Overall, this was an excellent trip. Of course, we enjoyed some uncommonly phenomenal weather, so that set the tone for most of the trip. The pre-cruise hotel stay at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver was the perfect place to kick things off. The hotel couldn't be in a better location (at Canada Place overlooking the pier), and the accommodations and service were wonderful. Having read some of the other reviews, I had some concerns about whether I had made the best choice of ship for our family group of 4 adults (2 in their early 50s and 2 in their early 70s).

I chose the Zaandam because I was looking for a smaller, more elegant ship that would be easy to navigate and would hopefully allow us to avoid congestion and long lines. The ship is in very good condition, and I think it was a perfect choice for our group. For the most part, there were never lines, congestion or waiting for anything. The ship's common areas are tastefully decorate and spacious, and allow for easy traffic movement. We elected to upgrade to the Neptune Suites, and we had adjacent staterooms and adjoining balconies. There are certainly far less expensive stateroom options on the ship, but we definitely wanted access to balconies for this trip to Alaska, and the up charge from a balcony cabin to a suite was quite reasonable. In my opinion, the extra space of the stateroom (about 450 sq. ft.) and access to the Neptune Lounge alone justified the modest additional expense. With the Neptune Lounge, you have delicious food and beverages available all day (many days we ate breakfast and lunch in the lounge), and the services of a personal concierge. It is a terrific perk, among others that are afforded suites passengers (e.g., daily laundry and dry cleaning service). The stateroom itself was also tastefully decorated and quite spacious. My only criticism would be that the bathrooms, which are perfectly functional, are quite dated looking. I know the ship was christened in 2000, but I can't imagine when in the last 15 years the color palate in the bath areas was ever "in."

The food onboard the ship was, for the most part, excellent. We particularly enjoyed The Pinnacle Grill, but we had several excellent meals in the Rotterdam Dining Room. Our experience at Le Cirque was very good, although we all agreed that we preferred our meals at The Pinnacle Grill, and we didn't feel the significant up charge for Le Cirque was justified. I think the real standout of this cruise with HAL, though, was the customer service we encountered while on the ship. The service was very warm and personal; in fact, it was not uncommon to be addressed by name if we encountered staff members outside of our cabins. They really seem to have a "whatever, whenever" philosophy about offering assistance in any way they can, and their enthusiasm and quick smiles and greetings really made us feel like special guests. We enjoyed excursions in every port (several of which I scheduled on my own before the cruise due to cost savings), and the disembarkation/embarkation process in every port was quick and hassle free. Read more