GO North to Alaska on Holland America

We typically book our trips well in advance or, as in this instance, quite last minute. It turned out to be a fantastic choice! The cruise embarked on July 24th from Vancouver aboard Holland America's Zaandam. The ship was at full capacity with 1,432 passengers. We were delighted with the intimate feel of the vessel; it seemed to have everything we needed to enjoy our seven days at sea.

We arrived in Vancouver the day before. Our stay at the Pan Pacific Hotel, located right by the Canada Place Cruise Terminal, was delightful. We even benefited from the hotel's porter service; our luggage was conveniently collected from our room and delivered directly to the ship! Unsure of the boarding wait time, we proceeded to the terminal and began the check-in process at 11 am. Just 20 minutes later, we were boarding the ship where the crew welcomed us warmly, and we promptly made our way to the Lido Deck for lunch.

The Zaandam boasts a variety of activities such as trivia, watercolor painting, cooking demonstrations, wine and beer tastings, and of course, Bingo! The ship also features a fitness center, spa, library, pickleball court, and jogging track. For nightlife, guests can enjoy live music at various venues and shows in the Theater. Dining options range from the main dining room and Lido Buffet to a poolside burger stand and taco bar, as well as specialty restaurants like Pinnacle Grill and Canaletto, an Italian eatery.

We attended the wine tastings and the beer tasting. Both were very enjoyable activities!

We also attended the Chef's cooking demonstration which was a lot of fun!

The ship itself is gorgeous and elegant!

Our stateroom was beautiful and the bed was very comfortable.

We spent most evenings at the Piano Bar. Eli was awesome and always entertained with his sets.

The dining experience at the Pinnacle Grill on the ship was superb. While we also dined at the main dining room, it didn't quite compare to the exceptional quality of the Pinnacle Grill. As for the Buffet, typically I'm not a fan of buffets, but this one was surprisingly pleasant - it was well-maintained, offered a good variety of options, and the best part was that the crew served the food instead of it being self-serve. Some pics for you foodies out there.

Zaandam also hosted Afternoon Tea which was a delight!

They offered Royal Dutch Tea twice on our voyage but we missed the second tea party due to attending International Wine Tasting which was a fabulous event.

Perhaps the best part of our cruise was the AMAZING service on Holland America. Our bartenders/cocktail servers knew us by name and knew our drinks. And the cocktails were delicious!!

We highly recommend booking a cruise to Alaska with Holland America, Zaandam! Please lookout for our blog on the cruise ports coming soon.