We had never been on a cruise and an Alaska cruise had been on our bucket list for many years. We chose Holland America because the ship was a little smaller than some of the other lines and the average customer was a bit older. The cruise was very good and we would do it again.

We arrived in Vancouver the evening before the cruise to get a small taste of this great city and to ensure we wouldn't literally miss the boat by arriving too late due to a flight delay or bad weather. We embarked at Canada Centre and it seemed to go very well. Total time for embarkation was probably under two hours. Our luggage had been transferred from the hotel to the ship and was already in our stateroom when we arrived on ship.

The ms Noordam was just refurbished a couple years ago and it's quite impressive. Lots of art, including an Andy Warhol print at the front information desk, and some truly beautiful spaces. I enjoyed the Ocean Bar and the Explorations Cafe. Both were beautifully decorated and nice places to just hang out during the afternoons. The external elevators were a nice touch, too, giving you great views of the surrounding mountains and islands. We used them much more than the inside elevators. Read more