Based on reputation alone, I knew when planning my recent trip to Alaska that I wanted to jump on a Holland America ship.
As the neighbor with whom I’d be taking this special journey, I did an endless amount of research—this is, after all, something of a bucket-list trip—but we quickly narrowed our focus to the line’s Koningsdam.
And then she asked a question that would change everything:
“Should we book… Neptune Suites?”
My response: “Duh!”
The Perfect Suite for Alaska
Alaska was going to be different than any other cruise I’d done in the past. Typically, I don’t much care where a ship is sailing as long as I’m on board.
For me, it’s usually the journey, not the destination. But in this case, the entire reason for booking the cruise was to take in the breathtaking vistas offered by one of the most beautiful places on earth.
To be clear, one doesn’t need a suite or even a balcony to take in the sights while on board the Koningsdam.
This ship might easily have been purpose-built for Alaska (it wasn’t), what with the many open viewing areas on various decks, not to mention the gorgeous and perfectly appointed Crow’s Nest which, perched atop the vessel, offers the kind of views that are usually described as “killer.”
However, after looking at the wrap-around balconies offered by Neptune Suites, we were all in, booking one on each side of Deck 5, the musically themed ship’s Gershwin deck.
Each of our respective balconies was aft-facing but then extended around the corner to include a huge side deck. In other words, the landscapes would have no way of escaping our notice!
The Perks of a Neptune Suite
Were the spacious suite — complete with an expansive bathroom, copious amounts of storage and, I kid you not, what my grandma would have called a “fainting couch” — and that balcony all that came with the price tag, I still might argue it would be worth the cost. But wait, there’s more, as they said in the old ads.
The suites have various perks, including access to a private lounge with snacks throughout the day. A concierge staffs the Neptune Lounge to help facilitate any requests you might have. (This proved particularly useful when we wanted to book a tough-to-nab dining reservation!)
The Lounge also hosts a cocktail party where you can meet the staff and some of your fellow suite guests.
The perk we no doubt took advantage of the most was having breakfast and dinner in the private Club Orange dining room.
Our original intention was to dine here once to check it out, but we have most of our meals in the main dining room and specialty restaurants.
But… well, the service in Club Orange was so friendly that we kind of hated going anywhere else.
Menu-wise, the food in Club Orange’s dining room was very similar to the nightly offerings in the ship’s main dining room (itself a gorgeous space), although there were usually additional options.
But honestly, the service kept us coming back to hang out with Yitno, Renato and Dian.
Elsewhere on the Koningsdam
I mentioned earlier that when planning this trip, the Koningsdam almost immediately jumped to the front of the line regarding which ship we would be sailing.
There were a few reasons for this, not the least of which was that Mr. Cruise Radio, Doug Parker, had done this particular ship and itinerary a year earlier and raved about the experience.
In virtually exploring the ship beforehand, it became obvious why it is so popular in Alaska. First, its size meant it could easily navigate the Inside Passage, which some larger ships we looked at could not do.
Carrying just over 2,600 passengers at double capacity meant that the ship never felt crowded, including on those typical rainy Alaska days which kept people largely inside. (The Lido Deck having a retractable roof meant hot tubs and pools were available no matter the weather.)
Price-wise, we got a pretty great deal given that we booked about 18 months in advance and were traveling during the early (read: typically wet) part of the relatively short Alaska season.
Even weather-wise, we lucked out: Crew members repeatedly told us that the previous sailing-the first of the season—had been bedeviled by heavy rains and fogs.
While we definitely had our fair share of rain, it always seemed to magically clear up just as we were getting ready to go ashore.
I’m not saying that’s yet another perk of staying in a Neptune Suite, but hey… you never know.
