All Aboard

On Sunday morning, we said goodbye to our tour concierge in Anchorage and boarded a bus to Seward, AK. We battled to stay awake due to a lack of sleep combined with the gray, rainy weather. The only thing that kept us awake was the incesant chattering by the overly talkative bus driver. Foggy green hills and trickling waterfalls surrounded us as our bus navigated the winding roads of the Kenai Penninsula.

The Aialik Voyager

Kenai Fjords National Park

After about two hours, we arrived in the seaside town of Seward. The bus dropped us of next to the Kenai Fjords Tours building. There we boarded the Aialik Voyager, a two level catamaran. Our guide set us sailing out through Resurrection Bay towards Kenai Fjords National Park.

We spotted a ton of wildlife on this tour. From fluking grey whales and fin whales to jumping Dahl porpoises. From lounging sea lions and seals to bobbing puffins. But the sights were not limited to just marine fauna. We traveled around the steep Chiswell Islands and up Holgate Arm to view the icy blue Holgate Glacier.

Holgate Glacier

Once we returned to town we were dropped off at the cruise terminal. This non-descript warehouse building was already filling with eager cruise passengers, waiting to clear security and recieve their all-important stateroom key.

Holland America’s ms Statendam

The process was very efficient and we were soon boarding the ms Statendam.

This mid-sized ship was built in 1993 but the staterooms have all been remodeled in the last few years. We made our way up to our verandah (balcony) suite on the 10th floor of the ship.

Our room was decorated with light woods and chocolate and crimson textiles. Fresh lilies and sunflowers greeted us on the table. The room was sparkling clean. It remained that way for the duration of our cruise. Our cabin stewards would clean our room twice a day, stealthily working their magic when we would leave for breakfast and dinner. Each night we would find the next day’s itinerary, chocolates, and a clever “towel animal” waiting for us.

Part Of Our Our Room Aboard The ms Statendam

We had dinner at the Lido restaurant. This bright, contemporary space is home to the Statendam’s casual dining environment. We split our onboard dining between the Lido and the more formal Rotterdam dining room.