NORTH TO ALASKA

This was our first time to sail on a cruise ship (I do not count walking on the Queen Mary as being on a cruise ship!). Pam and I had been "nervous" about getting seasick from a rocking boat, or getting the dreaded norovirus that has plagued so many cruises in recent years. Fortunately, neither issue materialized. This was a very smooth sailing vessel, and as mentioned in the home page, the quick action by the Captain prevented any sort of norovirus outbreak. In thinking back about our ship adventure, there is NOTHING I could suggest to Holland American to have made it better.

I found a critique on a website that appears to state pretty accurately my assessment of the Oosterdam. So, here are the writer's comments that resonate with my assessment of this beautiful vessel:

"On Oosterdam, the bones of a typical Holland America interior are draped in a much bolder color palette than in the past. Big, bright red, orange and gold hues abound in the public rooms, most noticeably in the three-deck tall Vista Show Lounge. Blue and aquamarine carpets provide a colorful counterpoint throughout the ship. Given the fact that the Vista Class ships are meant not to abandon the Holland America legacy of refined elegance but rather to add to those core qualities, it's important to note here that, at least on the sailing we reviewed, the gentle, accommodating service afforded by the Indonesian and Filipino stewards was still front and center.

In 2009, Oosterdam went through a "Signature of Excellence" dry dock. Structural changes included the addition of 34 new staterooms and the development of a new Pinnacle Bar, available both as a pre-prandial watering hole for those dining in that Holland America signature alternative dining venue, and, for the first time, to all other passengers as well. Also added were a new library-cum-coffee bar-cum Internet Café, a new alternative Italian eatery, new intimate screening room, and dedicated enrichment facilities -- all of which will be discussed in detail in the body of this review. "

We stayed in a Neptune Suite - a beautiful room with its own balcony. We were on the 7th floor - just past mid-ship. This suite gave us access to the Nepture Lounge - a great place to grab some great snacks and hang out with other guests on our floor. We dined at the formal dining room (Vista Lounge), and ate at the buffet as well. The food was outstanding. It was difficult not to take too much at the buffet! Surprisingly, I did not pick up weight on this cruise (I have read that most travelers can figure picking up a pound a day!). Yikes - that would not be good. I think because we were so active on this sea/land adventure that we burned off the extra calories we ate. None of us were inclined to "graze" at the buffet or other eating areas - something that would tempt anyone with the quality of their food!

The ship sailed beautifully in the sea. For most of the cruise, we were in the Inside Passage. Bill had told us that it would be a very smooth ride - and he was absolutely correct. It was only on our last leg of the voyage from Glacier Bay to Seward that there was any noticeable motion to the ship. Still, it was very slow and controlled and that presented no issue to any of us. I would tell anyone concerned about getting seasick not to be on this particular cruise. I cannot relate to other ships - they may have different underwater "wings" to stabilize the ship. All I can say is that those on the Oosterdam worked very well!

We spent a lot of time in the Crows Nest - a large area on the 10th level with glass all around giving guests a gorgeous panoramic view of the scenery. We would order drinks and some snack-type food while watching for whales and other points of interest. The third deck allowed passengers to pretty much walk around the entire outside of the ship. That was cool!

We took a lot of pictures onboard the ship, and I will share some of those below. To enlarge, click on the picture and a new window will pop up with a larger image. When done viewing, just close the "tab" or window - NOT the entire page!

Board Ship (Bill in foreground)	In Vancouver at dock	Goodbye to Canada
Leaving Vancouver	Another Pool View	Another Sea View Pool View
Rear Pool - "Sea View"	Jacuzzis at Rear Pool	Bill, Mary and Pam in Crows Nest
Pam on our veranda (balcony)	Me on our veranda	View from our room
Pam on formal night	Me all spruced up for formal dinner!	Pam and I at the formal dinner
Bill and Mary - formal dinner (looking sharp)	Fancy chairs!!!	Rear of the ship (in port)
Another view from veranda	Casino - Las Vegas Style!!!	One of many life boats
Glass elevators	This is deck 3- goes around the boat.	Our door to the suite
Hallway outside of our suite (Mary and Bill are next to us)	Another view of casino	Art gallery onboard - nice pictures!!
Entrance to Pinnacle Grill	Bill and Mary at our great dinner-Pinnacle Grill	Pam and Dick at Pinnacle Grill
Looking out window at Pinnacle Grill	Elevator area on our 7th floor	Check out the smooth inside passage water!!

Here are some videos to enjoy!

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View of the rear of the ship and the Sea View Pool

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Under way leaving Port of Vancouver

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