Alaska is one of the world’s last great wildernesses. As well as ancient forests, majestic mountains and over 100,000 glaciers, this US state has the longest coastline in North America, making an Alaska cruise the ideal way to discover its awe-inspiring landscapes.
Holland America Line is an expert in the region, having sailed there for almost 80 years. Not only is it Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended, but its ‘We Love Alaska’ program and CruiseTours, including Denali Lodge, immerse guests in the local culture.
Why cruise Alaska with Holland America Line?
In Glacier Bay National Park, park rangers climb on board (literally using rope ladders!). This UNESCO-listed wonder is home to whales, bears, moose, wolves and bald eagles, which you can spot from your balcony or out on deck.
Holland America Line also gives guests more chances to see glaciers (hence its unique Glacier Guarantee*). It’s number one in Alaska for wildlife and wilderness tours**, with excursions including helicopter rides and husky sledding.
On board, the line’s Global Fresh Fish Program means guests dine on fresh, locally sourced, responsibly farmed seafood, which goes from port to plate in less than 48 hours.
Here’s a taster of this year’s Legendary Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice cruise…
Wildlife and wilderness
This 28-day voyage starts in Seattle and takes in the dramatic scenery of Puget Sound, Seymour Narrows, Johnstone Strait and the Inside Passage, where you’ll sail through the narrow Grenville Channel. Steamboats used it during the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–99), but cruise ships now seldom enter, making your passage all the more special.
You’ll also cruise around Bella Bella, a Heiltsuk First Nation community surrounded by the vast Great Bear Rainforest (15.8 million acres), which otters, seals, bears and coastal wolves call home.
Culture and the Arctic Circle
Known as the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’, the region above the Arctic Circle boasts 24 hours of daylight during summer, which you’ll experience on this epic Holland America Line cruise as you cross the imaginary latitude line (around 66°33’ N) almost halfway through.
You’ll also meet native Inupiaq people in Nome and learn about their fascinating culture and traditions from tribal elders.
This cruise starts from £5,919*** and includes up to US$300 Onboard Credit per person, up to US$300 shore excursion credit per stateroom, and the Have It All package: specialty dining, drinks, wi-fi, tips and more
Seafood and extended stays
In Haines, the ‘adventure capital’ of Alaska, frontier-town charm is paired with world-class rafting, hiking and bear-spotting, with a late-night departure allowing you to go for dinner or a drink along Main Street.
Meanwhile, in Anchorage, your Holland America Line ship docks overnight, leaving you with more time to explore Alaska’s largest city.
Fjords and glaciers
If there’s one thread that binds this incredible voyage, it’s ice, which glistens in the summer sun.
College Fjord reveals dozens of glaciers in a single sweep. Hubbard, the continent’s longest tidewater glacier, rises like an otherworldly frozen fortress: 76 miles long, seven miles wide and 600ft tall. Its rapidly advancing ice, up to seven feet in one day, has earned it the nickname ‘The Galloping Glacier’.
Tick off these bucket-list experiences on Holland America Line’s Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice cruise, from 6 June to 4 July 2027
*Holland America Line’s unique Glacier Guarantee promises that if you do not visit a glacier during your Alaska journey, you’ll receive a future cruise credit equal to 15% of your cruise fare
**The cruise line offers 175+ animal sanctuary and sightseeing opportunities
***Terms apply, prices correct at time of publication
†Per stateroom
