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Holland America Line

MS Volendam

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Reviewed by: Lesley Luth
# previous cruises: 2
Date of Trip: July 7, 2003
Itinerary: Alaska

This was our first cruise on Holland America. Our trip truly EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS and you can't say that about too many things these days! We were simply in AWE constantly of what we saw in the way of scenery and wildlife!! We are Texans in our mid-fifties, have traveled in the U.S. and abroad and have cruised before so we were neither "first-time" cruisers nor particularly easy to impress. We are not wealthy nor are we retired yet, so taking a cruise is definitely both a "save our money for a while" and "find the time to go" project. Our cruise with HAL to Alaska on the ms Volendam was definitely worth both!

The Volendam itself was magnificent and impeccably maintained--in seven days we didn't see a speck of dust, a piece of litter or anything out of place anywhere. There was evidence of constant updating and cleaning everywhere, but it was done so as not to bother passengers or interfere with our "experience.". The ship held 1,400+ passengers, yet we never felt crowded which was amazing. We liked the smaller passenger capacity on the Volendam than is found on other cruise ships--cozier and more relaxed. We love to walk and the lovely, spacious walk-around Promenade deck was perfect for a daily "constitutional." There are two pools--one large and one smaller--and they were beautiful. We didn't visit the casino more than once--it was lovely, but rather smoky (we're non-smokers).

We found the food to be the only not-quite-so-incredible aspect of our cruise. It was good but not totally fabulous. The portions were generous and the variety and presentation were always impressive but occasionally the taste was slightly ordinary. We ate well, but did not overeat--as many cruisers tend to do given "all those choices"--which was probably a blessing. However, the Volendam does offer plenty of "venues" for eating!

Our Deluxe Verandah Suite (over 500 square feet) was luxurious, roomy, had "to-die-for" ceiling-to-floor windows with a knockout ocean view and more closet and drawer space than we needed. It was wonderful to have a dressing room (with nice long counter and an additional sink) with three large mirror-fronted closets in addition to our nice-sized bathroom. Our suite was nicely maintained all week by an attentive and friendly room steward.

Our suite was located on Deck 7 (#7004) which was right by the stairwell and bank of elevators (we chose that location for its spacious feeling as you come out your door). Remarkably, we never heard any noise from either. The rooms must be nicely insulated because we never heard the guests in the suites on either side of us either.

We only attended two of the evening shows offered that week in the Frans Hals Lounge--a very talented guitarist and a most-impressive magician. We thought they were both excellent and very "family oriented" which we appreciated. We did not attend the other nights only because we found other things to do, not because they did not offer interesting entertainment. I must say it was refreshing to be entertained by performers who did not feel that they had to resort to inappropriate language to appeal to an audience. My husband and I really enjoyed having some "R & R" during our cruise; we found ourselves quite happy to converse, read up on the port that was coming up next or "recline" on our lounge chairs--all on our verandah in the evenings. There was ALWAYS a spectacular view!

**It was very obvious that the officers and crew of the Volendam were committed to making our cruise as enjoyable as possible. They sported smiles everywhere. Even the ship's Captain and Hotel Manager were "visible" and friendly which was lovely.

Our 4 shore excursions on the cruise were each very well done and we thought they were good value for our dollar. We arranged for them online months before our cruise. When we arrived on board there was a list of our excursions in our room waiting for us, along with the "vouchers' for each excursion that we would need to show to identify ourselves. I thought HAL's shore excursion booklet was very helpful in our choosing which ones we wanted to take, but it would have been even more helpful if the description had included what "time" the tour would start. That way we would have known for sure if we could fit two excursions in for one port.

**In Juneau we took the tour on which we first visited the Mendenhall Glacier. We had time in the Visitor's Center to look at the exhibits, take plenty of photos of the glacier from all angles and view a short film on the history of the glacier. The glacier was most impressive. Then, on the same tour, we went by motorcoach to Auke Bay where we set off to "whale watch" and "wildlife quest" on a jet-water-powered catamaran that even had a heated indoor section (we didn't need it though because it gorgeous--in the upper 60's). We "flew along" across Stephens' Passage and saw whales, seals, bald eagles and assorted local birds through our nifty, tour-issued binoculars and the zoom lenses of our cameras. During the "quest," we were allowed down into the galley of the catamaran to help ourselves to drinks (soft), salmon spread on crackers, etc. if we wanted a snack. I could not believe how exciting it was to watch whales "spout" when they surface and then flip their tails when they "go under" again. You just have to be there!! This tour was informative (lots of narrative and we were even issued a wildlife/map guide) and a lot of fun--well worth our time and money.

**In Skagway, we rode the White Pass/Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad up into the mountains along the same trail that the "gold stampeders" used. The scenery was absolutely stunning and the train ride was nicely narrated the whole time! We came back down the mountain by motorcoach, also nicely narrated by our driver, and visited the Liarsville Gold Camp. Hmm, that stop was the most "touristy" place we visited the whole week but it was still interesting and worth the cost of the tour just to have a gold panning experience (gold panning is hard work!).

**The second tour we took later that afternoon in Skagway was the "Good Time Girls" walking tour. We had a small group of about ten people and we walked all over town learning what Skagway was like in the 1890's, especially for the women--VERY entertaining and quite educational. Our tour guide "Trixie Valentine" was adorable and totally "in character" the whole time as a "saloon girl/woman of the evening." She was even dressed in a costume from that day. She made the "Gold Rush" period in Skagway come alive for us for a few hours!

**In Ketchikan, we salmon fished for half a day. We went by motorcoach from the dock to Knudsen's Cove (not very far away) where we were divided into groups of 4-6 and assigned to various fishing craft. We were given a slip of paper on the motorcoach that indicated our boat assignment--very organized. The "captain" of our fishing boat, the "Josie Lynn," was Darrell Welk. He was totally charming and quietly efficient. We caught our first salmon the first time we put a line in the water! Plus, at one point, Darrell actually coaxed a bald eagle to swoop down from his perch on a island tree far away to pick up a dead fish off the surface of the water within 15 feet of our boat--definitely a Kodak moment!

**The fishing experience was truly a highlight of our Alaska trip and you certainly didn't have to know how to fish to catch something (NOTE TO OTHER WOMEN OUT THERE: I happen to love to fish, but you didn't have to bait your own hook on this "sport fishing adventure" nor did you even have to touch a fish if you didn't want to in order to catch one). Wow, I'd go again just for the incredible scenery we saw from our boat!. Anyway, we shipped home 46 pounds of frozen, vacuum-packed 1-lb. salmon fillets which should keep us busy on the "barbie" for some time!

They were a nice selection of ages. We found our fellow passengers to be quite friendly (a nice class of folks apparently travel Holland America) and the visible children were well-behaved.