Hollland America Alaska Cruise

[Toby]

Has anyone ever been on this cruise to Alaska using their points.
Husband and I are toying with the idea of using points for this
cruise. Would you recommend it for a 19yo girl and a 15yo boy?or is it basically for adults. Is the ship nice? Is it cool in Alaska in August?
We're going on the Disney Cruise this April, and with leftover points, we'd have enough for 2 passengers. I'd love to try it...
Thanks for any info...

 

[DVC Chris]

I took an Alaskan Cruise with Holland America back in 1995. It is often said that once you take and Alaska cruise, no other cruise seems as special and to me, its true. The scenery and wildlife is fabulous. Holland America is a GREAT cruise line with great ships that don't pack too many people in. I have taken two cruises with them and loved it both times. I would HIGHLY reccommend an Alaskan Cruise to anyone and Holland America (and Princess) really have a great reputation for Alaska cruises because they have many ships there in the summer months. I don't have kids, so it's hard for me to comment on if they will enjoy it. If they like seeing wildlife, etc, they'll have a great time.

 

[tiffany123]

We have crusied Alaska twice in the last 4 years and can't wait to go back. If your teenagers like the outdoors and adventure, they will love the cruise. There are tons of things for them to do, both on and off the ship. If you decide to go, you might want to look into a cruise/tour option so that you can see more of Alaska. There's no place on earth like it. We had a 4 day land extension in 1997 and a 7 day one this time. Weather is unpredictable. Can be in the 80's one day and in the 40's the next day. If you want to visit Alaska, you just go prepared for sudden weather changes and don't let inclement weather ruin your vacation. You won't go wrong with Princess or Holland America---both are Alaska experts.

 

[wdw1972]

Holland America is my favorite cruise line, and we're cruising with them to Alaska on June 1st - but are using cash. I wanted to get a mini-suite with a veranda, and did not want to eat up a huge chunk of dvc points, and as a HAL veteran I get 50% off on their cruises paying cash.

My son is 15, and he's looking forward to the cruise. He's excited about Alaska, but also thrilled to be returning to HAL, after his last cruise on DCL! I would definitely recommend HAL for *any* cruise, but particularly Alaska. August is not the best time in terms of weather....it's rainier then. They say early June is the warmest time, but even their *warm* will probably feel freezing to those of us coming from Florida!

 

[Toby]

Thank you so much for all your info about Holland America. Maybe June would be a better month to go there. i'm dying to go, but husband hesitant - thinks it will be boring...crazy, huh? He's open to it, though...hopefully I can "twist" his arm...

 

[travelbug]

I took an Alaska cruise in mid-June a few years ago. The weather was generally much better than we had expected. We only wore sweatshirts for 2 days out of 7. Otherwise we were in short sleeves and cotton slacks (upper 60s and low 70s). On the day we docked in Skagway, the temp. actually got up to 86. We were totally surprised.

Apart from temps, the weather was pretty changeable. It would change back and forth between sun, clouds, drizzle, and fog. As somebody else said, it's good to go prepared for any weather conditions and just be flexible.

Alaska is breathtakingly beautiful! I would love to go back, and would recommend the trip to anyone who loves the outdoors and awesome scenery. There's also some interesting history at some of the ports, especially Sitka and Skagway.

The whole experience on the cruise ship was terrific too. We did not go on Holland America (we went with Celebrity Cruise Line), but I have heard excellent things about Holland America.

As far as the timing goes, I have heard that the black flies descend on Alaska during July and early August and that they are everywhere during that time. I don't know that for a fact, but I do remember that it was part of the reason we opted for a mid-June trip.

Good luck as you consider the possibilities!