Chasing Waterfalls – Wrap Up

I had originally planned to do a comparison for the cruise lines like I did when we jumped ship from Disney Cruise Line to Royal Caribbean (spoiler: we are not jumping ship). Then I thought that even though the cruise was a very important part of this trip, there was so much more to it. Instead, I decided to do this wrap up post.

Airport Hotel 

This has become a bit of a tradition. Since early 2023, every time we had an early flight, we have stayed at the Holiday Inn opposite terminal 2. At the time, the hotel had been open a matter of days. More than two years further down the line, it still looks brand new. Supposedly it is a two-star hotel, but it is modern with very comfortable beds, plenty of options to charge your gadgets and an amazing rainfall shower. We had been upgraded to a premium room, which was pretty much the same as the standard rooms we had previously. However, it did come with a fancy coffeemaker and some complimentary snacks and minibar. This was nice to have. A big draw is the onsite Turkish restaurant. The food there is amazing. They have recently changed the menu to keep it fresh, but the food was amazing as ever.

 

Manchester Airport

I have to admit that I have a bit of a love hate relationship with the reimagined terminal 2 at Manchester airport. Part of this is down to the fact that they opened this before it was really ready. In fairness, the airside portion has much improved. When this first went into service, there were some awful bottlenecks and facilities were very limited with bizarre opening hours. There is now a good selection of restaurants and quick service options, and the opening hours essentially coincide with the flights.

Landside is still very much work in progress which makes getting around the terminal a bit of a challenge. Having said that, the extension and the part of the original terminal that has been refurbished looks modern and bright. There are a lot of self-service kiosks around. What they could do with is some airport staff to guide people as some people were completely last, and I started to point people in the right direction. Having said that, for me things worked great.

Security was a breath of fresh air. There were plenty of security lanes and also plenty of staff round to direct people. What also helped is that they have new scanners, which mean that everything can stay in the bag.

Since we had last flown out of terminal 2, some new restaurants opened, and we had an amazing breakfast at an Italian restaurant.

 

The only aspect I did not like is that they leave it very late to announce gate numbers. We saw the gate number pop up on the screen and only stopped very briefly to use the bathroom. Boarding started pretty much as soon as we got to the gate. When we flew out of terminal 2 again in July, our flight was delayed and virtually every flight had multiple announcements for people to go to their gate as a matter of urgency. If they gave people some more time, this probably would not happen to the same extend.

On the way back, I am not sure if things have improved or if we just got lucky that we arrived at a relatively quiet time. Passport control was quick and painless, and we did not have to wait long for our luggage either.

Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport

We have always liked the Air France terminal at Paris Charles de Gaulle. We were therefore not too worried that we had quite a long layover in Paris. In the end, we were quite glad about this. This was our first time that we transited through Charles de Gaulle. Let’s just say, the transfer process is not exactly intuitive. There are three separate concourses that are linked by a train. We assumed that the train we got on would serve all three concourses, but this is not the case. Still, we had plenty of time and this was no big issue. Once we got to the right concourse, there were members of staff around to direct people, but by then we had worked out where we needed to go. Security was painless and was a good selection of facilities near our gate. The view was also great. The only other slight reason for amusement is that we had to take a bus to our plane, and this slowed down the boarding process quite considerably.

 

Outbound Flight – Air France

Although we have flown with Air France quite a few times between Manchester and Paris, this was our first long-haul flight with them. Some of the comments I heard from colleagues did not exactly fill my heart with joy. There was no reason to worry. The only slight issue was that on the plane to Paris, the overhead lockers were very small, and I struggled to get my backpack in. There was no issue with this on the international flight. Air France was definitely a win in both of our books. The plane was modern with comfortable seats and enough space. The cabin crew was warm and friendly. The main meal was delicious and even the champagne that is included in all cabins was very drinkable. The entertainment system is not on par with the Middle Eastern carriers, but there was plenty to keep me amused. I also liked that they had a trolley with water and juices and some snacks at the back of the aircraft that you could just go and help yourself. The only thing that was strange was the snack that was served towards the end of the flight, but I could live with this.

Toronto Airport

Toronto airport was a bit of a mixed bag. I may have done this a bit of a disservice as inevitably I compared this to Vancouver, which is an airport I love. Toronto is a slightly older airport and some of the modern bells and whistles have been shoehorned into an infrastructure that was not designed for it. Still, it works well enough. We had filled out the arrival and customs paperwork on the app before we left home. The kiosks were on a narrow corridor, which made things a little confusing. However, the actual process worked well enough. Like in Vancouver, we had the receipts checked before we collected the luggage and then they were taken off us once we cleared customs. Again, the airport was not really set up for this kind of system and it did create some bottlenecks. However, things flowed well enough.

The only real issue on arrival was with our luggage. I suppose part of the issue was that we had checked in as soon as we could in Manchester and had long layover in Paris. It is therefore not surprising that our luggage was among the last to come out. However, a little bit of communication would have been nice. Soon after we got to the baggage hall, luggage started to come out. Initially, there was a steady stream and then the carousel just stopped. Nothing happened for about 20 minutes. I was just thinking we may have to report the luggage as missing when there was finally an announcement that the last two containers of luggage from our flight would be coming out shortly. About 5 minutes later, the carousel started moving again and soon afterwards, we had our luggage.

Check in for our next flight was smooth even though we could not use the self-service kiosks for some reason. There was plenty of staff around to assist with crowd control and to make sure that the earliest departures were prioritised. The only weird thing there was that they did not take you luggage at check in, but you had to go to a separate luggage drop off once you have checked in. The self-service luggage drop was another example of new technology being shoehorned into old infrastructure. Still, all is well that ends well.

Once we were airside, things worked like a charm. Security was quick and painless and there were plenty of options to get some breakfast. The boarding process was also very efficient.

 Transfers

This is not something we normally bother with as we either use public transport, Uber or taxis when travelling. This time transfers were included as we booked this holiday as a package. For the most part, this worked well. The only issue was with the transfer from the hotel to the port in Vancouver. This was especially a shame as this was just half a mile away. I do not really see the purpose of such a transfer. Even though the other transfers worked well, I prefer to make my own arrangements.

Chelsea Hotel Toronto

When you walk into the hotel, it is breathtaking. It also has a decent number of facilities including two pool areas. Having continental breakfast included was a bonus and I was impressed with the choice. The room looked dated but was clean and comfortable. The only thing I was not keen on was the shower arrangement with the shower over a shallow tub with no nonslip coating or nonslip mat. The location was great and even with the shower issue, I would stay there again in a heartbeat.

 Niagara Falls Excursion

 I was a little bit in two minds about this. On the one hand, this gave me the chance to get a first impression of Niagara Falls, but it was a long day. In the end, I really enjoyed it. Visiting the vinery on the way there was a nice touch, and we had a decent amount of time to explore even with lunch thrown in. Lunch was really nice. I was not exactly thrilled with Journey behind the Falls, but I don’t think the boat tour would have been any better. At the end of August, a flying theatre attraction similar to Soarin at the Disney parks has opened and this definitely has a certain pull for me. 

Some parts of the main tourist strip at Niagara Falls are Las Vegas with water, but there is enough there to keep you occupied if you are not into this kind of thing. It definitely wanted me to come back for two or three days to have a proper look. 

The one thing that I could have done without is the visit to Niagara on the Lake. This is a strange little place and has the feel of a Hallmark movie set about it. I would rather have done a cable car ride over the whirlpool or visited the butterfly conservatory.

 Toronto

I really liked Toronto. It is a very walkable city with a lot of interesting architecture. I still prefer Vancouver, but I would put Toronto ahead of New York. Toronto is absolutely packed with beautiful churches and street art. I was in two minds about visiting the CN Tower, but I was glad that we made the effort.

 

West Jet

 Graham had flown with them before, but for me, it was the first time. I always had seen West Jet as a low-cost carrier, but I have to say, I was impressed. We flew on a modern and comfortable aircraft that even had inflight entertainment. On 5-hour flight, we got two drinks services with snacks. I would not hesitate to fly with them again.

 Hyatt Regency Vancouver

This was a bit more upscale than what we normally go for, but I really liked this hotel. The location was amazing, and the hotel was modern and comfortable. The bed was one of the most comfortable beds I have slept in. Having a Starbucks in the lobby was an added bonus. The only slight fly in the ointment was that the shower was again over a tub, but at least this tub had a nonslip coating, and I did feel safe with this setup.

North Vancouver

 This was an area that we had not previously explored and somewhere that was love at first sight for both of us. Lynn Canyon Park was a real hidden gem, and I am sure that this will get a return visit next year.

Closer to the waterfront are all kinds of unique shops, an indoor market, and restaurants for just about every cuisine your heart desires. I cannot imagine going to North Vancouver though without a repeat visit to the amazing German restaurant we found.

Butchart Gardens and Victoria Excursion

This was another very long day, but it was definitely worth it. Being picked up right outside the hotel was an added bonus. The ferry ride was interesting with plenty to see on the crossing. Butchart Gardens was as amazing as I remembered, but I would have loved a bit more time there. Victoria is a beautiful city, but I don’t think we had enough time there to do the place justice. I think if we had a bit more time at Butchart Gardens and maybe combined this with a visit to a local vinery or the nearby butterfly garden, it would have been perfect.

Harbour Air Float Plane Excursion

This was a repeat experience. I was impressed with the operation last year and this did not change this year. Their customer service is second to none and they run a very efficient operation. Flying in a float plane is the ultimate thrill and the views are stunning. I was glad though that not every seat was taken as the float planes are not exactly spacious.

Cruise

This is the part where a comparison is in order. We have been on a wide range of Royal Caribbean ships and done an even wider range of itineraries. For this to make sense, when it comes to unique features, I will concentrate on Radiance of the Seas, which is similar in size to Koningsdam. In terms of things that relate to what varies according to itineraries, I will compare it to other Alaska itineraries we have done.

Check in and embarkation

I like the port of Vancouver even though it has a few quirky design elements. Check in was well organised. I had been a little bit nervous about this as we have status with Royal Caribbean, which makes certain things smoother. This was our first cruise with Holland America, and we had no status related perks. Still, I could not tell a difference between the check in process this year and last year.

Security if anything was smoother, but this is of course something that is out of the cruise lines control.

US immigration was way worse for Koningsdam than it had been for Radiance last year. Up to a point, this is out of the cruise lines control. However, Royal Caribbean started check in earlier meaning that it spread out the crowds more and also ahead of the other cruise lines, which also helped.

One big issue was that there was no presence at all from the ship. Royal Caribbean always has some officers in the terminal. A little bit of reassurance would have gone a long way. We managed to clear immigration just ahead of the final boarding time, but there were plenty of people still behind us.

Embarkation itself was not as smooth as it could have been. There were crew members around in the same way they are on Royal Caribbean that in theory should be there to help people navigate the ship. Unfortunately, the crew member that I checked in with sent me to the wrong muster station. This should not happen.

Taking everything into consideration, this is a point for Royal Caribbean.

Ship

This is a tough one. Both ships have their own unique design features, some of which work well and others not so much. On paper, Koningsdam should walk this as it is a more modern ship, but it is not as easy as this. In terms of size and facilities, they are comparable. Both have some areas that are not exactly intuitive. Both ships have plenty of spaces where you can just sit and watch the world go by. Both ships have an observation lounge and the Crow’s Nest on Koningsdam is superior in terms of position, size, and layout. The lido also trumps the pool areas that Radiance has, and the aft pool area beats the outdoor pool on Radiance. Things I very much disliked on Koningsdam is that you had to walk through the buffet to get to the specialty restaurants on deck 10 and to the aft pool. The buffet area itself is a bit of a bottle neck and can be downright chaotic at times. This works much better on Radiance. I also prefer the more open plan style of the buffet on Radiance that allows you to move between different pods freely. Especially at the beginning and the end of the mealtimes, often certain pods were only open on one side, and not all the pods were open on the same side. Even if all pods were open, some types of food were only available on one side. This made the fact that you could only cross over at the front of the buffet and otherwise through the elevator lobbies a real pain.

Because both ships have their design plusses and minuses, this is a draw.

Cabin

I am a bit concerned that my opinion of this is a little skewed by the fact that I loved the location of our cabin so much. I start with one slight negative. Getting around the cabin was not the easiest thing to do. There just seemed to be a lot of furniture for a relatively compact space. On the plus side, the bed was really comfortable. There was amble storage space including a seat that doubled as a storage box. The cabin and storage were adequate on Radiance, but not as nice as on Koningsdam. What I hated with a passion on Radiance was the shower. Not only was it very compact, but it also had a shower curtain, and I was always worried that I would flood the cabin. Koningsdam had a spacious rainfall shower with glass doors. I also loved the Elemis products that were available in the bathroom. On Royal Caribbean, I only use my own shampoo and shower gel, but there was no need to do this on Koningsdam. A nice touch was also that there were things like wine glasses and a corkscrew in the cabin.

This category is a clear win for Holland America

Muster Drill

On the face of it, this should have been a draw. Both Royal Caribbean and Holland America still do e-muster. However, the execution is rather different. I like that I have the option with Royal Caribbean to do the video and audio parts on the app. We usually do this in the hotel before we leave for the port or the latest in the terminal. On Koningsdam, this can only be done on the stateroom TV. It is also extremely long and covers a lot of general information that has nothing to do with the muster drill. Being sent from pillar to post to find out muster station did not help either.

This is a clear win for Royal Caribbean.

Food

I need to start with a disclaimer that we are not exactly gourmets. Graham eats almost everything but tends to gravitate towards the plainer part of the food spectrum. I am quite a fuzzy eater, but like what Graham calls fancy food with sauces and ethnic touches. Neither of us has trouble to find something to eat on either Holland America or Royal Caribbean. However, the food quality on Holland America was definitely a step up from Royal Caribbean. This was across all categories – main dining room, specialty dining, buffet, and casual dining. I particularly liked that there are always some locally inspired food options in the dining room and the buffet.

Another win for Holland America.

Let’s drill down on the dining experience a bit more:

Buffet

I have already commented on the design elements of the buffet. I loved the variety of the food that was available on Koningsdam. There were certain staples that were available every day and other things that changed day by day. There were a number of made to order options. I also liked that most of the food was served rather than self-service. This provided a much more civilized dining experience.

This is a win for Holland America.

Main Dining Room

The dining rooms in Radiance and Koningsdam are very cramped. You almost feel like you are sitting on your neighbour’s lap. The overall ambience on Koningsdam is brighter and more sophisticated. One thing that I seriously disliked is that you had to make reservations for their flexible dining either in person or over the phone. It is so much easier on Royal Caribbean where you can make reservations via the app. For service, Radiance was a clear winner. I know the streamlined dining room service on Royal Caribbean where depending on the size of your party a dinner should take between 60- and 90-minutes divides opinions. It however suits us down to the ground. Service on Koningsdam was slow as molasses and it seemed to take ages between courses until something happened. This was definitely not for us.

This point goes to Royal Caribbean

Casual Dining

On Radiance, the casual dining options were the Park Café and the Doghouse. They are perfectly acceptable options if you want a quick bite to eat. But the offerings were a bit limited as were the opening hours. The casual dining options on Koningsdam consisted of the Grand Dutch Café, which offered various Dutch dishes; Dive-In for burgers, hot dogs and fries plus New York Pizza and Deli. The opening hours were quite long and there was a lot of choice. I liked that you could do mobile ordering on the app for Dive-In and New York Pizza and Deli. The food was also made to order, which definitely showed.

Another point for Holland America.

Specialty Dining

Considering the size of the ships in question, both of them have a staggering number of specialty dining options. Indeed, Radiance has more than some of the larger Royal Caribbean ships. Both ships have an Italian concept, a sushi place, and a steak house. Radiance has the Chef’s Table and Samba Grill that are unique.

Koningsdam has Rudi’s Sel de Mer and Tamarind, which is pan Asian concept as the unique offerings. On top of this Koningsdam has pop up speciality dining experiences. On our cruise there was a salmon bake pop up and a seafood boil pop up that took place in an area of the buffet as well as a Morimoto by the Sea take over that took place at Tamarind.

On each ship, we had chosen one specialty dining experience. On Radiance, this was Samba Grill, which is a Brazilian steakhouse concept where they bring out various grilled meats on skewers. This is a concept that I always enjoyed, and Samba Grill did not disappoint either. I can’t wait to experience this again on our next cruise.

On Koningsdam our choice was Tamarind. This was a huge step up from other cruise line specialty restaurants in terms of food quality, service, and ambience. I can honestly say this is my favourite restaurant across all ships and cruise lines that I have experienced. 

 

Clear point to Holland America

Bar Offerings

On paper, this ought to have gone to Royal Caribbean. Looking at the bar menus, I thought I would be a bit limited if I wanted to stay within the scope of the included drinks package. I also love craft gins, and a good tequila and Royal Caribbean have a great selection of both. Holland America seemed to be somewhat more limited in that regard. The actual experience was different. It turns out that the bar menus that are on the app are not a true representation on what is on offer. Radiance of the Seas has one standard bar menu across all bars with the exception of Schooner Bar. On Koningsdam, almost every bar has its own specialty cocktails. I am not sure why they are not shouting this from the rooftops. I particularly liked the idea of the Alaska inspired cocktails at the Crow’s Nest. I am not a beer drinker, but I thought it was a really nice touch that they had a good selection of Alaskan craft beers. The house gin that I had turned up my nose at before the cruise? It turned out that this is a small batch gin produced exclusively for Holland America that can compete with any craft gin Royal Caribbean offers.

 Another point to Holland America

Included Drinks

I had heard great things about the included coffee on Holland America. Unfortunately, it did not live up to its reputation. I know it is hard to believe, but compared to this stuff, Royal Caribbean blend is entirely drinkable. The selection of teas and herbal teas on both ships was comparable. The juices were nicer on Koningsdam. There is not much to be said about iced tea and lemonade. I have to admit I would have struggled on Koningsdam if I did not have had access to a drinks package for specialty coffees plus the odd Coke. Having access to flavoured waters and fruit punch like I did on Radiance really makes a difference.

One point to Royal Caribbean

Merchandise 

I have to admit I have not been excited by cruise ship merchandise since we gave up on Disney Cruise Line. I don’t go on cruises to shop, and expensive jewellery, high end cosmetics and designer goods leave me cold. Neither Radiance nor Koningsdam had much to tempt me. There are two things that I like to collect for every new ship I go on. One is a model of the ship, and the other is a Spirit Jersey. My ship Spirit Jerseys get a lot of wear during the colder months. Radiance came up trumps on both counts, but Koningsdam only provided the ship model.

Another point for Royal Caribbean.

Photography Services

It is a good job in this category that I compare Koningsdam with Radiance. If the comparison had been with one of Royal Caribbean’s larger ships, the verdict would have been even more damming. Fact is that the photography services on both ships leave a lot to be desired. In age of digital photography, it beggars belief that both ships only offer print packages. Indeed, two of the sister ships of Radiance do offer digital photo packages. In a way, it is even stranger on Koningsdam as they will actually provide you with a digital download for every print purchased. Where Royal Caribbean is ahead is that their photographers on Radiance were very talented. They also made me feel really special. Even with the print packages, the photos on Radiance were affordable. On Koningsdam, not only did you need a second mortgage to buy photos, but the photos were also not any good.

Another point for Royal Caribbean.

Activities

At the beginning of the cruise, I thought that this would be a clear win for Royal Caribbean. We love our trivia and there was very little of this on Koningsdam. I thought this may be a bit of a deal breaker. However, it turned out that I really enjoyed the variety of the activities on offer. I loved the presentation about whales. I also enjoyed the carnival games and the tongue in cheek sports competition. They also have a really strong arts and crafts programme, a good range of enrichment lectures and cookery demonstrations. In the end there was not enough time to do everything that I would have liked to do.

A point for Holland America

Entertainment 

This one, I have to judge by the descriptions as we did not attend any evening shows on either ship. On Radiance there was mix of in-house production shows and what I call variety show kind of entertainment like a magician, ventriloquist, comedian, etc. I have never been keen on the variety acts and a lot of the production shows that I have watched on Royal Caribbean left me scratching my head and with a feeling that this was 45 to 60 minutes of my life that I am never going to get back. There are some notable exceptions, but they tend to be on the bigger ships. On Holland America, they don’t do production shows as such. They have a dance company on each ship, and the shows are based on dance and life music including various bands and even duelling pianos. I am keen to sample as much as possible of this when jetlag is not an issue.

Another point for Holland America.

Crew

This was something that I was concerned about before the cruise. The crew on Royal Caribbean is amazing. They are very open and friendly and very soon; they tend to recognize you. We usually have a long list of crew for a shout out in the post cruise survey as so many people helped to make our cruise special. Because of the reputation Holland America has (seniors at sea), I thought the fun element would be missing. This could not have been further from the truth. The crew on Koningsdam was every bit as amazing as it was on Radiance.

This is a draw.

Extras

This is a difficult one as the extras are very different on both ships. On Royal Caribbean, all the extras that we get tend to be by virtue of our status. Getting five free drinks per day and some bottled water is nice, but I did not really miss this on Koningsdam as we had the drinks package included as part of the cruise fare. I like the free internet days we get on Royal Caribbean, but again, we had internet included as part of our cruise package on Koningsdam. The bottle of wine we get on Royal Caribbean is nice, but we usually take this home. The petit fours and chocolate covered strawberries I can take or leave. It is not that there is a shortage of food on the ship. One thing that I do like is that we get a free photo per person per cruise. With Koningsdam, we have no status as yet, but we had a really nice cruise package that came with a lot of inclusions. There were also a couple of nice touches like a branded tote bag at the beginning of the cruise as well as a “passport” with a sticker with various stats for our cruise. Both make nice souvenirs.

I give this a draw.

Demography

This one was a surprise for me. As I mentioned above, Holland America has a reputation that they are a “seniors at sea” operation. Alaska cruises tend to attract a more mature clientele anyway. I was a little concerned that I would feel somewhat out of place. What I actually found is that this cruise had the youngest demographic of all Alaska cruises I have ever taken. Yes, this includes the Alaska cruise we took on Disney Cruise Line. Again, I am used to the fact that Alaska cruises mainly have customers from the USA. However, on Radiance last year it seemed to be 80% rednecks, which I was not quite so keen on. On Koningsdam, we had a really nice mix both in terms of ages and nationalities.

This is a point for Holland America.

 Itinerary 

This is not really fair as I particularly chose the cruise on Koningsdam because it went to Glacier Bay, which is not somewhere Royal Caribbean can go. Having said that, Sitka, Seward and Icy Straight Point, which we visited on Radiance are also pretty cool. Where Koningsdam really came into its own was all the little touches. Having a resident wildlife guide was a definite bonus. I also liked all the little itinerary specific touches like special menu items and drinks and some Alaska specific activities.

This is a clear point for Holland America.

Shore Excursions 

I found that the shore excursions were slightly better value on Koningsdam than this is the case on Royal Caribbean. As a lot of the shore excursions are either identical or very similar, this is an easy comparison to make. Not that we need this, but I was very impressed by the wide range of accessible shore excursions that were offered in every port. The process was easier as well. I really liked that Holland America has done away with shore excursion tickets. Instead, there is a barcode on the app. This cut out the need to assemble first, but we could go straight to meet the tour operator.

The final point goes to Holland America.

Final Verdict

The final tally is in. It is 14 points for Holland America versus 9 points for Royal Caribbean. I am not surprised by this. Holland America is very quality conscious, and they are a five-star cruise line compared to Royal Caribbean, which is a four-star cruise line. Although I am absolutely sure that they are more than happy to look after Royal Caribbean customers if they can get them, that is not really who they are after. They are more interested into cruisers that tend to cruise on the luxury cruise lines but are looking for something that those cruise lines do not offer. We had a great time on Koningsdam, and we are now actively looking on a cruise closer to home on one of her sister ships.

Having said that, Royal Caribbean does not have to be too worried. We may not exclusively cruise on Royal Caribbean anymore, but Royal Caribbean does feel like home, and I am really excited that our next cruise that is coming up very soon will be another Royal Caribbean cruise. Indeed, our next three cruises will be on Royal Caribbean.