I recently spent a week on the Holland America Line Eurodam, soaking up the sights on a seven-day Alaska cruise in an out of Seattle. We saw magical glaciers and wondrous waterfalls, as well as surprising sunsets. We explored fun towns like Juneau and Ketchikan, and enjoyed some fine food and excellent on-board entertainment
Here’s a look at the Eurodam, and at our excursions. And here’s a link to my previously published story on Holland America’s Global Fresh Fish program.
EXCURSIONS AND SCENERY
Our first chance to explore anything on land was in Juneau. It’s fairly commercial, but we enjoyed poking our heads into the bar at the Alaskan Hotel (tons of atmosphere) and had a brief look around the small but pretty state capitol building. It was drizzling the day we were in town and we couldn’t see Mendenhall Glacier, which I hear is beautiful. But we did see salmon swimming upstream to spawn in a small river, and we took a hike to the base of thundering Nugget Falls, where a powerful stream of water tumbles down a dark cliff. Very much worth the 20-minute walk each way from the parking lot.
We had a nice-whale watching tour in the waters north and west of Juneau the next day. There was a bit too much silly commentary for my mind, and the ship was a tad crowded, but there was free, hot coffee, hot chocolate and donut holes, plus drinks and snacks for sale. We spotted dozens of humpback whales, including a pair of resident specimens called Barnacle and Abalone, and admired pretty islands with forests of thick green pines.
Whale watching in Alaska. Meg Von Haartman/unsplash
I didn’t get to go as I was busy interviewing Chef Malinal oin the ship, but my friends and my wife said they loved the Birds, Bears and Barnacles tour in Sitka. They got to admire eagles, owls and other birds up close, as well as black and brown bears from just a few feet away. I had a few minutes in the morning to scamper around Sitka and check out some shops, as well as a fine, small museum that examined local history.
We missed Mendenhall Glacier due to the weather, but it was mostly clear and relatively warm when we visited Glacier Bay and Margerie Glacier. Seeing it from the water was pur magic; the highlight of our trip and one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The glacier used to be a great deal larger, but you can still admire its pale blue ice racked with deep cravasses and streaks of black. The glacier swirls south and then turns back north toward the Canadian border as it advances into the Fairweather Mountains. I stood transfixed for nearly an hour as I watched small bits of the glacier tumble into the icy water. We were told only two large cruise vessels get to visit this part of Glacier Bay each day, so we were lucky. On our way back south, I spotted a lone otter floating on its back, eyes to the sky and seemingly without a care in the world.
Margerie Glacier, Alaska on our Holland America Line cruise. JIM BYERS PHOTO
We quite enjoyed our excursion to Totem Bight State Park outside of Ketchikan, where you can examine intricate totems and check out a local native clan house, which would have housed several families. We also spotted a couple bald eagles floating on invisible currents, and one perched atop a tall totem. On our way back to the ship I spotted a restaurant called “Chico’s Mexican Restaurant; Best Pizza in Town.”
Our friends did a “Deadliest Catch” excursion to see what it’s like on an Alaska fishing boat and saw a pod of orcas.
The “Deadliest Catch” Excursion in Alaska on the Holland America Line Eurodam ship. JIM WAHLEN PHOTO
THE SHIP
We had a nice verandah balcony room (4137 to be precise) with a good-sized balcony and lots of cupboard space. The Eurodam was launched in 2008. It’s been refurbished but could use more power outlets, especially next to the beds for phones and other electronics. We borrowed an extension cord from the ship soon after checking in and put it under our bed and then ran it over to an outlet by the desk. When we came back from lunch one of the crew members had secured the cord to the floor with duct tape so wouldn’t trip on it. It was a little thing but it was indicative of the excellent service we had during our cruise.
A lovely Verandah room on the Holland America Line Eurodam. Holland America Line Photo
I enjoy a nice cocktail lounge or a quiet bar as much as a rowdy concert, and we found a couple very nice options. The Pinnacle Bar was small but sophisticated and served a nice margarita with yuzu, while the Tamarind Bar was smooth and stylish and offered a great variety of mixed drinks.
Breakfast was occasionally crowded at the Lido buffet but there was a vast selection to satisfy almost any traveller. If you want a more refined breakfast, experience, try the xxx dining room. Lunches were quite good, again with tremendous variety, and dinners in the dining room were quite nice. Not celebrity chef nice, but very good. I would’ve thought the Alaska Brunch would have giant platters of fresh crab. I didn’t see that, but we did enjoy crab and salmon cakes, lemon-blueberry pancakes and reindeer sausage. If you’re a foodie, you’ll probably want to upgrade to the specialty restaurants for a few meals. Canaletto featured fabulous pasta with calamari, mussels and perfect scallops, as well as outstanding veal meatballs with sage. At Tamarind, we enjoyed more tasty scallops, a Panang Red Curry with Coconut, Dan Dan Noodles and a mango dessert with coconut macaroon, passion fruit jelly and mango sorbet. We flavourful, tender steaks and umami-rich mushroom soup with truffles at the Pinnacle Steak House.
Thai scallops on the Holland America Line Eurodam. JIM BYERS PHOTO
I was told to expect an older crowd. I thought the average age on board was probably around 62 or 64. There were travellers who appeared to be in their 80’s, but also a few families and several small kids. The Loft is a room for teens with pinball, video games and more. The ship also has a kids’ club called Club HAL.
The outdoor pool wasn’t heated, which makes for a brisk experience on an Alaska cruise. But the indoor pool was heated, and there were both indoor and outdoor hot tubs. I didn’t get a massage but my wife enjoyed hers. I did take a few hours to enjoy the steam rooms and day beds and the hydro-pool, which was very relaxing. Not a huge spa, but nice.
We loved the evening entertainment. The Billboard Onboard lounge featured a man and a woman playing popular tunes on the piano, and had nice cocktails. For folks looking for some dancing and energy, the band who played at the Rolling Stone Lounge was stupendous. The female singer had no trouble belting out Janis Joplin tunes, and that’s not an easy task. They also had a young guy who couldn’t have weighed 100 pounds crooning Marvin Gay, Al Green and other great tunes, and the band was smoking hot. We must have gone four or five times, and we were never disappointed. (Well, okay, they said they couldn’t play The Beatles “Twist and Shout,” but I forgive them.)
The Rolling Stone Lounge on the Holland America Line Eurodam features great live entertainment. JIM BYERS PHOTO
There weren’t a lot of Broadway-style shows on offer, but the Alaska show on day two provided an excellent preview of what was to come. The cruise director was smooth and fast on her feet, but not smarmy. I took in an indigenous Alaska experience mid-way through the trip, with a great storyteller from the Tlingit Nation, Fred Fullmer, who talked about growing up in the area and played wonderful native American music. Fullmer told us locals would climb insanely steep cliffs to gather wool from goats to make thick blankets, also climb for gull eggs. The area was home to everything from wild rice, wild potatoes, salmon berries and blueberries. “If you starve in Glacier Gay you’re lazy,” he said with a smile. Fullmer said it used to be illegal for local natives to gather for potlatch ceremonies, but now native languages are taught in Alaska schools. He also noted that the U.S Parks Service let locals build a long house on a nearby island. “I love this area,” he said. “I love southeast Alaska. This is my home.”
Fred Fullmer of the Tlingit Nation mingles with Eurodam guests at Margerie Glacier in Alaska. JIM BYERS PHOTO
There are tons of activities every day, including arts and crafts, pickleball on the sports court, music trivia nights, air hockey tournaments for teens, Royal Dutch tea in the dining room, movies, flower-arranging classes, beer-tasting and much more. Of course, there’s also a casino.
The Crows’ Nest is a great spot for reading, playing a board game or working on a jigsaw puzzle. The coffee shop baristas made wonderful cappuccino.
SECRET TIP: Take a ride up to the Crows’ Nest on Deck 10. Look for the skee ball game on the starboard side, then look for the unmarked exit near by. Open the door and take the stairs to deck 11 for fabulous views.
