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One of my concerns was feeling cramped in a tiny room with our stuff everywhere and all of the free space taken up by our travel crib. The first evening after departing Vancouver was already beautiful, passing by the islands outside of the city and all along the coast of British Columbia. What looked best to me was the departure in and out of Vancouver, which included the Inside Passage as well as Glacier Bay. Chris Owen is an award-winning photojournalist from Florida who believes travel is a great way to experience, understand then change our world in a safe, positive way. The open-concept mall mid-ship on Deck 3 encouraged browsing as you passed through, and it was filled will all kinds of souvenirs, clothing, chocolates, liquor and jewelry.
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This is part of the Alaska immersion programming offered onboard when passengers weren’t on excursions in port. While cruise lines offer a variety of cruisetours, Holland America Line is one of the most popular lines to do it. On our two-week Land+Sea Journey with Holland America, we started in Anchorage, spent two nights at Denali, spent one night in Fairbanks, then ventured into Canada's Yukon, with stops at Dawson City and Whitehorse. We’ve been sharing the wonders of Alaska longer than any other cruise line.
Travel Tips for Seattle
Find Holland America Koningsdam Cruises to Alaska (with Prices) - Cruise Critic
Find Holland America Koningsdam Cruises to Alaska (with Prices).
Posted: Tue, 24 Oct 2023 07:40:02 GMT [source]
Our Alaska cruise departure ports have big personalities and loads of attractions. An elegant and spacious Alaska cruise ship with fresh floral arrangements and garden-inspired décor. Master frontier flavor with regional cooking demonstrations on board. Fluid lines, light-filled spaces and a blend of modern elegance and nautical tradition make Koningsdam a sublime ship for Alaska cruises.
Choose Land First on Holland America Alaska Cruise Tours
Most tours include a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, where you can see moose, bears and buffalo. Holland America Line Flight Ease® offers specially negotiated low prices, a convenient and worry-free way to book air travel, late-arrival protection, and the freedom to change your flights with no change fees. For booked guests, please see our travel planning details on how to book an airport transfer. At Holland America we offer cruise travelers low prices on their flights. Sink into refreshed suites and a new lounge, plus dining and entertainment venues.
Holland America Line Ships By Age — Newest to Oldest (
It was truly an adventure, which included scenes all around Juneau, crampons, and hiking on the ice for a few glorious hours. The guides were also happy to take pictures, which was helpful, since I did this excursion solo. As we made our way through, the weather kept changing, creating different lighting along the glaciers and providing incredible wildlife-spotting opportunities. I saw dolphins, whales, otters, and an eagle perched on an iceberg, all from our veranda.
McKinly Chalet Resort at Denali
Find Holland America Noordam Cruises to Alaska (with Prices) - Cruise Critic
Find Holland America Noordam Cruises to Alaska (with Prices).
Posted: Tue, 24 Oct 2023 01:47:06 GMT [source]
Ride the rails through Alaska backcountry aboard the McKinley Explorer® domed luxury train. Conveniently located an hour and a half from Anchorage, Whittier is a small town on the shore of the glacier-filled Prince William Sound. Visit its most popular attractions, such as the Space Needle and Pike Place Market. Nieuw Amsterdam's exceptional onboard experience earned "Best Cruise Ship Overall" at the Travvy Awards. Eurodam was named “Best for Great Dining & Diverse Destinations” and features a vast selection of entertainment venues and restaurants. Choose from seven refreshingly uncrowded ships for a front-row seat to Alaska's splendor.
Alaska Cruise Itineraries
It remains the same throughout the cruise, but there are enough selections to give a nice variety to visit for lunch often. Once per cruise, Eurodam chefs create a Seafood Boil meal experience in the Lido Market. I was told that the event always sells out with more than 75 people paying $35 apiece to enjoy the feast of regional seafood delights like Dungeness crab, Alaska salmon, clams, mussels, shrimp and clam chowder. This venue also offers appetizers (a la carte), such as Chinese five-spice baby back ribs and a satay sampler. I enjoyed the sushi sampler plate with my cocktail before my dinner at Tamarind, where I dove into a satay sampler, the tom aha kai sweet and sour chicken soup with coconut milk and red curry coconut chicken with jasmine rice. The menu also offers creations like Mongolian barbecue lamb chops, crispy duck with ginger-chili glaze and wok-seared lobster.
Best Shore Excursions On An Alaska Cruise
Otherwise, Whitehorse might be a great place to catch your breath and rest up. Fairbanks is also firmly in the Aurora zone; if you're here in the later part of the season, be sure to request a wakeup call for Northern Lights at your hotel. The Alaska Railroad between Anchorage and Denali is billed as the most scenic way to make the trip, in domed train cars that feature special viewing platforms. And the mountains and rivers that you pass by are scenic, although after eight hours, the extended trip becomes wearying. Stretch your legs and rent a bike to ride the gorgeous Coastal Trail.
As we made our way back south, we stopped in Ketchikan, which was a nice contrast to the glacial landscape that we had been seeing. This is a great opportunity to explore the fjords, which we did by seaplane as our excursion. There are many Alaska itineraries to choose from, and they all offer scenic cruising with some variation in the stops they make.
During our cruise, we also had standup comedian Jill Kimmel (yes, Jimmy’s sister) performing shows and nightly live music from a band called Third Avenue West, which made their home in the Ocean Bar. At the very aft of the ship, past the Lido Market on Deck 9 and outside on the Sea View Terrace, New York Pizza features made-fresh pizzas and a case with salads and pastries. Stations include breads, salads (a menu of creations are available or create your own), a carving stations, pastas, tacos, fruits and vegetables and potatoes. Tamarind ($29) and Nami Sushi (a la carte pricing) are two eateries in the same complex with perhaps the best views for any meal experience on Eurodam. Additional appetizers cost $7 each, and you can add a second main selection for $15. It would have been nice to get a salad or soup selection included as a course for this meal.
All Alaska cruises include one or more glacier-viewing days, and you’ll get closer to ‘the giants’ on ships perfectly sized for the Great Land. These tours also include a ride on the McKinley Explorer full-dome railcars, as well as the Tundra Wilderness Tour at Denali National Park. Each ship, no matter the size, sail date, or itinerary, will feature expanded onboard programming to highlight the region. Guests can engage with Alaska naturalists, enjoy special presentations explore local topics such as Alaska’s bush pilots and the famous Iditarod race, and meet with National Park Rangers and local Huna Tlingit guides. Holland America Line will offer amazing options to explore Alaska in 2023, with six ships and itineraries up to 14 days in the Last Frontier.
Even if you don’t upgrade to any of the paid dining options, the main dining room is honestly awesome. The Italian restaurant with seating near the windows offers sharing-style Italian dishes. It’s a must-do if you’re looking for higher-end pasta, meatballs, seafood dishes, and desserts. It was safe for my baby to crawl around and enjoy, and my favorite place from which to spot wildlife. I preferred it to all of the common spaces on the ship since it was so peaceful and felt like my own little retreat.
Explore the vast interior and the rugged coast on one amazing trip. Alaska cruisetours combine the iconic Alaska cruise with a voyage into Denali National Park and the Yukon Territory. Sixteen different variations combine a 3-, 4- or 7-day Alaska cruise with an inland exploration of Denali National Park. Holland America Line is also the only cruise line offering land tours up to the unspoiled reaches of Canada’s Yukon Territory. Guests can get even more intimately familiar with the Last Frontier through Holland America’s exclusive cruisetour offerings, combining land and sea tours into one unforgettable experience. Cruisetours includes a stay at the McKinley Chalet Resort at the entrance to Denali National Park.
However, there was plenty of variety, and I was able to eat healthy and find plenty of options for my one-year-old as well (veggies, grilled meats, and fruit were always abundant). As would be a trend with the towns we visited in Alaska, Juneau had a charm to it, with historic, Wild West–style buildings and gorgeous surroundings. The downtown is mainly bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops, but there’s quite a bit to do in the area. I opted for the helicopter trek of the Mendenhall Glacier, which was a fantastic decision (more on that later). John Roberts is a freelance travel writer and founder of InTheLoopTravel.com, a website that highlights cruising, fitness and active travel. John has been on more than 80 cruises and visited more 50 countries.
The show “We Are Alaska” served as an overall introduction and explainer for how HAL began cruising in the region, and EXC talks also discussed the Iditarod race, whales and pioneering women of Alaska. HAL’s Explorations Central (EXC) program includes talks and activities in the World Stage theater, at the Explorer’s Lounge and up in Explorations Cafe (Crow’s Nest). And that’s exactly what makes Eurodam a perfect ship for your first cruise to Alaska. It's another lengthy bus ride south to Yukon Territory's capital, Whitehorse. The scenery is spectacular, however, and the coach tends to take a multitude of breaks.
Explore the dynamic glaciers, soaring peaks and captivating history of the 49th state on our award-winning itineraries. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines. We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports.Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. Holland America is also offering 16 different Cruisetours (formerly Land+Sea Journeys) combine a three-, four- or seven-day Alaska cruise with an inland exploration of Denali National Park. Holland America Line is the only cruise line that extends land tours up to the unspoiled reaches of Canada’s Yukon Territory.
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