Hey Seattle, it’s officially cruising season!

This weekend was an exciting one for Seattle as the first Holland America Line cruise ship of the season arrived, kicking off the cruising season. This year is especially exciting because Holland America is celebrating 70 years of Alaska explorations this year and the ms Eurodam is the first of five HAL ships that will be cruising into Seattle throughout the season, with 58 Seattle calls in total. And, the weekend was specifically exciting for me because I got to do something I have day dreamed about my whole life. I was so excited when I was invited to the media day to welcome the ms Eurodam, tour the ship and learn about the company, and I was even more excited when I walked aboard a cruise ship for the very first time.

Around here we travel by ferry frequently to all of our many island towns, but the ms Eurodam was by far the biggest ship I’ve ever set foot on. Saying that I was crazy excited to explore as much as I could in my few hours aboard is an understatement. I came with my walking shoes and my camera to capture as much of the cruise life as possible in just a short amount of time. At first, I just stood about, awed at the sheer size of the ship and all the details that run like clockwork to keep everything on schedule. It really is hard to describe how small you feel in the presence of something so massively impressive, but I knew I wanted to see everything I could.  
Unfortunately, that would have been next to impossible with its 936ft length and winding paths that seem to go forever, holding new surprises around each corner. With 1,052 staterooms, the ms Eurodam can hold a whopping 2,104 passengers with accommodations ranging from suites to standard rooms. In addition to the staterooms, there are also some amazing shared spaces that include a huge mainstage for watching live shows, pools and hot tubs, and tons of places to relax and recharge on your journey. For on-ship entertainment, you can choose between visiting the theater room, the mainstage, the casino, the shopping areas, or one of the many lounge areas. 
For getting work done, you can utilize their meeting rooms, cafes, one of the digital workshops, or you can utilize the onboard Wi-Fi. For those who want to come back renewed, you will love the fitness center, the full service spa with treatments that range from relaxing to rejuvenating, and all the nooks and crannies you can curl up with a good book or relax with a great conversation. For those with young kids, they will be spending lots of time in Club HAL, as well as frequenting the pools and hot tubs, and of course getting their fill of sweets – both sugary and healthy.
And, for you foodies, you will love all the restaurants to suit any taste or atmosphere, from sit down formal meals to grab-and-go options.
Really, it’s like a small, swanky city that moves through the water, taking you to exotic locales while you cruise in luxury. Seriously, even walking up and down the stairwells and hallways is a delight with artwork spread throughout the ship.
I could go on and on about all the amenities aboard the ship, but instead I’m going to direct you to visit the Holland America Line site and check out their itineraries to start pl
anning your trip. We’ve been talking for months about taking a cruise this summer to celebrate our twentieth anniversary, and we’re more determined than ever to make it happen. How awesome would it be to take our little ones on a journey that involved multiple cities and tons of exploring – all without having to switch hotels?

I sadly didn’t get to visit and photograph a stateroom on my tour since guests were boarding as we were exploring, but I have heard great things about their rooms and how family-friendly they are. I can’t wait to report back after we go on our cruise and tell you how the accommodations were for a family of 5. I hope that’s soon, because it was really, really hard to leave the ship after our tour.Holland America Line calls itself “Seattle’s hometown cruise line” not just because Seattle is their headquarters. They are our cruise line because of everything they bring to Seattle in terms of tourism, creating local jobs, giving back to the community, and benefiting Washington State’s economy. They are expecting to bring in close to $600 million this year to the Washington economy, as well as donating to many local groups and charities. Knowing all of this makes me even more excited about planning our cruise this summer.If you are in Seattle, you should definitely check out Holland America Line and start planning your trip, celebrating the fact that you can take some awesome and adventurous cruises without needing to take a plane to get there. And, if you aren’t located in Seattle but you want to hop on one of these cruises, you should plan a few days of travel around Seattle before or after your trip. It’s a great opportunity to explore this awesome city in addition to your cruise itinerary.