As our ship reached Alaska's glaciers, the captain did something no one expected

I'm heading from Vancouver towards Alaska on Holland America Line's (HAL) Koningsdam via the Inside Passage, which, at least for now, is not very "inside". I was expecting the sea route along Canada's west coast to be hemmed in by towering mountains, but on the second day of the seven-night cruise all I can see is the North Pacific Ocean, stretching all the way to a 360-degree horizon.

While the scenery is serene, life aboard the 13-deck ship is anything but. More than 2600 travellers are on board and almost all of them have congregated on the ship's ninth and 10th decks, where the FIFA World Cup final is playing on a big screen by the pool. Not a footy fan myself, I'm escaping the madness at the spa, alternating between the hydrotherapy pool and heated lounges overlooking the sea.

Launched in 2016, Koningsdam underwent a light refresh in March, with new carpets throughout the staterooms and public areas giving the ship a fresher feel. Celebrating its 80th anniversary in the region next year, HAL is the longest-operating cruise line in Alaska, and Koningsdam feels purpose-built for these waters. It's a big ship, with 1331 staterooms; more than a dozen eateries; a large casino; and an even larger theatre. But of all the big things, it's the expansive promenade decks on the ship's upper levels that are most impressive.

When it arrives in Glacier Bay, it can get fairly close to the glaciers, thousands of years old. The captain then slowly rotates the ship a full 360 degrees so everyone on board gets a front-row view - a manoeuvre that makes those promenades one of Koningsdam's best design features.

Hotels can learn a thing or two from Koningsdam's cabins. At 21 square metres (excluding the balcony), my stateroom is small, but it is so well designed it's super comfortable. There's a queen-sized bed with side tables, and easy access to power points and USB charging ports; a small sitting area; a compact work desk; a well-appointed ensuite (with a watertight shower); and a balcony that looks twice as large as the private outdoor spaces of many other similar-sized staterooms I can see on this ship.

The biggest win, however, is the storage space. For a room this size, there are more drawers, cabinets and closets than I can use. But I have two gripes. One, somehow I have ended up in an interconnecting room (No. 4034), and - while my neighbours aren't particularly loud - I can hear them every time they talk. And, two, my room is above the World Stage performance space, and the bass often pierces through the walls and floor. If you're a light sleeper, avoid deck 4.

On a ship this size, variety is key - and Koningsdam delivers, starting with the dizzying array of starters, mains, salads and desserts at the buffet at Lido Market on deck 9. Spread over two levels, the Dining Room is the ship's main restaurant. It may feel a little overwhelming at first (hundreds of tables, spiral staircases, et al), but menus change daily, service feels personal, and my slow-braised oxtail is so tender and flavoursome that I order another serve of it - because on a cruise you can do that sort of thing without any extra fee.

If you want to splash out, there's a bevy of specialty restaurants, too. Over the course of my cruise, I worked my way through all of them and couldn't get enough of the "angry" (read spicy) lobster pad Thai at the contemporary Asian restaurant Morimoto by Sea; the divine osso buco at Italian haunt Canaletto; and the decadent chocolate and hazelnut volcano cake at Mediterranean bistro Rudi's Sel de Mer.

On a big ship like this, large-scale shows are a given - from Fosse and Verdon, The Duet That Changed Broadway production to high-energy revue Sing. But it's the intimate, informative talks on this cruise of Alaska that I find most fulfilling - and surprising.

When we're in Glacier Bay, a National Park Service ranger talks about how this entire region was buried beneath one big glacier only about 300 years ago, while another session tackles challenging - and heartbreaking - indigenous history of the region. In 1869, just two years after buying Alaska from Russia, the US Navy bombarded a Tlingit village at Kake - an example of the US military using force against indigenous people in its new territory, without any retaliation whatsoever.

There are multiple pools, a spa and an enormous gym with sweeping sea views at the bow of the ship - the perfect spot to burn off some of those buffets when you're at sea. On port days, however, getting out and exploring Alaska is a must. There's an encyclopedic list of excursions. In Juneau, sign up for the three-hour dog-sledding adventure, which begins with a scenic helicopter flight to Mendenhall Glacier. There, you can meet Alaskan huskies and their puppies, and take a sled ride through the snow-covered landscape.

In Skagway, jump aboard the 126-year-old White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad train for a three-hour ride through some of North America's most dramatic scenery, complete with magnificent mountains, plunging valleys, crystal-clear rivers and picturesque bridges. In Ketchikan, you can take it easy. Often referred to as the Rain Capital of Alaska and the Salmon Capital of the World, it turns out to be the most beautiful port on my cruise. The colourful houses on stilts around a creek - on Creek Street - are a sight to behold.

Efficient rather than exceptional - an inevitable trade-off on a ship of this size, where personal touches are harder to come by.

The writer was a guest of Holland America Line