We were a party of 4: DH and myself (40-somethings), DD and friend (12 and 13, respectively). We've been on two cruises before - so not newbies, but not overly experienced with cruise life either. We do travel a fair bit - having been to Europe many times, Asia twice and all over the US.VancouverLoved Vancouver! Had outstanding weather all while we were there, we spent most of our time walking around the city and seeing the outdoor sights. Walked along waterfront, rented bikes at Spokes and then rode the seawall all around Stanley Park, stopping at the interesting sights (totems, statues, etc.) We stopped for lunch at the Tea House - delicious and charming setting. Went to Chinatown and the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Garden. The garden was pretty and interesting, but not overwhelmingly wonderful like many of the guidebooks have reported. Maybe we needed a different tour guide. Also enjoyed Granville Market.Stayed in the Sheraton Wall Center in Vancouver. Found it to be convenient and the girls enjoyed the pool. Walked from the hotel to Canada Place and got there around 11:30 on cruise day. The various lines were quick - never had to wait more than 5-10 minutes and before we knew it we were on the ship. Staterooms were ready immediately and our suitcases were delivered within a couple hours. The ShipWe found the Zuiderdam basically lovely. Didn't mind the colors or think it garish. Yes - you can tell the ship is not brand new and I would have liked to have seen a few things attended to. Our shower curtain was a little mildewed and a couple hinges on the closets doors weren't attached to the closet. But everything worked, so these items didn't detract from our trip. Crew was great, responsive to requests and anticipated our needs and very friendly. Maybe not quite as "anticipatingly helpful" as on a Disney cruise - but I rarely (never?) felt that I wished someone was doing their job better.I really felt the atmosphere was pleasant, relaxed and fun on board. I thought maybe we'd feel a little out of place, since HAL has a reputation for being better for "mature" cruisers. But we found plenty of friendly passengers of all ages.FoodWe found the food quite good. Not perfect, but very respectable. There were always plenty of options and we generally enjoyed all that we ate. Some of the quality was a little inconsistent - but nothing horrible. We at most dinners were in the Vista, lunches in the Vista or Lido, breakfasts in the Lido. We didn't try Pinnacle Grill or Canaletto, since we have plenty of access to wonderful restaurants, we opted to use vacation funds on excursions. Specials teas were fun, coffee in Explorations Cafe was nice, and pea soup on deck during Glacier Bay day is not to be missed!ActivitiesFirst for the girls - since they were different ages, that caused a little trouble. Sometimes they enforced the "no one under 13" in the Loft, sometimes they didn't. For the most part the girls were happy on their own, they took Tai Chi classes, watched loads of free movies (loved having them delivered to the stateroom), played ping pong, basketball, swam, etc. There was plenty to keep them busy.For us - there was never enough time to do everything we wanted to do!!! I went to many of the cooking demonstrations and found them entertaining and interesting. We enjoyed the ranger talks and narration on GB day. We went to the Mixology Classes (mixing cocktails with a semblance of "learning") - very fun, but maybe not quite as good as the class we had on Royal Caribbean a few years ago. We saw a movie in the screening room - nice and comfy. Saw several of the song/dance shows - impressed with the quality of the performers. These were every bit as good as anything I've seen on any other cruise - probably better. We really enjoyed Adagio Strings before dinner several nights. Thought the HAL Cats were ok - musicians were better than the lead singer. Fitness center looked nice, although we took most of our exercise on the Promenade Deck. Really enjoyed walking that (3 times = 1 mile). Ports/ExcursionsWe opted for a mix between ship sponsored excursions and independent. After some cancellations and weather problems, ended up taking two ship excursions: Glacier Lake Kayak and White Pass Rail Experience and Glacier Discovery by Helicopter. Both in Skagway and both were excellent! In Ketchikan we took the floatplane tour to Misty Fjords with Michelle and Island Wings (indie) and that was everything everyone on CC has raved about. It also didn't hurt that we had a gorgeous blue sky with wispy white clouds day!The scenic cruising in Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm was awesome. I really liked this ship's itinerary and the times in port. We had plenty of time to do the excursions or walk around. The scenery in Alaska was simply breathtaking. Everywhere we went, on board and off, there was natural beauty that was beyond expectation.Disembarking was a piece of cake, since we did the "expedited disembarkation" and took our bags off ourselves. This worked best, since we had a fairly early flight from Vancouver airport (11:00 am). It did mean we were off the ship by 7:30 AM. We took a cab to and from the airport, not too expensive and didn't have to wait.All in all, this was a great cruise on a very nice ship. Simply an awesome vacation!