We arrive on the Zaandam excited to begin our journey to the Yukon. It will be our temporary home for the next four days, until we reach Skagway, Alaska. We are overjoyed to see that we have been upgraded to a balcony suite, complete with a deep whirlpool tub. What was meant to be a convenient way to reach our destination has turned into a luxury accommodation.

I love Holland America. The smaller, older ships are low key and still classy. As a woman of a certain age, I can appreciate the stateliness of an older ship. We have plenty of room, and I appreciate the small touches that make us feel welcome. There are lap blankets and binoculars to be used for outdoor viewing. There is also plenty of room to relax and work in the main cabin.

We spend the afternoon exploring the ship, which is smaller than the Oosterdam (in which we sailed around South America a few years back). It is hard not to compare ships. I miss the outdoor hot tubs and the larger theater. But we have a movie theater and the ocean bar has a dance floor. The game room and coffee bar are much closer to our stateroom on this ship, which will be handy in the morning when I am looking for my cup of joe and crossword puzzle to start the day.

The Lido has a retractable roof over the main pool and a made to order hamburger bar. I can see myself here most afternoons (mostly because it also has the elusive hot tub). The weather is perfect with the afternoon sun.

Midship a massive art installation takes up two decks. It resembles an Italian duomo, but truthfully I don’t know what it really is. But it does help me locate guest services, where I need to ensure we have ship credits. I also want to take care of our crew appreciation. They work hard for their wages. I we adore the excellent service.

We stand in line for raffles that we don’t win. I am annoyed by the “shopping coordinator” who isn’t half as funny as she thinks she is and whose job seems to be to provide a QVC-like promo for company owned shops at sea and on shore.

We meet new friends over afternoon trivia. I think we will enjoy their company over the next few days. It is good to meet kindred spirits. And before we know it, it is time to dress for dinner.

Holland has a great dining room. I enjoy a three course meal that always has fish for me and steak for my husband. We order separate desserts and compare results. Mine is delicious. He prefers his. To each their own.

After dinner we head to the theater for the preview show. It is a little painful. The singers are stiff and trying too hard. It is a little like watching a high school recital if it was produced by Lawrence Welk. I won’t be headed back to see this crew. That is unfortunate.

Disappointed, we head to the ocean bar. The Daam band is playing. They are fantastic. The musicians play a wide variety of music and it is all perfect dance music. It is a Canada Day party.

I love to dance. I am having so much fun. Between sets, I realize that our new friends have joined the party and are sitting in the back. We join them for a chat. N joins me on the dance floor while our husbands talk about who knows what.

All too soon, the evening is over. We head upstairs for a cup of tea to take back to our balcony. I will end the evening looking at the stars, wrapped in a blanket and listening to the sounds of the ocean. A perfect ending to a lovely day!