Embarkation - For years I have wanted to take an Alaska cruise and on September 9th I got my chance. I am fortunate enough to live in Seattle so the commute to the pier was very easy. I drove to a friend's house and he gave us a lift down to the pier. It was slightly more complicated because of the opening Seahawks game that day but we still made it there before noon. Process through the lines was very smooth but the drink card people should wait until all passengers are through security and paperwork necessary steps before starting to sell their punch cards. I'm not a big drinker but I did buy a soda card to split with my Mother. I think I would probably invest in a cocktail card the next time because some of the daily drinks did look interesting. Special thanks to the Laffen's from last Vegas for the invite to their sail away party. It was great to meet everyone and I have not forgotten about your picture and will email it to you sometime this weekend. I got a great picture of you two at Glacier Bay.

Cabin- We booked this is as 3 day sale deal from an online agency so we knew that we were not headed for the finest room on board but we were eventually happy enough with it. Once the beds were separated it made for more space. This room didn't have a window and our only view of the outside came from the TV channel that had bridge and stern cam. We did a Mexico cruise with a veranda and really enjoyed that but rarely left it so I think this room did prompt me personally, to be out and enjoying some of the other parts of the ship. The bathroom was ample, the beds were great and the service was superb as always. Next time I would invest a bit more money for at least a window. I would bet however that our cruise fair combined was probably the price of one in a veranda room so I'm happy enough with how we ended up. I would also like to see them specify which rooms won't even have a sofa or a chair. It was a bit of a surprise not to find either. No big deal, we adjusted but a sofa or a chair is a nice thing.

Food- This is my second Holland America cruise and I think the food is top notch. I don't often get the white glove service at home so I take advantage of the Vista Dining room for many more meals than simply dinner. We had originally hoped for a fixed early dining time and were given a flexible dining plan instead. My first reaction was disappointment but we turned out to enjoy sitting with different people every night. There were 3 bus loads of people from England, Scotland and Wales on board and my Mom (Scottish) enjoyed chatting with many of them. We were able to get a reservation very easily every day and never were turned down for the time we wanted. However I do think the time it takes to eat those meals is longer with this new system because the wait staff is no longer able to use their system for delivery as many parties come in at different times. They used to be able to bring courses for many tables all at once. Now it seems they have to bring different courses at different times. Kudos for them for adapting but I'm sure those kinks will get worked out down the road. The menu was very similar to what we had seen on the Oosterdam in March and it was just as well prepared. One tip I can offer is on the second formal night, when you order the surf and turf, ask for extra surf. They will bring you a plate with two lobster tails. I can't give them a perfect grade completely. We did have one negative experience at breakfast and I hesitate to mention it but to give a fair review I must include it. One morning in the Vista, we were seated at a four top table with a retired couple from California. I and the other gentleman ordered eggs Benedict and it came out cold. We mentioned this to the waiter and he took it away and he placed an order for a second try. However, a few moments later the same waiter came back to the table and said that he tested the temperature himself and disagreed with our assessment. He was very forceful and stern about it and I felt he was a bit out of line. On a ship with 800 crew that all smile and give top notch service 99% of the time I'm willing to look past it but I feel strongly he was out of line disagreeing with us on that. The second order of eggs came and it was still cold so I just gave up and ate in the Lido that morning. In 14 total days (two cruises) of cruising this was the only experience of sub-par service but I feel compelled to report it. Many dishes can stand being cold but Eggs Benedict is not one of them. One other tip- order cappuccino when in the Vista, it's free and they charge for it everywhere else on board. Read more