We decided to booked our first cruise to explore Alaska last July, 2011. After doing some research and talked with friends, we decided to go with Holland America (HAL). Zaandam did not disappoint us, we're very happy overall with the whole experience! Highly recommended it to everyone!
The ship itself, Zaandam, is a bit outdated especially in the room interior. It probably needs some remodeling in the near future, but it is adequate for our needs. The bed is surprisingly very comfortable.
The overall experience in the ship was great. Service was excellent, everyone was very friendly and helpful. The activities and entertainment was pretty good. While the entertainment was catered toward the older crowd, we were quite pleased with it. The food was really good, lots of variety, tasty and presentation was superb. The food is probably the best part of the whole thing.
Cabin is pretty small and outdated, but it is clean and adequate for our needs. Closet size is really good though, enough room to store our clothing and suitcases. A partial view of the ocean, nice location.