I did this exact same trip last September and boy, the things slipped a bit. Still enjoyed myself but Holland America Line really needs to look at making some changes.
Generally, I really enjoyed my Neptune Suite. It was large and bright and had a great balcony. The Concierge Lounge is a huge benefit. Enjoy coffees and small plates in the morning and afternoon.
Food for the most part was ...
Sailed HAL for 10 of 12 cruises. Last cruise 34 years ago. First vacation in 8 years and first vacation with wife in 28 years (never had honeymoon and always had kids)?? Basically, the shore system didn’t match the onboard system. I bought 4 indulgences and packages and none were ready for us. We never received the excursion tickets or most of the Add-ons without multiple trips to Guest ...
Probably I took my last cruise on Holland America last month. The cruise was a 7 day cruise on the Oosteram round trip from Seattle to Alaska. Here is an explanation of why I feel as I do:
Pros:
• The Hotel staff was nice and provided good service; the room was clean and comfortable; the ship was clean. Our cabin staff remember my name after the first day.
• The bow was open for ...
Holland American Alaskan cruise. Very disappointed. Have taken other cruises on Carnival, Norwegian etc.. but this was the first cruise we've ever taken that had no activities. No entertain to speak of. We spent three out of seven days sitting on the lido deck staring out the windows. There's nothing else to do!! We finally accept the fact that this was just a vessel/transportation place to sleep ...
As someone with Celiac Disease (gluten), I can't begin to tell you my frustration levels for first 3 days. Confusion, lack of training, poor communication and largely indifferent.
The exact scenario someone who has Celiac wants to avoid. I sure was glad I was trapped on a cruise ship!
If you have food allergies, be prepared that every day will be full of conflict and misinformation.
Note, ...
My wife and I have been on two other cruise lines so a friend of ours invited us on a vacation to Alaska on the line HAL Oosterdam. The staff was very friendly but when we needed some guidance we couldn't understand what they were saying and they didn't even know the answer to our question so make sure your staff who works on the ship knows everything about it like where's the nearest bathroom . ...
I have taken been cruising since 1975 and have been on many different lines, but this was my first time on Holland America and was really looking forward to taking a "step up". The itinerary was wonderful and we really enjoyed the cruise from that aspect but the service was sub standard in my opinion.
Our stateroom had a leftover champagne bottle and a few other items in the cabinets upon ...
This was my first cruise ever and I've wanted to go to Alaska for 17 years. I chose this cruise because it went to destinations other cruise lines did not cover. I had friends that told me I would love cruising. I saved for over a year to take this trip and the entire thing ended up being over 15K (excursions, expenditures, etc.).
I was guaranteed a BB stateroom (navigation deck) and ...
We were with Our mom and dad on this cruise. Our rooms were nice but not The best. The staff was great. The service if we needed anything was great. The food was OK, just OK. They set times for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This included the buffet. If you wanted anything after the times you had to order off room service and that was limited. We watched one show and it was pretty good. The boat ...
I chose this particular cruise since it went to Sitka and not many other lines go there. My family and I have been on 13 other cruises on various lines. Our ages are from 60 to 27. This was our first cruise on Holland and our first to Alaska. Embarkation and disembarkation were a breeze. We had a signature suite and it was easily the nicest suite we have ever had. The ship itself was very classy; ...