Hey there dear readers! If you’ve travelled by ship before you may find this a bit ho-hum so my apologies if that's the case......
We have never been on a ship before so booking a 14 day cruise could have been a very bad decision. We had seen the travel shows on television and both have wanted to go to Alaska to get ‘up close’ to the ice and the only real option is by ship – so here we are.
Our embarkation was easy and as soon as we had booked in, we began to understand that service was not just a word and we were ‘guests’ on board the MS Amsterdam, one of the Holland America Line.
The decor and presentation of the ship is 5 star, very tasteful and just beautiful; fresh flowers throughout all public areas and quality furnishings and fittings. No, this is not a paid commercial, just the reflections of some very satisfied guests.
Our room is larger than the RV and has a window, full size bathroom, queen bed, 3 seater leather couch, desk, chairs and loads of cupboard space.
The ship glides silently through the ocean and the night-time hours are extremely quiet. The very gentle rocking motion means I’m getting at least 10 hours sleep a night. We had one afternoon when it got a bit rocky but I just took a nap and that seemed to settle any vertigo that was threatening.
The most spoken-about topic on this cruise is ‘the weather’. Everyone from the Captain to the cabin crew has commented that ‘this cruise has had the best weather ever’ with moderate temperatures on deck, cool breezes, minimal fog, and next to no rain. For many passengers this is not their first or second cruise (in fact one couple told us this is their 30th) and the consensus is that this trip has been blessed with excellent weather. We rejoice with them and give thanks.
There are about six different dining options from hamburgers and tacos by the pool (there are two) to bistro self-serve and five-star master chef formal dining. The presentation and quality of food wherever we eat is excellent – amazing selection, fresh and tasty – and I don’t have to cook or clean up.
Every time we leave our room the ‘fairies’ come in and service it – linen is crisp, towels are large, white and fluffy; choccies on the pillow and an animal fashioned from towels is sitting on our bed each evening. The staff (mainly Phillipino and Balinese) are friendly, happy and keen to make our stay special. We have made many friends among the crew including Ryan – the Balinese barista in the coffee lounge who calls us Mr Jarhno and Missies Wendy. We have a standing order for grande latte every morning.
Ryan is so funny, always trying to crack jokes with Johno. He and his fiancé both work on the ship – they take on 10 month contracts which take them all over the world. We have been told that this company pays the best but expects the best from staff. Both nationalities put on an ‘entertainment’ show during the cruise and they are also able to have a lot of fun with themed dinners where they dress up, sing and dance in the dining rooms.
So what do we do for entertainment, you ask? Well, there is certainly no need to be bored. There is a very well stocked library, board games room, gym, pools, decks for sitting, walking, sleeping, resting, lots of lovely little nooks fitted out with comfy lounges, live music can be found somewhere almost any time of day or night, and there is a full size concert room where you can see a show, comedian, or performer every night. Musicians include a solo guitarist, four piece strings group, piano man, a cabaret band and a jazz band. When they all come together they become a Big Band that supports the eight singers and dancers who present the ‘shows’.
Every evening there is a new bulletin delivered to our cabin with all the planned activities of the next day listed – from bingo to bridge or blackjack, tai-chi to travelogues, creative crafts to circuit training, trivia games, chess, jig saws, movies on the big screen, etc ,etc. And we don’t miss out on the news of Australia either as a condensed version of the Australian (downloaded from the Internet) is delivered to us daily.
There are about 1,400 passengers on board and we’ve met many of them, mostly Americans. The atmosphere is so relaxed and people are very friendly. We have also enjoyed meeting a smattering of Aussies, some of whom are sure to remain friends into the future.
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| Hubbard Glacier |
Although we are thoroughly enjoying shiplife, the real reason for this cruise was to see Alaska; the fiords, the wildlife, the snow-topped mountains and the icy glaciers. The ship has docked six times along the way and we have also visited two glaciers.
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