space. When I got sick, they allowed me to move to a lower deck that had more room. Standard Finantieri room in vomit beige, although the bathroom had a tub! (and vomit beige tiles) Everything in the ship is geared towards the very old. Ship Staff QualityAs this is a bit of a floating nursing home, staff were more solicitous and helpful than normal, but only to the old folks. My room was clean, but I did have some things broken, and was most displeased about that. No towel animals either. Embarcation was super easy, as was debarcation. A world of difference between Carnival's cow herding experience and long lines, and HA's organization and efficiency. Entertainment & ActivitiesStandard quality shows. The lounge is beautiful, regal almost. Children's ProgramsI strongly recommend against taking children on any of HA's ships. There were some children on my cruise, and they spent all of their time in the covered pool area, screaming like banchees and dominating the space. It was the oddest scene...lots of very old people sleeping around this beautiful pool full of 5 screaming kids. Total contrast. I don't think they have kids activities on this ship. 23 out of 29 people found this review helpful.
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