If you enjoy fine dining, you'll find plenty of it on the ms Amsterdam—including on the verandah of our room and in the verandah rooms of our traveling companions. We greatly appreciate fine art, which we found everywhere on board, especially in the magnificent Atrium and even in our verandah suite. And, the Holland America Amsterdam spa added the crowning touch to our Alaska Inside Passage cruise.

We love nature and wild places, and we spent a great deal of time out on shore excursions, enjoying a wildlife tour or a guided walk on windswept glaciers, panning for gold, and other outdoor adventures. There is nothing—and I mean nothing—to equal the exquisite luxury of a massage, a steam in the thermal suite, and a sauna after a long day in the Alaska wilderness. The Greenhouse Spa & Salon onboard the shop offers facials, hot-stone massages, and steams in a thermal suite, in addition to salon services such as manicures and hair-styling. The Holland America Amsterdam Spa and its facilities make up the entire bow section of the Lido Deck, and it's accessible from the main swimming pools of the ship.

In addition to the luxuriant pampering, there is a fitness center with state of the art machines and exercise equipment. On days at sea, it was just incredible to hop on one of the treadmills and look out at the scenery while I got in some exercise. This was the perfect activity as we cruised past Hubbard Glacier. Then a trip to the Holland America Amsterdam Spa beauty salon before dressing for dinner—the perfect ending to a perfect day.