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Holland America Rotterdam

Pleasantly Surprised

Darwin

11 day Alaska Land/Sea Tour-Denali National Park

My significant other wanted to see Glacier Bay and this was the main reason we took this cruise along with seeing Denali. It was an omen-we got to OAK 2 1/2 hrs early. Gate change and we missed our flight. Someone was trying to tell us something! Unfortunately, we got booked on a later flight. Saw Denali....

Fast forward to the cruise-upon arriving which can always be chaotic we were met by a gentleman with a blue suit (staff member) by the elevators. My. significant other asked where the stairs where. The staff person said, we don't do things that way. Good evening. The proceeded to give directions. What??? That was RUDE.

The Lido (buffet)...inedible food. When you need a blow torch to try to cut through a small pork cutlet, you know you're in trouble. The salmon was sooo dry. The food wasn't very good, but it's the first night and you still need to figure things out. I'm not a picky eater, and I'm surely a buffet type gal. Well, this cruise has changed me forever.

Tried to get the $100 Military discount that my significant other (SO) had confirmation, with Holland America's (HA) logo. At Guest Services we reported the rude staffer and asked about the discount. He looked it up and found nothing. Said they would call, and they did. NO, this is for your NEXT CRUISE...you've got to be kidding. We have it in writing. Try as we might, it was no, no, no.

Wanted to get the coffee card that was on their website. Went up to the cafe and was told that hadn't been available for....10 YEARS! Really? Was I the only one to ask? THEN YOU NEED TO UPDATE YOUR WEBSITE!

Entertainment Tuesday night were dancers; MOVE. Show was a 9 pm. We got there at 8:30, and waited. At 9 the screen came down and a Disney movie called BEARS was showing...what? I wanted to take a body conditioning class at 5 pm. Nope, cancelled. Tried to make a reservation for the fine dining, nope, all filled up.

Seems like everything was no and or cancelled. I was at my limit.

HA lets you download and use their Navigator app for free. I found the section for "feedback", and boy did I give them that. Afterwards, everything changed. The phone never stopped ringing. Apologies abounded. The Maitre'd of the buffet (Lido) met with us and apologized for the bad experience we had. He seemed very genuine and wanted to try to accommodate us. He listened and respected our opinions. We also met with the Cellar Master aka beverage dude. He was apologetic as well, letting us know that the website will be changed. He offered us a coffee on him as well as a wine tasting on the last day. We took him up on the coffee.

Magically, my SO's military discount was honored as well as a reservation was found for us at the specialty restaurant. We also got a reservation for the 2nd specialty restaurant. The Maitre'd (Ahmad) bought us a glass of wine. 

I was impressed with the speed of the acknowledgement of our issues. HA did seem to care about their guests having a good experience. But, we shouldn't of had to work so hard to try to enjoy this cruise. 

When I looked at my statement upon arriving home (should have looked at it more closely, so my fault), I was charged for my SO's charges. How do you do that? His name on the receipt, but I got charged. That's just nuts!

And.....to top it off...we both got Covid! TY Holland America.

The trip from Hell

Brisbane

This was our 3rd time going to Alaska but our first time continuing on to Denali.  We absolutely Love Alaska! and there is no better way than to travel than with Holland America!  We sailed up several fjords to Harvard Glacier and many other glaciers (but I forgot all their names).  The seas were very calm the weather was clear (luckily) and we even saw a pod of whales off our balcony!  The staff onboard could not have been more attentive and were genuinely happy, courteous and most accommodating.  The food was excellent at all meals, even snack time.  The cookies were delicious and of course the ice cream that goes with them.  The dancers, piano players and other entertainment was very enjoyable.  We also met some very nice people that we will definitely keep in touch with and hopefully travel together with in the future.  We love Holland America, and the Noordam, and the crew, and the food and the whole DAM trip!

Alaska is absolutely amazing!

Picked up the 18 day Land and Sea Tour a few months ago. Great deal! We accepted a partially obstructed ocean view room. Just wanted to share what that means on deck 4. Overall we thought the experience was great. The land tour was wonderful. Just an FYI, the Holland Landmark Hotel is really showing it’s age It was clean but it is dated.

The ride from Denali and from Anchorage were the best. Would highly recommend this cruise. 

The food is great and service is excellent. I’m going to continue cruising with Holland in the future. 

Shore excursion are pricey but I like the security of booking with cruise lines worth the expense.  

The land tour included 3 air flights, 11 nights of hotels, all baggage was handled professionally and Sally Ride our guide was wonderful. All this plus more made this a fantastic trip. The time In Denali was amazing.

Start to finish incredible scenery 

We've been on Disney, RC, NCL, and Carnival cruises and decided to give Holland a try for Alaska. I was pleasantly surprised and plan to go again!

STAFF: Compared to a recent cruise on NCL, I felt the staff was far happier and genuine and I suspect it's because they are treated well. It was refreshing to see staff who came out (albeit briefly) to enjoy the views with us - I've always felt like staff on other lines were discouraged from being seen or enjoying their time off. Different vibe on Noordam and it honestly made the cruise better for me.

CLEAN: Every public bathroom was immaculate and plentiful. Every venue was constantly straightened up.

SHIP LAYOUT: Rarely did the ship feel crowded. There are quiet or lively nooks all over the ship. Our favorite was the Crows Nest and you wonder why more ships don't have a 270 degree window space with plenty of room for everyone to gather for puzzles, board games, chess, drinks, books. Don't need the huge dramatic ceilings and hot tubs everywhere. We had two teenagers and even THEY loved it. 

FLOATING LIBRARY: If you love books, the entire ship is an amazing library. Books. Everywhere. All kinds. Multiple copies. I could hug the ship's librarian. 

CAFE: Again, quiet and cozy with soft chairs. As opposed to most ship cafes that have no atmosphere and minimal comfort. Loved the NYTimes partnership with daily crosswords and sudokus. 

FOOD: Main dining room exceeded our expectations. Even though the food was often the same as the buffet, presentation and experience made all the difference. Great staff. Only small disappointment was the Filet Mignon at Pinnacle. The burger and taco bars were a great addition by the pool area. Buffet could get crowded but the tables are space are much nicer than the mass of jumbled tables at the other cruise lines. Actually enjoyed spending time there.

POOL: Loved the retractable cover. Made it much nicer for hanging out in the light.

STATEROOM: Bathroom felt a wee dated but it was roomy - we had two adjoining interior rooms and all the space was amazing. 

OUTDOOR SPACES: A proper walking deck made for the best views while getting exercise. Lots of places to enjoy Alaska for a medium sized ship.

CASINO: I have zero interest in casinos. I appreciated that this was tastefully integrated in a manner that didn't force you to walk thru it, inhaling smoke while dodging bodies in the middle of the cacophony of sounds and lights. 

VALUE: I appreciated that we didn't feel nickel and dimed. The drink package included speciality coffees which, although small, made me feel like it was more of a proper all-inclusive experience. Drinks were reasonably priced and there were happy hours on sea days. 

ENTERTAINMENT: If you want the big splashy Aquatheater and Broadway musicals, you should pass. It's the only thing missing. But if they spent the resources on these, you'd be paying far more for your cruise. So if you appreciate talent without the flash, I think you'll be happy on HAL.

I'll be going again.

Alaska Surprise!

I had an 18 day cruise/land HA trip to Alaska. The crusing part on Noordam was great in terms of seeing a beatiful scenery. The rest was OK -  the food was not that impressive and there were not a lot of activities. The staff was very nice. 

The land portion of the trip was somewhat disappointing - the hotel in Anchorage was dirty and not very attractive. A month before the cruise, I had an excursion booked for my land portion - a plane ride from Denali to Wiseman, Arctic circle. This excursion was one of the highlights of my land portion of the trip, however it got cancelled a day before the flight was scheduled for because the vendor did not get enough customers for this flight. I was very disappointed as I was really looking forward to this flight; Holland America was able to substite this flight with another excursion, a flight to Denali Summit. I was charged for the 2nd  excursion and was assured that I will get a refund for the 1st flight that was cancelled, I was told it would take 2 weeks to get a refund. 3 weeks later I still do not have my refund and I am getting a run around from Holland America when I called them. I am now spending my time to make phone calls to HA's  customer service and my credit card to address the issue of the refund. Holland America does not hesitate to charge their guests but when it comes to a refund for the services that were not provided, a guest has to fight to get a refund. Who will reimburse me for the time that I am spending now trying to resolve this issue with my refund?  Aside from this, their customer servive representative that I spoke to regarding a refund issue was not very professional, she did not get back to me as promised regading the resolution of the refund issue and did not transfer me to take a survey about customer satisfaction at the end of the call. So far, I had a poor experinece with HA and most likely will not consider cruising with them in the future.

Poor Experience with Customer Service

My husband and I had cruised Alaska in 2019.  We enjoyed it so much that we decided to go again, but to do a land/sea tour. Holland American seem to have the best reputation for this. The land tour was great. But Holland America should be ashamed to put their guest in one of their motels, The Westmart in Anchorage that they use for their one night stay was dirty. The hotel was in need of updating and a restaurant that was open, in the evening, when Holland American buses arrived. They try to tell you that there is nothing else nicer available. Not true. The Princess cruise people stayed in the Sheraton, and it was much nicer.

Onboard the ship we stayed in balcony room. It was roomy and had lots of closet space. Our room stewards were wonderful and very helpful. The other staff on the ship were, also, very friendly. This ship was clean. 

My complaint with the ship was that the dining room hours were very limited for breakfast. The menu was very limited for lunch in the dining room, and in the Lido market, there was very small amount of seating for as many people as would be eating there. You had to find a table, and then someone had to hold the table while you filled your plate or you would have to stand, while your food got cold, and wait for a table to come available.

 We have always cruised different lines, mostly Royal Caribbean, and enjoy the entertainment at night. There was very limited entertainment on this ship.

There were plenty of excursions offered before sailing. We booked at this time. Bingo was an activity offered onboard. There was a few shops offering different types of merchandise from snacks to jewelry. 

This Holland American cruise had very few children onboard, and the food was above average for a cruise ship. But, it will be our last cruise on Holland  America.

Not what we expected 

Having been on several other Holland America cruises, this one was a great disappointment. There was a distinct lack of activities during the day, bingo & trivia were the only ones available other than fitness. The cooking & computer classes from the past were no longer offered. Food (other than Pinnacle Restaurant) was average, however the service was still excellent by the wait staff, with the exception of the host at the reception desk who was surly & indifferent. We were booked in a Neptune suite, therefore "Club Orange". We were never given the "club orange" menu and usually given the worst seating in the dining room, next to a service area, while window tables were available. The Blues Brothers lounge is now The Roling Stone Lounge, so no longer any jazz. I am sorry to say that as of this cruise, Holland America and I will be parting ways.

Disappointed

We chose the Southbound Glacier Discovery cruise on the Noordam because we wanted to see as much as possible of the great Alaskan coastline in a 7-day period. This included both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay National Park. 

If you are doing this cruise, I would venture to say that arriving at least one day early is almost essential for most people in the lower 48. Connections are not great if you are traveling from the Southeast.  Spending two nights was perfect for us as it allowed for the jet lag adjustment, and we got a great overview of Anchorage and the stunning Alaska Railroad trip to Whittier. Like the Noordam, the Wingate by Wyndham at Ship Creek rebranded with new ownership proved to be much better than the recent reviews I had read. The Deluxe Anchorage Trolley Tour, Anchorage Museum, cheap local drinks at the Pioneer Bar, and dinner at Haute Quarter made for a perfect day in Anchorage from our downtown base.  

Departing from Whittier we experienced the easiest embarkation I have ever had on a cruise ship.  It was almost a walk on. Though I had been disappointed that HAL had recently pulled out of Seward because it has so much more to offer, I must say Whittier’s location was surprisingly spectacular and puts you directly on the ship with no logistics or distractions involved. Just an FYI, even if you travel on the Alaska Railroad independently like us, your luggage will show up in your stateroom much later in the afternoon. 

Dining

•	The Main Dining Room (MDR)is clearly a star on this ship. For me this is the sign of great cruise line. Every night the three of us had different main entrees. The key to success here is to order what you like and dare to sample your cruise mate’s plate. More than any of the many cruises I have taken, the Assistant Maître di really stood out. She personally visited every table on the upper level. She would also immediately correct any issues that came up. Our wait staff was no less kind or competent. Our meal was well timed. Many delicious seafood dishes, but lobster was not to be found without an upcharge. Steaks were very good. The outstanding breakfast is not to be missed at least once your cruise. The Gala nights used to be dependable for surf and turf options. The last gala night in Ketchikan one will offer a variation of a steak and shrimp combo. Sure, there has been some cost-cutting, but this still feels like a premium class cruising dining experience. There are just a lot more upcharge items on the menu, but you can have a fine meal without them. 

•	The Pinnacle Grill and Canaletto premium dining options had an environment and level of service that certainly feel that way.  The filet mignon and the beef tenderloin were quite good at the Pinnacle Grill.  The ribeye disappointed as it seemed to be medium to thin and the texture was off. (Frozen too long?) I shared this with the chef, as this was also true on Eurodam five years ago when we sailed south from Vancouver. The sirloin in the MDR tasted better. Thankfully they have been pretty responsive to this kind feedback in the past, but it they need to get this right since it is the most popular cut. Canaletto was very good, and totally different than the Lido in spite of its location. Very nice menu with great attentive service. This a great place to go when you want something nice but different with generous portions. If I had to choose over, I would have chosen the other veal dish over the saltimbocca. It was a little too dark and salty for my taste, but I am no expert on this dish. 

•	The Lido Buffet always has good food if seek it out, and enough variety to please anyone who is willing to make the effort. With five different themed food stations on either side, HAL is different from the mainstream cruise lines in this regard. It is way more chaotic than the other offerings at peak hours. Traffic flow can be challenging. Every day for breakfast you can get eggs to order, eggs benedict, omelets any way, hash browns, blueberry or bananas foster pancakes, English bangers, and even Reindeer sausage. For lunch the Korean chicken with a side of Chow Mein was surprisingly good. Don’t overlook the Asian Station.

Service

Service certainly met our expectations throughout the cruise. The cabin stewards on this ship were outstanding. They made a couple of changes in our bed layout on two separate days and did it with a smile. They always greeted us in the halls and asked about our day but were never intrusive. Across the board in all the dining venues, we found the service to be quite good. I have not encountered and MDR staff quite this good in several cruises. The Lido staff did seem a little overwhelmed at times, but seriously they are dealing with a stampede of people at peak breakfast and lunch hours. From Sea View to the Crow’s Nest bar service was readily available and they quickly learned our preferences. 

Entertainment

We caught one of the big shows in The World Stage called “Move” by the dance company.  This was a visually stunning production with dancers that were true professionals. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. The band in the Rolling Stones Lounge were quite good, but the night we went it evolved into a country line dancing theme. The Jazz quartet in the Ocean Bar was quite enjoyable. Sorry to say I missed the Four Tenors or the Comedian Show. There were a couple of trivia games per day so you could usually catch one or the other. EXC talks and film productions from everything from whales to glaciers added to the overall experience and itinerary. Rangers in Glacier Bay and naturalist on-board certainly added to the experience. If you removed the activities with an upcharge, the daily program did seem a little sparse.  $20 Pilates anyone? I miss the America’s test Kitchen shows. Far too much of this up charging across the board on the daily planner. Park West Art Exhibitions are not entertainment, yet they seem to take over the entire Ocean Bar at times. 

Public Rooms

I disagree with the few reviews that said the ship seemed a little worn and tired. This is ship is stylish and in great shape, and they seem to do a great job with maintenance. The carpet has been replaced in almost all the main public areas. Every public bathroom was impeccably clean. One loose stair tread coming down to Lido pool prompted the removal and complete replacement of all of them in the course of the week. On Stage at Lincoln Center and the Explorers Lounge seemed to be abandoned with no bar service.  Frankly, I miss the days when the Rosario Strings played in the larger Explorers Lounge before Lincoln Center. What a nice short break it offered on a busy sea day. I understand Lincoln Center Events are moving to the World Stage, but what a shame to waste a room as beautiful as the Explorers Lounge. Same thing the empty now non-smoking Oak Room Cigar Lounge up by the Crow’s Nest. 

Shore Excursions

•	At Hubbard Glacier the Allen Marine Boat really does get you up close to the glacier. Your ship will typically be about 4 miles out on a good day. It’s a big splurge, but everyone I talked to that did it loved it. Book ahead with the cruise line.

•	At Skagway the WP&R Railroad really is all they say it is. We did the round trip to White Pass, and I highly recommend that version. The one-way train bus gets you into Canada and back by bus adds time and length with stops at manufactured tourist attractions on the bus. We drove way past that route by car 20 years ago and know firsthand that the White Pass itself is the highlight of the trip. Frankly this is better seen on the train in both directions. Do yourself a favor and book this one with the cruise line, it is a well-oiled operation that works seamlessly. Skagway itself is little more than a good photo op with loads of tourist shops. 

•	Whale Watching in Juneau was great fun and I think we saw 6-7. I would not choose the largest and cheapest boats. There are many good ones even from the ship with slightly smaller boats. For $149 we got a personalized tour with only six people with a wonderful local operator named Jayleen. My budget couldn’t handle the $400 pp helicopter glacier tour in either Juneau or Skagway, but we still managed to get in the air.

•	Island Wings in Ketchikan is a small but excellent local flightseeing operator that gave us an adrenalin filled and jaw-dropping flight on a de Havilland Beaver to Punchbowl Lake in Misty Fjords National Monument. They let us out to walk ashore in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen that was 60+ miles to the nearest road. (The others let you out on the plane floats if at all) It was definitely worth $325.

Summary

Food and service were both excellent on this beautiful ship. The ship itself is in great shape. I would book it again without hesitation. Entertainment options and a few venues seemed to be in a state of transition, but we had plenty to keep us occupied. Flight connections for us to Anchorage were better than Vancouver. One overnight upfront on the Southbound Route is really essential, but two is preferable. If I had it to do over again, I would definitely book a one-night stay near the airport in Vancouver or Seattle (Using the shuttle) at the end of the cruise to get better flight options. We were off the ship by 8:30am and did not arrive back home in Asheville NC until 09:50 AM the following day. I am glad to see that HAL has found its stride again. This trip was three years in the making after being postponed by the plague. 

Well done HAL!

Well Done HAL!

We spent a lot of time, choosing this cruise and the reputation of Holland America was a major factor. It was a bucket list item, a once in a lifetime, “let’s go see Alaska”, and we took our adult handicapped nephew with us. We are his guardians and could not have been more clear with Holland America regarding our nephews limitations and the necessity for adjoining rooms, even calling several times to confirm their understanding of this need. Yet, not one booking for the land portion was handled correctly. They literally had him either down the hall or on another floor all together. My husband spent the entire land portion sleeping down the hall with our handicapped nephew while I slept alone.  It just kept getting worse. We arrive in Anchorage and spent one entire sleepless night trying to resolve the mistake HAL made in booking George’s return to Seattle ALONE to clear customs and retrieve baggage!

Denali’s Wilderness Lodge hotel was filthy and rooms were not ready. Luggage was late and the restaurant facility could not accommodate the number of people staying there. 

The ship, albeit smaller and older, was decent and the guys taking care of our rooms were absolutely excellent. The service and food however were terrible in the formal dining room, the worst cruise ship food I have ever had. The lido buffet area did have a great salad bar. 

This was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime and HAL representatives turned it into a very expensive, complete disaster. Their idea of compensation for THEIR mistakes was to offer an insignificant credit toward a future cruise. Adding insult to injury, they offer our nephew a bit more than they offer us for our destroyed vacation. Given the magnitude of their mistakes, the compensation was far from adequate. I would not recommend this cruise line to anyone, most especially with any land portion attached.

One Fiasco After Another

We originally chose this cruise because of the shore excursions.   The excursions, for the most part were very good, although the timing of getting to and from them was certainly not done for customer convenience.  In one instance we had two shuttles returning to the boat. they would not let us get on the first one which left half full. the second now was stuffed with not space to move, and no air circulation.  Another one was canceled and swapped for 4 hours at a public game park (still looking for that refund), and none them lived up to the cruise line's statements about taking good care of people with food allergies (celiac). Food on the boat and, if offered on an excursion, was not celiac friendly unless you like jello...overall food was boring, repetitious, and of a quality you would expect to get at Denny's.  Excursions were not timed for anything relating to customer comfort.  Transportation and timing gets you up before 6am in some cases and taking excursions at 8:30 at night.  movement between hotels on the land portion had you putting bags out at 8:30 am and then sitting around to 2:30 pm for a bus.  Yes, the sun always shines in Alaska this time of the year, but it doesn't mean their customers do.   It is tiring to get up early, wait around, not have any gf food options or snacks (food hours were limited and room service was abysmal-limited choices and of course not gf ) and then get on a bus for a ride to another location where upon arrival you learn that we were delayed in our arrival so the rooms could be ready (but they were to in some cases) . I could go on, but you get the meaning here.

The boat had several cracked widows and seating was a problem in the lido deck during meals. Emphasis was on getting passengers to spend money, not on service or quality.  We've been on many cruises - this was the most disorganized.  off ship, the holland America hotel in Denali was the worst one of the trip. The  room was dirty, no toilet paper, and not suitable for any gf diet.  So much for them caring about customers with food allergies.the non holland America hotels were much better in many respects but still lacked gf options.  in one case the menu was changed before we arrived removing the gf options. in another we arrived in time for the last shuttle to town at 5:30pm, which would have been fine if the last returning shuttle from town wasn't at 5:45pm.

I highly recommend you look at other cruise lines before doing any Holland America trips.

mediocre at best, disorganized, and not for celiacs

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