Holland America Westerdam Alaska Cruise Review
As another hot summer dragged on, husband Rob and I decided the best place to cool off was America’s last frontier. So we booked a balcony cabin on a Holland America Alaska cruise.
We chose an Inside Passage cruise aboard the Westerdam. The 7-day journey embarked and ended in Seattle.
America’s coolest state offers the warmest welcome.
Cruises are known for decadent dining, and Holland America did not disappoint. Because we enjoy meeting new people and trying different food, we opted for open dining. Dinner and lunch in the bi-level Vista Dining Room provided multiple courses. At the popular Lido Buffet, guests chose from a plethora of tasty American and ethnic soups, salads, sandwiches, entrees and desserts.
In addition, Westerdam offers two alternate dining venues which require reservations. For dinner only, Canaletto ($15) creates the Italian authentic experience with a variety of dishes to enjoy and share. All five dishes Rob and I shared were melt-in-mouth delicious and perfectly seasoned with heavenly sauces.
The Pinnacle Grill ($15 lunch, $35 dinner) provides elegant china, stemware and linens for a romantic dinner or to celebrate a special occasion. Known for its Pacific Northwest steaks and fresh seafood, the Pinnacle is popular with repeat cruisers.
Once each cruise the Pinnacle transforms into the legendary Le Cirque of New York City ranked among the world’s best restaurants. We had jumbo shrimp cocktails, lobster bisque and delectable chateaubriand for two followed by a signature pineapple dessert at our Le Cirque dinner. ($49).
Alaska cruises provide numerous opportunities for close-up glacier views. Three national park rangers boarded Westerdam to narrate the ship’s onboard visit to Glacier Bay National Park that can only be reached by water or air.
Captain Bart Vaartjes maneuvered our ship remarkably close to Margerie Glacier. Our port-side balcony cabin provided a spectacular spot to admire nature’s incredible beauty. Then he turned the 935-foot ship 180 degrees to share the great views with starboard guests.
Small friendly ports
Friendly Alaska port towns exude a warm welcome for cruise guests. All are walkable, safe and offer a plethora of activities and shopping. You won’t need a pricey wardrobe here. Simply dress in removable layers, wear sturdy walking shoes and bring rain gear.
Juneau
An all-day rain did not stop us from exploring Alaska’s capital city of 30,000. Our ship docked within steps of Mount Roberts Tramway, where cable cars ascend 1,800 feet up the steep mountain. At the top we watched a movie, shot pics of ships below, visited a nature center and browsed a gift shop purveying quality merchandise.
In late afternoon a shuttle bus took us to a Dog Musher’s Camp on nearby Douglas Island, where we were greeted by 150 barking and howling Alaska sled dogs. Sixteen-dog teams were hitched to 6-passenger wheeled vehicles that enable dogs to train year-round for winter dog mushing, Alaska’s favorite sport.
The dogs’ excitement made us forget the rain and enjoy the one-mile ride. After the ride, mushers demonstrated equipment and talked about their dog racing experience. Finally it was much anticipated puppy petting time which helps pups become socialized with humans.
Juneau’s attractions include Mendenhall Glacier, Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure, sport fishing, whale watching and helicopter flightseeing.
Sitka
Like other towns in the Inside Passage, Sitka is an island that cannot be reached by roads or highways. Once a part of Russia, Sitka celebrates both its Russian and Native American heritage with dance troops.
Known for clean air and safety, this quiet town of 8,900 (far fewer in winter) offers a variety of hiking trails, museums, the Alaska Raptor Center and St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral. The local pharmacy features a 1950s-era soda fountain.
Ketchikan
Ketchikan pulls out all to stops for cruisers with a flat attractive waterfront, large visitor center, free shuttle buses, plus friendly greeters, local tour operators, helpful shopkeepers and residents.
Although Ketchikan gets 152 inches of rain a year, it was sunny and in the 60s. We strolled Creek Street boardwalk and visited the Tongass Historical Museum.
Ketchikan honors its native heritage with the world’s largest totem pole collection preserved at the Totem Heritage Center. The town of 13,000 has a thriving arts community and is a sport fishing haven with five salmon species.
Victoria, B.C.
A festive ambiance greeted us during our Friday evening port call. After sunset, 3,300 lights lit up Parliament buildings, sidewalk musicians played lively tunes and attractions stayed open late. We toured the Royal BC Museum and strolled flower bedecked Inner Harbor walkways. On a previous port call, we toured Butchart Gardens, rode one of the cute ferries and did a CVS hop on/hop off tour.
Onboard experience
Although Westerdam carried 1,923 guests and 800 crew, there were no long lines—and we never felt crowded. That’s because management strategically schedules meals and activities to avoid congestion.
Besides traditional Bingo, casino, dance lessons and swimming pools, Westerdam offered Windows technology and group cooking classes which Rob and I attended. Along with customary evening stage shows, musicians and comedians, the B. B. King’s Blues Club played music that made Beale Street famous.
When is the best time to cruise Alaska? Mark Pells, Westerdam Hotel Director, says May and September are good for empty nesters who like a quiet environment with fewer kids. Late July is best for King Salmon anglers.
“Reserve a balcony cabin, throw open your drapes in morning and walk around the top deck at sunset,” Pells said. “The sunset colors are amazing!”
To get maximum enjoyment from your Alaska experience Pells advised doing your pre-cruise homework. “Study the different ports, read the literature, check out the Web sites, then be ready to learn and explore. Listen to onboard lectures, watch the movies, and talk with other guests.”
If you go…
Seven Holland America ships ply Alaska waters between May and September.
All Photos: Pat Woods unless otherwise noted.
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Enjoyed reading your post. Of all the Holland ships that cruise from Vancouver, which is the best in your opinion?
Hi Robert,
I’m happy to learn that your Alaska cruise, until the end, was a success. I’m glad you made it to the airport on time…but disappointed to learn about the miscommunication. Keep writing to Holland America or even send a “real” letter with a stamp on it. They do get back to their passengers and try to correct any issues. It takes a couple of months sometimes. Just about every cruise lines’ Customer Service department has been overwhelmed with problems that happened to their customers. Don’t give up! Thank you for taking the time to send me your comment. It’s always good to know what’s happening with readers’ cruises and dealings with the cruise lines.
Had a great cruise overall. Our captain was able to get back to a glacier when 3 other cruise lines didn’t due to fog. Fog cleared and had a great time. Food was amazing! Wish buffet opened earlier and stayed open later, but when it was open it was great. Staff was super awesome, very personal and interactive making it even more fun and relaxing. Only downside to this entire experience was that we signed up for the shuttle and the shuttle wasn’t running and we weren’t told until last minute, barely made it to airport. Never got the money I won in the casino, supposed to applied to my “account” but never happened. Tried to inquire about that and refund on the shuttle but sat on hold for 2 hours at a time and still unable to talk with a human being. Email has not worked either, still out that money. Wish their customer service was as good as the cruise itself.
Thanks, Linda.
You are correct. It seems that I’m not the only site with the wrong prices for Pinnacle Grill. Those last two years without cruising really bumped up the dining fees. I have homework to do. Thanks again.
Your prices for the specialty restaurants are several years old. The actual price for the Pinnacle Grill is $46.00 PLUS mandatory gratuity of 18% means dinner for one is over $54.00. All the other prices you quoted are also more than what you stated.
Hi, I’m sorry you didn’t were not able to get closer to Marjerie Glacier. On my first cruise on a very small ship (Alaskan Dream Cruises) we were not allowed to approach Marjerie. The National Park Service limits the amount of ships (two per day) as well as how much time they spend up close. It was on my second cruise a month later aboard Eurodam that our captain had clearance to approach Marjerie Glacier. It was strange that my first small ship wasn’t allowed but Holland America was able to go. You really just never know. Holland’s captains are very experienced. And anyone who “drives” a boat in the Inside Passage absolutely is extremely experienced as well as totally in love with cruising Alaska. I hope that you were able to view other glaciers in Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm or Hubbard Glacier.
Sherry
We and a lot of passengers were disappointed that the Neiw Amsterdam did not take us near enough to the Marjorie Glacier. We could see the Ruby Princess cruise ship was in front of us and it went right near to the Glacier and stayed there for sometime. We thought that our ship would do the same when the Princess moved but the Neiw Amsterdam turned round at a far away position , not allowing us the life time experience to see the glacier close enough. Probably, the Holland-America line Captains are not experienced enough.
These are such lovely pictures! I did the Inside Passage cruise along the coast of Alaska and found myself awestruck by the incredible beauty. The misty fjords of Ketchikan were simply spectacular. It was a town so full of rich history and I think you captured that aspect nicely here.