Holland America offers you 7 ships sailing to Alaska in 2016. You can pick from 7 nights roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver, 14 nights roundtrip from Seattle or 7 nights from Vancouver to Seaward/Anchorage or 7 nights from Seaward/Anchorage to Vancouver.
Due to the number of ships and sailings you are likely to find lots of interline rates to Alaska on Holland America during the Alaska cruise summer season.
The ms Amsterdam sails for 7 nights every Sunday from Seattle from May 22 to Sept. 18, 2016. She sails to Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria.
The ms Maasdam sails for 14 nights every Monday from Seattle from May 23 to Sept. 12, 2016. She sails to Ketchikan, Juneau, Icy Strait, Anchorage, Homer, Kodiak, Sitka and Victoria.
The ms Nieuw Amsterdam sails for 7 nights every Saturday from Vancouver from May 7 to Sept. 24, 2016. She sails to sail to Tracy Arm, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan.
The ms Noordam sails for 7 nights every Sunday from Vancouver or Seward from May 1 to Sept. 18, 2016. She sails to Glacier Bay, Haines, Juneau and Ketchikan on the Southbound itinerary and reverse that on the Northbound itinerary.
The ms Volendam sails for 7 nights every Wednesday from Vancouver from May 4 to Sept. 21, 2016. She sails to sail to Tracy Arm, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan.
The ms Westerdam sails for 7 nights every Saturday from Seattle from May 7 to Sept. 24, 2016. She sails to Juneau, Glacier Bay, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria.
The ms Zaandam sails for 7 nights every Sunday from Vancouver or Seward from May 8 to Sept. 18, 2016. She sails to Glacier Bay, Haines, Juneau and Ketchikan on the Southbound itinerary and reverse that on the Northbound itinerary.
The 14 night itinerary from the Maasdam is unique in that it really gives you a good overview of Alaska with ports of call including Kodiak (think the bear) and Anchorage, both of which you don’t see on the 7 night roundtrip cruises from Seattle and Vancouver. So if flying to Anchorage is too expensive or you don’t like flying then this itinerary is an excellent option to see more of Alaska.
On a one way cruise, the ideal itinerary is to fly to Fairbanks, spend two days, then take the train to Denali, spend 2 to 3 nights here, then take the train to Anchorage for 2 nights. Then get on a 7 night cruise to Vancouver and fly home.
The average age of a cruise passenger on the cruise line’s 15 vessels is about 57. There will also be a smattering of young families with small children as well as multi-generational groups of grown children traveling with one or both parents. According to a Holland American spokesman, passengers on Alaska cruises skew older than those on Caribbean itineraries which would be true for all of the cruise lines.
Also balconies on Holland America tend to be larger than what you find on Princess cruises. The staff on Holland America are all from Indonesia so there is a consistency in the service from your cabin steward to your waiter and bar tender. The seniors officers onboard are almost all Dutch.
All of Holland America’s ships to Alaska offer you mid-sized capacity and classic styling. Holland America has some of the traditional sensibilities that appeal to its older audience base — high tea, formal nights, ballroom dancing and displays of antiques — while adding elements to appeal to younger audiences. Such newer features include two contemporary alternative restaurants, wireless hotspots, three new hip specialty bars and an iPod tour of the aforementioned antiques.
Jeans and khaki pants are standard dress during the day. Two evenings are designated formal, and while some passengers will wear cocktail dresses, gowns, tuxedos and suits, others will opt out of the evening code altogether and stick to jeans or khakis. The remaining evenings call for smart-casual attire. Translation: No jeans were allowed. Passengers in the Pinnacle Grill and main dining room abide by the guidelines, but more casual attire will be seen in the Lido restaurant and Canaletto.
Holland America’s shore excursion options are primarily adult-oriented, with activities ranging from animal encounters to bike tours, whale watching and more. Those traveling with children will benefit from Holland America’s “Signature Collection” excursions, which allow more freedom to choose activities that suit your specific needs.
Book early as many of the shore excursions have limited availability. You can book once final payment is made. This is why when you wait to get a low last minute deal, you may find some excursions sold out.
Alaska is one destination where it is very much worth the money to book a balcony cabin. The longer days, the fact that it never really gets dark at night mean you get more of an Alaska experience when you book a balcony. Sit out there first thing in the morning and enjoy your morning coffee or wind down at the end of the day with a drink as you sit on the balcony and enjoy the scenery.
It’s the warm, welcoming attitude of the crew passengers you will appreciate. A smile and “hello” go a long way in making you feel at home on a ship that’s ample but not too large. There’s enough variety in daily activities to keep you entertained, but you won’t feel you’ve missed something. The same goes for dining. You can sample every restaurant and still return to your favorites.
The line offers a wide array of daily activities, which include enrichment programs like cooking classes, wine tastings, mixology classes, art events, themed trivia games, fitness classes, Digital Workshop seminars, movies and other special interest events during the day. Nightlife is fairly understated with predinner cocktails generally being the liveliest time. However, numerous entertainment options run the gamut from production shows and live band performances to dancing, piano bar sing-alongs and occasional late nights in the nightclub.
For passengers wishing to do the cooking and not just the eating, Holland America, a leader in onboard culinary enrichment programs, offers Culinary Arts Center show kitchens for demos and hands-on classes.
Interline rates on Holland America are valid for commercial and cargo airline employees, their spouses, dependent children under 21, retirees of the airlines, parents of the employee, parent-in-laws of the employee and anyone in the cabin. To book call InterlineTravel.com at 800 766-2911 or book on their website and you avoid booking fees either way!