A Side of Sweet

Alaskan Cruise Excursions on Holland America Review

A review of Alaskan Cruise Excursions during our Holland America Koningsdam cruise. What to do in Alaskan port stops: Ketchikan, Skagway, and Juneau. Read more in our Alaska Travel Guide.

Alaskan Cruise Excursions Review – Holland America

Excursions on your Alaskan Cruise allow you to explore Alaska by land, air, and sea. It’s the chance to see wildlife and get a closer look at what Alaska has to offer. These activities are offered at an additional fee. They can get quite expensive, but are so worth it!

Holland America Alaskan Cruise Dining Review

A review of all the dining options on our Holland America Alaskan Cruise, including specialty restaurants, what is included, and prices. Check out my other posts about traveling to Alaska.

Dining on the Holland America Koningsdam Cruise Ship

Being huge foodies and spoiled with outstanding cuisine here at home in San Francisco, food quality was a huge factor in choosing a cruise line for our Alaskan cruise. I spent hours on Cruise Critic and reading blog posts about dining, and it was clear that Holland America is known for the best quality food and the widest variety among all the cruise lines that sail to Alaska.

We had so many memorable meals on board, it made me appreciate even more how important it is to have top-tier dining options on a cruise.

Holland America Alaskan Cruise Review

A review of our Holland America Alaskan Cruise and everything you need to know about life on board the Koningsdam cruise ship!

Why we chose a Holland America Alaskan Cruise

We booked the Holland America Vancouver — Vancouver 7-Day Alaska Inside Passage cruise on the Koningsdam Ship, which came highly recommended. Holland America has somewhat of a cult following, for good reason! They have mid-sized ships that tend to be more upscale and have a refined experience.

Read on for more!

Cranberry Orange Holiday Cake

Amazing rustic layered cranberry orange holiday cake recipe – perfect for a Christmas wedding or a holiday party. It’s easier to make than it looks!

I think this cake is one of the prettiest things I’ve ever created. I originally shared the recipe on the Mark & Graham blog (one of my favorite places for personalized holiday and wedding gifts), but I wanted to share it with all of you here this year!

Traditional holiday cranberry bread gets an upgrade as a fluffy layer cake and this ‘naked’ cake style is doable no matter what your baking skill level. No fancy icing tricks, all you do is slap a layer of frosting on each cake layer and you’re done! No crumb coats, no piping… The rustic result is all part of its charm. Topping the cake with sugared cranberries is also super easy and absolutely stunning.
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Review of the Hestan Campania Pizza Oven

A review of the Hestan Campania Pizza Oven, and whether it’s really worth it! Spoiler, it just might be the best pizza oven out there.

This summer we upgraded our backyard with our very own 33″ Hestan Campania Pizza Oven. It was a game-changer! It has been so much fun perfecting our pizza technique and experimenting with new topping combinations.

Read on for my full review of the Hestan Pizza Oven!

No-Bake Créme Brûlée Cheesecake

Nut Free Vegetarian

Your holidays will be LIT (literally) with this no-bake créme brûlée cheesecake recipe. This dessert is perfect for parties as it can be made in advance.

I gave my classic no-bake cheesecake recipe a fun and decadent upgrade just in time for the holidays with this créme brûlée version. It has the crispy sweet crust of créme brûlée, but with the firm and creamy texture of cheesecake. It’s also incredibly easy and it’s such a crowd pleaser to light food on fire (intentionally of course!) before serving.

Read on for the recipe and what I’ll be drinking with it!
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