At the top edge of the United States sits our 49th state, Alaska. There's no better way to see Alaska than aboard a cruise ship. And, Holland America has been operating Alaska cruises longer than anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We recently had the opportunity to take a 7-day Alaskan Inside Passage Cruise in August aboard the Koningsdam ship. With my teen onboard, we reconnected with each other and with the beautiful nature that makes Alaska a coveted tourist destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thank you, Holland America for inviting me as your guest to check out one of your famous Alaska cruises. All thoughts and opinions written here are based on my personal cruise experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I'll admit that our family is used to big ship cruising, so the Koningsdam felt a bit smaller than some of our recent cruise ship experiences. However, the Koningsdam is still the 3rd largest Holland cruise ship and is essentially very close in size to the largest, the Rotterdam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The small\"ish\" size of the Holland cruise ships can be a big benefit for Alaska cruises as it lets them dock in the ports when larger ships have to tender. A few of the things that stood out to me aboard the Koningsdam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ship has the upscale glitz and glamor that you expect from cruise ships but also with a few fun spots with a bit of flair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was most impressed with the amount of lounge seating located around the ship. One of my favorite things to do on cruises is read in a comfy chair with a good view. And of course, enjoying a happy hour cocktail before dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the most popular spots is the Crows Nest lounge on one of the top decks, which features cozy seating along with a bar and coffee shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The restaurants are also beautifully decorated, while the casual dining options on the pool deck are laid back and perfect for families with young kids. The buffet features plenty of windows and seating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each of the decks are named after famous music composers and the art around the ship is beautiful curated and displayed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rooms feel a bit small<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Promanade deck blocked by lifeboats<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holland America and Nature<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The BBC Planet Earth II in Concert is a MUST watch in my opinion. It\u2019s a beautiful blend of musical and cinematographic storytelling at its finest. There is some \u201ccircle of life\u201d situations as it is a nature documentary, so kids might be alarmed. But kids will also fall in love with the animals and the storytelling is gripping and keeps you engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holland America<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is what is equivalent to a buffet with other cruise lines, however, each of the stations on Holland America, a staff member handles serving you the food. I appreciate this from a cleanliness standpoint; however, it does mean you might have a bit more of a wait versus the traditional free-for-all serving at buffets on other lines. I personally will take the wait in exchange for knowing an employee is the only one handling the serving utensils!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll find a variety of stations including a taco corner, salad bar, ____, ____, and desserts including ice cream. Seating can get crowded during peak mealtimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Formal dining happens in The Dining Room. This is your traditional cruise dining experience with many tables and a menu that changes daily with a few regular items remaining each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holland America allows for flexible dining times, called As You Wish. This means you can show up to The Dining Room between 5:15 pm and 9:00 pm and be seated for dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Steak lovers will want to be sure to splurge for a meal here. The menu includes cuts of filet mignon, NY strip, boneless rib eye, or a massive 36 oz tomahawk bone-in rib eye (added fee). You can also add on a lobster tail for an additional charge if you\u2019re craving a surf and turf meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also have some great starters including an Instagram worthy clothesline candied bacon. And you can get some delicious wine recommendations to complement your meal, we started with some Veuve Clicquot champagne with our starters and moved onto a delicious 2015 Muga Reserva Rioja for our steak course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll pay $15 for lunch and $39 for dinner, plus 18% gratuity to eat at the Pinnacle Grill and then additional charges apply for a couple of added choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tamarind<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our Itinerary<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alaska Cruise Tours<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the best things you can do on an Alaskan cruise is to get off the ship and get into nature. For this trip we chose holland america alaska cruise excursions at our three ports of call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Juneau, Alaska Cruise Tour<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Self-Guided Jeep Rental<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ll be honest that I\u2019ve cruised enough times to be really turned off of cruise tours with a bunch of others. That\u2019s why we decided to choose a jeep rental and go explore some of Juneau on our own via an automated guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We booked a 2-door Jeep since there were just 2 of us. We debarked<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Kids and Teens<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Overnighting in Vancouver<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What to Pack on an Alaska Cruise<\/p>\n","post_title":"REVIEW: Our Alaska Cruise with Holland America","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"draft","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-11-30 12:08:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-11-30 20:08:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/stuffedsuitcase.com\/?p=18906","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"} Type: info | Date: 30.11.2022 08:08:34 | Message: save_post_meta - from action - {"_wpnonce":"c65bdbba58","_wp_http_referer":"\/wp-admin\/post-new.php","user_ID":1,"action":"editpost","originalaction":"editpost","post_type":"post","original_post_status":"auto-draft","referredby":"https:\/\/stuffedsuitcase.com\/wp-admin\/edit.php","_wp_original_http_referer":"https:\/\/stuffedsuitcase.com\/wp-admin\/edit.php","auto_draft":"1","post_ID":"18906","meta-box-order-nonce":"dc1d486bf0","closedpostboxesnonce":"b7de230326","samplepermalinknonce":"e04f5e630e","nonce_CMB2phprank_math_metabox_link_suggestions":"38f6fca4ff","sws_post_nonce":"5afde50e1f","sws_meta_manual":"default","sws_meta_startdate_date":"","sws_meta_startdate_calendar":"","sws_meta_startdate_hours":"12","sws_meta_startdate_mins":"0","sws_meta_startdate_ampm":"am","sws_meta_enddate_date":"","sws_meta_enddate_calendar":"","sws_meta_enddate_hours":"12","sws_meta_enddate_mins":"0","sws_meta_enddate_ampm":"am","sws_meta_send_now":"now","sws_meta_schedule_date":"","sws_meta_schedule_calendar":"","sws_meta_schedule_hours":"12","sws_meta_schedule_mins":"0","sws_meta_schedule_ampm":"am","sws_meta_social_accounts_exclude":["47292","47294","47295","47296"],"sws_meta_include_image":"default","sws_meta_use_hashtags":"default","sws_meta_hashtags":"","sws_meta_format":"","sws_meta_custom_message_variations":[""],"sws_meta_variations_share_times":["0"],"sws_meta_variations_share_count_reset":["0"],"dpsptkn":"6abd565b7a","dpsp_share_options":{"custom_image":{"id":"","src":""},"custom_title":"","custom_description":"","custom_image_pinterest":{"id":"","src":""},"custom_title_pinterest":"","custom_description_pinterest":"","custom_tweet":""},"dpsp_save_multiple_pinterest_images":"e7b11c5a69","_ez_toc_nonce":"c0b4240db1","ez-toc-settings":{"alttext":"","exclude":""},"dpsp_refresh_share_counts":"4a79b784ec","dpsp_post_single_previous_urls":[""],"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_author":1,"post_mime_type":"","ID":18906,"post_status":"draft"} Type: info | Date: 30.11.2022 08:08:34 | Message: sharing post{"ID":18906,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-11-30 12:08:34","post_date_gmt":"0000-00-00 00:00:00","post_content":"\n
At the top edge of the United States sits our 49th state, Alaska. There's no better way to see Alaska than aboard a cruise ship. And, Holland America has been operating Alaska cruises longer than anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We recently had the opportunity to take a 7-day Alaskan Inside Passage Cruise in August aboard the Koningsdam ship. With my teen onboard, we reconnected with each other and with the beautiful nature that makes Alaska a coveted tourist destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thank you, Holland America for inviting me as your guest to check out one of your famous Alaska cruises. All thoughts and opinions written here are based on my personal cruise experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I'll admit that our family is used to big ship cruising, so the Koningsdam felt a bit smaller than some of our recent cruise ship experiences. However, the Koningsdam is still the 3rd largest Holland cruise ship and is essentially very close in size to the largest, the Rotterdam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The small\"ish\" size of the Holland cruise ships can be a big benefit for Alaska cruises as it lets them dock in the ports when larger ships have to tender. A few of the things that stood out to me aboard the Koningsdam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ship has the upscale glitz and glamor that you expect from cruise ships but also with a few fun spots with a bit of flair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was most impressed with the amount of lounge seating located around the ship. One of my favorite things to do on cruises is read in a comfy chair with a good view. And of course, enjoying a happy hour cocktail before dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the most popular spots is the Crows Nest lounge on one of the top decks, which features cozy seating along with a bar and coffee shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The restaurants are also beautifully decorated, while the casual dining options on the pool deck are laid back and perfect for families with young kids. The buffet features plenty of windows and seating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each of the decks are named after famous music composers and the art around the ship is beautiful curated and displayed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rooms feel a bit small<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Promanade deck blocked by lifeboats<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holland America and Nature<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The BBC Planet Earth II in Concert is a MUST watch in my opinion. It\u2019s a beautiful blend of musical and cinematographic storytelling at its finest. There is some \u201ccircle of life\u201d situations as it is a nature documentary, so kids might be alarmed. But kids will also fall in love with the animals and the storytelling is gripping and keeps you engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holland America<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is what is equivalent to a buffet with other cruise lines, however, each of the stations on Holland America, a staff member handles serving you the food. I appreciate this from a cleanliness standpoint; however, it does mean you might have a bit more of a wait versus the traditional free-for-all serving at buffets on other lines. I personally will take the wait in exchange for knowing an employee is the only one handling the serving utensils!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll find a variety of stations including a taco corner, salad bar, ____, ____, and desserts including ice cream. Seating can get crowded during peak mealtimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Formal dining happens in The Dining Room. This is your traditional cruise dining experience with many tables and a menu that changes daily with a few regular items remaining each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holland America allows for flexible dining times, called As You Wish. This means you can show up to The Dining Room between 5:15 pm and 9:00 pm and be seated for dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Steak lovers will want to be sure to splurge for a meal here. The menu includes cuts of filet mignon, NY strip, boneless rib eye, or a massive 36 oz tomahawk bone-in rib eye (added fee). You can also add on a lobster tail for an additional charge if you\u2019re craving a surf and turf meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also have some great starters including an Instagram worthy clothesline candied bacon. And you can get some delicious wine recommendations to complement your meal, we started with some Veuve Clicquot champagne with our starters and moved onto a delicious 2015 Muga Reserva Rioja for our steak course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll pay $15 for lunch and $39 for dinner, plus 18% gratuity to eat at the Pinnacle Grill and then additional charges apply for a couple of added choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tamarind<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our Itinerary<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alaska Cruise Tours<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the best things you can do on an Alaskan cruise is to get off the ship and get into nature. For this trip we chose holland america alaska cruise excursions at our three ports of call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Juneau, Alaska Cruise Tour<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Self-Guided Jeep Rental<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ll be honest that I\u2019ve cruised enough times to be really turned off of cruise tours with a bunch of others. That\u2019s why we decided to choose a jeep rental and go explore some of Juneau on our own via an automated guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We booked a 2-door Jeep since there were just 2 of us. We debarked<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Kids and Teens<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Overnighting in Vancouver<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What to Pack on an Alaska Cruise<\/p>\n","post_title":"REVIEW: Our Alaska Cruise with Holland America","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"draft","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-11-30 12:08:34","post_modified_gmt":"2022-11-30 20:08:34","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/stuffedsuitcase.com\/?p=18906","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"} Type: info | Date: 30.11.2022 08:08:34 | Message: is_already_shared not meta Type: info | Date: 30.11.2022 08:08:34 | Message: manually share post skipping? - status draft Type: info | Date: 30.11.2022 08:08:37 | Message: save_post_meta - from action - [] Type: info | Date: 30.11.2022 08:08:37 | Message: sharing post{"ID":18913,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-11-30 12:08:36","post_date_gmt":"0000-00-00 00:00:00","post_content":"","post_title":"Auto Draft","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"auto-draft","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-11-30 12:08:36","post_modified_gmt":"0000-00-00 00:00:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/stuffedsuitcase.com\/?p=18913","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"} Type: info | Date: 30.11.2022 08:08:37 | Message: is_already_shared not meta Type: info | Date: 30.11.2022 08:08:37 | Message: manually share post skipping? - status auto-draft Type: info | Date: 30.11.2022 11:16:22 | Message: Gutenberg is present