We were looking for a family cruise to Alaska and chose the Statendam for its itinerary but were pleasantly surprised by the entire experience. We were a little apprehensive about bringing our 15 month old daughter on a cruise and did not really know how she would respond to the environment. However, the crew of the Statendam did a fabulous job of entertaining her. Almost everywhere we went, the staff would smile and talk to her and she loved every minute of it. Even through the sometimes long dining experiences in the Rotterdam Dining Room, the waiters, managers and beverage staff would perform little magic tricks for her and keep her occupied. They also did a great job of bringing food for her early so that she did not get antsy waiting.
We were also impressed with the shore excursions. We went on the Misty Fjords catamaran tour in Ketchikan, the Mendenhall glacier and gardens tour in Juneau and the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad summit pass round trip in Skagway. Each was well worth the time and expense and was well organized. The scenery is amazing and we highly recommend all of them to anyone looking for a good time and great sights.
We also really liked the priest on board and that Holland America has a priest on board all of their ships. The daily masses were all well attended and we were surprised to learn that more cruise lines do not provide these services.
We thought the stateroom was well maintained and that it met our requirements. The space was a little tight with a crib in it, but it fit. The cabin steward was excellent and always kept the cabin clean. Refrigerators can be requested for $2 per day, which we thought was reasonable.