The Ride of the Ancient Mariners

We rode the m.s. Statendam on a seven-day northbound Alaska cruise. It was our first cruise. It was definitely our last HAL cruise and probably our last cruise period (at least for the next 30 years).

If you are traveling with a family (we had our 9 year old and our 13 year old along) recognize that HAL is a floating retirement community. The facility, the programs, the shore excursions, the food, the onboard schedule, just about everything is designed to appeal to the 60-80 crowd. And clearly it does. My best guess on the average age of our mid-summer cruise was around 70. So do not come here looking for a family friendly vacation or if you are under the age of sixty. Read more