2022 May Holland America Koningsdam

 On May 14th, we boarded the Holland America Koningsdam with my parents. We booked Neptune Suites to enjoy the large balconies and Club Orange dining. 

This summer Holland America is celebrating 75 years of sailing to Alaska. It's so fun being onboard during an anniversary year to experience all the special touches. Pike Brewery in Seattle created a Holland Hazy IPA.

At dinner each night, there's a special Alaska selection. Last night, I had delicious smoked salmon chowder. I'm excited to experience all the other anniversary surprises Holland America has in store.

May 15, 2022 - Sea Day

We had a great Sea Day sailing from Vancouver to the Inside Passage. We really enjoyed the Spa Pass we purchased.

 Juneau, Alaska 

This time we booked a luxury tour with Alaska Luxury Tours. It was eight guests, Andy, the naturalist, and Captain Sergio.

The sun was shining. It was a small miracle. This is the fourth time I've been to Juneau. It rained every other time. I felt like I was visiting a new place. I had never had this view of the Mendenhall Glacier before as we left the marina. We had about twelve whale sightings. It was quickly discovered that if I put my camera away, the whales would appear. Once again, I have no photos of whales. We also saw sea lions.

Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay National Park allows two large cruise ships entrance per day. During the summer, the Park has a team of about 40 rangers to support the Park and the cruise programming.

At around 5 am, three National Park Rangers boarded a small boat that met our ship near the entrance to Glacier Bay National Park. They boarded and spent the day onboard offering different programs including narration, a formal presentation, and a table for informal questions.

We had incredible weather for Glacier Bay - clear skies and sunny. The ship opened the bow so we could have better views sailing into Glacier Bay. It did get very windy at one point and only my Dad and Glenn stayed out.

Skagway 

Skagway is my favorite Alaska cruise port. I love Klondike Brewing and Skagway Fish Company has the best soups. 

We also took my parents to Skagway Brewing Company. This time I really paid attention to sailing out of Skagway. It's a gorgeous fjord. 

Ketchikan

We visited the Bar Harbor Ale House. They changed the menu since our August 2021 visit and we didn't enjoy it as much. A visit to Arctic bar is always fun.

Inside Passage

We got permission to sail a different way back to Vancouver due to fog. It was absolutely gorgeous.

Glenn's Review of the Holland America Koningsdam

 As we have just finished most of our packing, time for some final thoughts on the cruise.  

Wonderful staff. Some of the best I have encountered on over 60 cruises and all the major lines.  Great service in Club Orange and the Crow's Nest. The concierge in Neptune Lounge was so helpful.  

Some very good food, especially at the Pinnacle Grill.  We ate all other dinners at Club Orange.  While the food was generally good, I was hoping for a slightly more elevated experience in that venue. The Gala night menus didn't "wow" me.  Neither had a lobster starter or main which I thought was odd.

The entertainment is a mixture of good and bad.  Some very good live music with the BB King band and the dueling pianos.   Didn't spend any time in Rolling Stone Rock Room but I heard the band and they sounded very good.

The shows on World Stage were almost all interpretive dance shows from a single dance company.  Perhaps that is what the key demographic on this cruise wants to see, but it wasn't for me.  Would have been nice to mix in some other types of musical shows.  They did have a great BBC Planet Earth show which was amazing.  

The ship is in great shape for being six years old.  It looked the same as I remember when I sailed in the inaugural season in July 2016.

We upgraded to the Elite beverage package.  It was worth it to me since there were several wines I

 liked that weren't in the $11 price range.  I also liked having unlimited canned waters.  I probably drank at least five a day and usually brought one back to the cabin each night. The cocktail program is strong and each bar has a unique menu of special cocktails to try.  Makes it fun to put together your own bar crawl.  

Having the Neptune Suite was definitely worth it for this sailing. We spent a lot of the scenic cruising time out on the large balcony.  On Glacier Bay day, the concierge arranged an afternoon tea which we enjoyed there.  I don't think I would need that suite for all sailings but it really enhanced this Alaska sailing.  

The Navigator app could be frustrating at times but I found myself using it more as the cruise went on.  And the ability to mobile order from NY Pizza and Dive In was so helpful and a great timesaver.  We would order while having cocktails at Crow's Nest then run down to pick up and being back to the bar to eat.  

Overall a great cruise.  Definitely will consider this ship class for our next Alaska sailing.