Questions/Answers
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What should I expect on cruise to Alaska - Holland America?
We are 1st time cruisers. We
are taking Holland America's
Alaska cruise from Seattle in
mid-Sept. 2006 aboard its
"Zaandam" ship. We
are taking 2 senior citizen
couples with us. Will they
have things to do? What do the
staterooms look like? We have
3 Oceanview rooms. What can
you tell me about food options
- we are all vegetarians? What
is included in the price we
paid? Are spa services and
fitness center use included or
is there separate charges?
What should we take with us
for clothing? Will I have
motion sickness? How to
prevent/treat that? Any
advice/info you can give me
will be really helpful.
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WE went on a cruise to ALaska a few years ago. We went on Princess Cruise Line but all cruise lines tend to have the same things. WEe have been on about 12 cruises on Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Norwegian. They are one of THE best vacations you can take. Once you are on ship the staff caters to you, its whatever you want. There is something to do all day every day. Some ships have free morning exercise programs, stretching and walking or you can pay for other things like Spinning in the gym. All cruise ships have gyms so you can go workout usually any time from about 6:00 AM to late at night. There is usually a walking/running track on one of the decks also. Some ships leave the gym open all night. They call the gyms Spa because they do promote getting pampering stuff like wraps and massages with aromatherapy. They will also generally have a beauty salon to do hair and nails.. Ships have movie theaters, small but nice, and you can also see movies in your room. There are demonstrations on ship like ice carving, napkin folding and towel folding, cooking demonstrations. So offer tours of the galley (kitchen) and/or the bridge. Each day you will receive a "newsletter" listing the time, place and particulars of each event. You can schedule land tours and activities also during the day and evening when the ship is in port. There are generally shows every evening, one show for those with an early dinner seating and another (same show) for those who eat late. There is always food available. Usually there is a place in ship where you can go get something. Or, you can always just pick up the phone in your cabin and order from the room serviice menu (food is free). If you want, you can order breakfast room service. There are places on ships to play board games, a library, a place to get online (I don't recommend this because its super expensive ... wait until you get in port and look for a an internet cafe) and cocktail lounges that feature a variety of music. There is usually a disco that starts after 10:00 PM each night. There is music for all ages. Then there is always the pools. Some ships have more than one and the newer ships generally have an indoor pool as well as outdoor ones and all of these have hot hots. I suggest that you go to the web site for the cruise line you are going on and look at the features for the ship you will be on. I hope you have picked a balcony cabin, or a suite, they are more relaxing and fun. If you want a special diet just tell them in advance, or each day at dinner you can order the vegetables that you want that are available; they will gladly do that. The price you paid includes the cruise only which means your cabins and all of the food (except in specialty restaurants). All meals are included as well as the shows and entertainment on ship. Name brand soft drinks, like Coke or Pepsi, cost, but youy can have all of the coffee, tea, juice, milk, punch you want. The hidden costs on a cruise are your tab for drinks (alcoholic and sodas),tours, and gratuity. Many ships now add the recommended gratuity to your onboard tab. The gratuity is about $10 to $12 a day per person. You can give more if you want. Tours can add hundreds to your final bill, depending upon how many stop the ship makes and what you want to do. Study the tours carefully; some places you may want to just go on your own. The Alsaka crusie will be mostly in the Inside Passage which measn that the seas will not be high or rough. You are not likely to get sea sick because ships built these days have stabilizers toi keep them from rocking very much. If you do get sick, there is a doctor's office on board and usually you can get sea sick meds at the pursers desk. If you think you will be sea sick from past experience, you can get pills from your Dr or get a wrist bracelet which is said to work great. They are sold in Boating stores. I hope this is enough; you and all will enjoy. |
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a cruise review for the cruise line holland america please?
i am going to the holland
america cruise prinsendsam can
anyone give a good review
please
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I took a 14 day Holland America cruise to the Carribean in February. The ship was the MS Veendam, slightly larger than the Prinsendam. It was my first cruise, and because of the fantastic experience, it will not be my last. There was NOTHING to fault. The food was wonderful (and plentiful), the pools great, the shows fabulous, the crew exceedingly courteous and helpful, the island excursions well worth every penny. We've now booked an Alaskan cruise with Holland America for the summer, and I can't wait. Bon Voyage. |
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I'm going on a 7 day cruise on Holland America. What is the dress schedule usually like for the dinners?
I've been on a cruise before
and I can't remember the
schedule of dress on the
dinners. Is it 2 formal
nights? How many casual
nights? Any help would be
appreciated.
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2 Formal nights, and the rest are "smart casual". I'm going on a Holland America week-long Alaska cruise in 2 weeks myself, and my travelling companion is not a lover of formal attire, so I had to do a bit of research on what exactly is allowed and preferred. I think the main thing to keep in mind for the dining room is: No shorts or jeans for either sex - men should wear a shirt with a collar. A golf shirt and dockers would be the "minimum standard" with a dress shirt, tie and slacks being preferred. A tie is required, jacket preferred, for formal nights. Ladies should wear something dressy for formal night - a pantsuit or dress is the minimum standard, with a formal gown being the preferred attire. As far as I know, they're not going to turn you away if you're wearing jeans on casual night - but it's frowned upon. |
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i am going to go on a holland america cruise line with my kids, will there be kids or an older crowd?
i am going on a cruise with 3
children i know this cruise
line will have some children
but is this a cruise line
directed towards older people
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The answer to your question comes in two parts. Part One: Most of the travelers are on the older side, although that is changing, as more people become cruise oriented. Holland tends to be more traditional in keeping with the old Dutch flavor the company has long been noted for. Part Two: Holland recognizes the need to address families on the cruise, and have established the HAL Club just for kids! The HAL Club offers games, activities geared for the younger ages, all the way to high school age. I have linked a couple of Holland Web sites for you to look at. I recommend surfing their web site to check it out. I am a long time Holland America cruiser and really enjoy what Holland offers. Camai. Long time Alaska Cruise and Travel expert |
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Ryndam Holland America cruise - stateroom with 4 people?
We are booked in a "large
inside stateroom" with
our 2 children. From looking
at the pictures there are only
2 single beds, so it seems
like the couch must pull out
to become the bed to sleep the
extra two people. But it
doesn't state this anywhere.
Has anyone stayed in these
rooms with 4 people to tell me
how the sleeping arrangements
work?
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On this particular ship, quads (rooms for 4 people) have 2 lower beds (which can be combined into 1 big bed), 1 sofa bed, and 1 upper bed (pulls down from the ceiling). You can check out which cabins are quads in the deck plan. They're marked with a square: http://www.hollandamerica.com/ fleet/deckPlan.do?ship=ry& deck=m&year=next My cousin and her family have done this. It's OK, but I don't think you'll want to spend too much time in your cabin other than sleeping. Enjoy your trip! |
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