This cruise was the first of the year to Alaska for Holland America this year, 2023. We had heard favorable things about a Holland America; however, the cruise line failed to live up to any of the expectations that people had set for us. It began by having the board at 11 AM without our cabins being ready nor leaving until 5 PM. All of the passengers were directed to the Lido deck, where they could enjoy drinks and food until their cabin was available. The ship was not prepared for the passengers and the wait time between drinks or food was 30 minutes minimum.

We didn’t even meet our stewards for our cabin until the third day of the cruise. We did not meet them on Sunday or Monday. We had breakfast in the dining hall once, where our orders were completely messed up, and the food was cold when it was served. This company also nickel and dime you to death with additional costs if you want lobster or high-end steaks, or anything like that it has been my impression that most cruise lines are all inclusive in their food. We were lucky to have food available at many points during the day the food taste was mediocre at best.

We had a photo shoot scheduled one evening for 7:30 PM. We arrived at 7:35, they were not ready or set up and asked us to wait which after 10 minutes, we left the area. The formal dinner that we went to at the formal restaurant on the ship Had passengers dressed in jeans and sweatshirts. I asked the hostess if this was the formal dining area which she responded, smart casual. Never in my life have I seen jeans and sweatshirts to find a smart casual. At least, the food at this restaurant was extremely good , we did have additional costs of $20 each for drinks that accompanied the food choices. Read more