From the time we were picked up by the car service to the time we were dropped off at home at the end of our trip, this vacation to Alaska was amazing. Holland America arranged for airline transportation from Newark to Anchorage and return from Vancouver. This was an 11 day land and cruise tour. We spent the first night in Anchorage and the next morning took a sight seeing 8 hour open domed train trip to Denali National Park. The scenery was beautiful beyond description. We took the Tundra Wilderness Tour the next day at the park with a very delightful and knowledgeable guide. The day was clear and we saw lots of wildlife and a clear view of Mt. McKinley. We were told Mt. McKinley is surrounded by mist or fog 70% of the time, and that we were very lucky to see it on a clear day.

The following day we took a motor coach bus trip to Seward and boarded the Statendam. The ship and crew were very accommodating and we received our luggage on time as stated. The food was wonderful with quite a selection and the entertainment every night was varied and very good. The captain was quite a character and kept us informed as to any wildlife we might see enroute. There was a naturalist on board who gave us a lot of useful information about the wildlife and the area we were traveling in. It was chilly on board the ship in late May, but at each of the places we stopped at, the weather was in the mid to high 60's and delightful. We saw the glaciers calving, wildlife at several locations and enjoyed the pea soup and hot chocolate served us.

The land tours were assorted and very good. We took a floatplane over Misty Fjords National Park, a whale watching trip - guaranteed to see whales and we did, a float adventure in the Eagle Preserve area and a trip to Mendenhall Glacier. Weather was great and no trips were cancelled. The guides were very knowledgeable and interesting and enjoyable. Alaska is beyond beautiful and photos do not do it justice. When we got to Vancouver we had a great 3 hour tour through the city and stopped at Stanley Park and had lunch, and spent an extra night in Vancouver before we departed for home. We met some wonderful people on the land portion of the tour and spent some time together on board the ship and took some of the tours with our new friends. The age of people on the ship ranged from an average 40 - 80 with few children as school was still in session. We would take this trip again as it was a perfect way to see the state.