Oosterdam Review

Alaska Cruise Vacation

Review for Alaska Cruise on Oosterdam
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betterandbetter
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s

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Sail Date: Sep 2008
Cabin: Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom

First - Thank you to everyone on this site who has taken the time to write a review. There is no way I could've planned our trip without you. This was our first time on Holland America and our fourth cruise. I planned the trip with a lot of help from travel sites. My husband and I traveled with my parents who are in their 70's. This was a dream vacation for my Dad. We went for them, but were excited about getting away from it all. We flew into Seattle, and took a car from the airport by dialing *55 on the ground transportation phone. This phone was hard to find. Our porter couldn't speak English, so was no help. Surprisingly, it only cost $55 for a limo which was a steal compared to two taxis. We spent the night in Comfort Suites /Seattle Center. We took the complimentary hotel shuttle to dinner at "Ettas" next to Pike's Place Market. The food was good but nothing to write about. The shuttle returned at the designated time to take us back to the hotel. We had a problem with our air conditioner in our room which was repaired before we retired. The next morning, we paid $6 per person for a shuttle to Pier 30. After a lot of prior research, the Comfort Suites experience met our needs nicely. Embarkation - It was extremely rushed. Our bags were whisked away before we were even out of the shuttle bus. This was unsettling. My husband and I had to chase down the porter, who was rude, to find out what was happening. He said we should be happy that we were hustled ahead of the others. I spoke with a Holland America representative who said that the porter didn't work for the cruise line. After traveling to Europe, I felt an unexpected sudden separation from our bags was unacceptable. This started our cruise awkwardly. We became separated from my parents because they were whisked away by another representative while we were trying to get answers about our bags. We missed out on the traditional embarkation picture. We finally boarded together and went to the Lido Restaurant where the crowd was overwhelming and dangerous for my parents who are not that stable on their feet. We couldn't find anywhere to sit. People were saving seats by turning up chairs. We finally sat on the edge of the Lido pool to eat our first meal on the ship. The food was mediocre at best. It's the last meal we had there during our cruise. When we heard the announcement that our rooms were ready, we were thrilled. We had booked adjoining rooms where our bags were waiting. We spent the next couple of hours unpacking and relaxing. I found 6 empty packs of men's underwear in a cabinet over the loveseat. I contacted the steward, and he removed them. Our bags fit nicely under the bed. We had a clogged sink and tub. After speaking with the steward, they were promptly repaired. The Dining Room- Served a variety of foods each night. I was worried when the first night, two of us had to send our food back to the kitchen. It simply wasn't edible. The restaurant manager said that he would make it up to us on lobster night which he did. All week, the table steward was extremely impatient with my mother who is hard of hearing. His broken English made it even harder for her to understand him. Their inability to communicate caused a strain each night. I know that the table steward has a difficult job, but the Holland America line has a reputation for having elderly guests, so somebody is dropping the ball on training these servers on dealing with their clientele. We almost asked for another steward after the second night. In hind sight, we should have. Didn't want cause a problem for the system. Our steward never crossed the line to being rude until the last night when he asked my mother loudly if she was confused, and why, since he had asked her only a simple question. It was unacceptable behavior. Pinnacle Grill - We made reservations online a month before departure to celebrate my parents 53rd anniversary and our 29th. The service was horrible and the food was average. The dining room was far better, so this was clearly a waste of money. Cabin- This is where our experience was a pleasure. For a large cruise ship, our cabin was very comfortable and quiet. We booked VF5 with has a glass balcony. There was a tub which made the bathroom layout larger,therefore easier to move about. We relaxed in our room for several days with a comfy bed, pillows, and loveseat. Every evening, we put our breakfast menu on the door for pick up. Our order always arrived on time and correct. We had lunch in our cabin when we were not at port. The T.V. in the room had only a few stations. There were some good movies on. We like watching the news, but the only news channel was CNN. This was a pain to watch. We wished for FOX news all week. Ports- Sitka was my favorite because is was quaint and quiet. We purchased some locally made earrings for our daughter for her birthday which were a great hit when we returned home. We tried some locally made clam chowder. Juno - A rainy day. Our ship docked to far from town to walk. We had to pay $3 a piece to get into town which was a blatant rip-off when the other three ships docked were right in town. Holland America should foot the bill for this. We took a local shuttle to the Mendenhall Glacier. I'm glad we did, or there wouldn't be much to talk about when we returned home. We are okay fish tacos at a local restaurant for lunch. Ketchikan- Watching the salmon run up stream was fascinating. We purchase some fresh canned salmon to take home. Hubbard Glacier- The viewing was spectacular. We did experience it calving several times which was amazing. Was it worth the trip, probably not. We had a guide board the ship while viewing the glacier which made the viewing more interesting. Entertainment - Well, we only went to see the magician and the comedian and both were enjoyable. We did go to the newlywed game one night because of the reviews here. It was hilarious. Choppy Seas - I've never experienced such rocking. My parents had a hard time maintaining their balance while we were in the Pacific. At night, it was a great environment to sleep. Fitness Center - I worked out every morning. The view was great, but the room was crowded with no place to stretch. They could use some stretching machines. Disembarkment - No problems at all. We took the transfer to the airport because our airline kept changing our flight before our trip. They moved it so close to our disembark time that I decided to let Holland America be responsible for getting us there on time. We arrived home jet- lagged, but all in all had a nice vacation. In conclusion- I think that an Alaskan Cruise is overrated. If you spend the money to go, take a cruise to the Northern ports as well. We saw two killer whales, and that's it. Also, I would think that planning a Land Tour before your cruise would make your trip more memorable. We didn't take any excursions because of the reviews I read here. I enjoyed the Holland America experience. It was quiet and relaxing in our room. I would suggest that the ship do a better job designating smoking areas. Several times, we were gagged by smoke. We learned to take alternate routes on the ship to bypass the worst areas. We are now planning our next cruise to the South Pacific.

Cabin Review

Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom

great view, quiet, comfortable, plenty of storage

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