We had a fun little adventure last weekend. The Alaskan cruise season just kicked off and my wife and I were lucky enough to get a tour of the ms Westerdam from Holland America Line.
Taking a cruise is one of the best ways to take the stress out of your vacation. You don’t have to drive anywhere. The ship is your hotel and does all of the traveling for you. All you need to do is disembark when it stops and then head out for an adventure. And of course there is the food. Most cruise ships have enough variety to offer you something different for each day of your voyage.
But you know what sold me on the idea of an Alaskan cruise? It was this chair and this view. The Westerdam has a few of these Eames chairs in the Exploration Cafe. How fantastic would it be to sink into one of those chairs, coffee in hand, and then to gaze out at the Alaskan coastline? When I think about my windowless office, the view from the Westerdam seems pretty nice by comparison.
Taking a Cruise with Children
We always travel as a family, so my wife and I were interested in seeing the areas for children during our tour. Holland America Line has Club HAL, which offers separate programs for teens, tweens, and children ages 3-7. Our son falls into the last category, so he would get to take part in activities like pirate treasure hunts, storytelling, “Little Artists” crafts, ice cream sundae parties, and the ever popular farewell pajama party.
Tweens (ages 8-12) have activities like Xbox tournaments, relay races, scavenger hunts, and karaoke disco parties. Then there is The Loft for Teens (ages 13-17) where they can enjoy mocktail mixology classes, late night sporting competitions, hip hop classes, scavenger hunts, tech classes, and teen-only night club events.
The great thing is that Club HAL is included with the price of your cruise. You don’t have to pay extra for your child to enjoy these special areas and activities. When you have a child in your group, you get a Club HAL itinerary included with the daily schedule delivered to your room. Most children use the schedule like a menu and pick out the activities they want to take part in that day.
Of course, Holland America Line could build the most elaborate children’s area in the world but it wouldn’t matter if you couldn’t trust the staff. That is why I was impressed when I spoke with several of the Club HAL staff members. I learned they are specially trained for their jobs and that many of the staff members have degrees in education or childhood development.
The cruise line plans ahead for the number of children that will be onboard and brings in enough staff members to keep a good ratio of employees to children. One of the staff members told us that Holland America flew her in from another ship because the Westerdam had a few extra children on board for that sailing.
I learned that it is common to find families with children on the summer and Alaskan cruises. When you live in the greater Seattle area, it is easy to see why. It would be really convenient to park at the pier and then head out for a week of care free fun.
Dining Aboard Holland America Line
We were lucky enough to have lunch onboard the ship and got to experience BB King’s Blues Club. If you go onboard, you have to try the Lucille and Strong Island Iced Tea from the drink menu (and then find someone to carry you back to your room). The Westerdam has several other upgraded dining experiences worth checking out:
- An Evening at Le Cirque takes place in the Pinnacle Grill one evening on each cruise. They change out the decor in the restaurant to give it a Le Cirque worthy whimsical ambiance. Everything is recreated to make it feel like Le Cirque from the menus, to the orange china, and even Le Cirque’s famous creme brulee.
- For a more casual dining experience, ‘Dive-In’ is a new gourmet hamburger and hot dog area next to the pool. I didn’t get a chance to eat one of the burgers, but they sure looked good. The restaurant also serves Nathan’s Famous all beef hot dogs, complete with a selection of fries.
- Holland America Line has a new “small plate” menu at the Canaletto restaurant. It was created to offer a more authentic, festive Italian dining experience on the ship. When I looked at the menu, I saw that they had several dishes like Zuppa di Pesce and Vermouth Braised Clams that would be great for sharing.
All of that fancy food is wonderful for the adults, but many families have children who are picky eaters. To make things easier, the ship serves a wide variety of kid-pleasing food which includes items like hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and chicken, plus chef’s specials like beef tacos, grilled cheese, fish and chips and spaghetti. You can request baby food, high chairs, booster seats, and cribs when you make your reservation.
When parents want a special night out, you can drop your child off at Club HAL After Hours, which is offered from 10:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. For only $5, your child can enjoy some fun evening activities while you get to enjoy a quiet dinner and a few adult beverages. Seems like a bargain to me!
Alaskan Cruise Itineraries
Holland America Line has a few “Land and Sea” voyages that will take you through places like Denali National Park and into the heart of the Klondike gold rush country. There are 13 Alaskan cruises scheduled in 2015 ranging in length from 10 to 20 days.
Each cruise option combines a three- to seven-night Holland America Line cruise with a one-, two- or three-night stay at Denali National Park. Holland America Line just purchased the McKinley Chalets Hotel in Denali National Park, which is where you will stay for that part of the trip.
When you walk around a Holland America Line cruise ship, you can’t help but notice the old world elegance that went into the design. Elements like a Waterford Crystal ship in the lobby, elaborately designed elevator doors, and extensive artwork throughout the common areas gives the ship a sophisticated, refined appearance. I felt like I was strolling through a grand palace everywhere we went.
The Westerdam also has a world class spa and salon where you can relax in the sauna, gaze out on the ocean from one of the heated lounge chairs, or unwind in the pool. 
As the great philosopher Jimmy Buffett once said, “I’m sorry it’s ended. It’s sad but it’s true. Honey it’s been a lovely cruise.” After a few hours onboard, we eventually had to disembark. We had a wonderful time exploring the ms Westerdam and left dreaming of taking our own Alaskan cruise someday. Thank you to Holland America Line for the hospitality! We had a fantastic time.
