Alaska 2018

The Ship and Verandah Room

Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam Inside Passage cruise leaving from Vancouver, Canada. We were excited about being able to spend some time in Vancouver before our cruise began, so you should also check out our recommendations in Vancouver.

We splurged on this trip and upgraded our room to a verandah we could choose at the back of the ship, Room 408 to be exact. This particular room had more space than other verandah rooms. Since this was our first 7 day cruise we wanted to make sure that we didn’t feel cramped. The verandah was listed as a must for an Alaska cruise and I truly agree. The Nieuw Amsterdam is a nice, not over the top ship and the room we chose had plenty of room to just “be”. Would I pay the extra for this room again, not sure I would. The back of the ship did not afford any better views than a side verandah would have in my opinion. When you are in the room you will more than likely be on the verandah so a small/smaller room is up to you and your needs.

A breakfast one morning we chatted with a couple sitting next to us that were avid cruisers. I mentioned that this was a new experience for us and did they have any tips for us. “Ask for anything and everything you want. Don’t be shy about anything” was what we were told. So I replied “you mean I need to channel my inner princess?” and they said “yes, most definitely” so I had this tidbit in my back pocket the entire time.

Excursions 

Tracy Arm Fjord and Juneau. The excursion to the Tracy Arm Fjord is a MUST. I can’t stress enough that this was fabulous and one I would highly recommend. You leave the ship onto another 60 to 75 passenger boat, once we were all aboard people settled on the 3 different levels of the boat. It was a rainy and cold day so most of the crowd was huddled inside. The excursion included a Naturalist who narrated the tour and was available to answer questions. We saw bald eagles, bears along the shore line, seals, and the most amazingly colored icebergs you have ever seen. The ice is turquoise….check out the pictures, it’s true. Did you know that bald eagles are prolific here and they lose more to drowning than any other reason? The Naturalist explained that eagles will go after prey that is much larger than they are. If they are unable to pull the prey from the water they will swim to shore with the prey firmly gripped in their talons. If the prey is still too much for them and they are pulled under water they will not release the prey and drown themselves. As you get closer to the first Fjord the ice floating around you becomes abundant. Once you arrive you must go outside for the views, regardless of the weather, trust me, you will thank me. The excursion takes you to 3 different glaciers along beautiful “forest meets the ocean” shorelines. Typically, after cruising the Fjords the boat will take you to a spot in search of humpbacks if they are in the area, then it high tails it to drop you off in Juneau. However, on this particular trip we watched a humpback for about 15 minutes and as we were heading out of the area we ran into a pod of killer whales. The Naturalist mentioned that out of all of the whale watching tours, typically only 10% get to see killer whales. They were playful and enjoying the day, breaching and traveling alongside us. At one point coming under our boat and up on the other side to breach and play again. It was the most spectacular view of Orcas I have ever seen, and I’ve been to Orcas Island. The Fjords you see here are very different than Glacier Bay, by far my favorite views. The glaciers here are clean and show you the spectacular colors of the ancient ice. At one point the crew picked up a chunk of glacier ice and made Iceberg Margaritas. I can’t stress enough how fabulous this excursion was and worth every penny. Allen Marine Tours is the group we were with for this fabulous excursion

Juneau is a touristy town with T-shirt and Knick Knack shops. I have plenty of T-shirts and I hate to dust Knick Knacks so there isn’t much more to say about this stop. I’m sure that there are lovely parts of the city that you can engage with locals and get a flavor for the town, but in our short time we did not have the opportunity to find these parts of town.

Skagway is the next stop and another place we decided on an excursion. We had heard about the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad. The discovery of gold along the Yukon River and the Canadian wilderness created the need for the train to be built from Skagway to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory.  We wanted to take the train to a dog sledding camp in the city of Carcross in the Yukon Territory. Our excursion started on a bus vs. a train. We spent several hours on the bus stopping at several view points for picture opportunities. Once we arrived at the dog sledding camp, where lunch was served, we didn’t have enough time to see the museum, spend time with the sled dogs, or see them showing off for the tourists.  There were mechanical issues with our bus so it was slow going back down the mountain to get on the train, our original want. The train ride is spectacular through beautiful countryside and the part of the excursion that we enjoyed the most. This scenic journey takes you through beautiful countryside and travels along tracks built into the side of mountain cliffs. There is a narrator on the trip explains the history and geography as you travel back to Skagway. Look for just a train ride up to the border or all the way to Carcross and then back to Skagway unless you like bus rides 🙂

Glacier Bay

The ship will pull into Glacier Bay and turn very slowly in front of the glaciers so you have plenty of time to study them in detail. I would highly suggest you spend time out on the decks or on your verandah with binoculars. I was able to catch some glacier calving through the binoculars. One glacier is ice, dirty ice, and the other is made up of ice, dirt and rock. These are not the prettiest glaciers to view but it is spectacular to catch the ice breaking off into the bay. The idea that this glacier built the bay you cruise in is also an amazing thing to ponder.

Ketchikan

Cute town that is nice to wander around in. If you have seen all of the curio and T-shirt shops you can handle, this town will not be any different. Although, the Knick Knack prices were a little bit better and there are a few shops that have more of a local flavor.

We did find a fabulous restaurant for king crab, chowder, and fish and chips. Annabelle’s Famous Keg and Chowder House on Front Street is a terrific place to find great seafood. I was finally able to satisfy my king crab desires here.

While you are here, notice that the homes are built into the side of the mountains surrounding the bay. We had a beautiful sunny day in town and the locals were happy and enjoying the sunshine. The weather was the talk of the day.

Cruise and Food Finds

Seafood fresh and plentiful at a good price is something I long for when I hit an ocean city. I guess I’m pretty picky about my seafood because I was disappointed with the fish options in the general dining room on the ship. I never leave crab on my plate and I did this time in the dining room. I highly suggest you listen to your waiters about what dinner option on that night’s menu is their suggestion. If we listened, we were pleased. Here is where I decided that I needed to use that tidbit in my back pocket, the inner princess. Dinner one evening was steak and lobster, one of my absolute favorite meals, so when the waiter asked what I would like for desert, I asked for another lobster tail. He smiled and said “would you like a scoop of ice cream with that?” I giggled and said “no thank you the drawn butter will be just fine”. Princess status achieved!

We also went to an upgraded restaurant on the ship, there will be several options available to you, and found that the seafood on the menu was much better. Not the crab but a halibut fillet. I would highly suggest that you plan to go to one of the upgraded restaurants. The service and meals was a fabulous dining experience. They will customize for you if possible, just ask.

Buffet works for a quick meal and a variety of options. Because of the number of people utilizing this service there is quite a bit of turnover so the food seems to be fresher. There is a wide variety of multi-cultural options here.

Don’t forget the room service option. It is nice to order in if sitting on your verandah is what you really want to do vs. heading to the crowded buffet or dining room.

By the way, formal nights are not nearly as formal as the website indicates. We did see women in gowns, mean in suits and then there were others in jeans and t-shirts. Make these nights what’s important to you.

Travel Tips

• If Vancouver flights are pricey fly into Bellingham WA or Seattle WA. We flew into Seattle and took a bus to Vancouver. On the way out we had a ticket on the BoltBus, just ok so if you need to save $$ then use this option. You will have to take your things off the bus at the Canadian border and go through customs so make sure your luggage is easily maneuverable.
• On the way back to Seattle to we took a Greyhound Bus. It was clean, the driver managed the luggage for you (in/out of the bus) and the border crossing back into the US was easy. Greyhound has some sort of priority over other vehicles and buses in the terminal. We had our own line and custom officers which made the process painless.
• You could always choose a cruise out of Seattle and avoid all of the border crossing time if you choose. However, Vancouver is beautiful and place you should see.
• Bring the best binoculars you have!
• Pack clothes so that you can layer. We traveled at the end of May and the days were cold and rainy except our Ketchikan day.
• You will want a comfy day bag/pack and possibly an insulated drink bottle for your excursions. We packed water and snacks which came in handy. I can’t go anywhere without water so this is a must for me.
• Learn a bit about the geology of the region before you go – It’s pretty impressive.
• Visit the ships library for books pertaining to the region. You can pass the time on sea days and add to your experience!
• You can pack less if you want, the laundry services were actually fairly reasonable if needed.
• Plan for the daylight length and what you may need for a good night sleep.
• Learning a bit about some of your fellow travelers is also a great past time. We met folks from all over and some of the stories were pretty interesting.
• The ship will also have entertainment options for you to enjoy. We attended several of the Test Kitchen classes and came home with tips and recipes.