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Years ago, I was spending a few peaceful days wandering the enchanting slopes of Easter Island with a friend. We had all the sites pretty much to ourselves as we basked in the mystery of the moai.
Until the day the cruise ship came in.
Quelle horreur!
All of a sudden, there were hordes of people everywhere, peppered with colored stickers, and flowing through the sites like lava.
That was the moment I cemented my identity as not at all the “cruise type”.
And yes, if we’re being honest, it might even have made me a bit of an anti-cruise snob. The idea of being stuck on a huge city of a boat with thousands of strangers, then being dropped off with those same thousands of people to invade a small port village for a few hours is, well, not really my idea of a good time.
Oh, and on top of that, the ocean terrifies me a little. It’s so dark and creepy, with all those zany creatures swimming around looking for food. And there we are in a huge, extremely heavy mass of metal, floating across the top. How does it not sink or tip over? (Science.)
But as the years have gone by, I have become more open-minded about trying a cruise, specifically in Alaska. It seemed like that specific route would allow you to see things from the water in a way that would add value to the experience. There are, after all, many beautiful parts of Alaska that are best seen from the sea. (This is probably one reason why approximately 53 percent of all visitors to Alaska arrive by cruise ship.)
And so for my very first trip to Alaska, I joined the majority and got there with my very first cruise.
And I quite enjoyed it!
No, I’m not about to become a cruiser, but I confess that I would consider another cruise where being in a boat matters (like the Norway Fjords, or Panama Canal). I would also like to try a smaller ship, on an expedition-type experience rather than the floating city cruise ships.
For all you skeptics out there considering whether or not to take a cruise, I thought it might be helpful for me to share some thoughts on my experience.
These reflections are based on a late May 2024 Holland America 7-day Glacier Discovery northbound cruise aboard the Noordam.
What surprised me
I went into the cruise experience with fully formed pre-conceived notions. Some were met, but the cruise still managed to surprise me.
I enjoyed it
Probably the biggest surprise was that I actually really enjoyed the experience!
As more of an independent adventure traveler, I certainly did not expect to enjoy it so much. But there’s something about having all your meals taken care of (some of them quite delicious!), not having to pack up every few days and still be able to explore new places. It was also quite serene cruising through the calm waters of Alaska’s inside passage.
It kind of reminded me how I was surprised how much I enjoyed my all-inclusive Maldives resort experience. Maybe there’s a more conventional traveler lurking deep inside me after all.
People really take advantage of their drink packages!
I saw a lot of morning mimosas going down on this trip. People saunter up to the bar at 8am and start working through their 15 drink maximum for the day. That said, I only recall seeing one drunk-looking person on board, so perhaps people were pacing themselves more than it appeared.
I’ve heard the Caribbean party boats are a different story and I am not eager to experience that.
It’s a lot of old white people
Umm, yes, like me.
Let’s be honest: this should not have surprised me. But living in Baltimore and traveling the world, I’m really just not used to such a lack of diversity. So it was, weirdly, perhaps a bit of culture shock.
What I liked
So, what were the factors that led me to enjoy the cruise? There were quite a few, actually!
The scenery
No doubt the scenery was the star of this cruise.
Even though we sailed under mostly grey skies, the seas were calm and the Alaska coastline was dramatic. The views were of endless pine forests and snow-covered peaks bleeding glaciers into the icy waters. There’s no mistaking just how beautifully rugged and harsh this land is.
Two days of our itinerary took us into the dramatic glacier territory of Glacier Bay and College Fjord. I thought we would have lots of down time on these two days at sea, but I spent most of the time outside, my binoculars glued to my face. Pro tip: definitely bring binoculars on your cruise!
I will say I expected to see more whales (I saw one humpback whale from the ship) and other marine mammals. Lesson learned: go on a whale watch for almost guaranteed whale sightings.
The staff
I can’t say enough good things about the staff on board the ship.
I don’t know how they are so chipper and patient, working 12-hour days, 7 days a week, sometimes for 8 months straight without a break, without seeing their families. And there they are, always greeting you with a smile that seems genuine. And unlike so many businesses these days, there was no shortage of staff to help you.
Shout out to our favorite dining room server Prio, and our room attendants Ludfi and Wahyu. In addition to their attentive service, they knew our names on day one. I don’t know how they learned everyone’s names so fast; they only have a few hours to turn over the ship before a boatload of new passengers comes on board.
The food
Cruise ships are famous for endless food. I had smoked salmon for breakfast every day (I mean, we were in Alaska after all!). The buffet on the Lido deck (why does every ship have a Lido deck?) had a good selection of tasty food, but nothing to knock your socks off.
The dining room, on the other hand, was like a fine dining experience every night, included in the cruise package. There were different options every day, with something for everyone (though vegans might have limited options). The food was beautifully presented and delicious. The portion sizes were perfect (i.e. not ridiculous American portions). They serve three meals a day in the dining room, but I only ate dinners there.
I did not try any of the specialty dining rooms, but I heard it was worth the extra expense for the even more superlative food and service.
The programming
There is no shortage of activities on the cruise, from education to entertainment. I was fairly selective in the programs I attended, and was quite pleased with all of them.
I especially appreciated the nature and culture programs focused on upcoming ports of call and Native Alaskan culture. It was really cool that an actual National Park Ranger climbed up a ladder to board the ship for the day’s programming at Glacier Bay National Park. He was accompanied by a Tlingit representative who shared the highs and lows of the Native Alaska experience.
Another really interesting program was a behind the scenes peek into running the ship, and the ship’s technology. It’s really incredible technology, almost self-sustaining and sustainable…except for the giant diesel engine.
Sleeping in the same bed for one week
When you travel and are trying to see as much as possible, it can get really exhausting packing up and moving to a new spot every few days. That’s one reason why we typically prefer to stay longer in a place.
Cruising makes it possible to visit different places while still coming “home” to the same room every night. No packing and unpacking and schlepping your bags around figuring out how to get to your next hotel.
Meeting people
Although I am an introvert, I enjoyed having the opportunity to meet new people when I was in the mood.
In the dining room, they give you the option to sit at your own table, or to be put at a table with strangers—usually at tables of 4 to 6 people. We opted to share a table a few times. We had some fun conversations with new people, but know that you are you are rolling the dice (we had to artfully dodge some proselytizing at one dinner!).
I didn’t make any lasting friendships (nor did I expect to). It was just nice to have the option to have company or be on your own.
Finely tuned logistics and operations
The ship is a well-oiled machine, both literally and figuratively. And it should be no surprise, with one staff person per 2-3 guests.
There are a lot of logistics going on behind the scenes, from the moment you check-in. Your bag magically appears at your cabin door, where you also pick up your personalized room key. They have fully cleaned and turned around all 986 cabins in the few hours since the last two thousand guests stepped off the ship. Meanwhile, someone somewhere is doing a lot of laundry. And I don’t even want to think about the logistics of the kitchens.
Everything was right on schedule, and done right. When you do the same routine over and over again, I guess you get pretty darn good at it.
And of course, the ship was very clean and tidy. I do appreciate that about mariners.
Good signage
As a cruising novice, I appreciated the copious signage on the ship, down to the elevator carpets that tell you what day of the week it was. They tell you which end of the ship is the front (bow) and back (stern), and which side is left (port) and right (starboard).
There was helpful signage just about everywhere you needed it.
What I didn’t like
Sure enough, there were some parts of the experience that I didn’t love.
Too many people
The HAL Noordam has capacity for 1,924 guests (and 800 crew). That’s a lot of people doing the same things at once: eating, being entertained, boarding, disembarking. So it’s understandable that it gets especially crowded at meal time in the Lido deck, trying to find a table, and trying not to bump people with plates piled high with food. But the food never runs out.
Too many people also meant limited seating or space for some of the biologist talks that I wanted to attend. Now I know to get there early for those that are important to me.
Not enough time in port
I’m a slow traveler.
So spending 6 to 10 hours in a town is just not going to be enough, even in the sleepy towns along the Alaska coast. It is just enough to get a taste of the place and realize you want to come back. I guess the solution is to go on the 14-day round-trip cruise so you hit each town twice!
Stuffy air
There was no shortage of chilly fresh air available on the many decks of the Noordam. But the interior hallways and our state room felt a little stuffy and in need of aeration. We did not splurge on a balcony room, so we had no way to open up the window and let some fresh air in.
Putting on the pounds
I had grand ambitions to go to the ship’s gym and shirk the cruiser weight gain that you hear about, but nope. I looked at the gym on the first day, and it looked lovely. And I never saw it again.
I didn’t really overeat or pig out at the buffet, but I did have more dessert than I usually have. Like every day. I think that’s what did it. Oh, and they had afternoon tea a few times. Who can resist?
And if anyone at Holland America Line is reading this, you need to improve your recipes for scones, crepes and pancakes. Everything else was tasty.
Too much service
Hear me out. I’m the kind of person that hangs the Do Not Disturb sign on the door of the hotel so that I don’t have to deal with housekeeping coming in every day.
So to have the room attendants (as delightful as they were) coming in two to three times a day was a lot. Everything they did was thoughtful and top-notch service—chocolates on the pillow, towel animals, information for the next day, cleaning. It’s just a lot for me.
I did get used to it, though, always entering the room with anticipation, wondering what delights we would find when we got back to the room!
Would I take another cruise?
Yes (surprise!)
But I would only want to take a cruise where, once again, being on the water is adding value to the experience, not just a means of transportation. Where you can see things from the water that you wouldn’t be able to see another way.
What would I do differently?
I definitely learned some lessons from my first cruise experience.
Get a balcony room
I tried unsuccessfully to convince my partner to splurge and get a balcony room for this cruise…and I kinda wished I had pushed harder. It would have been nice to at least have an unobstructed view, instead of the view into a very large lifeboat. Mostly, a balcony room would have allowed us to open the door and get some fresh air. Our room was perfectly adequate in terms of size and amenities, but it was a little stuffy.
Of course a balcony room is usually considerably more expensive on an already expensive trip.
Consider the drink/wifi package
I am not saying I would get the drink/wifi package if I were to go on another cruise, but I would seriously consider it.
The HAL Signature drink package includes up to 15 (!) per day alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, including specialty coffees—and wifi. The cost is $55 per person per day (plus 18 percent gratuity)—that’s an additional $434 per person for a 7-day cruise. And if one person gets it, both people in the cabin have to get it. Yikes.
I did the math, and with a $100 excursion credit with some offers, you really break even at around 4-5 drinks per day, not including the value of the wifi.
That said, we spent around $375 on alcohol for two of us on our 7-day cruise, so we came out about $500 ahead! Most importantly, we took away the temptation to drink more than we should just because it was included.
As for wifi, I thought it would be a good practice to be disconnected for most of a week. I also thought I would have cell reception while we were in port, which was not at all the case! Pro tip: you get the best cell service with AT&T in Southeast Alaska.
After writing all that up, it turns out I am still on the fence on whether to buy or not to buy!
Better plan port days in advance
Not having cell service or wifi made it harder to figure out our port plans on the fly. I should have done a better job figuring out how to spend my days in port in advance. Since there is such limited time in port, you really have to be strategic if there are specific things you want to do.
Pack some spiffier outfits
I’m no fashion maven.
But if I were just traveling for the cruise and then home again, I would pack a nicer outfit for the more formal evenings in the dining room. We certainly weren’t on one of those cruises that wants you to wear a tux, but it’s nice to look spiffy once in a while.
There was a wide range of outfits in the dining room, even on formal nights. I was never the worst dressed, but still, I could have done better.
It seems cruises often have theme nights as well. Holland America has orange night, where everyone wears at least a splash of orange. I was not prepared for this. I don’t know why they don’t tell you this in advance (probably because they sell orange gear in the gift shop!)
Final Thoughts
I am still not a cruise person, but I have definitely softened my stance a little.
I enjoyed the experience as a consumer, but I still struggle with the impacts of cruise ships on these little towns. The towns make all their money for the year in a few months, but at a cost of being overrun with cruisers for the good part of the day, every day all summer. There were signs in Juneau promoting (and others opposing) a bill that would make their Saturdays ship-free during the summer. I can see both sides.
I will concede that cruising provides a great introduction to Alaska, giving you a taste of the natural and cultural beauty of the 49th state, enabling you to see it from a unique perspective.
If you do go on a cruise, make sure to spend your money in town, supporting local and native businesses. As always, do what you can to make travel a force for good.
