The ms Volendam, all 60,906 sleek tons of her, tip-toes into Glacier Bay. Captain Hans van Biljouw is determined not to disturb the otter pups snoozing on the ice-floes sliding serenely by. The ship is enfolded in silence, every passenger awed. Suddenly a thunderclap disturbs the stillness as one of a dozen glaciers “calves”. A huge block of ice the size of a 10-storey building sheers off the glacier, disappears for a few seconds to emerge and to start its life as an iceberg. The sound echoes around us, the water trembling, as though disturbed by a giant’s hand. Calving is the phenomenon that occurs when salt water melts the glacier’s snout and huge pieces of ice are torn off the face. Tlingit Indians called the noise “white thunder”. The journey in the protected waters of the Inside Passage is an awe-inspiring spectacle of nature at close quarters, timeless scenes of ice-age glaciers, towering snow-capped mountains, their flanks pocked with glacial ice, hillsides blanketed with spruce and hemlock, soaring eagles and humpback whales, gold rush towns, saloon bars, totem poles and native Indian legends. You see it all from the comfort of the ship. The journey in the protected waters of the Inside Passage is an awe-inspiring spectacle of nature at close quarters, timeless scenes of ice-age glaciers, towering snow-capped mountains, their flanks pocked with glacial ice, hillsides blanketed with spruce and hemlock, soaring eagles and humpback whales, gold rush towns, saloon bars, totem poles and native Indian legends. You see it all from the comfort of the ship. On the first evening, as we cruised along the dramatic coastline of British Columbia, we were in the Crow’s Nest bar (or was it the Ocean Bar or the Piano Bar?), an olive-throw away from Gerry and Kim who hailed from Des Moines, when Kim sighs: “Isn’t this wonderful? It’s like a floating hotel.” Well, Kim ...... it is - and it isn’t. A cruise on the Volendam, as on many of the modern liners, has a stay in the most opulent hotel beaten hands down. At what luxury hotel would you get free room service or have access to the most exquisite hot and cold cuisine round-the-clock? There are five separate eating areas on the Volendam, from the splendid two-deck Rotterdam Dining Room; the Marco Polo Restaurant (a look-alike Italian artists' bistro); the Lido Restaurant for breakfast and lunch - and the ice-cream parlor; the Terrace Grill for hamburgers and hot dogs, stirfry and taco bar and pizza; and the Java Cafe for complimentary coffee or tea and cookies. The cuisine is superb. One dinner: Russian Sevruga Malosol Caviar (or five other appetizers), with a choice of soups and salads and four entrees - Pan Roasted Fillet of Fresh Pacific Rockfish, Baked Stuffed Prawns Del Rey, Broiled New York Sirloin Steak Sauce Diane, Pan Seared Herb Chicken Breast, Roasted Pork Loin Stuffed with Prunes, Scalloppine of Zucchini and Eggplant “Parmigiano”; among the many desserts, warmed chocolate truffle; fine cheeses from several countries. Can you imagine what that would cost you in a five-star hotel, Kim? And there are not many hotels where can you lean comfortably over a balcony rail to see pods of dolphins play alongside the ship; where you can sit at a restaurant table and watch humpback whales simultaneously lifting and waving their flukes in greeting. Where, in the space of a week, would you get so many live entertainment shows .... for free? The Volendam’s Frans Hals Show Lounge hosts Broadway-style revues and variety entertainment; The Wajang Theater is there for lectures, meetings and religious services, as well as current films. Take a quick walk around the Volendam with us and then make the comparison with an hotel: The Volendam has 10 passenger decks and a three-deck oval atrium punctuated by a monumental glass sculpture by one of Italy's leading contemporary glass artists. Its predominant theme is flowers - from the 17th to the 21st centuries - featured in the ship's artwork and interior design elements. A $2-million collection of art and artifacts is showcased throughout the ship. The Lido swimming pool area has a retractable glass magradome ceiling and a bronze sculpture of leaping dolphins; a second swimming pool is located outside. A running track and a dual-purpose tennis/volleyball court are located on the Sports Deck above the Lido Deck. The ship offers fitness buffs the latest high-tech exercise equipment in the deluxe ocean-view Ocean Spa fitness center which includes a full-service beauty salon/barber shop; dual saunas and steam rooms; six spa treatment rooms; and a juice bar. Walks can be taken on the wrap-around teak walkway which also has traditional reclining wooden deck chairs. Families traveling together have become a large part of Holland America's passenger mix. To address the special needs of this group, the Volendam has a children's room, the Sky Room, on the Sports Deck. The Volendam has a penthouse suite and 28 suites, 168 deluxe mini-suites, 384 standard outside staterooms and 139 standard inside staterooms. The ship also has 23 staterooms equipped for the physically challenged. Each of the suites and deluxe staterooms has a private verandah, a VCR, whirlpool bath and minibar. The question most frequently asked on the second evening was: “So what did you do today?” The most common response is a contented: “Not much”. This, in spite of a first-day program which included beginner’s aerobics, the daily quiz, a shore excursion presentation, gym orientation, ping-pong tournaments, a napkin-folding demonstration, gaming lessons, solo/single traveler’s get-together, a kitchen tour, bingo (with Jazzy Jeff), mixed volleyball - whew! and that’s just in the morning! For many, the appeal of cruising the Inside Passage is the ports-of-call and the many excursions - on the Volendam a choice of some 60. At Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway you can kayak, sport fish, pan for gold, soar above the glaciers in a helicopter, bike through the Klondikes, hike or river raft. But each town or city has its own distinctive attractions, and each is small, so you can explore them on foot and at leisure. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to see for yourself how these people live and even survive on this raw-boned coastline where seaplanes, darting around the cruise ship like angry wasps, are as common as a cab in a city street. Holland America’s liners are geared to take advantage of the many wildlife sightings on the Inside Passage. An on-board Naturalist gives slide presentations and is on deck to help you see the wildlife and answer questions. There are Outside Deck Wildlife Watches whenever the Volendam passes through areas where whales and other wildlife are most often seen. There’s nothing to beat standing at the rails searching the seas or the shoreline for wildlife as the staff serve you hot chocolate and the line’s famous Dutch pea soup. There’s no question that for the 1,440 passengers on the Volendam the scenic highlight of the cruise was the time spent in Glacier Bay. At its head is Margerie Glacier, a vast crumbling tidal wave of ice - but a pretty mundane name for one of nature’s great sights. To the otter pups of course, it’s simply home. Photos: Holland America Line For more information visit the Holland America Line web site at www.hollandamerica.com