It has long been a dream that we did a cruise. We haven't even been fussy, Caribbean, Panama Canal, Alaska, it didn't matter. Price of course was a consideration. And prices fluctuate hugely it seems. We signed up to travelzoo.com years ago and have wistfully watched great looking cruises advertised.
Holland America - MS Volendam
Finally all our ducks were lined up. We were near Vancouver, a cruise was leaving vancouver a few days after our 2 month stay at Okanagan Falls finished, it was a return trip cruise and most importantly it was affordable for a family of 4.
We have been “tricked” into investigating cheap cruises before, but often by the time they put the port taxes on – the price is double what is advertised. This time however, sailing on the MS Volandam, one of the Holland America Line fleet, the port taxes were only an additional $100 a person on top of their advertised cruise price. For 7 days we sailed in a 4 berth inside stateroom for under $1700US (with the only catch being a compulsary $11 per head per day tip billed to your credit car).
This includes all your meals and constant activities and entertainment. Our kids being 2 and 3 were a little too young to fully enjoy the onboard kids club although they were officially old enough to participate. They enjoyed more the nightly shows and the other muscians scattered through the lounges. So we moved into a late night, late morning routine with them so they could enjoy variety of dancing, singing, string quartets, jazz bands and jugglers the ship offered. And during the warmest part of the day (still a cool 50 - 60F normally) the kids spent a few hours playing in the undercover pool on the Lido deck – as we sailed past snow capped mountains and amazing glaciers!
This is the cruise we did.
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