Writer Bonnie Wach based this independent review on her 7-night Alaska cruise departing from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Launched in 1999, Volendam is a ship in the grand ocean liner tradition, where premier dining means Rosenthal china, and where an attentive staff still delivers tea and scones in white gloves, there’s standing-room–only at the sing-along piano bar, and an arm-in-arm stroll on the promenade is almost mandatory. While amenities such as an expansive fitness center and spa bring pampering into the modern age, this cruise remains a classic of yesteryear -- right down to the “flambé of the day” on the dessert menu.

Why Volendam?

• Refined and relaxed: Stretch out on a cushioned teak lounger with a wool blanket and a glass of wine and watch the scenery evolve (a glacier in Alaska, an island in the Caribbean), or revel in the pageantry of the parade of baked Alaskas on the last formal night.
• Voluminous views: Lounges, dining rooms, decks -- even the fitness center and salon -- offer picture-window panoramas, so you never miss a thing.
• Luxe bedding: Cabins feature beds with smooth-as-silk, 250-threadcount sheets, and Dutch standards of cleanliness prevail: Rooms are made up twice a day, pajamas are folded, and there’s always a chocolate on the pillow.

Heard on the deck (from crew member to embarking passenger): “I see you decided to come back for another week!”

Who should go
A Volendam cruise is for anyone who wants an experience that recalls the golden age of ship travel: Formal nights with all the trimmings, a champagne reception with the captain, a cup of tea and a wool blanket delivered to your deck chair, and a chance to converse with a variety of world travelers.

Who shouldn’t go
Those hoping to hook up with a hard body, or party into the wee hours, might be underwhelmed by the over-50, in-bed-by-10 set. Likewise, parents of young children hoping for a lot of “us” time might be disappointed: Volendam will revamp her children’s program in 2006, but until then, Club HAL doesn’t take kids under 5.

Hits and misses

• Don’t miss: The dessert extravaganza -- a dazzling and decadent display of tortes, cakes, trifles, and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Also attend the white-gloved Dutch High Tea in the Rotterdam Dining Room.
• Best part of the ship: A small stairway on Deck 8 aft leads down to a secret, sheltered oasis for quiet sunning on cushioned steamer lounges.
• Best experience: The Irish sing-along, a standing-room–only affair at the piano bar -- a rousing chorus of “Danny Boy” puts a tear in every cup.
• Best shipboard activities: It’s a toss-up between the open-deck barbecue (in Alaska, a delicious salmon and crab-leg cookout) and the kitchen tour, where the secret of how they craft all those elaborate ice sculptures is revealed.
• Needs improvement: Occasionally scheduled “activities” such as wine tastings turn out to be thinly disguised sales pitches for expensive purchases. Also, while brochures promise plush terry-lined robes in every cabin, they are only provided to non-suite passengers upon request.
• Activities to skip: The art auctions tend to be overpriced showcases for very mediocre paintings. Likewise, don’t bother with the Gem Seminar, a hard sell for something called Tanzanite.

Heard on the deck (as a woman clinked her cocktail glass with her deckmate): “Hey, when did we start moving?”

How to meet the captain
Your best bet is the captain’s reception on the first formal night, when you can drink free champagne, shake the captain’s hand, and stand in the receiving line to get your picture taken with him. More intimate receptions are available for suite guests and repeat cruisers. But keep your eyes open: The captain can sometimes be spotted grabbing a quick bite at the Lido buffet (usually on port days).

You could literally eat around the clock on Volendam, with the lavish Lido breakfast buffet closing just long enough to replace blueberry pancakes with a pasta bar. Dinners at the Rotterdam Dining Room feature options for every preference, including vegetarians, while the Pinnacle Grill offers prime cuts of Sterling Silver beef on Rosenthal china. A daily hamburger/hot dog/taco grill is offered poolside, and afternoon tea and midnight snacks are guaranteed to kill your last hunger pang.

Rotterdam Dining Room
The elegant two-tier dining room with its dual sweeping staircases, twinkling ceiling, gypsy minstrels, and show-stopping ocean vistas almost eclipses the menu -- especially on formal nights, when tables and chairs are covered in crisp white linens. Adding to the aura is the gracious Indonesian and Filipino wait staff who remember your every preference after one night. The menu, though not terribly adventurous, takes advantage of the local bounty, with three variations of fresh salmon offered most evenings on Alaska sailings. Portions are refreshingly modest, leaving room for a cheese course and dessert.

Pinnacle Grill
The ship’s fanciest restaurant comes with a $20 per person surcharge that, given the caliber of food, service, and setting, seems quite reasonable (if you’re reluctant, consider lunch, when the fee is $10 and you’ll have the place practically to yourself). While scampi and rack of lamb vie for attention, it’s beef that takes the spotlight: A half-dozen cuts -- porterhouse to rib-eye -- presented tableside for your inspection. For a splurge, consider the Sommelier Dinner, a six-course tasting menu with wine pairings ($49 fee).

Lido Restaurant
The eating hub of the ship features indoor or poolside seating for buffet breakfast and lunch, as well as dress-down dinner for those not into the formal nights. Eggs, bacon, French toast, and omelets are breakfast staples; at lunch, there’s a variety of hot entrées, stir-fry, pasta, and panini stations, a somewhat unexciting salad bar, and desserts (don’t miss the bread pudding). In between, you can nibble at the deli, ice cream bar, and late-night snack counter. Staff is always on hand to pour coffee and carry your tray to a table -- handy on rough-sea days.

Other dining options

• Terrace Grill: The poolside grill is a daily quick fix for hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, and do-it-yourself tacos.
• Afternoon tea: High tea (finger sandwiches, scones, and sweet buns) is offered several days in the Rotterdam Dining Room. There’s also a more casual afternoon tea served in the intimate Ocean View Lounge.
• Java Café: The café is a lovely under-the-radar spot to grab a morning espresso and pastry, or an afternoon cup of tea with cookies.
• Room service: Meals are available for complimentary room delivery 24 hours a day. This includes the full restaurant menu during dinner hours.

Best dining

• Dish: The Rijsttafel, served on Dutch night at the Rotterdam, is a wonderful detour from the mainstream menu, with a sampling of Indonesian specialties that includes spicy curries and sate (chicken skewers in peanut sauce).
• Dessert: For sheer pageantry, the winner is baked Alaska, presented in a grand parade with Wagnerian soundtrack and sparklers on the second formal night.
• Restaurant: Offerings such as seared duck breast, rack of lamb, Alaskan king crab, and a full complement of steaks put the “special” in special-occasion dining at Pinnacle Grill.
• Food seminar: The kitchen wizards come out in full force during the food and beverage demonstration, revealing how they sculpt watermelons into sea turtles and carve fish from blocks of ice.

Heard on the deck: “Just when you think you can’t eat another bite, you find something else that’s irresistible.”

How to…

• Get a table for two: Request it when you book the cruise, or opt for late seating, when you can often dine à deux at a table for four or six.
• Celebrate a birthday/anniversary: Let someone at the front desk know and there will be cake and a coterie of crooning waiters at your dinner table. Or preorder a celebration package and champagne and flowers will be waiting in your room when you arrive (for a small fee).
• Change seating: The maître d’ takes requests in the Queen’s Room on embarkation day, and is usually available throughout the cruise for additional appeals.
• Dress for formal night: Men are usually split between tuxedos and suits (tuxes are available for rent), while women’s attire ranges from long skirts to beaded gowns and cocktail dresses.
• Dress for casual night: Women generally opt for khakis with blouses, or casual skirts and tops; men, for polo shirts and slacks or jeans. No shorts or swimwear are allowed in the dining rooms.

Tips:

• If you get tired of waiting in line at the Lido, head to the Rotterdam Dining Room, which (unbeknownst to many) is usually open for breakfast and lunch, and features menu items such as Belgian waffles that you won’t find at the buffet.
• The early dinner seating fills up fast, but by the end of the week, lots of folks have migrated to the later time, so switching is easier.
• Not a big breakfast eater? Grab a latte and pastry at the Java Bar and head back to your room or the sundeck with the newspaper.
• Skipping a formal dinner and going casual doesn’t mean you’ll be eating burgers and fries. Items from the dining room -- mushroom ravioli with sundried tomato pesto, grilled salmon with apricot glaze -- find their way to the Lido menu as well.

Heard on the deck (from a man holding four plates stacked with desserts): “No, really, some of these are for my wife!”

Elbow room and private balconies are the biggest differences between the standard cabins and the suites. But even the smallest inside cabin (182 square feet) comes with a pillow-top mattress, 250-threadcount sheets, Egyptian cotton towels and robes, a fresh fruit basket (replenished daily), and turndown service with chocolates. Bright peach and teal fabrics give cabins a light touch, and bathroom amenities include hair dryers and luxe soaps and shampoos.

At 197 square feet, Volendam’s standard oceanview cabins are comfortable, with sofas and ample closets for storage and a roomy bathroom with good-sized bathtub. The extremely popular balcony suites feature private balconies with deck chairs and extras such as VCRs and whirlpool baths. Deluxe suites (563 square feet) offer complimentary laundry service, hors d’oeuvres, a personal concierge, and access to the private Neptune Lounge.

Cabins for guests with disabilities
There are 22 wheelchair-accessible cabins, 13 of which are oceanview with extra-wide doorways, walk-in showers, and handrails. Complimentary wheelchairs are available for use while onboard and on Holland America shore excursions, and the staff is extremely helpful in assisting disabled passengers on and off the ship.

Tips:

• Cabins designated as triples have a slightly longer sofa bed than the double rooms, and stewards will make up the convertible for you daily. If the third party is a child, the bed (often two large twins pushed-together) is actually roomy enough for everyone.
• Complimentary refrigerators are available upon request for guests with special needs.
• Put your scuffed shoes in the basket by the door and they’ll be back polished in less than four hours, compliments of the house.
• If you miss the movie showings in the theater, they are rebroadcast during the day on your cabin TV.

For her size, Volendam has a surprising variety of intimate spaces, and despite her 1,440-passenger volume, she never feels crowded or claustrophobic. The heart of the ship is a three-story, multi-colored glass column that seems part Vegas, part Star Trek. It’s surrounded by shops, a guest services desk, a movie theater, a performance stage, and a café. The theme of the ship is flowers, and indeed, hallway nooks, art displays, and vases everywhere are filled with blooms, from single orchids to giant arrangements.

Bars, lounges, and casino
The serene Ocean Bar is popular for pre-dinner dancing to Sinatra and his pals. The Explorer’s Lounge features a salon for high tea by day and classical strings by night. The Crow’s Nest on the top deck is the spot for chilled martinis at sunset and endless hours of horizon gazing -- especially on sailaway days. The Erasmus Library and Internet Center offer a quiet escape for readers, board game enthusiasts, and business types, while the low-key casino picks up later in the week with slot-machine and blackjack players.

Swimming pools
Of the two pools, the Lido, under a retractable skylight, is the splashiest -- both by virtue of the leaping bronze dolphins that grace one end and its proximity to the bar and dueling hot tubs. A lovely, smaller outdoor aft pool sits on the other side of the dining hall, but is usually a bit too exposed for comfortable swimming (especially on Alaska cruises). Towels are provided poolside, as are blankets, folded at the foot of loungers ringing the deck.

Heard on the deck (in the elevator, to a man wearing a robe): “You lost your pants!”
His response: “Yeah, I may have to walk around like this the rest of the cruise.”

Shows
The 569-seat, double-decker Frans Hals Lounge usually features two shows a night, ranging from glitzy, small-scale Vegas-style reviews à la The Sonny & Cher Show (complete with Bob Mackie costumes), to pop pianists, celebrity-impersonating divas, juggling and magic acts, and a folky Filipino crew show. Next door, the Wajang Theater shows first-run movies twice a night. Entertaining stump-the-crew contests and the hilarious Great Pretenders passenger lip-synching show fill up the stage bill throughout the week.

Shore excursions
From helicopter flightseeing and sea kayaking to scenic train rides and twilight whale watching, excursions offer something for everyone -- from thrill seeker to armchair adventurer. While a little pricey, booking your tours through Holland America guarantees you’ll have a bus waiting and that if you’re late coming back, the ship won’t sail without you. In Alaska, popular excursions such as glacier viewing and floatplane trips fill up early (as does swimming with the dolphins and stingrays in the Caribbean), so if you have your heart set, book in advance through Holland America’s Web site.

Weddings and vow renewals
Vow renewals are definitely the best deal on the high seas. For $129, the captain will perform your ceremony on a formal night, complete with champagne toast, hors d’oeuvres, corsage, photos, and dinner at the Pinnacle Grill (each ceremony guest is an additional $12.50). First-vow couples can get a wedding package for $1,295, which includes ceremony performed by a local official, wedding coordinator services, flowers, cake, champagne, photo album, music, and a keepsake wedding certificate. Note: Wedding guests do not have to be cruisers.

Looking for…

• Quietest spot: Accessible via a single staircase, the balcony on Deck 7 aft offers a sheltered lounging spot for quiet contemplation.
• Liveliest spot: Forget the blackjack tables; the SRO sing-along piano bar brings out the “American Idol” in everyone.
• Most popular activity: Couples love to take a turn around the intimate Ocean Bar dance floor before dinner, where a jazzy combo plays the standards.
• Best view: The Crow’s Nest is like that scene in Titanic where Jack stands at the bow and yells, “I’m the King of the World” -- except in a recliner, with windows, a chilled martini in hand, and a band softly playing a long-lost Styx song.
• Best show: Bruce Block’s mix of magic, juggling, and comedy is one of the few shows that offers great entertainment for all ages -- if he’s performing on your sailing, don’t miss his show. Popular, too, is the late-night Filipino crew show with its mix of traditional and contemporary songs and music.
• Best drink: Volendam’s signature flaming Spanish coffee wins for most dramatic, but the spicy Bloody Marys on Lido Deck ($2.95 on specials days) hit the spot.

Tips:

• Though smoking is restricted to just a few small areas, cigar aficionados will find comrades at the poolside Dolphin Bar, which features Cigars under the Stars 9 PM until midnight.
• Can’t remember where you’ve been? Consult your cruise log (provided in each cabin) for a detailed itinerary of the ship’s sailing route.
• Some of the pre-dinner shows in the Frans Hals Lounge are better than the main event -- everything from What’s My Line-style games to silly contests that involve the audience (when crew members really let down their hair).

The Sky Room on Sports Deck is headquarters for Club HAL, outfitted with videos, computers, games, and crafts for kids ages 5-17. Activities for the younger set include everything from making pipecleaner pets to a lip-synching contest and a junior ranger program. Teens get their own scavenger hunts, as well as video arcade and movie nights. Outside there’s tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts. All activities are free.

Volendam will make over her kids’ program in 2006 to include activities for 3- and 4-year-olds, but until then, parents must accompany those under 5. However, babysitting is available for an additional fee, and sitters can accompany toddlers to club activities.

Spa and salon
The Ocean Spa and Salon is as swanky as any you’ll find in the world’s major cities, perhaps because it’s run by the elite Steiner of London. Treatments range from $228 cellulite-reducing seaweed wraps with massage, to manicures for $25. Combo packages -- some offering a different service every day! -- are well-priced for what you get. Before or after, unwind in his-and-hers saunas and steam rooms.

Fitness areas
Acres of treadmills with dazzling ocean views, as well as stairmasters, rowers, bikes, and weights that you can use while catching up on the latest CNN headlines, make working off those extra meals downright pleasurable. There’s also complimentary aerobics and fitball classes, and yoga, Pilates, and personal training for a fee. One of the most bracing ways to start your day is with the 7 AM “Walk a Mile” around Lower Promenade Deck. An instructor sets the pace for the 3½-lap course, offering fitness tips as you go (joggers use the track on Sports Deck).

Tips:

• If you have a few hours before or after shore leave, that’s the time to go for your massage. On port days the spa offers some good bargains and there’s no waiting.
• Take advantage of the enormous and luxurious showers at the Ocean Spa -- they make your cabin bathroom seem like Hobbitville.
• Handy “In Port” briefs give you a great overview of what’s at each stop, including maps of the visitors’ bureaus, museums, and historic sights, as well as the requisite rundown of shops.
• In Alaska, don’t miss the free naturalist lectures given by local park rangers. In addition to being incredibly informative, they’re one of the few talks that don’t come with a sales pitch at the end.

Yards of gold chains, duty-free liquor, and signature “Dam ships” T-shirts are the bulk of what you’ll find in the onboard shops -- nothing out of the ordinary, but none of it terribly overpriced, either. Keep your eye out for Lido Deck sidewalk sales, where on Alaska cruises you can pick up fleece pullovers and sweatshirts at discount prices (lighter wear in warmer climes).

Volendam offers 7-, 10-, and 15-night cruises through Mexico and the Caribbean in fall and winter. She crosses the Panama Canal in spring and sails up through San Francisco and Seattle to Alaska’s Inside Passage and Glacier Bay May through September.

• Cruise line - Holland America
• Ship name - Volendam
• Type of cruise - Elegant
• Passenger capacity - 1440
• Decks - 10
• Total cabins - 720
• Private balcony cabins - 197
• Total crew - 647
• Year entered service - 1999
• Tonnage - 60906
• Officers nationality - Dutch
• Ship size - Large
• Registry - Netherlands
• Ship length - 780

Copyright 2005, The Independent Traveler, Inc. All rights reserved.