We are both experienced cruisers with one previous trip to Alaska 2 years ago. We chose the Statendam based on our previous trips with HAL and the land portion trip to the Arctic Circle and Denali National Park.
We boarded the Statendam in Vancouver and immediately loved the feel of the newly renovated ship. The public rooms were beautifully laid out and everything was spotlessly clean. As usual, HAL has it all covered with a place to store our carry ons for the short time it took for our cabin to be ready.
The Lido Cafe was well staffed the entire trip and as a previous reviewer stated, for the first two days passengers cannot touch the buffet. This, however, is a GOOD THING not a negative. It is to protect passengers from illness, something we saw over and over.
Our outside veranda suite was comfortable with excellent service the entire trip.
We ate most of our meals in the dining room and chose a fixed seating rather than our usual anytime dining option. The service and food we received were about the best we have ever experienced on any cruise in 20 years. Our waiter and assistant greeted us each night with smiles and the wine steward always had our bottle waiting for us. We celebrated a birthday and got a beautiful cake and happy birthday song presented by the entire staff. I cannot imagine other reviewers complaining about the service or food on this ship.
Ports of call were also good and we were remarkably lucky with the weather with only a bit of rain in Ketchikan. We highly recommend whale watching and the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, and the Guides Choice Photography Tour in Skagway. During the latter, we had the privilege of photographing a sow Brown Bear teaching her two cubs to fish for salmon- awesome!
After leaving the ship in Seward we began our 6-day Arctic Circle tour#21. We spent one night in Anchorage and then flew to Prudhoe Bay, the start of the Alaska Pipeline. After a tour and an Arctic ocean "toe dip," our group made its way down the Alaska interior by way of the Dalton Highway-made famous by the show "Ice Road Truckers." We were overwhelmed by the beauty of interior Alaska seeing Moose, Caribou, and Dall Sheep all along the way. The accommodations in Northern Alaska are "rustic" but were spotless with great food.
We had a tour director and driver guide (Chappy and Tyler) who organized everything and took care of everyone's needs. These two young men were knowledgeable, fun, and made this experiece the trip of a lifetime!
After a night in Fairbanks, we boarded the McKinley express, HAL's luxury train, for the trip to Denali. With domed windows, this was the way to travel. Comfortable seats and fabulous food continued throughout the train ride. We then spent one night in the HAL lodge in Denali and took the Tundra Wilderness Tour into the interior of the park. We had close encounters with Grizzly Bears, a Grey Wolf, Dall Sheep, and Caribou. I took the photos of a lifetime in a few short hours. The next morning we went on the Husky Homestead tour at the home of Iditarod winner Jeff King. I am still smiling from the interaction with these amazing dogs and the love Jeff King and his family give to them. There is nothing like being greeted by a 6-week old Husky litter!
After Denali, we re-boarded the McKinley express for the return trip to Anchorage were we said our sad goodbyes to our fellow travelers and guides.
All in all, this was an amazing adventure. The Statendam is a beautiful ship and HAL takes care of all your needs. One slight negative about the ship was the lack of working self-service laundry. Most machines were broken and there were long waits to get laundry done. I would suggest either bringing two weeks worth of clothes or preparing yourself to spend an afternoon in the laundry room. Another option would be to book a Deluxe Veranda suite where your laundry is included.
A cruise to Alaska only gives you a hint of the beauty that is in the interior of the state. It is critical that people experience this splendor before we let it be destroyed by man's greediness.
