Lodging

From Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Holland America Line Ms Westerdam

“Hello everyone, this is Captain Henk Keijer,” the man with a Dutch accent delivered an important message over the Ms Westerdam’s PA system. “Due to the weather forecast of high winds and rough seas, we are unable to call in the port of Sitka. The Ms Westerdam instead will offer scenic cruising through the area of Tracy Arm.”

Indeed, Captain Keijer had made the proper call, as hurricane force winds were projected for our next port. In fact, the weather started turning as we docked in Juneau. This was September, after all, and summer had officially ended in Alaska.

Our Alaskan Explorer cruise on the Ms Westerdam began in Seattle, Washington. As a journalist, I was a guest of Holland America Line for a seven day cruise via Glacier Bay. After a quick flight from San Francisco, I experienced a smooth check-in process to board the ship. As was recommended to me by fellow cruise experts, my first stop on the ship was to the Greenhouse Spa to book a massage appointment for later in the week.

After a salmon lunch at the Lido Buffet, I was able to move into stateroom #4139. A mini-suite, my queen bedroom had a combination shower and tub in the bathroom, a desk for writing, with internet acess (for an extra fee) and a balcony. If you can swing the $1,349, the stateroom provided fabulous views of Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm, our unexpected, yet highly scenic diversion later on in the week.

Ms Westerdam State Room #4139

New to cruising, I was pleasantly surprised with the wide array of entertainment options, from nightly shows, to the Culinary Arts Center, guests can learn new cooking techniques, keep up with their yoga and cardio classes at the gym or relax in the hydro therapy pool. The same can be said for the variety of dining choices offered on board. Let’s just say that I’ve been eating and drinking my way through Alaska.

Grazers will appreciate the Lido Buffet, while three-squares a day diners may opt for the Vista Dining Room. As a solo diner, I selected the Vista Dining Room for its family-style table seating during breakfast and lunch. I was able to break bread with cruisers from all over the United States, many were repeat HAL cruisers. Evenings offerered early and late dining with a little singing, dancing and table-side entertainment thrown in as an added bonus toward the end of the cruise. Who knew our wait staff was so talented?

For the gourmets among us, the Pinnacle Grill offers an even higher caliber dining experience for $10 additional at lunch and $20 during dinner. As noted with the spa services, I’d recommend making advance dining reservations for this specialty restaurant. And for the food and wine aficionados, HAL has introduced the Westerdam’s Chef’s Table, a multi-course meal, paired with wines, hand selected from the sommelier. HAL is so confident in its culinary skills that it allowed several journalists a behind-the-scenes kitchen galley tour.

While I wasn’t able to land on the Mendenhall Glacier during a Juneau shore excursion, due to poor weather conditions, I was able to go whale watching on Auke bay as a guest of Dolphin Tours. And yes, we did see humpback whales. Magical! Juneau is a land of micro-climates and while it was nasty weather in downtown Juneau, Auke bay gave us light rain, smooth water and plenty of whale sightings, ($110 for a three hour tour, ship to shore.)

My take away tips on sailing Alaska’s Glacier Bay:

• Best weather for smooth sailing and slight seeing is May, June and July
• Cruisers wanting spacious ships with unobtrusive service and quality dining, Holland America Line
• Best value for dollar tour and lodging selections – book as far out as possible. The 2010 calendar is available now

Photos by Nancy D. Brown

Holland America Line Ms Westerdam