Brought to you by: Lara Anderson, National Business Development Manager
Ship: Holland America Line, MS Koningsdam
Sailing Dates: 18 June 2022 x 7 nights
Destination: Alaska – Inside Passage
Itinerary: Vancouver, Inside Passage, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, Inside Passage, Vancouver
Highlights
1. Destination. Alaska is such a stunning destination, photo’s simply don’t do it justice, but you will still find yourself taking as many photos as you can!
2. Whale Watching in Juneau. We were incredibly fortunate to come across a mum & baby humpback whale who put on the most amazing display of breaching and playing for over 1 hour just in front of our boat! An experience I will never forget!
3. White Pass & Yukon Railway in Skagway. It’s simply awe-inspiring to take in the beauty of the White Pass and the Yukon from the warmth and comfort of your train carriage, many of the rail carriages have been lovingly restored and have been in use for over 100 years.
4. Glacier Bay. Just WOW! Make sure you have a great position on deck to take it all in and listen to the Rangers explain the changes that have occurred over the years.
5. The Ship. Holland America’s Koningsdam is a truly beautiful ship and was an experience in itself to set sail!
6. Service. The staff on board are amazing, I think within the first few hours they knew most of us by name and went out of their way to greet us and make sure everything was great for everyone at all times!
Top Tips
1. Pack Layers! Alaskan weather can change very suddenly, so you really do need to bring clothes for both warm, sunny weather and also cold, rainy weather! The ship is beautifully heated inside so do remember to bring t-shirts etc for when you are onboard.
2. Bring your bathers! Sounds strange, heading to Alaska and bring bathers!! Nothing more relaxing than swimming in the heated pool under the enclosed roof or resting in the hot tubs whilst watching the snow covered mountain peaks sail by.
3. Koningsdam is a music lover’s dream ship. With a huge variety of music venues onboard from Rock & Roll, to Jazz & Blues, Classical, Billboard top 100 hits etc, there is absolutely an entertainment option for everyone, as well as several entertainment shows on the main stage throughout the cruise.
4. Koningsdam also is a feast for foodies – literally! There are so many included food venues onboard, it’s hard to decide where to eat each meal! Every single meal was absolutely delicious and with 24 hour room service complimentary as well, you will never go hungry.
5. Meals anytime. Watching a show or participating in a game or trivia & don’t want to leave, but starting to feel hungry? Not a problem, simply order a delicious Dive In Burger & Fries or Gourmet New York Deli Pizza Straight from your Navigator App which will then alert you as to when it’s ready!
6. The Have It All Package is really well worth it. Not only do you receive wi-fi and get to try lots of yummy cocktails, wine, milkshakes and coffees, but you can put your Shore Excursion credit towards any of the over 260 excursions HAL has on offer, again hard to choose between so many great choices!
7. Specialty Dining Options. Also with the Have it All Package, you get to choose 1 specialty dining restaurant. I chose to dine at Tamarind which offers an Asian Fusion menu and was just absolutely delicious! I also then elected to try the Pinnacle Grill Steakhouse (additional charge) and also amazing. Some of the dishes look so much like artwork, it’s hard to eat them (but I did!!)
8. EXC Presentations. Make sure you attend many of the excellent EXC presentations that are held almost daily on the World Stage. Each talk is on a different subject (all found in your daily What’s On Program) and are really interesting and informative and really help you understand the people and the land of Alaska.
9. Holland America’s Pinnacle Class Ships. Koningsdam, Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam all have accommodation options for everyone with cabins ranging from Solo Traveller Ocean View Cabins, Beautifully set up Standard Interior, Ocean View & Balcony Cabins, through to Family Ocean Views (which can sleep a family of 5), all the way through to some absolutely stunning Suites. Including the Neptune Suites which also give access to the Exclusive Neptune Lounge on board.
10. Holland America’s Godparent Rights in Alaska. Meaning they get the best timed itineraries and best docking spots, makes it easy to choose who to cruise Alaska with!
