Both the wife and I wanted to do a cruise to Alaska. Several friends that had sailed to Alaska on different lines recommended Holland America as the one we would enjoy the most. They also said to book a balcony as you could just watch the world go by your balcony. We ended up with an aft corner Neptune. The cabin could not have been better. There was plenty of room to do whatever we wanted and the balcony was huge. We could walk up the side and see what was coming up or sit in one of the chairs or lounges and see where we had been. Our cabin stewards filled every wish and whim we asked of them. We had fresh fruit and flowers every day along with plenty of ice in the bucket.

We chose "open dining" so that we could meet new and different people each night. We never had to wait for a table when we walked up at the MDR. We ate at the Pinnacle Grill one night and at the Canaletto one night. Of the two I preferred the Canaletto, and my wife enjoyed both equally. We met so many interesting people during the entire cruise and enjoyed seeing them later on and comparing experiences.

We booked at least one excursion each port, plus walked around on our own. We enjoyed the totem poles, whale watching, and the train ride. The only downside of the trip was our accommodations at Denali Park. After sleeping on the bedding on the ship the mattress on both beds left a lot to be desired. They said accommodations were "rustic" but I think a $79 mattress from Walmart would have slept better! The bus ride from Seward to Denali was long! It was broken up by the commentary of the bus driver and spotting Moose, and other wildlife. The stories of all the excursion drivers were delightful and added a lot to the trips. Did you know there is a Walmart in Alaska that sells more than 200 miles of duct tape every year? The train ride back to Anchorage was much better than the bus trip out. When we left Denali it started snowing. For the NC woman I am married to this was a highlight not to be missed! The hotel we stayed at in Anchorage had a fantastic view from our room. The next morning we flew back to Seattle where we spent the night. We had an early flight out the next morning. Read more