Monday, April 1, 2024

Seattle to Alaska Cruise: Breathtaking Journey

holland cruise line alaska

Accompanied by wildlife experts and National Park Service Rangers, it explores the ecology, wildlife and gold rush history of Denali National Park. A complimentary Denali Natural History Tour is included for all guest on one-night park stays. Board a 26-passenger expedition boat on the ‘Glacier Point Wilderness Safari’ to see whales, seals, sea lions, waterfalls and even a remote beach. The ‘Birds, Bears and Barnacles’ tour guarantees sightings of bald eagles and brown bears as well as marine life at aquariums, touch tanks and a salmon hatchery. Or go kayaking past rainforests, among the reefs and swirling kelp, as you scan the coast, sky and sea for wildlife. Holland America offers more access to Alaska wildlife than any other cruise line.

Personal service is important.

Popular bear-viewing tours depart from Anchorage, Kodiak and Juneau. Enjoy complimentary lessons, tournaments, and courts with amazing top-deck views. At New York Pizza, choose from a variety of scrumptious, 9-inch, thin-crust pies. Named for New York’s famed five boroughs, our signature pizzas are made to order and topped with only the finest ingredients.

Why Cruise Alaska with Holland America

The seven-day roundtrip cruise from Vancouver, Canada, sails through the Inside Passage to Tracy Arm Inlet and Glacier Bay, with stops in Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. Guests can attend fascinating workshops, cooking demonstrations, lectures & talks about specific topics and destinations and learn new skills while at sea with lessons offered such as Pickleball. Accommodation is in the tradition of national park lodges, a balance of rustic and refined, with comfortable rooms and hotel-style amenities. In Anchorage, take a train journey through the Chugach forest on the Alaska Railroad’s Glacier Discovery route to Spencer Glacier, or cruise to the brilliant blue Portage Glacier. In Seward, a cruise navigates the glacier-filled Kenai Fjords National Park.

holland cruise line alaska

Ports of Call on These Cruises

Refined amenities and the signature Mariner's Dream bed grace each elegant stateroom offered by Holland America Line. Most of our spacious cruise ship rooms are ocean-facing; many have teak-lined verandahs for dining alfresco or sunbathing in private. Start your journey in Anchorage followed by three days spotting wildlife such as moose, wolves, and grizzly bears at Denali National Park. Explore Fairbanks, Alaska's second-largest city, and historic Dawson and Whitehorse before boarding the ship to explore Alaska's highlights by sea. You'll see Glacier Bay, one of the planet's largest biosphere reserves, Skagway, Ketchikan and the glacier-cut fjords of Alaska's famous Inside Passage before your cruise tour ends in Vancouver.

Across the hall is Tamarind Bar, which features even more windows, including those on the wings that feel as if you are sitting on the edge of the ship. Serving Asian specialties from Southeast Asia, China and Japan and designed by Culinary Council member Chef Andy Matsuda, Tamarind is located on Deck 11 midship. This top deck spot offers wonderful views of the sea through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Alaska is so vast, cruisers have several options when it comes to cruise ports, as well as inland choices on the land portion of a cruise tour. Cruises may also have Alaska notables like an Iditarod runner or, on special occasions, a cast member from Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" TV show. (Princess Cruises has a partnership with the Discovery Channel called Discovery at Sea.) Alaskan cuisine includes king crab, salmon and halibut burgers. The onboard steakhouse adds a North to Alaska tasting menu to its offerings with a variety of Alaskan specialties.

Choose Your Stateroom

The lunch menu has a deep lineup of favorites, such as street tacos, BBQ chicken spring rolls, Cobb salad, club sandwich, a cheeseburger and fried chicken and waffles. It remains the same throughout the cruise, but there are enough selections to give a nice variety to visit for lunch often. This venue also offers appetizers (a la carte), such as Chinese five-spice baby back ribs and a satay sampler. The menu also offers creations like Mongolian barbecue lamb chops, crispy duck with ginger-chili glaze and wok-seared lobster.

Late September and October is mating season, when males fight with their antlers in competition for females. Denali is also one of the best places in the world to catch a glimpse of wolves in the wild. Alaska is home to around 30,000 bald eagles, flying majestically overhead and swooping for fish. Peregrine falcons migrate to Alaska in spring, while some live there year-round, nesting on cliffs and diving at speeds of over 300 km/hr to catch their prey. Tufted and horned puffins are found between spring and autumn, most easily encountered on a kayak excursion.

holland cruise line alaska

Most people who got off Eurodam did so for an evening walk in the fine weather or for a dinner and shopping or to visit a cafe or restaurant to have a coffee or beer. Ketchikan is always lively, and Eurodam was one of five ships in port during our visit. The salmon capital of the world is a wonderfully walkable town with all kinds of shops, restaurants and parks and interpretive walks with totem poles available to enjoy. Next up was our small-group whale-watching tour on a fully permitted research vessel which collects data for university and regional science programs.

Canaletto is a restaurant space located within the Lido Market buffet. It’s part of the buffet during the day for breakfast and lunch but then converted in the evening to a quaint Italian eatery, complete with Italian music playing to set the proper mood. I joined the Sitka Bike and Hike tour for an easy pedal along paths on the southern part of the island. We went out about two miles before taking a stroll into the temperate rainforest and past Thimbleberry Lake.

Holland America Line to debut 'Glacier Day' on all Alaska cruises - TravelMole

Holland America Line to debut 'Glacier Day' on all Alaska cruises.

Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:49:31 GMT [source]

Eurodam was named “Best for Great Dining & Diverse Destinations” and features a vast selection of entertainment venues and restaurants. Cross Alaska’s massive ice shelves, crystal fjords, and fascinating marine wildlife off your bucket list with itineraries that conveniently depart from Seattle and Vancouver. Enjoy perks such as privileged access to Glacier Bay National Park and prime docking locations that give you a head start on sightseeing.

Witness all that goes into harvesting crabs with experienced crab fishers, some you may have seen on the Deadliest Catch. Ride the rail over high trestles to uninterrupted views of pure Alaska wilderness. Pass Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and more as your guide regales captivating Gold Rush history.

Dinners offer a rotating menu of Mediterranean cuisine alongside cruise classics. I joined a couple dozen other cruisers from Eurodam and the other ships in port to go out on a kayaking excursion to Fritz Cove on nearby Douglas Island. We enjoyed the certified sustainable and traceable wild Alaska seafood and regionally inspired cuisine at multiple shipboard restaurants and the delectable Alaska Brunch in Eurodam’s Dining Room. My meals at two of the ship’s specialty dining venues, Tamarind and the Pinnacle Grill, rank among the best I’ve had at sea.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Tiny House Kits: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Dream Home

Table Of Content This Tiny Vacation Home Cost Less Than $3,000 This Tiny House in the Trees Cost $4,000 Mighty Small Homes: The Cottage Cust...