First Class on a Luxury Alaska Cruise | Holland America Line

today I'm taking this luxury cruise ship for 7 days all the way to Alaska I'll show you exactly what it's like to live on board from my huge first class Suite to the fine dining and opulent facilities on our 2,000m adventure as we journey North we'll see Wales avalanches and even walk on a glacier with that let's pick up our story in Vancouver [Music] Canada well hello there and welcome to back to the channel where we're about to get on board this the New Amsterdam our home for the next 7 days as we go all the way to Alaska first we'll need to check in at Canada Place certainly one of the most scenic Cruise terminals I've ever been to conversely baggage drop in the basement isn't but worry not within moments our bags are checked and we're ready to head up to the ground floor and to our priority checkin given we're sweet guests today we shouldn't have all too long to wait there are just a few formalities to take care of such as registering my credit card for any incidentals or and to take our flattering security photos we issued VIP passes which is meant to expedite the whole process well let me tell you it doesn't because our next Port will be in the US we have to pass through US Customs and Border control to be fair the security screen and queue looked far lengthier than it was and we're through in 20 or so minutes and now for passport control and a pleasant surprise I can actually use my Global Entry to entire skip the queue it's at this point we're met by a Holland and America representative who will escort us directly to our suite this is also where we get an up close and personal look at the New Amsterdam as we walk down the gang way she's a midsize signature class ship and as per usual my highly accurate diagram shows us that she comes in at 935 ft in length upon stepping on board first we must scan our issued key cards which which not only is our room key but also ID to get on and off the vessel now we'll step onto the Central Glass Elevator here on Deck two which will take us up to deck seven and our new residence at C the suite itself is actually the largest on board located on the port side of the vessel let's waste no more time and head inside sweet 7036 then [Music] so welcome to our cabin but most importantly welcome back to the channel Mom and Dad hi hi got us both this time oh my God double trouble so first of all let's take a proper look around our incredible room it's safe to say this Suite is massive clocking in at 1300t of space this is equivalent to nearly eight of the entry-level cabins upon entry you're met with your dining table boasting fresh flowers which are provided daily all and worry not there's welcome champagne here there's a substantial desk area which teases us with a peek at our private hot tub moving on to the living area there's ample seating for us all and some more fresh flowers moving onwards we get to the primary bedroom with a Super King bed and the all important high-powered binoculars for whale spotting later on this trip next we come to the marble adorned on Suite bathroom complete with double sinks and a hot tub bath you'll find plenty of pricey Elms products littered around this bathroom which is certainly better than what raw Caribbean offer their sweet guests there's still even more to see but as we're about to depart we'll quickly take a look at the pantry it's basically a mini kitchen with tea and coffee making facilities and a fridge dot full of soft drinks and liquor most notably DC though as the safety video is run the crew make final preparations for our departure and just like that we're off Bound for [Music] Alaska so where exactly are we going over the next week well the journey is split into segments with the first being a 1,000m trip up the Inside passage and to Alaska's capital Jun now before continuing onto glacia Bay and finally the last push to Whittier and our gateway to Anchorage it's certainly quite the adventure and one I'm ecstatic that I can share with both of my parents this time it's just a shame that Millie has used up all of her annual leave now we're on our way I make it champagne oock at a risk of overc comparing to Royal Caribbean it's good to see how Holland and America look after their sweet G guests remember I received no such welcome on wonder of the Seas I guess we'll see if that's changed in a few weeks on [Music] icon evening is already upon us and we have dinner plans so I better get changed into something a little smarter it also gives me the chance to show you the wonderful walk-in wardrobe which you get as part of this Suite just to note there's no dress code like kunard or silver sea but who doesn't like dressing up for [Music] dinner right it's time to get the party started and head for pre- dinner [Music] drinks for this we've decided to try out the ship's highest deck deck 11 and in turn the Crow's Nest towards the bow of the vessel as we're Pinnacle sweet guests we have an included drinks package which allows for any drink up to the value of $15 and this covers most drinks on board let's settle in and watch the world go by on this beautiful [Music] evening all feeling on hungry side I make it time for dinner we have a reservation tonight in the ship's main dining room located across decks 2 and three at the stern of the ship despite having a reserved time it's incredibly busy but thankfully it's a fast moving queue and within 5 minutes or so we're escorted by our host up to the upper mezan of the restaurant apparently this is reserved for what's known as Club orange but also sweet guests and is noticeably quieter let's waste no time on checking out the menu it's also wor worth noting the club orange menu has some more premium options listed albeit there's still a few upsells such as the $20 supplement for a [Music] steak to start I go for the tomato and potato dumpling soup mom the mixed green salad and Dad the jumbo shrimp [Music] cocktail for main mom goes for the off- menu vegetarian stir fry dad the brazed sole with a white wine reduction and for me the goats cheese tart with caramelized onions in all honesty I went for the wrong man here and I should have chosen the lamb or the beef but the three of us all agree the quality of the food is somewhat lacking here unfortunately will dessert save the day to Satisfy My Sweet Tooth I opt for the warm chocolate cake which thankfully does deliver with that I think it's time to head back up to our room we have a busy day of exploring the ship ahead of us tomorrow well welcome back to our room our first night is over what have you thought so far it's been really lovely really enjoyed it good how about you Mr Troublemaker yeah I've I've really enjoyed it but I do need a rest yeah I think so we've got an awful lot upcoming over the next few days so with that let's let's go to bed usefully there are two bathrooms in our suite so ideal for sharing as a three or if you would say two couples which brings me onto the bed setup there's of course the primary bedroom which I've given my parents whilst I've gone for the bed in the living room which folds down from the wall it's not as luxurious but more than comfortable for me plus the living room doors closed to the bedroom essentially splitting the suite in two during the night [Music] well good morning I slept very well and to be honest you wouldn't even know you're on a cruise ship I guess that's the benefit of sailing up the Inside [Music] passage I make it time for my first caffeine h of the day let's head over to the pantry to sort that it's not as good as the IL espresso machines on the likes of silver sea but it will do for this morning now let's head to our enormous balcony which really is quite the sanctuary at [Music] Sea aside from offering an incredible double Vantage Point there's ample seating for us all along with my favorite feature the hot tub we'll of course try this out later on for now I make it breakfast time so we'll do just that we'll need to head five decks down to deck two to the Pinnacle Grill this is only accessible to Sweet guests at breakfast time on a complimentary basis outside of these hours it becomes a paid for speciality Steakhouse which you bet your bottom dollar I've booked for us later on [Music] let's waste no time by checking out the menu anything from waffles to Lobster Benedict is on offer which I'm most impressed with though the latter does appear to have yet another search charge with our orders placed it's on to my next cappuccino and the offer of some delicious looking pastries so what did we order both mom and dad went for the Mexican inspired vegetable scramble whilst I've opted for the buttermilk pancake stack which assign aside from being on the indulgent side absolutely hits the spot and just before we take a proper look around our ship and continue our journey to Alaska it's time for a quick word from today's video sponsor here's why I recommend you switch your browser to 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promad on Deck three this Boardwalk goes around the entire perimeter of the ship and is an excellent place to stretch your legs and get those steps [Music] in if you want to take it easy the plenty of sunloungers available though I can't say it's the warmest at the moment one of my favorite spots is right at the stern though hope as we might we yet to spot any whales for even better outside views we'll need to head up to deck [Music] 10 it's a lovely place to stretch your legs in the sunshine but also allows us to stumble across one of the ship's two main pools now as you remember from last night there is a deck 11 which aside from featuring The Crow's Nest Bar also plays host to The Retreat accessible on a paid for basis this exclusive area keeps you away from the crowds but what's the cost so it's around 85 bucks for two adults or 125 for a family of four I mean it's not crazy but I think this would only make sense if you didn't have a balcony [Music] cabin let's head back downstairs then and check out some of the other facilities on board there's almost half a deck dedicated to shopping which given the dutyfree nature of cruises is [Music] unsurprising in contrast the ship's library is adjacent to the shopping arcade it's not a patch on the Queen Mary 2's largest library at sea but it's decent for a midsized ship we'll hop back into the glass elevator and ride all the way back up to deck 9 where lunch is being served the Leo is the new Amsterdam's main lunch venue and is a true cruise ship style Buffet personally I'm not a fan of these as they're almost always really busy and I find the food quality tends to suffer due to the volume of footfall unfortunately my initial fears have proven correct it's absolutely packed up here with most food stations requiring a queue to be served however the food quality does seem pretty high I guess I'll have to pick a food station and give it a try I'm delighted to find a Mexican area which is one of my favorite Cuisines so tacos it is thankfully Mom and Dad have found a seat amongst the cha chos so let's settle down and tuck in I'm happy to report despite the hectic environment the food is tasty and indeed fresh after lunch there's guided well spotting to the after the Leo deck judging our poru so far I think we're going to need all the expert help we can [Music] get anyhow after an insightful talk and renewed hope let's get spotting and would you believe [Music] it this afternoon as a surprise I've booked mom a couple of Spar treatments whilst ad and I turn to a new sport shuffle board not heard of shuffle board while it's been popular on the Seas as far back as the great ocean liners of the 1900s the premise is simple enough use your que to push your colored discs into the relevant scoring zones now whilst D appears to be unnatural at this I certainly could do with a lot more [Music] practice to commiserate my loss and celebrate Dad's win should we go for some afternoon tea it's a tradition on board H as much as kunard or silver sea it's served every day in the dining room around [Music] 3:30 dad and I have taken upon ourselves to enjoy some indulgent afternoon tea what do you think of this Dad uh yeah I'll uh try and eat something but uh you know I've had two lunches so of course dad has fallen victim to overindulgence at the buffet we'll just call this a late dessert shall we as Dad opts for a lie down I think I'll go and check in on Mom to see how she's getting on at the spa the greenhouse Spar in Salon is located on Deck 9 and in order to gain access to the fmal suite there's an added cost of $50 so I think for research purposes I.E relaxation we simply must take a look inside as a result for the daily feif for Access it's super quiet which is relief so let's join mom and perhaps have 40 wins or so on these heated [Music] lounges so anyway the rest of the thermal circuit well there's a steam room and sauna along with a fantastic Hydro pool to relax in would you believe it's time for dinner and we have an exciting new restaurant to try tonight as [Music] well firstly though we'll head up to deck 11 to tamid bar perched right at the top of the [Music] ship [Music] right let's take a look at the drinks list then well aside from the regular options there's a special tamid list you best be sure I'm ordering the Cucumber majito remember as before these drinks are all included in our room [Music] rate [Music] I make it dinner time and our restaurant funnily enough tamid is located right next door unsurprisingly described as flavors of the Far East I get the feeling we're in for a treat now this is another speciality restaurant and is not included in our room rate unfortunately it all looks phenomenal to me they also serve an extensive array of sushi options freshly made for you by The Talented resident sushi chef within no time at all some prawn crackers and and chili sauce are brought to our table and with our mouths on fire our starters are served mom goes for the ramen dad the scollops and for me of course the saté [Music] sampler now for Mains dad a lover of seafood goes for the shrimp dish mom the Dandan noodles and I opt for the panang red curry this is hands down the best meal we've had on board so far I just have a sneaking suspicion that they could so easily up the quality in the main dining room but then again it wouldn't get passengers to pay for the speciality dining sneaky but as always I fall into this trap when it comes to food let's conclude our evening at the mainstage theater for one of their nightly performances [Music] well good morning and Welcome to our first Port of the trip junal which incidentally is the capital of [Music] Alaska we have a few hours off the ship to do something particularly special oh and we definitely would want to be wrapped up warmly where we're going first up we'll need to cross the boardwalk over to our coach which will take us the short drive some 9 miles over to Juno Airport have you guessed what we're doing yet of course we're taking a helicopter to land on top of a glacier [Music] well that certainly was quite the wakeup call Welcome to the med Hall Glacier and here's one for you the ice we're walking on now is around 3,000 years [Music] old [Music] we get around 20 minutes here until our ride circles back to come and collect [Music] us expensive yes at around $500 each but worth it absolutely back on board it's not all too long before we depart we still have a busy schedule ahead of us this afternoon as we'll continue up the coastline to glacia Bay and yes the scenery is going to get better better and better early afternoon we served the Honda America tradition PE soup as we enter glacia Bay it's certainly a unique touch and yes it does hit the spot we also thought a hot chocolate wouldn't go a miss too [Music] this really is a pinch me moment as we drift past icebergs and Glaciers from the comfort of our [Music] balcony we then get the most exciting announcement they've opened the bow for us to experience an even more special perspective of our [Music] surroundings [Music] [Music] after some of the most scenic cruising of my life we're back on our journey Northbound we must now travel up as far as Wittier for our final stop given we're out in the open ocean I think it's the perfect time to test out the hot tub [Music] this is definitely an idilic early evening setup only missing a glass of champagne but hold that thought I believe something very special may be on its way for dinner so tonight we've got dinner reservations in yet another new venue but first let's head for our pre- dinner drinks and I thought we'd try out the ocean bar this evening located on Deck three there's ample comfy seating and a whole new cocktail menu to [Music] try I've gone for the Trader fix my tai dad an oldfashioned and Mom a [Music] champagne I'm aware I said this evening would be a new venue and it kind of is we'll be trying the Pinnacle Grill but instead of breakfast in its full Glory as a steakhouse we're shown over to a lovely table by the window I would also like to mention at this point that the staff throughout the trip have been absolutely [Music] phenomenal okay let's take a look at the menu then and see what we're dealing with well I met with a wine recommendation didn't I just say something about champagne in terms of the food menu there's a lot to choose from oh my did I just see caviar there aren't unfortunately that many options for mom being vegetarian but I did check with the chef and he's able to provide multiple off menu vegetarian items should mom fancy something different of course I just had to order the Dom to treat my lovely [Music] parents now it's appetizer time both mom and dad opt for the Forest mushroom soup I however couldn't help myself get a Tre trendy staple the caviar I persuaded dad to try some properly too as he's not had it before which he loves so we end up sharing the rest of [Music] it for main mom chooses the helon tomato and eggplant dad the baked Alaskan halibut and I go for the steak with lobster dumplings [Music] to close off the evening we decide to check out the blues Club BB [Music] Kings which gets progressively more entertaining as the night draws on I mean what do we have going on here we arrive super early into Whittier the next morning but thankfully don't have to disembark until 8:00 a.m. so for me a couple more hours sleep unfortunately it's now time to disembark but let me talk you through the total cost for this trip for the three of us the best Suite on board came to a total of just over $14,000 [Music] well it's with great pleasure that I welcome you to WIA Alaska our final stop on this incredible trip although it's a little bit wet it's fair to say right just a little yeah it's Alaska it is Alaska have you had a good time it's been amazing and the weather's been good the weather has been good apart from now the last time that we're here yeah it's been great yeah it's been good isn't it yeah yeah I'm starving then let's get some breakfast he's always hungry well thank you so much for joining me and also thank you so much for watching we'll catch you all again next time

Channel: Trek Trendy

Views: 993,715

Keywords: luxury alaska cruise, luxury cruise, usa cruise, american cruise, holland and america cruise, alaska cruise, best suite onboard cruise ship, america cruise

Id: urNh-WOuX4U

Length: 27min 37sec (1657 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 01 2024