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Wonderful cruise by
A Traveler from Sacramento, CA Sailing date: Nov 2011Pros: The service, the food and going through the panama canal. Cons: The spa was overpriced and they tried to sell you products. The Statendman was a wonderful ship. The crew was amazing, the captain was incredible, the entertainment was great and the food was delicious. Ship QualityVery clean, plenty of places to sit. Exploration lounge was the best. Dining/Food
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Ship Staff QualityAmazing staff. Entertainment & Activities
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Oranjestad, ArubaGo off the beaten path and you will be able to see iguanas and crabs.
Puerto Caldera, Costa RicaEverything.
Don't Miss: cruise down the Tacoles river Huatulco, MexicoGo on the rural town excursion. It will give you a lot of history and things that you don't see in town.
Cabo San Lucas, MexicoPeople were really nice. Town is great. Didn't like the ATV excursion as much as the other things I have done.
 2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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  Delight snatched from disaster by
Steve N from Wichita, KS Sailing date: Jul 2009Pros: Holland America's constant attention to customer satisfaction. Cons: The typically Alaskan weather We recently had an opportunity to sail on Holland America's Statendam while doing the northbound run from Vancouver B.C. to Anchorage, Alaska.
The trip was almost ruined before it began when it took two Northwest Airlines gate agents 45 minutes to check in about 20 travelers and who then told us we were too late to make our first flight, even though we still had 25 minutes in a relatively small airport. Unfortunately, we only had one shot at getting to Vancouver in time to make the cruise, however a call to Holland America's Urgent Travel department produced results which still amaze me today. A very professional agent named Linnea listened to our plight, then put us on hold for about 5 minutes and came back on the phone with totally new travel arrangements including hotels for the first two nights. While we did miss the first sea day and two nights of the cruise, the arrangements made in their place were equivalent (if not better) as we got to spend a full day in the first port city (Ketchikan) before the ship arrived. A local Holland America rep met us at the Ketchikan airport and took us to our hotel and then again met us the next morning and took us to the ship. From the pier, a Statendam rep took us aboard and checked us in as if we were VIPs - still in time for our morning shore excursion! Holland America picked up all expenses for our re-routing and the service was fantastic!
From check-in to disembarkation, the service on-board was nothing less than excellent. The smaller ship made cruising the glaciers in Glaciers National Park really breathtaking, while still providing the stability for a smooth ride. All of our shore excursions were facilitated by knowledgeable guides and were very interesting and comfortable. Our outside cabin was relatively large with an nicely sized bathroom, and our "obstructed view" window was anything but - the main obstruction was that it overlooked the walking track on the Promenade deck. Our last minute booking required us to dine in the open seating area of the Rotterdam restaurant however we were immediately seated each night regardless of our arrival time. The food was on par with any mass produced cruise line fare and was served promptly by friendly and attentive waitstaff.
Holland America has definitely won my next-cruise business with their immediate and courteous service and continued attention to detail. Ship Quality
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Juneau, Alaska
Ketchikan, AlaskaTake the cable car ($2 round trip) to the Cape Fox Lodge for a breathtaking view of the city and a fabulous meal at the restaurant.
Skagway, AlaskaThe White Pass and Yukon Railroad is an experience to be found nowhere else than Skagway.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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A wonderful first cruise. by
Frank from Sonora, CA Sailing date: Sep 2006Pros: It's staff...they always they to please! The entire process was very enjoyable. The room comes with a balcony, which, in my opinion, is a must for any cruise where you will be viewing scenery from the ship. It allows you to view, and take photographs from your own private area, instead of having to deal with crowds of people all trying to get "a good shot" of whatever scenery you are passing. Every evening, a program of the next days activities is delivered to the room. This allows you to plan your day. There is also information provided, regarding the ship's course, and expected weather for the next day. On this first cruise, I did not participate in any of the excursions. I was very happy to explore the various ports of call, on my own. I did learn one important thing regarding excursions though. If you book the excursion through Holland America, and, for some reason, the excursion is late getting back to the ship, the ship will generally wait for you. One thing that sold me on Holland America was our day in Glacier Bay. When the ship got close to the glaciers, the Captain would stop the ship, and rotate it with the ship's thrusters so everyone, no matter which side you were on, had a chance to view, and get great photos, of the glaciers. The food was exceptional. Several of our table mates, ordered two entres for each dinner. I do not know how they ate them. Dinner is always a five course meal. Holland America does have about two formal nights, during each 7 day cruise. For those, anything from a Tux, to a sport coat and tie are acceptable. The average age for this cruise was about 50-55. Holland America is an old style cruise line; they are not "party boats." My experience was, if you needed anything, all you had to do, was ask, and they would do their best to take care you your need. Entertainment & Activities
Entertainment: The ship's resident cast is always good, and the "Crew Shows" put on by the Phillipine, or Indonesian (depending on which week you are there) crew members to be very entertaining. The "imported acts" aren't always the best, and are usually names you have never heard of. 19 out of 19 people found this review helpful.
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Ship Review by
Vic from Fort Myers, FL Sailing date: Mar 2007Pros: The ship is OLD, the only good thing about the ship is the itinerary. The ship is old, A/C barely worked. The fantastic agenda was ruined, the ship didn't stay long enough in some of the ports (Singapore). We docked on wrong side of Bali, so what was seen, a poor fishing village and not beauty of the island. As bad as the ship was (ie Air Conditioning) HAL made it right by giving us a very large credit which made the ship much more tolerable and make us want to go again on HAL. Entertainment & Activities
9 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Staff was great! by
Susan from Minnesota Sailing date: Feb 2007Pros: Entertainment facilities. With the exception of not getting early dining and the bad disembarkation experience, the trip was very nice. Ports were pleasing and tours were a good value. Tour bus drivers should have spoken more slowly. Food was good and plenty of it. Entertainment & ActivitiesActivities: Personel were not accommodating - 1 minute late and not able to participate.
26 out of 33 people found this review helpful.
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We had a relaxing long vacation. by
A Traveler from Seattle Sailing date: Oct 2010Pros: We appreciated our steward Wayan the most, he was wonderful. The accomodation was very nice, we were upgraded and the employees on board were very friendly and helpful. Cons: Disembarkation took forever due to persons who do not think the rules apply to them. It should have been handled differently than it was. We missed our flight due to the process. There was no need for that at all. This was our fourth Holland America cruise, and they keep getting better.
We would definitely cruise with them again. Ship Quality
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8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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