Three-Day Sale on Holland America Cruises

It's true, I mention this mainly because it gives me a chance to use my picture of the Zaandam. But on the off chance that any of you were looking outside and thinking, "It's cold as Alaska out there," now you can take a boat up and compare, at a significant savings.

The cruise doesn't leave until May, which may not be a fair comparison, but a 7-day Alaskan cruise on the Zaandam starts at $629. That sounds like a pretty good deal, doesn't it? (No, I'm asking.)

You actually don't even have to go that far. Take the train up to Vancouver, and you can take the Zaandam back down to Seattle (a 1-day cruise) for just $79. It looks like the Victoria Clipper is $85, one way. And the Clipper doesn't have a Baroque-style Dutch pipe organ, does it? No, it does not.

The sale ends this Friday, December 11.