Alaska Family Cruise
by Jennifer McKay
Just returned from an incredible 7-day Inside Passage Cruise, visiting Glacier Bay on the Holland America Zuiderdam Cruise Ship. We had a smooth check-in with Holland America greeters, and waved goodbye to those sending us off on our voyage from Canada Place in Vancouver.
 
 
 
Cruise Route
Our route took us up through Alaska’s Inside Passage and north to Juneau, and other port stops in Skagway and Ketchikan.
To read more about our stops at these ports, click at the links below:
We celebrated the 4th of July in Ketchikan and saw a helicopter fly the American flag over the ship. The Holland America Cruise Ship staff also decorated the ship in celebration of this American holiday.
 
Glacier Bay
Glacier Bay was a highlight and we met with the resident Park Rangers who informed us about this amazing Alaskan glacier scape. We even saw a glacier calving which reminded us that this landscape is dynamic and ever-changing.
Activities on the Ship
Our families had plenty to do on the ship during days at sea — spa treatments, ping pong tournaments, cooking classes, a dancing class (click to see video), strolling the promenade deck and relaxing on deck chairs. The kids went swimming, visited “Club HAL” – Holland America’s club for children, and we enjoyed our daily visit to the soft serve ice cream stand. We saw wildlife from the deck including whales and eagles.
 
 
 
Dining on the ship
The ship had several restaurants to choose from, and we dined well. As a Mom, I was able to truly relax and not worry about meal planning, preparation, or cleanup. The Pinnacle Grill provides gourmet, multi-course dining. My favorite dish was the lobster tail salad.
Day and night, we were entertained by Magic Shows, Dance & Music performances, and participated in the game show, “Deal or No Deal”.
 
 
The sunrises and sunsets were stunning and everyone in our family are now mariners for life!
 
 
Thanks to Holland America for partially sponsoring this trip.
