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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Dennis Margel
Email: dmargel@attglobal.net
Age: 51
Occupation: Management
NumberOfCruises: 25
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Statendam
SailingDate: 8/13/00
Itinerary: Alaska
Cabin: 659/E
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 75
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 18 Mar 2001
Time: 14:13:57
Remote Name: slip166-72-224-149.pa.us.prserv.net
Remote User:
Comments
Alaska Cruise Review ms Statendam - Holland America Line August 13 - August 27, 2000
Background We are experienced cruisers having sailed on HAL, NCCL, and Princess (over 20 cruises on
HAL). We are fifty-ish and cruise with another couple of similar age. The four of us are truely "addicted" to
cruising and enjoy the whole cruise experience. The only way we get to see/tour anything is by taking a
cruise. If the cruise ship doesn't stop there, we'll never get to see it. Normally, we take warm weather cruises
but my wife set a goal to see Alaska for her Fiftieth birthday. We decided to do it a year early because it fit
with our schedules this summer. We don't like cruising less than 10 days so we booked two 7-day cruises
back to back. No land tour for us -- as I said, "if a cruise ship doesn't stop there, we'll never get to see it".
The Cruise To see Alaska, we decided on the HAL Alaska Glacier Discovery 2000 Cruise Northbound and
Southbound, aboard the ms Statendam. We have sailed on the ms Statendam on three previous occasions.
The northbound itinerary called for departure from Vancouver, stopping in Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, and
Valdez, with scenic cruising of the Inside Passage, Hubbard Glacier and College Fjords. The final destination
was Seward. The southbound itinerary called for departure from Seward, stopping in Sitka, Juneau, and
Ketchikan, with scenic cruising of College Fjords, Glacier Bay, and the Inside Passage, terminating in
Vancouver.
Packing The biggest challenge in preparing for this cruise was deciding what clothes to take. We researched
the weather patterns for this time of year and found that it was usually chilly and rainy. We decided to buy 3 in
1 Jackets -- a waterproof jacket with a zip-in fleece jacket. Each could be worn separately or zipped together.
It turned out to be one of the best ideas we ever had. My wife took gloves (I wish I had listened to her!). She
also had a hooded sweatshirt which she found to be indispensible. You needed something to protect your
ears from the cold wind. We packed short sleeve shirts with sweaters and sweatshirts. Our plan was to layer
clothing to meet the need based on temperature. We only took one or two pair of shorts, just in case -- we
never used them. We took plenty of slacks, jeans, and sweatpants. It was a lot bulkier packing than what we
were used to but we made it using the same suitcases we always use for a two week cruise.
Pre-Cruise We always like to leave a day early for our cruises. It reduces the stress of travelling to the cruise
and has us well-rested for cruising from the moment we board the ship. We try to select a nice hotel that is
near the dock. The flight from Pennsylvania to Vancouver (via Chicago) went smoothly and we arrived in the
early afternoon. Canadian customs was very speedy and, after some delay in finding a taxi, we were on our
way to the hotel. The taxi ride from the airport to the hotel took 30-40 minutes through heavy traffic. Our hotel
reservations were at the Pan Pacific Hotel. We came across literature on this hotel when planning our cruise.
The web site showed pictures of the cruise ships docking right at the hotel and we couldn't resist it. We were
a little concerned that the sales literature overstated how close the ships dock but we took our chances and
booked it. It is a very expensive hotel, especially when you get a room that overlooks the harbor. When the
taxi pulled up to the hotel, we could see the front end of a cruise ship parked (docked) right up against the
hotel. We immediately knew that this was going to be special and was worth every penny. It turned out that
the ms Westerdam was docked there and sailing that afternoon. We have been on the Westerdam numerous
times and it is one of our favorite ships for cruising the Carribean. We quickly checked in and went to our
room hoping that the room was everything that we expected. We were not disappointed! We walked through
the door into a very spacious room with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the harbor, and... the top deck of
the ms Westerdam. What a spectacular view!! We ran down to the lower levels of the hotel where there was a
walkway alongside the ship. We took plenty of pictures and video of the Westerdam and longed to be
onboard. We watched her sail away and vowed to be onboard the Westerdam in the near future (we just
booked the Westerdam for February 2001). We had dinner at the hotel. Both the food and the service were
excellent. I would highly recommend the Pan Pacific to anyone as long as you are not price-sensitive. The
accommodations are immaculate and the service is outstanding. Having travelled from the East Coast to the
West Coast, we tired early (in case you're wondering, the four of us shared the room to control the cost) and
wanted to be up in time to see the Statendam dock. We all had trouble sleeping. The harbor at night was a
pretty sight and, every time someone would get out of bed, someone else would ask, "Is the Statendam
docked yet?". Finally, our body clocks rang the alarm and we were all awake around 6:30 am. It wasn't long
and we saw the Statendam in the distance sailing into the harbor. Talk about excitement! After taking
numerous pictures of the Statendam docking, we ate breakfast and goofed off the rest of the morning. The
bellman came for our luggage and informed us that he would deliver them directly to the docks for loading
onto the ship -- Wow, what convenience! There was a bit of a line for the hotel check-out but it wasn't long
before we were on our way to the ship.
Check-In Check in for the cruise occurred right below the hotel. There was an elevator in the hotel that took
us to the dock area. The check in was rather confusing because you had to walk through most of the terminal
to get to the check in area. Then, after checking in, you had to again walk back through most of the terminal
to get to the waiting area for boarding. We were in the waiting area by Noon; the ship began boarding about
1:20 pm. The boarding was very smooth and we were on board by 1:40 pm.
The Statendam Onboard... Our luggage wasn't aboard yet so we headed out to find old friends on board the
Statendam. We sailed on the Statendam two times in the past 18 months and made a lot of friends among the
crew. We quickly found that almost all of our friends were no longer on the Statendam or home on vacation.
So, we immediately began to make new friends. The bars were open, the buffet restaurant was serving a
large buffet, the hamburgers were cooking on the grill... we dove right in! Life boat drill was held shortly
before sail away. It is always a hassle but I respect the importance of the event and how seriously HAL
conducts it. Before you knew it, we were sailing away from Vancouver, leaving the Pan Pacific Hotel behind
(but keeping the wonderful memories forever).
Facilities... Our cabins were on Main Deck, Category E (Large Outside). The two lower beds were put
together to form a Queen Size bed and there was plenty of room to store all of our clothes . The ship was
very clean and well-decorated -- typical HAL ship. Our favorite places on the ship... the Crow's Nest - on the
top deck at the front of the ship - a great view during the day, dancing and munchies before dinner, and the
disco at night. the Casino and Casino Bar - all the gambling opportunities you can stand (we're not big
gamblers, just contributors) and it's fun sitting at the Bar watching others lose their money. the Explorers
Lounge - fancy coffees, chocolates, and a string quartet - very relaxing. The Internet Cafe - Internet access
via satellite - it was fun sending e-mails to our kids at home. The side deck - the walk-around deck on Lower
Promenade with the wooden deck chairs (and woolen blankets to keep warm - if that's at all possible!). The
Lido Pool area for enclosed swimming and hot tubbing. The Fitness Center - not usually a place where we
spend any time - but I was stuck spending time there to keep up my therapy on a shoulder problem. We
never got to the Movie Theater this trip nor the Ocean Lounge, and only made a brief stop in the Piano Bar.
Service... Service from all of the HAL crew was outstanding, as usual. Binton, our Dining Room Steward, was
efficient and very pleasant. We really got to know him the second week. Binton didn't have an Assistant for
some reason, so he had the Doorman, Dayat, helping him out occasionally. He tried very hard and was
learning all the tricks of the trade. We always tip at the end of the first week and gave Dayat the tip normally
expected for an Assistant Steward. He showed his appreciation the second week with even better service!
Our Wine Steward turned out to be an acquaintence from a previous cruise on the Westerdam. He even
remembered that we had our kids along with us on that cruise. He did a fine job in keeping the wine flowing.
Ketut, Dining Room Supervisor, was the best we've had in years. He stopped by several times each night to
help keep things moving smoothly and chat with us. Usually, those types of "chats" are very awkward and not
very pleasant. That was far from the case with Ketut. He was always very interesting and, sometimes even
entertaining. We are night people and spend time in the Bars/Lounges. In the Crow's Nest, Bartenders
Edward and Richard took excellent care of us - good service, good drinks, good banter, and always a smile -
great guys! In the Casino Bar, Bartenders Mario and Larry made sure we never went thirsty - again, good
service, good drinks, good banter, and always a smile. In the Casino, Arlene made sure we didn't go thirsty
while making our nightly contributions to the cause. She was very personable and showed us pictures of her
cute 3 year old son. And the guy who rarely gets the recognition he deserves... the Cabin Steward. Agung
was our Cabin Steward and he did the impossible - keeping our room neat and clean without ever getting in
our way. Sorry to say, I can't give the same kind of high praise for service to the many services on board that
are provided by outsource vendors. The Casino Staff is the one exception. For the first time in a long time, I
got the impression that the Casino Staff was really working hard to provide a pleasant experience to the
passengers. They were very creative in their events and how they conducted them. The slot machines didn't
pay off any more than usual but I was impressed with the effort of the Casino Staff. Other services were not
even close... The Photographer Shop amazes me with their lack of concern for customer service. They insist
on taking the pictures the way they want to take them despite the fact that the passenger is the one that
decides whether or not to buy them. At dinner, when the photographer approached I moved close to my wife
only to be told, "Sorry, we are only taking singles tonight" and he took a picture of each of us alone. The
Photo Shop seems to only be open when it is convenient for them. When we were sailing College Fjords in
the morning, the Photo Shop was open. Who wants to miss the sights of College Fjords to shop for photos?
Then, in the afternoon, after leaving College Fjords, the Photo Shop is closed! And the cost of the photos...
$10.95 each. I guess they are selling less photos, so they need to raise the price. Maybe if the Photo Shop
would be open 24 hours a day as in the past, they could sell more photos... and lower the prices! The wives
tried to book a massage appointment upon boarding. They were told they couldn't book it because the
appointment book was being used in the boarding area. When asked why we didn't see them booking in the
boarding area, they explained that they didn't start booking in the boarding area until 2 pm because they
were off until that time. Another example of customer service being second to the convenience of the service
staff. The Shops Staff were friendly and efficient for the most part but they also suffered from blind spots
when it comes to customer service. Don't misunderstand me, I don't let these things upset my cruise - I had a
great time. But, I think it is only fair to praise those who work hard to provide service and pan those who don't.
The Food... It was a cruise - what more can I say! The food was excellent! The variety, the presentation, the
taste - all excellent. We normally ate breakfast buffet style in the Lido Restaurant. They had everything you
could imagine, including made-to-order omelets. And, for those who didn't like waiting in line, they had an
express breakfast stand (scrambled eggs, bacon, & sausage) and a Continental Breakfast stand (fruit,
pastries, and cereals). We always make at least one trip to the Dining Room for Breakfast to get Eggs
Benedict. Guess who was the pastry man... Dayat! Oh, by the way, the Eggs Benedict were excellent. Lunch
of some sort seems to run from about 11 am to around 5 pm. There are so many choices it is sometimes
painful to decide. There's the buffet line with several hot entrees, the salad bar, the deli stand, the hamburger
grill, the taco stand, the pizza stand, and don't forget the dessert bar and the ice cream stand! On two days of
each week, they had a cookout. One day was hamburgers, chicken, ribs, and salmon; another day was
steaks, chicken, ribs, and salmon - of course with an assortment of side dishes. Then, before dinner,
cocktails, dancing, and hot munchies! Sometimes I ate so many Jalepeno Poppers, I don't know how I ever
ate dinner. And we can't forget dinner... Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Entrees, Desserts... my mouth is watering
just thinking about it. Almost every night's menu featured beef, fowl, seafood, and pork or lamb. A grilled
chicken breast or salmon filet was available every night and there was always a vegetarian dish. And, if for
some reason you can't get to where they are handing out food, you can always call room service! Do those
chocolates on your pillow at night count as food??
The Entertainment... I was somewhat disappointed in the entertainment. Mainly because the cast shows were
repeats of cast shows that I have already seen twice on the Statendam. In March 1999, we saw Personalities,
Showstoppers, and The Copa Cabana. In November 1999, we saw Personalities, Showstoppers, and the
Copa Cabana. Now, in August 2000, we go to the show and they are performing Personalities, Showstoppers,
and the Copa Cabana. I would be interested if others have the same kind of experience on other cruise lines.
If the cruise lines want people to come back often, they need to change their entertainment often. I think
having the same cast shows for 18 months in a row is a bit too much. The other show lounge entertainers
were excellent! Cool Sensations, the band in the Crow's Nest, seemed to be barely alive. They showed
absolutely no enthusiasm for their performances. Impact, the band in the Ocean Lounge, apparently lost one
of their members to a medical emergency. The remaining members did the best they could to hold it together.
The Rosario Strings, who performed in the Explorer's Lounge, were excellent. They also entertained at
second seating dinner for about 30 minutes each evening. Terry McCann was in the Piano Bar. They did a lot
of special activites in there after dinner. The night we stopped in, they were doing a sing along. On several
nights, they scheduled the Second Seating Show before dinner. I think this is very inconvenient for the
passengers. I choose second seating so I don't have to cut my afternoon short to get ready for dinner. Then,
they schedule the show before dinner, thus making me cut my afternoon short to get ready for dinner in time
to see the show.
The Cruise Staff... Our Cruise Director was John Challenger. It seems that you rarely see the Cruise Director
anymore except for some of the formal responsibilities, like introducing perfomers, announcing the Baked
Alaska, etc. Our Assistant CD was "Give it away" Graham. In case you haven't guessed, he did the Bingo
calling. It seemed like they had Bingo three times a day! It got a little annoying when they would come on the
loudspeaker to announce that Bingo was about to begin. Overall, the Cruise Staff was very efficient but not
overly friendly. They would come into a room, conduct their activity, then leave. We rarely saw them around
the ship in the evenings. But, they did a good job on conducting their activities. One of my favorites is the
Liars Club. The Hostess on the first week was Sarah; the Hostess the second week was Cindy. Cindy seemed
to have trouble filling the time when hosting the Ice Carving Demonstration. I guess with all the new ships
being launched it is tough to have enough experienced staff to go around. Two different Cruise Staff
members acted as DJ in the Crows Nest. Both did a very good job of playing a mix of music. There were three
children's program couselors onboard each week. There were more children on this cruise than I have ever
seen on HAL in the past. The children were very well-behaved but they were children and they were noisey.
The Passengers... Cruising two different cruises back to back is always amazing. Each week is so different in
terms of the passengers on board. On both weeks, the passengers were markedly younger than I expected.
From what I've read about Alaska cruises, I expected a very old clientele. I would guess that the average age
on these two cruises was substantially lower than other HAL cruises we've taken. The passengers on the first
week had a way of disappearing. You never saw them. The buffet lines were rarely crowded. There were a
fair number of late night folks who would show up every night in the disco and hang around until closing time.
The second week was entirely different. The buffet lines seemed to always be crowded and people seemed to
be everywhere. I began to believe that people just continued to cycle through the buffet line all day long. At
night, the Casino emptied out pretty early and there was hardly anyone in the Disco (until the last two nights).
By the way, the ship was fully booked both weeks.
Weather Cold!! At least colder than I expected. The high temperature was usually about 57 degrees. When
cruising near glaciers, the water temperature was around 40 degrees which has a definite affect on the air
temperature. Then, when the ship is sailing at 18 knots, the resultant wind chill is... cold!. Sitting on the side
deck was almost impossible - but we did it anyway! It was overcast most days and often with light rain. I think
we had about 4 days of sunshine out of 14.
Itinerary & Excursions Ketchikan... We stopped here both weeks and it was my favorite Alaska town. It just
looked like what an Alaska town should look like. Both weeks, we just walked around town and did a little
shopping. Our favorite spot was Creek Street. The Salmon were running while we were there. The creek was
absolutely packed with Salmon. Several people were there fishing, pulling Salmon out one after another. Most
were just throwing them back in. You could purchase a fishing license and rent equipment about a block away
from the creek. Creek Street was lined with quaint little shops that had a nice variety of items. I'm not an avid
shopper but I enjoyed Creek Street. Elsewhere in Ketchikan there are plenty of serious shops for tourists to
spend money. I quickly tired of them and returned to the ship. The weather both weeks was chilly, damp, and
rainy. It rains 300 days per year in Ketchikan. I don't know how people survive living there. We were in port
three hours the first week and six hours the second week. There were a wide variety of shore excursions
available... Lumber Jack Show, Walking Tours, Kayaking, Canoeing, Fishing, Hiking, and Helicopter tours.
There seemed to be ample availability.
Juneau... We stopped here both weeks. We had already booked tours for each week on our own. The first
week, we booked a Helicopter Tour of the Glaciers. The second week, we booked a Whale Watching Tour.
We had to pay the full price for both of these in advance. Week one, we had some time before our tour so we
took the Mt Roberts Tramway up the mountain. Once up the mountain, we took the loop hiking trail and made
the side excursion to Father Brown's Cross. The scenery and views were breathtaking (not to mention the
hiking)! Shortly before Noon, we caught our ride to Temsco Helicopters for our Pilot's Choice Tour. This
turned out to be a mixed experience. We were scheduled to fly at 1 pm. We arrived at their terminal and filled
out the weight list. Then we were shown the safety video. As we were donning our glacier boots, we were
called to the side and told that our aircraft had been diverted for med evac and we would need to reschedule.
A large number of cruise ship passengers were in the same room with us watching the safety video and
donning boots. It was awfully suspicious that we were being bumped but no cruise passengers were being
bumped. Especially considering that they try to put 6 passengers in each helicopter and there were only 4 of
us. They offered to put us on a Mendenhall Glacier tour (where would they get the helicopter for that) or book
us for a Pilot's Choice Tour at 6:30 pm. The ship was departing at 9:00 pm - the tour was 90 minutes long.
We felt that it was cutting it too close. The people at Temsco assured us it was okay and that they had a
Statendam shore excursion booked at the same time. Given that info, we decided to take the 6:30 pm. It
turned out that the Temsco people told a little white lie. There were other people from the Statendam on the
6:30 tour but it was not one of the Statendam's Shore Excursions. Those people were on their own (like us).
This really messed us up because we lost a couple hours being bumped and then had to miss dinner to do
the 6:30 tour. When we returned for the 6:30 tour, I noticed that the flight board showed a full complement of
flights for the entire day with a full load of passengers for each flight. As we thought about it, we remembered
some people complaining during the safety video that there weren't enough seats for everyone in the room.
We came to the conclusion that Temsco overbooked their flights and bumped us because we were on our
own and not part of a ship's excursion. I guess that is one of the dangers of going on your own. But, we took
the Pilot's Choice Tour and thoroughly enjoyed it. We landed and walked around on two different glaciers,
Gilkey Glacier and Herbert Glacier. Seeing a glacier first hand while walking on it was awesome. There were
two helicopters that travelled together. Both pilots were good tour guides. At the second glacier, the pilot
passed around champagne and chocolates. Imagine that... walking around on a glacier 400 feet deep while
drinking champagne and eating fudge!! We also flew over numerous other glaciers. Luckily, we reminded the
pilots that we needed to be back on board by 8:30 pm and they hurriedly got us back to the airport on time.
Temsco didn't seem very organized but the tour was outstanding. I would certainly recommend it. The second
week, we took the Orca Whale Watching Tour. We were taken pretty far north of Juneau to board a jet boat.
There were about 25 people on the boat and there was just enough seating inside the boat for everyone.
This wasn't a problem because most of us were outside watching the whales. The boat had a back deck and
a top deck (limited to 6 people at a time when the boat is not changing location). We only saw one Humpback
Whale and he kept running away from us. We saw a group of Sea Otters laying on a channel marker. Then
we saw a number of Killer Whales (Orcas). The one Killer Whale began swimming parallel to our boat and our
captain kept us in sync with it. It repeatedly came up out of the water and showed it huge dorsal fin. I shot up
about a roll of film on that one whale. It was a great tour. I was very pleased with the boat and the limited
number of people on the tour. Some of those tours have these big boats where they pack as many people as
possible on board to the point where you can't move around and get a good view of anything. On this tour,
everyone got to move around and get a good view of the whales. Back in Juneau, there is plenty of shopping
right across the street from where the ships dock. We did some shopping the first week. You can actually buy
a fur-lined Jock Strap there. No, I didn't get one but I was tempted. Again, the ship had a complete assortment
of shore excursions at Juneau and there appeared to be ample availability. The tours aren't cheap...
helicopter tours run from a low of $180 per person to $340 per person.
Sitka... The ship stopped here both weeks. The first week, we were anchored off shore and had to tender in
to Sitka. It is a quaint little town with a couple of scenic spots -- a Russian Orthodox Church and Baranof's
Castle. The church was interesting but there wasn't much left of the castle. The castle did provide a nice
picture taking opportunity with the Statendam sitting offshore. There is some shopping but we didn't do much.
The second week, the ship anchored off shore and we didn't bother getting off. The ship had a variety of
shore excursions ranging in price from $19 to $159. There were land tours, boat tours, biking, and fishing
trips.
Hubbard Glacier... We cruised by this glacier the first week. We sailed into Yakutat Bay around 8:30 am - a
little early in the morning for our tastes. As we sailed toward the glacier, numerous icebergs floated by (I
guess technically they aren't icebergs because of their size). One large iceberg hit the side of the ship and
made a lot of noise -- not to mention excitement. We came near the glacier and came to a standstill. It
seemed like we were really close to the glacier. Then, the on-board expert spoke on the PA System about the
glacier and informed us that the glacier was about 400 feet high above the water line. Well, it seemed to us,
standing on the top deck of the ship, that we were as high up as the top of the glacier. Obviously, we weren't
as close to the glacier as it seemed. Then, the glacier began "calving" (chunks of ice falling from the glacier
into the water). We could see the chunks falling into the water but it took about 3 seconds for us to hear the
sound of it. That is when we realized that we were about 3 miles away from the glacier. As we were leaving the
glacier, a Princess Cruise Ship pulled in to take our place. When we looked back at the glacier, we noticed
how small the cruise ship was in comparison to the glacier. That is when we really came to realize how
immense the scenery was, and how far away we were. It seems like you are close enough to the shore to see
bears walking up to the shoreline with the naked eye. In reality, with 10 x 50 binoculars, I had difficulty
determining that the moving lifeform I was seeing was actually a human being with a kayak - not a small bear.
The Hubbard Glacier was truly impressive and there was plenty of "calving" while we were there.
Valdez... We only stopped here the first week. The great attraction here is the Trans Alaska Oil Pipeline
Terminal. There were several souvenir stands set up right on the dock. We got off the ship and took a look
around, then got back aboard. The ship had a number of excursions ranging in price from $29 to $199. It ran
the gamut from tours to the Oil terminal to Helicopter sightseeing.
College Fjord... We cruised here both weeks. The first week we were here in the afternoon; the second week
we were here early in the morning. There were plenty of glaciers to see here. The ultimate destination was
two glaciers named, Harvard and (you guessed it) Yale. Once again, the scenery was so immense and so
awesome.
Seward... This was the turnaround city. The passengers from our first week's cruise disembarked here and a
new set of passengers for our second week's cruise came aboard. Apparently, passengers are bussed
to/from Anchorage to the ship which is about a 2-hour ride. Doesn't sound like fun to me. We were allowed to
get off the ship during the layover but we didn't bother. We stayed aboard, checked out the Verandah Cabins
(that we'd like to book in the future), and layed on the side deck resting and reading.
Glacier Bay... This was the only new place we saw on the second week. When we entered Glacier Bay
National Park, two Park Rangers boarded the ship to provide commentary. This was certainly one of the
highlights of the trip. We saw a number of small glaciers and two really large ones. We pulled into a little inlet
and rounded a bend called, Jaw Point. The Park Ranger liked to call it, "Jaw Drop Point" because of the
awesome sight when you round the bend. To be honest with you, it wasn't as awesome as some of the sights
we already saw. So, our jaws didn't drop -- but it was very scenic. We spent the entire day in Glacier Bay and
we were outside on the front deck the entire time. Needless to say, by 5:30 pm (as we were departing) we
were really beat. The Park Ranger mentioned that we would probably see whales around 6:00 pm as we were
leaving the National Park. Being exhausted at 5:30 pm, we went inside to the Crow's Nest Lounge (Top Deck
overlooking the front of the ship). And, just like clockwork, at 6:00 pm we began sighting numerous hump
back whales. They put on a great show for us, jumping way out of the water. It put an excellent ending on an
excellent day!
Disembarkation Disembarkation was very smooth. For those that used Holland America transfers to the
airport (which we did), the luggage was taken directly to the airport. When your disembarkation number was
called, you walked off the ship and onto a waiting bus. At the airport, they had an area marked off with all the
luggage lined up. You just walked in and claimed your luggage. Then you went to the gate and checked it in.
US Customs was performed before leaving Canada to avoid problems upon arriving in the US with
connections. The Customs process was pretty smooth. Vancouver airport was charging a special tax (for
renovations?) and that process was very awkward. You had to wait in line to pay the tax and get a receipt.
Then, you had to wait in line to have someone check your receipt. Very strange!! We flew Air Canada from
Vancouver to Chicago. Our departure was late and we arrived in Chicago with little time to make our
connection (which was leaving from a different terminal). We ran to the terminal only to find that our
connection was delayed. Then, once on board, we had equipment problems and returned to the gate. The
final result: we arrived home in Harrisburg, PA a little after 2:00 am (2 hours late). But, our luggage made it so
who can complain!
Bottom Line: It was another great cruise. Certainly different than cruising the Carribean but, variety is the
spice of life!! Despite the minor annoyances, Holland America delivers a first rate cruising experience and I'll
certainly go back again -- in February in fact!
Name: David Honigberg
Email: asearsrep@aol.com
Age: 57
Occupation: Industrial Sales
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Statendam
SailingDate: December 8, 2000
Itinerary: Mexican Riviera
Cabin: k-611
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 65
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 75
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 65
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 75
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess: 40
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 70
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Mar 2001
Time: 17:36:29
Remote Name: spider-tk012.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was my sixth cruise and my second on Holland America. (See my comments on the Maasdam,
8-24-98.) Because of the pleasant experiences on the Maasdam, I was so looking forward to the
Statendam cruise as they are sister ships. Little did I know the disappointments I was in for.
I believe that since Holland America was purchased by Carnival, the ships of Holland America have been
‘Carnivalized.’ Gone is the attentive crew, gone is the customer service (for the most part) and gone is the
suburb food that was enjoyed on the Maasdam.
Having said that, I will highlight the good and not so good of this cruise. Holland America tends to cater to
a more mature clientele, which was why this line was chosen. I am approaching 60 and I was travelling with
my father who celebrated his 89th birthday on the cruise. Many of the difficulties that were experienced on
the cruise revolved around the accommodations for Dad. He was in an outside cabin that has a
tub/shower combination. The side of the tub is 21 inches high and virtually impossible for a senior to
navigate without falling. When I explained to the hotel manager this predicament, his suggestion was that
he would provide a ‘potty chair’ for Dad to use to enter the tub. I asked with no sarcasm intended if he was
suggesting that I have an 89 year old man stand on a chair on a moving ship to enter a tub, and his
response was, ‘that is the best I can do’. Since I was in an inside cabin that had a stall shower, Dad walked
down the passageway to my cabin in his bathrobe in order to safely take a shower. (Dad is claustrophobic
and needed the outside cabin, otherwise, we would have switched cabins.
We had also requested first seating for dinner. When our reservations were made, only second seating
was available. I was told by my travel agent that since I was a member of the Mariner’s Club, we would be
given priority for the waitlist. Don’t believe it! Priority is given to the one who screams loudest. Case in
point: we were seated at a table for eight at second seating and two of our tablemates were elderly ladies
from Vancouver, BC. They also had requested first seating. The maitre d’ told us in no uncertain terms
that the ship was full and there were 87 people who wanted to change to first seating and there was
nothing he could do. Two days later, the two women disappeared from our table and the table was set for
six. When I saw one of the ladies on deck, I asked what happened. She said that she complained to the
purser and then the captain, and they were moved to first seating. This was their first cruise on any ship.
So much for the Mariner’s Club.
Between Acapulco and Zihuatanejo, we were in the Crow’s Nest having cocktails before dinner when a
very unfortunate incident occurred. One of the passengers in the lounge suffered a fatal heart attack. The
staff quickly summoned help and administered first aid to the victim. However, one of the crew members
abruptly announced that we (the passengers in the Crows Nest at the time) were to leave immediately!
The evacuation of the lounge was done as if prisoners were being herded into a prison yard. Yes, I am
sympathetic to the medical emergency and I believe the lounge should have been evacuated while
medical attention was given to the patient, however, none of the passengers caused the medical
emergency and we should have and could have been dealt with more compassionately.
The last two days of the cruise are sea days, one of which is a formal night. I had requested when the
reservations were made that a birthday cake be presented to our table on that night. The cake arrived on
the previous day, when the ship was docked in Puerto Vallarta and we were off the ship. When I checked
with our waiter on Saturday (the formal night) to be certain the cake was available, I was told, ‘that was last
night’. We were presented with an oversized brownie with ‘Happy Birthday’ scribbled on it that we were
unable to cut into six pieces for our table.
Yes, the ship is clean and comfortable. Sheila in the Java Café is the exceptional crew member who did go
out of her way to make the cruise pleasant. The staff, generally speaking, is content to be off in groups,
speaking in their native tongue and ignoring passengers. There is also a definite and noticeable rift
between the Norwegian Officers and the Indonesian crew.
Dad had breakfast delivered to his cabin each morning and his cabin steward made sure that the order
was correct and delivered on time. He also went out of his way to be sure the cabin was clean and that
Dad always had fresh fruit. One sore point, which has been pointed out on other reports, is the bottled
water supplied in the cabin is sold at $3.25 per bottle. Soft drinks are $1.75 each. The small charge
creates far more animosity than it does profit.
Ports of Call: Cabo San Lucas is a lovely town that should not be missed. There are several tours
available at the dock where the tenders drop you off. I would recommend that you opt for a local tour
rather than booking one on board. When you have an unpleasant experience with one of the ship’s tours,
you are told that the tours are conducted by independent operators and the ship is not responsible. But,
the tours on board are more expensive than the same tour at the dock.
Mazatlan: Stay on board the ship and enjoy the pool, spa, etc. It is a fishing village that is filled with shops
catering to the tourists from the cruise ships. There are better deals and better merchandise available in
Puerto Vallarta or Acapulco. The fishing is the only draw for this port.
Acapulco: Interesting city where you should see the cliff divers. There are also several great tours
available. Shopping is good and the locals recognize and appreciate the tourists as their main source of
prosperity.
Zihuatanejo: (Also Ixtapa) Another port that you can miss. You tender in to the town (Zihuatanejo) to a
crowded dock where fish are sold out in the open with the smells that go with that scene. Ixtapa is six miles
north and is a planned community that consists of high rise hotels and condos. A sharp contrast from
Zihuatanejo.
Puerto Vallarta: The city that was made famous by the filming of ‘Night of the Iguana’. The main attraction
is Mismaloya beach, where the movie was filmed, and ‘Gringo Gulch’ where the homes of the rich and
famous are located. Most tours will also tell you about the home Frank Sinatra built but was unable to
occupy.
Tipping Policy: Clearly stated as ‘not required’. Don’t believe it. The fact that this policy is announced,
most crew members think (incorrectly) that they are not going to be compensated for outstanding service,
so why try. Unfortunately, the actions of the crew improves dramatically on the last day of the cruise in
anticipation of the last night. Adding to this is the fact that if you want to avoid the waiters on the last night,
you can’t. The Lido Buffet (the alternative dining spot on the ship) is closed on the last night for dinner,
but open for the midnight buffet. Draw your own conclusions.
Radisson Cruise Lines have a true ‘no tipping’ policy. The crew members are not allowed to accept
gratuities. Tips are included in the price of the cruise, as are soft drinks, wine with dinner and a stocked
bar in your cabin. Yes, it is more expensive than HAL, but well worth it.
Yes, I did write a letter to Holland America in Seattle and received a form letter reply. Another example of
disappearing customer service.
As a final insult, when I retrieved my luggage at the dock in San Diego, the side straps on my foldover
wardrobe had been used as handles and were ripped from the side of the bag.
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