Last week, Holland America Line concluded its 75th season in Alaska after operating more than 100 cruises and cruise tours in the last six months.
Holland America has been taking guests to explore Alaska since 1947, making the line the most experienced Alaska cruise operator in the industry.
President Gus Antorcha explained, “Holland America’s 75th anniversary in Alaska got off to an incredible start with Koningsdam as the first ship back in Canada in more than two years.”
Following the events that unfolded worldwide in March 2020, Koningsdam became the first cruise ship to return to the Great White North in April this year. The call marked 905 days since a cruise ship had visited the port.
“We kept building momentum with new immersive programming and partnerships that focused on sustainability”, said Antorcha. “No other cruise line can deliver Alaska like Holland America. This season, we focused all our expertise and passion on giving guests a memorable Alaska experience that touched all elements of their vacation, from enrichment to culinary to shoreside tours.”
To celebrate 75 years of exploring Alaska, Holland America had each of the six ships (Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam, Volendam and Koningsdam) adorned with a “We Love Alaska” logo.
On Valentine’s Day, the line launched a “Love Letters to Alaska” competition, whereby 40,000 people submitted a letter explaining why they would love to visit Alaska with ten chances to win a 7-night Alaska cruise.
In September, the line became the first to be awarded the Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certification by serving only fresh, certified sustainable and traceable wild Alaska seafood.
On average, Holland America serves more than 2,000 pounds of Alaska salmon, 1,000 pounds of Alaska cod, 800 pounds of Alaska halibut and 500 pounds of Alaska rockfish per cruise. Recently on offer are three new dishes created by Culinary Council Member Ethan Stowell: a fried Alaska cod sandwich, Alaska salmon chop and roasted fennel-crusted Alaska halibut.
It is perhaps unsurprising then that the line continues to see an increased interest in Alaska sailings. Antorcha affirms, “As this successful season winds down, we are pleased to see growing interest in Alaska 2023. Alaska is a bucket-list destination, and people are excited to travel more. We’re seeing booking well above levels for similar periods in the seasons prior to the industry pause.”
Holland America will return to Alaska in April 2023, offering its most extensive season yet, providing 121 opportunities to explore the Great Land on all six ships. Guests can also add a unique pre or post-inland exploration of Denali National Park and the Yukon to their cruise.
If you’re thinking about ticking Alaska off your bucket list and you want to sail with the most experience cruise line in the industry, then please call our Voyage Consultants on 0800 008 6677.
