We are just back from our second Alaskan cruise. The first was on the Celebrity Galaxy and our latest one two weeks ago was on HAL Zaandam. I can tell you that I prefer the Zaandam in spite of what many will tell you about the higher "quality" of the Celebrity line. The Zaandam was much friendlier, better food, better cabin service, and goes to Glacier Bay.
For example, we ordered breakfast in our room on three days aboard the Zaandam. We put down 6:30 for delivery. All three mornings you could set your watch by the knock on the door at 6:30.
You definitely want a cabin with a verandah when going to Alaska. We used it extensively. Most mornings we went out and had coffee, seveeral days we opened the door and had breakfast in the cabin and in the evenings we sat out with a deck blanket over our legs and listened to the waves.
I would make sure and go with a line that goes to Glacier Bay. We were in Glacier Bay for three hours with a full 90 minues infront of Maguire (sp?) glacier. Some cruise lines only go to the Hubbard Glacier.
We went on a round-trip cruise out of Vancouver and were not bored because we returned over almost the same path. On the cruise up we went out into the Gulf of Alaska and missed the Johnson Strait coming back we went throught he strait and saw lots of orcas, whales, dolphins.
Just some things to consider.
ColDoc
