Hit up Alaska on an old faithful
Retro ship takes the scenic route up coast to explore beauty of mountains, glaciers
I love seeing what cruise lines do with older ships. Some lines toss them to the wind, selling them to Greek or Asian cruise lines operating regional voyages. Others keep them in the fleet, refitting them until their time to part ways comes.
Others still — like Holland America Line (hollandamerica. com) — assign them some of the best itineraries in the fleet.
That’s the case with Holland America’s 1993-built Maasdam. One of only two remaining S-class ships in the fleet (the other being the 1996-built Veendam), Maasdam is one of those ships that has amassed something of a fanatical following over the years. People love this ship, and they go to great lengths to sail it again and again.
Cruise lines like new and flashy news. I’m sure the company wishes I was writing about Koningsdam, the current flagship that will make its West Coast debut next year offering round trip cruises to Alaska from the Port of Vancouver. Which, sure, I’m excited about. I’m just more excited about what Maasdam is doing from the Port of Vancouver. On 11 dates between May and September 2020, Maasdam will be offering Holland America’s “Great Alaskan Explorer” voyage round trip from Vancouver. This 14-day cruise is a winner, with port calls in Ketchikan, Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Haines (for Skagway), Hubbard Glacier, Valdez, Homer and Anchorage. Not Seward or Whittier for Anchorage, as is commonly the case, but Anchorage itself — the ship sails right on in.
There will also be scenic cruising in the Inside Passage, Misty Fjords, Tracy Arm Fjord and the spectacular Inian Islands near Icy Strait Point, also known as Hoonah.
Why am I so excited about this? Because this run normally happens out of Seattle. Indeed, Holland America Line has run this itinerary — or variations of it — for several years out of Seattle. This marks the first time that Holland America is bringing this great voyage to Vancouver.
Also cool: The line is using Maasdam as a sort of pseudo-expedition ship. It is the only ship in the fleet that boasts its own collection of inflatable zodiac rafts, allowing for up-close experiences with shorelines, intertidal areas and glaciers.
You should also want to do this itinerary because of Maasdam itself. It is 719 feet long but only carries 1,258 passengers. Lovingly maintained and kept up, it’s no spring chicken, but cool in a sort of retro way. There’s lots of brass and mirrors in the interior decor, but it reflects the best of Holland America
Line for those who don’t need cutting-edge design or the latest gee-whiz features. And, it offers a decent amount of balcony cabins and suites along with spacious insides and oceanview staterooms.
This is a ship best left for adults or those with kids who are good at entertaining themselves; bigger ships like Koningsdam, Noordam or Westerdam sailing from Vancouver to Alaska will be a better choice for families with little ones thanks to their dedicated ClubHAL kids programs.
But for those looking for a real Alaskan adventure on a pleasantly sized ship, Maasdam offers a unique look at ports of call like Valdez, Anchorage and Homer that most cruise ships just don’t visit these days. Even Haines — once a staple of the Alaskan cruise itinerary — is typically the sole domain of luxury vessels these days as bigger ships journey to nearby Skagway. In the end, it’s all about choice — and Maasdam’s “Great Alaskan Explorer” voyages are another welcome option from the line that’s been plying the waters of the region for decades now.
Happy cruising.
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