Thread: Zaandam: Alaska May 9, 2007!

Blizzard

We have to fly across country to do Alaskan cruises - have done several. The main reason we have never taken any out of Settle is because there are no back-to-back cruises from there. Both of us have had many health issues this year and it was difficult making the journey even though we fly in a few days early and stay over at the end. Pittsburgh no longer has direct flights to either Seattle or Vancouver.

We love Alaska but don't know if we will be able to do any more in the future.

Bill-
What an excellent cruise!! My favorite excursion yet in Alaska was our day in Skagway with the trip both ways on the WP&Y. We had a clear day and the scenery was sooooo fabulous!!

We are booked solid for 2007, returning to the Prinsendam to do the British Isles in August. Those prices are high , but by booking early we got into our favorite cabin.

We just love the Zaandam, it's a lovely ship with an interesting music theme.

Our best to you both!

I wish that we could join you on the Zaandam, but the Volendam doesn't pull into Vancouver with us until the 11th of May. We really loved the R/T from Vancouver sailing, and it used to be done by the Volendam. When we were on the Volendam in May, the ship docked directly in Skagway, and there was no ferry involved. Maybe this will be the same for the Veendam. We loved Skagway, as we were always the only ship in port. I hope that you have a wonderful time.

Localady,

We are interested in the Zaandam, as it the only one doing Hawaii next year. You say that it has a musical theme, and how are the staff and crew?

The Zaandam does indeed have a musical theme.

On the promenade deck by the middle elevators in a glass case is saxophone with Bill Clinton's name on it.

We have sailed on the ship several times but not since she got the Explorations Cafe. Originally it was the Marco Polo restaurant before it became the Pinnacel.

There is only one thing I dislike about the Zaandam - the huge yellow lips in a passageway near the new Explorations Cafe. They used to be right in front of the library.

Originally Posted by sage

Localady,

We are interested in the Zaandam, as it the only one doing Hawaii next year. You say that it has a musical theme, and how are the staff and crew?

The staff were absolutely wonderful, especially since it was an Easter Week cruise with 300+ kids. You would have never known it. We loved the SOE upgrades, and the kids loved the new teen space.

KK- I keep thinking that maybe the Rolling Stones have use for those lips!! They are kinda out of place on a classic ship like the Zaandam.

Now if they would paint those ugly yellow lips a bright, shiny red just like my beautiful kisser, this monkey would reconsider! Eclectic, I think they call it!

KK: thanks for the feedback on the train ride-I think that is the cinch excrusion for us in Skagway. The brochure shows that we dock in Skagway after visiting Juneau and Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier. We have sailed out of Vancouver 2.5 times before and once out of Seattle. It is a bit easier to sail out of Seattle than Vancouver, due to Southwest Airlines having several flights each day to Seattle from Vegas, not having to clear immigration/customs and Seatac being very close to HAL's pier. But . . . . . . . . Canada Place is a very nice facility and the sail away from Vancouver is pretty neat going under the bridge and pretty quickly being in the Inside Passage.

Sage: I understand your predicament---we checked into possibly joining the Volendam in San Diego for the rest of the trip up to Vancouver but it just was not do-able for us -- we would have had to disembark - spend a day night in Vancouver (not that there is anything wrong with that) and then embark on a different ship for a r/t. We have also never sailed on the Zaandam yet, so it all worked out ok, I think.

Lisa: thanks for the information--we will have to start watching Air Canada's web site-probably will fly up the day before just to be safe. Vancouver, as you know, is such a neat city to visit.

Localady: thanks for the feedback on the Zaandam! With a musical theme, I will really like it, lips and all!