REVIEW OF HAL KONINGSDAM! |Cruise to Alaska from Vancouver, BC |
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- Опубліковано 5 лип 2024
- This is our last day at sea aboard Holland America's Koningsdam. We are on our way back from Alaska after visiting Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Glacier Bay National Park. After you watch our last day at sea, we will tell you our thoughts about the Alaskan Cruise and give you our rating overall about the cruise.
The Koningsdam is a stunning cruise ship operated by Holland America Line. It's the first in the Pinnacle class of ships and offers a mix of classic and modern elements. With a capacity for around 2,600 passengers, it features various dining options, entertainment venues, luxurious accommodations, and activities suitable for a wide range of interests. The ship has a reputation for its elegant design, exceptional service, and a variety of experiences, including music venues, culinary arts centers, and spa facilities. If you're planning a trip on the Koningsdam, you're in for a treat!
Holland America Line (HAL) is a cruise line renowned for its premium cruising experience. With a rich history spanning over 145 years, it's known for its classic elegance, exceptional service, and a focus on destinations and enrichment. HAL offers a wide array of cruise itineraries, ranging from shorter trips to extended global voyages.
The line is acclaimed for its spacious and well-appointed ships, featuring diverse onboard activities, entertainment, and dining options. It's a popular choice for travelers who appreciate a more traditional cruising experience with a touch of modern luxury.
Holland America cruises often focus on enrichment programs, including culinary experiences, art workshops, and cultural activities, along with high-quality entertainment, making it an attractive choice for travelers seeking a refined and comfortable cruising experience.
Alaskan cruises are incredibly popular and offer a unique way to explore the stunning and diverse landscapes of Alaska. These cruises typically navigate the Inside Passage, a coastal route known for its breathtaking scenery, including fjords, glaciers, and lush forests.
Passengers on Alaskan cruises often get the chance to witness incredible wildlife, such as whales, eagles, bears, and various marine life. Ports of call might include places like Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, and sometimes stops in Canadian cities like Victoria or Vancouver.
Shore excursions are a big part of these cruises, offering activities like whale watching, hiking, dog sledding on glaciers, or visiting indigenous cultural centers. The best time for Alaskan cruises is typically during the summer months when the weather is milder, and the wildlife is more active.
The experience on an Alaskan cruise is not just about the destinations; the onboard experience, with lectures, entertainment, and dining, often complements the journey by enriching the understanding of the region's culture, wildlife, and history.
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***About***
We are Ron and Jodi. We have been together since 1992 and have been traveling and exploring around the Pacific Northwest and beyond the entire time. Please join us as we go rambling around our next 30 years while living our “work hard, play hard” philosophy. We will try to show as much of our adventures, tips and reviews as we can through our journey practicing for retirement.
This channel will be about adventures big and small, weekend getaways traveling in the motorhome exploring our region to flying away on extended vacations discovering new destinations. We hope to inspire others to make time to travel, explore and discover what our land has to offer.
We love to check out breweries, restaurants, local hikes in the area as well as traveling away to see what other destinations have to show us. We take our dogs as much as we can, but some areas aren't made for our furry kiddos.
Not every video will be an award winner but all we need is someone to laugh and enjoy the ride along the way.
Fantastic wrap-up to this series - it was so entertaining and yet educational at the same time. Your film-work was fantastic and editing spot-on. The story worked perfectly - love how you covered different topics from geography to eateries, activities and the bars and shows. So much useful information here - we will watch the series again when we are closer to planning a trip of our own. and really appreciate the review and ranking summary, it was well structured and very clear. Holland sounds like the way to go - and Costco is a great tip - thanks for doing this series!
Wow what a wonderful comment!! Thank you so much you have been a wonderful supporter of our channel and have become a friend. We hope to one day meet up with you two! Thx again so much!
Holland America was the first cruise line to cruise to Alaska, so they always have the closest dock to the towns! We were on the Koningsdam in July/23 and enjoted it very much.
Yes that's why we picked Holland America for our cruise and recommend them! Also the added bonus of enjoying Glacier Bay we mentioned your great facts in one of our videos and we will do a couple more cruises with them maybe next time we will go out of Seattle!! Thank-you so much for watching and commenting we really appreciate your support!! Do you have any other cruise destinations or cruise lines you recommend? We are going again in a few months but we are thinking of trying to do a couple cruises a year in between RV Life! Thanks again and we hope your a Rambler!
Breakfast on the balcony looks like the way to go! Great poler bear plunge! Your videos are at a next level! Perfect videography ! Your rating segment was presented in an engaging way with the video playing behind you. I give you a 20 out of 10 for your excellent Alaska Cruise Video Series!
Amazing comments I will let Ron know all those many many hours editing is paying off. We are trying to make the content better and better sometimes our filming helps sometimes we have to work magic. We really have appreciated all your support along the way. We are so very close to our main goal. Thank you!
Absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing with us ❤❤❤
Thank you so much for joining us! This was a wonderful trip. We always appreciate your support and comment!
😻🌞🌼 Super video! LOVE THIS! Happy Sunday!
Thank you so much we always appreciate it when you join us. Your support along the way has meant a lot! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences! That was really helpful!
Thank you so much for watching!
Awesome Cruise to Alaska from Vancouver
Thank you so much we appreciate the support!
Always loving to watch here my friend congratulations!
Thank you for the support!
Awesome wrap up video!! Great trip guys!!
Thanks for the comment and your time on our watch hours! We appreciate it!
Great, score! The well footage was awesome! Nice to see Ron participate in the pool jump! And I’m glad you guys had such a good time that Ron is willing to go back on a ship!
Thanks so much Tone for always watching our videos and commenting we are really very thankful. We appreciate it so much!! Hope all is well!
Wonderful.....love watching you guys, never far from a beer...
Hello so glad to see you again!! Funny you say that we just finished a very big beer video should be out within a week and it is crazy showing how many breweries we visited in one town on one trip you will be surprised. Thanks so much for watching we appreciate your comment. Hope all is well!
A very well detailed review, Ron and Jodi! Thank you so much. 👏👍
Tha ks for watching we appreciate the support. Great to see you again Have a Happy New Year!!
Wonderful wrap up series. Great reviews and honestly the whole cruise series was fun and I really enjoyed watching. Thank you so much my Rambler friends 🤗🤗💕
Wow thank you we are very appreciative that you followed along and enjoyed. We will be doing more for sure. Thanks once again for the great support!
Nice job guys. Very informative. Rock on Ramblin'!
Thanks it's always great to see you we appreciate the support!
Thank you for sharing your experience and expertise, making it feel like I've embarked on the journey with you! 👍👍👍
Thank you so much for joining us that's how we wanted you to feel so glad you liked it. We appreciate your comments and support!
WOW! fun and exciting cruise to Alaska and Vancouver.
Excellent video footage and editing.
Well done and big thumbs up..
Thank you so much for the great support and commenting we appreciate it!
Great review 👏 I really loved your cruise editions! Im so happy youvall had such a great time! Enjoyed the polar plunge 😅 Fabulous highlights from the trip 😊
That polar plunge was silly. Thanks for joining us we appreciate the support! It was a great trip and sounds like we will have more cruises to share in the future.
Looks like you guys have a lot of fun. Looks like delicious food. Thanks for sharing my friends☕️☕️
Thank you so much for the continued support and great comments. We really appreciate the both of you and our friendship. Hope all is going well !
Great review. Sounds like Holland America is really nice cruise line. Fantastic that you are going to go on another cruise and can take us along.
It really was a great cruise and the trip was way better then we imagined. Thank you so much for joining us and the fantastic support along the way. We really are very appreciative.
Wonderful cruise. Have a nice Sunday ❤
Thank you for joining us we really did enjoy it. We appreciate the support and comment!
That breakfast view was amazing... and the orca whale was a beautiful moment.
Great job with the edition, keep enjoying the trip tohether. Big Like! 💙
Thank you for watching and of course commenting was wonderful. That was a nice relaxing breakfast and this whole cruise was fantastic. Thanks for joining us we really have been appreciating your support!
Excellent wrap up video! You both do a terrific job making your videos helpful, beautifully shot and fun. I've enjoyed all your videos in this series, especially since I will be taking this exact cruise in August. Thank you for sharing your adventures so exceptionally.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting. Your going to have a wonderful time please stay in touch and give us a shout out and let us know how it's going. Enjoy and thanks again for the support. Our next cruise will be Caribbean and we will be putting out a Seattle video in a couple weeks if that is a stop of yours
Fun intro. Breakfast fantastic and also like that fancy drink with the celery stick! You do plan ahead for that eating and drinking. Interesting whale sightings. Spa sounds good and safe. Good entertainment. Good to hear about the Holland America. Glacier bay! Value is good. Great review. Yes will cruise again! Personally kind of hoping for Alaska and MX in 2024. Cheers👍
That would be great I would love watching you film a cruise video. Thank you so much for the amazing support and all the great comments. We had a great time. We are so close to our goal we just need a few more watch hours our hard work may pay off. Thank you so much!
Thanks for sharing. 😍😀😁 Have a good day.
Thank you so much for watching and supporting us we appreciate the support!!
Wow…such many great informations for this wonderful cruise, it’s really useful. Guess we will choose it in the future ❤Thank you for great sharing 👍👍Greetings from Color&Shawn 🤗🤗
Hello so good to see you again!! Thank you so much for watching. Absolutely I think you will love it. We appreciate your comments and joining us again! Hope all is well . We will see what you have been up to.
Great review and wrap up your steak looked yummy and loved your deck
All the best stay safe and healthy enjoy the weekend
Thank you that was one of the best meals on the ship. We appreciate the comment and watch hours!
Thank you for nice sharing😊❤Have a nice day😊❤
Thanks for watching we appreciate your comment!
Nice job guys. Such a wonderful wrap-up to this series. Frends of mine went on a Cruise to Alaska from Vancouver a while back and told me how beautiful it was. Glad you guys enjoyed it overall. Looks like Holland America is really a nice cruise line. Love all the great views, food and information. Thanks for sharing with us, have a great week.
Thank you for such wonderful comments. This was a wonderful cruise line especially for our first experience. Alaska was so gorgeous especially Glacier Bay! We will go back one day for sure. We appreciate you watching and supporting us so much we are almost to our main goal! Thank you for the watch hours!
So beautiful! Wish you a wonderful day 🌷☀💝
Thank you so much we appreciate your support!
Watched your video. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for watching and always supporting us!
Thank you for nice sharing!!
Thank you so much for the continued support!!
this is goood my friend ! keep update thank you so much. see you
Thank you so much for the support!
Excellent video upload! thanks for sharing this with us...
Thank you so much for watching!
Like 64
Lovely content. This is so very helpful. Wonderful job and wishing you safe travels and do keep in touch my dear friends 🇨🇦❤️❤️❤️👍👍
Thank you for always watching and commenting you are helping us get closer to our goals with the watch hours. Thank you so much
@@justramblinaround Always a pleasure. You guys are amazing 🇨🇦❤️❤️❤️👍👍😍🇺🇲
Fantastic review 😊
Thank you so much for watching and supporting us!
Never cruise again????
Noooo!!!...😅
If ya's drink more, make sure you eat more!!!🤪
The Polar Bear challenge was funny! Lol...Id be a cub and stay by my mom, warm and dry!!!😂
Having Excellent Service from the crew Definitely enhances a great Cruise!!!👍
Alaska looks Amazing!!!😍
Definitely would be interested on a journey there if we're blessed with a chance.
Awesome Review, as usual!!!
Thanks So Much!!!
And Great to hear Ron will be Cruising again!!!😁👌👊
It was a silly challenge but somewhat entertaining. Alaska was amazing and would recommend it. The cruise was nice Thank you so much for joining us! We appreciate you watching!
I like the wrap up concept. This was very informative. If I were to do a cruise Alaska would be it.
It was great you would enjoy I would bet you would do the hiking excursions. They have some great outdoor excursions. Thx for the support!
This is so much fun, you got to see whales! That makes the experience very special, and Ron's polar plunge is too funny. I like how you said you had to go straight over to the spa after.
Looks like the drink package is good on this cruise. There is so much variety of things to do combined with the majestic natural experiences and viewings.
It sounds like you were happy with the amount of space you had, and the service/entertainment, excursions, cleanliness, organization etc. Your food reviews gave an honest take on it. Food is pretty important on vacation.
Thanks for sharing, this really gives a good snapshot of the cruise, well done.
🚢🚢😀👍👍
Thank you so much for all the support and great comments! This was a wonderful cruise you are so lucky you could go get on a cruise from BC easily. That polar plunge was very silly we thought maybe 10 boxes of ice were going in?? The drink package obviously worked well for us. LoL!! Thx again for the great comments!
Yall are too cute!! I love the cocktail count and the honest review of the ship. Trying to plan our very first cruise.
Thank you so much for the comment we really appreciate your support. We did have several videos on this trip if you were able to check them out hope they all help and don't hesitate if you have any questions. We also just put out a Seattle video if your going out from Seattle. Hope your a Rambler and we see you again we are going on another cruise in just a couple months and can't wait to share it we are upping our game every time!! 😊 Thank you again so much! Also appreciate your name being spelled correctly! 😊
Hi Jodi & Ron
I reading the description & watching...play on
1:21 oh breakfast with yummi black coffee
Marvelous trip i must say
Thank you so much for joining us and commenting!! We appreciate it so much!
@@justramblinaroundour pleaaure dear😊
What a great wrap-up to an awesome trip, love that you went through so many categories!! Someday, definitely got to do this someday! We love a balcony, it makes a big difference in your experience.
Oh yes Alaska was very beautiful. We appreciate you watching and supporting us it means a great deal. We hope we see you one day while we are Ramblin Around!!
@@justramblinaround ditto!! ❤️
Nice sharing ❤big like from my side ❤
Thank you so much for watching and commenting we appreciate the support vey much!
Great cruise trip.
Yes it was a great ship and a nice trip thanks for the support!
Nice job guys. What a nice wrap up.
I felt like I was with you on the cruise. Lots of yummy food, drinks and entertainment. Also you got to see the humpback whales 🐋 🤣
Very cool. You guys are awesome.
Thanks for sharing this video.
Keep up with the great work 👏 😊
Thank you for joining us and all the great comments!
Hello friends wow this is such an unimaginable adventure so very extreme breathtaking , wow awesome,it was quite an adventure 113 huge liked
Thank you so much for watching and supporting us. We appreciate the comments and support thank you so much!
Outstanding view! I will definitely enjoy there! 25:36
Oh for sure it would be impossible not to especially beautiful Glacier Bay!
A fascinating cruise adventure exploring to Alaska from Vancouver. Thank you for taking us to his awesome cruise journey ....
Thanks so much for joining us we are really thankful and getting closer to our goals because of the great support!!
@@justramblinaround its our pleasure
Love this…for all those people that say HAL cruises are for old people… I can’t wait. I’m on that ship for 22 days sailing to Hawaii in a few weeks.
We loved it and we would do it again. It is what you make of it just like everything in life. We are even doing a smaller older ship to the Caribbean next and we will still have a great time. You will Hawaii it is our favorite place. Not sure if I can ever do a cruise cause I get sad even when I leave Maui or Kauai after 2 weeks I couldn't imagine only a few hours. It is very good for you to get a taste of each place and decide where u may return one day. If you love to snorkel I would dona Snorkeling excursion for sure. That sounds like a fun long cruise that I hope to do one day. We did include stuff from the ship on each of our videos including the different restaurants, bars, orange night and drink package info , room tour each video has something different if you want to see more on Koningsdam it was great. Thx for the support!! Have fun!!
We have the Have It All package. I love snorkeling. Didn’t see excursions for that though. Will take another look. My bestie lives on Oahu so I get to go visit her and see the wonders of Hawaii but this is my first time visiting all of the other islands.
This is my second long cruise. In 2017 weeks did Ft. Lauderdale home to Vancouver through the Panama Canal (21 days) on the Niew Amsterdam. This will be my first at length on open sea though. Can’t wait! 25 days til we leave for San Diego, 26 til we board the ship.
Your going to love it sounds like a good time!! Keep us posted!!
That Ice Challenge was a crack up! Don't jump! A booze trip it was...15, how did you feel after drinking 15? The Whale watching was a real treat. Glad you thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and that you would do it again. Great review. Would I do a cruise...That is the question! Thank you for taking us with you on this epic cruise.
Thank you so much for joining us and all the fantastic comments! We drank and ate during a whole day so wasn't that bad but when we got home we for sure didn't drink for a long time and started eating a lot healthier. I think you would love a cruise but I did a ton of research I knew not to get a ship that was huge or with a lot of kids and slides. I also knew to get Ron the spa package and make this relaxing. I am planning another one now and going to do the same start him slowly. Thank you so much for the support!!
Glad you guys enjoyed it. You looked like you had a lot of fun, and were able to do quite a bit. This was a really good series. Now, to convince Bill. 😂😂
I hope you can convince him it really was great. Thank you so much for the support!
Really great review! I was a bit surprised by the cost. They always advertise as much, much lower. It really did look like a fun cruise though, and the scenery is so beautiful. Thanks for sharing 😊
It is quite a bit lower during spring and fall also the starting price is always a cabin with a tiny window then a bigger window then a balcony. Also if you can ever do a last minute cruise when they realize they have a lot of rooms left a month before a cruise they lower them a lot. Thx for watching and commenting so glad you joined us again!
I'll go on Koningsdam in a heartbeat. Loved the Rolling Stones Rock room and BB King's Blues club.
Yes!! We will definitely travel on Koningsdam again!! In a few months we are trying Norwegian but still going with a small ship and keeping it calm and easy for Ron I have to ease him into this. Thx again for the comment and supporting our channel. So happy you watched hope you are a Rambler we have a Seattle video coming put tomorrow and another cruise in a couple months! Thx again!
Great video as always!! Glad you are now fellow cruisers!!😊.
If you liked HAL I think you will also like Princess ( our favorite) and Celebrity. They all meet at the same price point and similar quality.
Happy cruising!!
Jeff and Becky.
Thank you so much! I am looking and both of those have came up from several people I have been told not to bother with carnival but it does have a great deal. An older Norwegian cruise ship is doing a cruise the exact days and place I want to go. It is smaller and doesn't have a bunch of slides and kid things thinking it may be good to keep just warming Ron up. Do you guys still RV too?
@@justramblinaround You will not be happy with Carnival or RCCL after cruising HAL. Lots of people and in general poor organization. We haven't done NCL since our honeymoon many years ago! We don't RV, but we like learning watching your videos!
terima kasih sharingnya saudaraku, bagus
salam sukses dan sehat selalu
Thank you!
Like 31 👍
Greetings from Naples, Florida. So neat that you saw whales. Ron is braver than we with the polar plunge, LOL. And we agree with you about buffets. Glad to hear you enjoyed the cruise line. Thanks for sharing with us, have a great weekend 💯
Thanks again for watching and the comments. This was a great cruise and we loved Alaska. Our next cruise is either going out from Florida or California we will see!! Thanks again!
I'm not much into shows, but I would definitely be at the sports facilities and spa. 😂
The Thai food looks delicious, though. Hope you have a beautiful day together 💙
Thank you that was one of the better dinners we love Thai food. Thank you again for the support we really appreciate the comment and those watch hours! Almost time for us to celebrate!
Love the Koningsdam we are taking our 3rd cruise on her next week & it's our 2nd on her to Hawaii & back.
Holiday Christmas/ New Years Cruise so it's going to be party night's 🥳 🎉
Happy Cruising ⛴️ 😎
Thank you so much for watching and commenting we did really enjoy this cruise and would cruise on this ship again. We love Hawaii so much we don't think we can do a cruise we love staying on the islands for a couple weeks and I still get sad if I only had a couple hours it would destroy me. We really appreciate your support next year we have already decided on one cruise we are heading out of Florida and exploring the Caribbean and enjoying several islands. We are actually flying to Hawaii next year and a few more things are in the works. We did do 5 videos on the big island and we have been to all of them we love Hawaii. Don't hesitate if you have any other questions or tips!!
29 more minutes closer to 4000 - great vid!!😂🎉
Oh that's great!! We are actually getting close and every minute is counting for sure. We appreciate your support!! Looking forward to seeing more of your trips and those cocktails!! Thx again!
Wow we just booked an Alaskan cruise for next August! Great stuff. Now I'm even more excited. You guys are so fun to watch.
Oh yes we loved Alaska and will go back. So what cruise line and are you flying in to Seattle or Vancouver BC? We should plan on meeting up. We just booked a cruise out of Miami in July.
@@justramblinaround We’re flying into Seattle. The cruise line is Royal Caribbean. It would be Awesome if we could meet up! I can’t believe y’all will be here in Miami this July… It’s too hot for us! We will be back in Maine for the summer.
I know we don't like extreme heat so a bit worried but it's 2 days then we hop on the cruise. If you are interested and yiu want to meet up email us the Seattle's dates if you will be around a night or two we can plan on exploring with you all!
@@justramblinaround We will do that ❤️
kerja bagus teman,,,,,videomu menarik
Thank you!
👍🧘♀vidéo sensationnelle 🖤💞💚
Thank you so much for going back and watching this video. We appreciate you Happy New Year!
Sharing our thoughts on the Alaskan cruise aboard Holland America's Koningsdam! It was our final day at sea and a perfect time to reflect. The cruise took us through Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Glacier Bay National Park. What an experience! Have you ever been on a cruise? The onboard meals and scenic views were highlights for us. Cruising might just be our new favorite way to explore! 🛳🗻🍽
Thanks
I love your awesome video 📹
I subscribed your channel to see more awesome videos 📹
Have a wonderful day ❤️
Thank you so much for the support it is much appreciated!!
Hey Jodi and Ron, I did like your balcony. Nope to polar bear challenge, I was born on a island 😂. Great review thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching and always giving us the watch time. Luckily the water wasn't that cold. Balcony was great!
"The HAL Koningsdam is a floating masterpiece that redefines luxury cruising. From the moment you step on board, you are enveloped in an atmosphere of sophistication and comfort. The ship's design seamlessly blends modern elegance with nautical charm, creating an ambiance that is both inviting and refined.
The cabins are meticulously designed, offering a perfect retreat with plush furnishings and stunning ocean views. Dining on the Koningsdam is a culinary journey with an array of world-class restaurants, each serving exquisite dishes prepared with precision and creativity.
Entertainment options abound, from Broadway-worthy shows to intimate music venues. The onboard spa and wellness facilities provide a haven for relaxation, and the well-curated activities cater to all interests. What truly sets the Koningsdam apart is its exceptional service. The crew goes above and beyond to ensure every guest feels pampered and attended to. Whether you're exploring vibrant ports of call or enjoying a sea day on deck, the Koningsdam offers an unparalleled cruising experience that combines luxury, adventure, and impeccable service."
Yep that about sums it up!
We won this cruise and looking forward to going to it June 1st. So nice to see all your videos. You’re very enjoyable to listen to. I live near VCR so just an easy trip on the local sky train and we are at Canada Place. Can hardly wait. We have a suite so looking forward to that balcony as well.
Sorry we missed your comment that is amazing you won the trip your going to love it!! We want to come back up to Vancouver when we have more time ot was great! We appreciate you watching this series hope you got lots of ideas. Thanks for Ramblin with us!!!
Hey thank you so much… this was probably the best wrap up and insight for this cruise. My wife and I watched all the videos. I have a quick question though. Your friend did an excursion in a canoe that included a meal… can you tell me which excursion it was?
Hello thank you so much for the wonderful comment we appreciate you watching and the comment so much. We messaged our friend still waiting for the response we know he said they did some canoeing then got out walked a small hike and had fish by a campfire. We are bit positive what port it was as soon as we hear back we will let you know. Your going to have a wonderful time. We have a Seattle video coming out tomorrow just in case you are porting out from Seattle. We will also have another cruise video out in a few months. I rewatched this video sounds like it wasn't ketchikan for the canoe excursion sounds like it was probably Skagway and through the cruise line. Keep u posted thanks so much again for the support hope your a Rambler a d we see u again.😊
Your videos get better and better guys and Glad there will be more cruise adventures in 24 … But do please cruise to either the Adriatic or Greek Islands .. Both are phenomenal
We have both of those on our list we may have to wait a couple years we want more time for those destinations but we will see I will start watching for good deals. We are leaning towards Caribbean so far but we will see. We are also flying to a place or two! We appreciate you watching the support means so much to us.
Loved this series and appreciated all the detail in your review. We started cruising about 30 years ago and our 1st cruise was on HAL to Alaska and we came away feeling it was not for us. However, after a 4 year hiatus, we cruised with Celebrity through the Panama Canal. Amazing experience. Fast forward, we will be on our 12th cruise in February for 35 days on the Koningsdam to Hawaii and the South Pacific. In between, we've done all-inclusive resorts and took our RV across Canada from Vancouver for 3 months. So, perspectives on cruising change, we felt, as we got older and now being in our 70s, it's a stress free vacation. We have been very fortunate to have sailed with Premium lines, like Holland America. We have found that the Premium lines offer just that little bit extra compared to the standard cruise line experience. We also don't tend to repeat cruise itineraries so we can explore more corners of the world. Last year, we did the Norwegian Fjords and Scandinavia cruises on Celebrity and then a Viking Riverboat cruise on the Rhine. Simply amazing! We find that new itineraries provide new adventures. I'm glad that you will go on more cruises. I have to say, that our RV experiences were so amazing, giving us treasured memories forever. Thanks again, for a great series.
Wow thank you so much for all the comments. We love Hawaii it is one of our favorite places I don't know if I could do a cruise I get sad when we leave after getting 2 weeks on the island I couldn't imagine only getting a few hours. Maui has always been our favorite we plan on spending months on the islands during retirement years. We actually spent 2 weeks on the Big Island last year and have a few videos on that visit. Kauai is also so amazing we spent a couple weeks covering that island it was amazing. We will be going to Oahu in a few months. Ron has always wanted to do n the Viking Cruise and that is top on nour list. We agree we try not to repeat very many places because this is a great big world. We really appreciated your wonderful response. We have so many things to do next year and Ron has 6 more years before retirement so we may cruise close by we are thinking Mexico or Caribbean? Do you have favorite cruise lines or ones yiu suggest avoiding? Thank you again for the wonderful support!
@@justramblinaround, we have been to Hawaii and Kauai is definitely amazing. We really enjoyed all of the Islands, albeit the limited time we were there because it was on a cruise. Last year we did a B2B on Celebrity Silhouette (19 days), Norwegian Fjords and Scandinavia, followed by 3 days in Amsterdam to then board an 8-day Viking river cruise to Basel, Switzerland. Viking is definitely a premium level cruise. Truly amazing! Like Viking's cruise ships, the passenger capacity is low, which we love. The service is first class and in the fare, you get an excursion in each port which were all fantastic. Based on what you both said in your Alaska vlogs, you would love Viking. Celebrity is also a premium line but we felt we needed a change. We felt that the food quality was not at the level we experienced, pre-Covid. Also, the itineraries we were interested in were on the S-Class ships so the excitement of exploring and experiencing a new ship, was lost. We've sailed on the Queen Mary 2 in the Mediterranean for 14 days. This was a very special cruise as my husband emigrated to Canada on the Queen Mary, now in Long Beach. And, as I mentioned, we'll be on the Koningsdam in February. Princess is a nice line but we haven't sailed with them recently but it is in the premium category as well. We are not attracted to mega ships with thousands of people. We are fortunate that we can cruise on premium lines, so a cruise with Carnival is not a line we would choose. Choosing a line is subjective based on what experience is important and affordable to the passenger.
OKay, Okay, Okay!! I get it!! Holland America or nothing (to Alaska). Great, comprehensive review! We look forward to seeing your future experiences on cruise ships. You are changing our opinion on this mode of adventure. I (Ken) LOVE to drive and we both dislike flying but think trying a cruise might be worth working some overtime for. Thank you for bringing us along!!
Ken you will love it!! If I can get Ron to do it and enjoy it enough to go again then anyone will. I understand I have to take something to fly. Thanks again for watching and supporting us. Do you guys have anything going out soon?
@@justramblinaround working on editing the next video as we speak. Give it another day or two.
We choose based on itinerary. We chose HAL to AK for the reasons that you mention... but we have enjoyed other cruise lines that were the best (for us YMMV) for when we want to go & where we wanted to go.
We are realizing the same thing for the Caribbean we will be choosing another cruise line mainly cause of destination and we want to relax. Thanks so much for watching and supporting us we really appreciate your comments and watching our review. We enjoyed filming this entire cruise hope it was all helpful.
My husband and I are planning an Alaskan cruise this summer to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We had so many questions. After watching close to 15 videos on Alaskan cruises (I was overwhelmed and still had questions), we found your channel. THANK GOODNESS! You guys have completed the absolute BEST coverage on this subject! You've shown us what we will experience, from food to excursions to cruise ship amenities, etc. and we have a better idea of what to expect. THANK YOU SO MUCH (we also recognize the hard work you've put into your videos; husband works in video production and editing). We are going to book with Holland America this summer and who knows? Maybe we will run into you guys. We are delighted to subscribe to your channel 😊
Greetings. My wife and I did this same cruise on the Koningsdam in 2022 for our 20th anniversary. It was incredible. We had the same amazing experience. It was well worth the cost and effort. We had a similar balcony cabin and would recommend it. We were there to see Alaska, and not to be amazed and entertained on a floating amusement park. Holland was definitely our choice and I would do it again. God bless.
This was the most wonderful comment we received so sorry it has been a while I thought I responded and don't know what happened. We appreciate you watching, commenting and the wonderful support. We have learned so much and this video was still within our first year and we feel we improved even more. If you are going to go out from Seattle we have a Seattle video coming out tomorrow and we will have another cruise video in just a couple months. Yes hope your a Rambler and we see one day Just Ramblin Around we appreciate you so much we still work full time and sounds like u understand how much goes into this so thank u so very much!! Stay in touch!!😊
I hope u see our reaponse
Thank you so much. We are looking to do the same cruise in July 2025. The information you have supplied and your enthusiasm is inspiring. Jacqui Western Australia
Thank you so much we will be ready again in 2025 maybe we will see you. If you port out of Seattle we have a Seattle video coming out tomorrow. Thank you so much for watching, commenting and supporting us!! Hope your a Rambler and we see you again we will have another cruise video in just a couple months. 😊Thank u
I’m glad you guys had such a great time. We did inside passage in June 2023 on board Westerdam. Our experience was not the same as yours. It was a bunch of little things that dragged it down. First, all the bars ran out of Michelob Ultra on the first day. Wait times to get a simple drink (not those damn smoked cherry old fashioned) was over 5 minutes because the bartender kept having to go the supply closet to get whatever you ordered. Martinis should be served in a martini glass, not a wine glass. Espresso for said martinis was ONLY available at the crows nest, and it took up to 15 minutes to get one EVERY single time. We are giving HAL ONE last chance to redeem themselves on board Konigsdam in March. This may be our 3rd and final cruise with them. We are experienced cruisers (Elite with Celebrity and Diamond with RCI). I hope our experience is similar to yours! Cheers!
Oh yes if you remember please let us know we didn't experience any of that. Service was amazing and getting drinks was never a problem. Thanks for the tips we are going to try several different cruise lines and we will keep you updated. Hope your next trip is fantastic! Happy New Year!
Wow. Entitled much?
You get what you pay for. If you don’t get it, stick with Carnival or MSC. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
beautiful ❤thanks for sharing 29:49
We appreciate you always watching and commenting!! Your support and comments are very much appreciated!!
111👍👍🖤🖤...nice movie💚💚👌👌
Wow thank you so much for watching some of our older videos we appreciate the watch hours very much!
Ron...how could you not like cruising? Haha. looks awesome.
I didn't appreciate how easy it was. No black tank, no planning fuel stops, no foraging for beer... very easy.
@@justramblinaround😂 It’s a nice change once in a while!
Nice thorough review. I like your rating scale! After our cruise last year we said we wanted to take the same ship the next time because it seemed like it took us 3 or 4 days before we knows our way around! Lol. Very cool that you got to see see the whales! I don’t think I would do another cruise without a balcony. We recommend Princess cruise line but it is also more for the older crowd - but we just didn’t want a bunch of kids running around. Years ago I did a Carnival Cruise and honestly I wouldn’t recommend that one.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting. So we have been researching and deciding soon on next year's cruise. Ron wanted an easy flight and close to the west coast was leaning towards a Mexico cruise best deal at the time we wanted was carnival and I really was debating that cause I found a Caribbean cruise I really wanted to do from Florida with a much smaller ship with an older crowd but I knew Ron would find it more relaxing and have another good experience. Your comments have really made it more solidified in what I should do. We went through the family stages many years ago and not wanting to be in that crowd especially on vacation. Are you guys planning any trips or cruises next year? Was in hopes we may see you!
Great video! Was there a shuttle option to the airport at debarkation?
Thank you so much for watching and supporting us. I am so sorry I don't have an answer we parked in the garage and just walk right to the car after we arrived. I would think if you contact your cruise line the will have options for you as I am booking in Miami currently and they have options. Thx for watching and commenting we really appreciate your support and hope we see you again we have another cruise very soon and let us know how yoir cruise went.
No, but you can take either a bus or the Skytrajn to the airport.
forty done
Thank you so much!
Thank you for sharing your vacation. Your video is exactly what viewers are looking for. Was the upgrade Elite drink Package upgrade worth it?
Thank you so much for watching and what a great comment we appreciate you very much. We definitely felt tge elite drink package was best for us. First of all when you do the upgrade water and coffee and other drinks no longer are counted with alcohol drinks. We like to have water at night, in the morning and during the day plus it was nice to put a couple cans in our bag when going to Port on excursions. I had them empty our fridge and we would order waters every time we ordered drinks and take them back and put them in our fridge. We also like having a couple cups of coffee and going to the Cafe so that was now unlimited. So that makes 15 alcohol drinks on days on the ship we could have bloody Mary's and mimosas in the morning a drink with lunch and dinner and buy the pool and at the music venues so it easy to get those drinks done in a whole day. On port days we would actually get a can or bottle of an alcohol beverage and put it in our fridge for later. So if anybody this sounds like you itbis worth it. We also liked not worried about any bill at the end of a trip. Hope that helps don't hesitate with any further questions. I think we mention this is several of our videos and we tall about the thermal suite.
do you tip more when u order in room service or when they clean the room? or when you order drink in the bars?
So on the cruises they will take gratuities from you daily the average is usually 16 to 20 a day per person and they charge that on your credit card every day. It is suppose include all your gratuities they divide it among all the employees. Many people tip more for example we did sometimes at the bar or club so our server would remember us and come back to us often while we were listening to music and at the end of the trip we gave extra money to our favorite servers. Also whenever they brought us room service we would give them a few dollars. The people who clean the room many people give them some extra money cause you do get to know them and they are so good! This is not required and up to each individual.
Great video series! Very informative. I just yesterday booked an Alaska cruise on the Koningsdam, leaving in three weeks. It was kind of an impulse buy (we were planning to vacation on our own in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island, but the hotel costs seemed so high I looked again at cruises and found the trip that "checked all the boxes."). I kind of started freaking out after I booked the cruise, but your videos have reassured me that I think this will work well for us.
Question: We're flying into Vancouver the night before the cruise. Any thoughts on where to stay? I'm assuming the closer to the cruise port the better?
Also, does nine hours in Juneau leave time to whale watch and go on that sky tram and the Mendenhall hike like you went to?
Your going to love it and have a wonderful time! I know I do those same impulse buys and question everything but cruises make so much sense money wise I think and so much fun plus u get taken everywhere! So for the hotel if.money isn't an issue for one night we almost stayed at pan pacific or Fairmont because they are so close and I think they can transfer your luggage and one of then I think have a easy walk to cruise ship. We decided to stay in north Vancouver we did a video in it more quiet and close to places we wanted ro visit we loved it. So funny you asked so we were bok the morning of Juneau for the Tracy fjord excursion and we were going to get back around 1 or 2 and we were going to take a taxi a little more money but very quick and easy to Mendenhall then if we got back with a couple hours do the tram cause yes we had like 8 or 9 hours in Port but the excursion got cancelled and just did the bus thing. Loved Juneau we walked fast at Mendenhall and at tram. Have fun don't hesitate if u have questions!
@@justramblinaround Thanks so much for the tips! I'm getting so excited!
Kudos Ron on the pollar plundge 👏👏
Jody u look stunning 🥰, looks like u guys enjoyed and induldged on ur vacac ... Well deserved 😉.
However as always after watching ur videos im hungry 🤦🏽♀️
Great review video 👍👍
Happy to hear and see that u guys enjoyed urselves . I know one thing if I ever go on a cruise theres definitely gonna b way more detailed planning then i ever thought .. So i'll b calling ur ass Jody (Thanks for the tips )
The only thing that stops me from bookong one is feeling like cattle, n i kinda like to chill with locals in the non touresty areas .
Cool footage of the wales 👍
Totally random 💨😜
We should go to Bali Indonesia together 😉😉. I know that place like the back of my hand.
Plus another bonus It would cost terry n I $10k for 2 months .
Loved this video 👍 , thanks for sharing ❤️🙏💫
So many wonderful comments!! Thank you so much for the sweet compliments. You can contact us anytime about any questions and who knows if you want we will join you. We would love to go to Indonesia with you that wouod be amazing. I watched those videos and fell in love with it and all the locals that became yiur family. We prefer going to places we have never been to with friends so we would be interested for sure. Thanks again for the support we are so so close to our big goal. We appreciate you so much!!
기쁜일만 가득하길 바랍니다 👍
Thank you!
Did the Polar Plunge make you feel better? Loved this whole series and great reviews! Great job on the production, filming and educational info.
Thank you for watching , commenting and supporting us. I think he felt better after the plunge when we went to the spa. We have appreciated your support!
We had a wonderful cruise on Koningsdam last summer. For me the main attraction was the Rolling Stones Rock room. Great band, excellent music. The food too was sumptuous.
Oh yes we shared the rolling stone Rock room in a couple of our videos we had a wonderful time this cruise had goo entertainment and wonderful staff all around! Yes food was great too! Thank you so much for watching and commenting we appreciate your support hope your a Rambler and we see u again! We are doing another cruise soon!
Still going through the series… maybe I missed it, but what month was your cruise?
So sorry I hope we mentioned it somewhere I think it's in the description if your watching on a phone or computer. It was July many pros and cons for different months. This was the second week of July we were blessed we never needed umbrellas and sometimes no coats. But that's not always the case so be prepared all the time. Thank you so much for watching and please comment and ask questions any time. Hope your a Rambler and thanks so much for watching and supporting us!
these included dinner, is that 1 time for the whole cruise or you get 1 for each night? thx
Most cruises all of your meals are included but they have special restaurants that are extra or if you buy a special cruise package you may have one or two nights of specialty dinners. All of the meals you saw us enjoy were included on this cruise except one at the Pinnacle Grill. When looking into and booking your cruise just ask them but that is why many people like to cruise cause everything is included. I hope that helped. Thanks for watching and we do a few more videos about this trip and we do a final review at the end. Thank you!
We already have our cruise booked for July. Do you know which excursion in Ketchikan you wish you had done, that your friend did, to see the whales. We would like to do that, but i went thru them, and I can't figure out which one it was.
So sorry our visit with him was so long we had to cut some of it down. So they were originally scheduled to go on a helicopter and it was cancelled and so they were walking down the street and booked it last minute with a booth that was offering it. Many of these are similar. I know they went with a smaller boat with not as many people. Hope that you have a wonderful time. Thanks for watching and don't hesitate if you have further questions.
Ok thank you. Can't wait. I am a bit worried about being seasick. I bought a relief band to wear the whole time and will also get some meds from my doc when it gets closer. You guys didn't seem to have any problem with the movement of the boat.
We picked this for pur first cruise because it was close and easy and we love nature but also cause we heard it's a good warm up not much open seas and a bit calmer. We took 4 hours or so to depart past our departing time and then I didn't even know we left and so yes it wasngreat and really no problems. The only time was a couple mornings when I went to the crows nest which was the front of ship I felt a little dizzy and odd but for through fine. So far any time I have done a boat it has been light issues and I also enjoy ginger chews. Some of our friends put the patches on the neck but they said they get a very dry mouth and thirsty and some of them had bracelets. We started with nothing to see how we do and we did just fine. Best wishes can't wait to see how u like it.
Great Britten. Ireland and France onPrincess.
Oh yes we have all those locations on the list and we have heard we need to check out Princess. Our next cruise we are trying Norwegian but don't worry we will look into your suggestions. Thank you so much for watching and commenting. Hope your a Rambler and we see you again. We did make several videos on our Alaska Cruise and in a few months we will share our next cruise. Thank you again for the support!
likeee ✨❤️✨❤️✨❤️✨❤️✨🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔
Thank you!
Was the thermal spa worth it? Did you use it everyday?
We personal loved it and yes used it every day!! We went in July and the outside hot tubs always had many people in them and some children but the thermal suite was quiet and relaxing so for us we enjoyed it. Even on the port days we would come back and go right to the thermal suite. For us it came out cheaper then a spa I want to.say just only about 15 to 20 a day it was a treat that we liked. Please let us know what you think. Enjoy your trip Thanks for watching and commenting. Hope we see you again our next cruise in a few months.
Thank you for post video of your HAL trip. I love it. How did you like changed in Crow's nest? It looks like she don't have Observation Lounge? I like outside deck and promenade deck. Last time I went on Maasdam in 2003. Crow's nest was nice and observation lounge. I love their enclosed swimming pool.. They are good for Alaska and New England/ Canada cruise. Did you go on Princess ship before? I never go on Princess before. I like their smaller older ships. I hope I will go on Alaska or New England/ Canada with HAL or maybe Princess. I like small ships. I will go on solo cruising.
We loved the crows nest and this was a pretty small ship but we went to the crows nest everyday and we thought it was a nice observation area. We have never been on Princess but will try it one day. Our next cruise we be on an even older and smaller Norwegian ship. Ron needs to start with smaller and quieter placed with less people then one day I may get him.on a bigger ship. This cruise and trip was amazing thank you for watching and commenting hope you watched them all that may help you see more about the crows nest we had it in al.ost every video especially glacier bay.
@@justramblinaround Thanks, I went on Norwegian ships twice. We loved S.S. Norway. She was scrapped. We went on NCL Sky. She was okay. I know NCL have many solo cabins. I would like to go there but I don't like Go Kart raceway, water sliding and laser tag on ships because they have small swimming pools. I like to go on ships that have indoor swimming pool like HAL and on some older Princess ships. Some ships have nice observation lounge in forward. Some don't have it. So I would forget about NCL. I will go back on HAL or try Princess ships. I love older classic ships on both HAL and Princess.
LOL we are actually booked on NCL Sky mainly first because it was porting at the places I want to visit but also because I need to do a few more cruises on smaller ships to get Ron to like cruising and that's what he liked about Koningsdam it wasn't too large but I know it's newer and nicer then sky but we are leaving the ship on 6 of the days so we will see. Maybe we will try Princess the next time. Any other tips for Sky? Thx hope u enjoy what we do and your cruise!! We would go on Koningsdam again in a heart beat!!
@@justramblinaround Sky was okay. The ship was built for Costa Line. They went bankruptcy. So NCL took over her and change design from Costa line to NCL. My parents and I went on one week Thanksgiving cruise. Oh they had about 500 or 600 kids aboard. We didn’t like it. They played around the ship and run in hallway and play in hot tubs and pool. The ship was nice. I was thinking about taking solo cruises on NCL but I don’t like big sport stuff on deck and have small swimming pools. So I want to try Princess ship next time. They have more swimming pools and hot tubs. I like their older ships with wraparound promenade deck. I am not sure about Holland America Line. They only have two swimming pools and few hot tubs. They were crowds.
I just watched another video of HAL's largest ship from JJ Cruise on UA-cam. Oh they had 300 kids. The swimming pool was very crowded. I forgot the name of the ship. It was funny. I went on Maasdam in 2003. She had two swimming pools like them. They looked about same but new ship had double decks . The swimming pool looks the same as Maasdam. Maasdam carried about 1,200 guests. I think another ship need another swimming pool. Princess has more swimming pools plus one Adult swimming pool at no charge. Also they had more hot tubs at many locations.
You missed out by not eating at the Lido buffet more. There's a section with changing themes every day. So you can try something new everyday. And they serve you on 99% of the food, so minimal exposure there. And if you're a late night sort of person, the buffet opens up for a late night snack. I can't wait for our next HAL (pinnacle class) cruise!
Thanks for the tip we had heard some of that before the cruise we thought the dining was really good. We also thought the pizza and burgers were pretty good. We were guilty if ordering late Night room service it was nice and we loved our balcony so room service for breakfast was special but we may very well check out the buffet more next time thanks so much for sharing we appreciate your comment and you watching and supporting us!! We hope your a Rambler and we see you again. We are already booked for our next cruise but looking at booking another what's your favorite cruise line , ships and destinations? Thanks again for the support!
What were the ropes on 2 of the whales tails
That is such a good question and we were surprised you were the first to ask. When we received the video we did rewind it several times also curious looks like some netting. We will message the guy who we met on the cruise who did the excursion and sent us the video and see if someone noticed and asked Don the cruise. Thanks for watching and for your question.
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Thank you for the support!
xin chào các bạn nội dung video của các bạn thật là hay và rất thú vị
Thank you so very much your comment is so wonderful we really appreciate it so much! Thank you for watching us and supporting us. We are so very grateful!!
What month did you go to Alaska?
We went in July and we didn't have any rain at all. Pros and cons each month earlier in spring it is not as busy and less money plus you may see more wildlife but many things can be cancelled due to weather same as fall. Many people mentioned in fall it is less money but many businesses were already closed. We will go back again for sure and maybe try a different season but we were very happy with July. Hope this helped please don't hesitate if you have any further questions. Thanks for watching we appreciate you.
Could you please tell me what month of the year you went
So sorry this trip was early July. Each month has different pros and cons we were lucky we never had ro get out an umbrella and really didn't need coats much at all. Thank you for watching I think we mention and show the month in the other videos. The boarding one is doing quite well. Thank you for watching and the question please feel free to message if you need anything else. Have fun!
Oh great thanks I’m going in May and was just wondering what month you saw whales. Thanks for your reply. I’ll be watching your other videos.