Between the writing assignments on this crusing and producing Cruise Information As we speak onboard, I rapidly realized that doing a every day journey report for this seven-night Alaska cruise on Holland America can be unimaginable with out working across the clock.
So, as an alternative, I took a whole lot of psychological notes. Now, again house and with somewhat respiration room, I can collect my ideas and share particulars about my crusing on the MS Koningsdam.
Talking of working whereas at sea, the Starlink high-speed web service was fairly spectacular. The speeds had been nice for fundamental use, corresponding to e-mail, studying information web sites, or posting to social media. They had been additionally ample for on-line heavy lifting (importing, streaming, or downloading work media information). I had the four-device package deal for my work laptop, iPad, and iPhone, and the sign/speeds met my wants.
Because the final journey report talked about, the northern lights had been like nothing I’d ever seen. Sitting on my balcony and taking all of it in was surreal; it gave me chills (and never simply because it was a windy 43 levels).
What’s the Inside Passage?
The Inside Passage is a scenic route that stretches from the Pacific Northwest to Southeast Alaska, providing cruisers views via a community of fjords, islands, and coastal cities.
Many Alaska cruises embody the Inside Passage of their itineraries, providing stops in common ports like Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. These sailings usually depart from Seattle or Vancouver.
Ships might take alternate routes to the Gulf of Alaska, which usually embody crossing the open ocean to go to ports like Anchorage and Seward, and even longer voyages to the Aleutian Islands or Arctic Circle. That tough is a bit rougher, as I realized the exhausting approach again in 2019.
A balcony cabin in Alaska
This brings me to this subsequent level: If a balcony cabin matches your funds, do it! Positive, the ship has views outdoors your stateroom, however having your little slice of privateness in your voyage is priceless. That is true usually, however notably when crusing in Alaska.
Alaska provides gorgeous pure landscapes, together with among the finest glaciers in Alaska, fjords, and plenty of wildlife (we noticed bears, dolphins, sea otters, bald eagles, and mountain goats), all of which might be seen from the consolation of your balcony cabin.
Simply pack a hoodie or jacket as a result of Alaska does get chilly on the open water, regardless of once you’re crusing.
I forgot to say one factor in yesterday’s journey report when speaking concerning the room: the motion-activated ground lighting within the cabin. Numerous instances all through the week, it saved me from kicking the bedpost in the course of the night time. I do know it’s one thing small, however generally issues like that make a giant distinction.
Alaska Sea Day Brunch
We awoke this morning and went to the Alaska Sea Day brunch, the place we sat with a household of three. We might have waited for a desk for 2, however as a result of we hit brunch at peak time, that may have meant a 45-minute wait, and we had been ravenous. Plus, back-to-back cruisers have instructed us that the brunch is a not-to-miss expertise. They had been proper!
This was my first time sitting with individuals who weren’t at my celebration because the cruise trade restarted, and I spotted I missed sitting and speaking with individuals outdoors of my circle. One of many nice issues about cruising is the chance to fulfill individuals you may not in any other case.
The household we sat with was from Kentucky. They’re usually Royal Caribbean and Carnival visitors, however they wished to attempt one thing completely different, so that they opted for Holland America.
I went with goat cheese and various contemporary berries, a fried halibut sandwich, and a wild berry crisp. It was all spot on, and I believed the menu was thoughtfully deliberate for our itinerary. It provided sufficient choice in order that should you didn’t like seafood, there have been breakfast choices like yogurt and parfaits.
The brunch menu had a pleasant number of choices, together with contemporary halibut and reindeer sausage. (And sure, one of many components is, in reality, reindeer. I’m wondering what number of youngsters are traumatized once they discover that out?)
The meal took about an hour, however we might have left earlier. Since we had been sitting with one other household, getting suggestions and seeing what everybody else considered the crusing was good.
My ideas? Contemporary seafood and Alaska go hand-in-hand. Holland America’s just lately launched Contemporary Seafood program is the true deal. I’ve been on many cruises and may say that this has been top-notch as a lover of contemporary seafood. I’d go as far as to say it’s perhaps the most effective I’ve ever had on a ship.
Quiet days at sea
It was good to listen to the leisure host (cruise director) communicate solely briefly in the course of the day to echo that sentiment. It might sound small, however one thing should be mentioned about being on trip and never having to listen to concerning the newest bingo recreation or slot pull. This cruise line seems to grasp that if their visitors need to know what is occurring, they’ll open the Navigator app or have a look at the every day program within the stateroom.
Talking of the Navigator app, it does turn out to be useful however there’s room for enchancment. One miss with the app is a planner and instances for what is occurring across the ship. If venue hours of operation are a factor with the Navigator app, it wasn’t engaged on our crusing.
As a result of it was a cloudy sea day as we made our solution to our first port of Juneau, I spent a lot of the day working within the Crow’s Nest. What I like about this area is its 270-degree unrestricted views, and on an Alaska cruise, you need that.
For example, at one level, the watch officer introduced {that a} whale pod was on the ship’s port facet, immediately off the bridge and within the distance.
Since our stateroom was on the starboard facet, I wouldn’t have been capable of see them from the balcony. As a result of I spent a lot time within the Crow’s Nest, I might stroll 50 ft and see the whales off within the distance, as promised.
Plus, since I had the Quench Beverage package deal (soda, water, and low), having a espresso store on the starboard facet and a bar on the port facet was handy. I most likely drank extra espresso than I ought to have on this cruise.
Dinner on the Pinnacle Grill
On the primary sea day, we ate dinner at Pinnacle Grill. The steakhouse on deck two on the Koningsdam is common, so reservations are extremely really helpful. Relying on the voyage’s itinerary, it’s additionally open for lunch and generally brunch on choose days. On our crusing, that they had a particular Mom’s Day Brunch.
We solely did the dinner at Pinnacle Grill on this voyage, and it was a scrumptious expertise. You get one appetizer, an entree with sides, and a dessert. I began with the jumbo shrimp because the appetizer, the Porterhouse (medium uncommon), and the not-so-classic Baked Alaska for dessert.
Considered one of my buddies wasn’t hungry, so I had him order the clothesline candied bacon for his appetizer, which took middle stage for your complete meal. It got here out hanging on a rack on hooks with little tongs to seize them. That is bacon overload, which can be why I take the steps on cruise ships.
Between the dialog, meals, and wine alternatives, it was a worth for $46.
Nighttime Leisure on Holland America
The nighttime leisure is in a single space referred to as Music Stroll, the place the Rolling Stone Lounge (rock music), Billboard Onboard (piano), and the B.B. King Blues Membership are positioned. All had been vigorous all through the night time. The home band at B.B. King’s is the true deal and all the time had the group on the dance ground. I couldn’t let you know which might’ve gained a recognition contest; they might have all tied for first place.
We additionally hit the Rolling Stone Lounge, the place the expertise pulls out all of the stops. They did an Aerosmith cowl of “Dream On” that had everybody within the place rocking out. By the best way, massive props to the man who blended the stay sound; it’s not simple to combine ranges in a room that’s not formed like your typical live performance venue.
I’m an enormous music fan, so seeing every thing carried out all through the week in all of the venues was refreshing. You weren’t restricted to listening to Journey or the Eagles’ covers all week—every thing from the 80s and 90s to the nation and extra.
I’ve to say that I used to be very impressed with my first time again in Southeast Alaska with Holland America in a decade.
In my subsequent report, we’ll look all of the ports we visited and what we did in them. We visited three ports and spent a full day in Glacier Bay Nationwide Park, earlier than transferring onto extra meals and onboard programming.