Holland America adding 14-day Alaskan cruise

Holland America's schedule features eight ships offering 149 total departures from May 3 through Sept. 24, 2010. The Alaskan Adventurer cruises will sail roundtrip from Seattle on flagship ms Amsterdam and call at Anchorage, Homer and Kodiak for the first time. Seven-day cruises will sail from Seattle, Vancouver and Seward.

Many roundtrip Seattle cruises feature Alaska's immense Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay, the largest tidewater glacier in North America. Some cruises visit College Fjord with 10 large tidewater and valley glaciers named after Ivy League colleges. Others sail by the twin Sawyer Glaciers in the narrow, 26-mile Tracy Arm fjord.

 Alaska Travel Guides sail on board every Holland America ship in Alaska and share their knowledge of local culture, history, art and flora and fauna with guests. In addition to the Alaska Travel Guides, Native interpreters board the ships in Glacier Bay and by Hubbard Glacier to explain the origins of the Huna and Yakutat people.

 14-day Alaskan Adventurer Cruises

The 1,380-guest Amsterdam will homeport in Seattle to sail the 14-day Alaskan Adventurer cruises departing roundtrip May 17 through September 6, 2010. The Amsterdam will be the first cruise ship of a major cruise line to call in Anchorage, providing guests with a full day and evening in Alaska's major city.

 The flagship will also call at the new ports of Homer and Kodiak. Homer features a breathtaking location at the tip of the Kenai Peninsula, the Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center and the famous Homer Spit in Kachemak Bay. Kodiak, home of the famed Kodiak bear, reflects both 7,500 years of native Alutiiq heritage and Russian fur trading influence since 1792 as the first capital of Russian America.

 The Amsterdam's leisurely itinerary features the scenic Inside Passage, highlighted by cruising Tracy Arm fjord with its twin Sawyer Glaciers. The ship also cruises by the Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay. Ports of call include Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka, Anchorage, Homer, Kodiak, Juneau and Victoria, BC.

 Alaskan Explorer Cruises

Four ships will be home-ported in Seattle in 2010, sailing a total of 63 seven-day Alaskan Explorer cruises roundtrip. The Amsterdam opens the season with two seven-day Alaskan Explorer cruises departing May 3 and 10 before shifting to the new 14-day itinerary.

 From May 9 through September 24, the 1,432-guest ms Zaandam departs Fridays, 1,316-guest ms Rotterdam departs Saturdays and the 1,918-guest, Vista-class ms Oosterdam departs Sundays. The Zaandam and Rotterdam highlight the Hubbard Glacier and the Oosterdam showcases Glacier Bay. All Alaskan Explorer cruises call at the historic ports of Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, plus Victoria, BC, and feature scenic cruising of the Inside Passage and Vancouver Island.

 Inside Passage and Glacier Discovery Cruises

Four ships will be home-ported in Vancouver, two of them sailing seven-day Glacier Bay Inside Passage cruises roundtrip. The 1,432-guest Volendam (Wednesday departures) and 1,916-guest Zuiderdam (Saturday departures) sail 39 voyages from May 8 through September 18. They visit Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, Glacier Bay National Park and Tracy Arm fjord.

 The 1,270-guest ms Ryndam and the 1,258-guest ms Statendam will offer two more sailings of the Inside Passage--with port and glacier variations--September 12 and 19 to conclude the season.

 The Ryndam and Statendam also sail 36 seven-day Glacier Discovery cruises between Vancouver and Seward and reverse with Sunday departures May 9 through September 12. From Vancouver, the northbound itinerary features Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord in Prince William Sound. The southbound route from Seward calls at Haines in place of Skagway.

 The Glacier Discovery and Glacier Bay Inside Passage cruises are often combined with a land tour to create a comprehensive CruiseTour.  A diverse selection of 31 CruiseTours from 11 to 20 days may include visits to Denali National Park, Fairbanks, the Kenai Peninsula, the Arctic and the Yukon Territory. Many CruiseTours offer two-days at Denali--"Double Denali"--to maximize wildlife and Mt. McKinley viewing.

 2010 Alaska Cruises & CruiseTours Brochure Now Available  

Cruise-only fares start at US $849, per person, double occupancy for a seven-day cruise and $2,099 for a 14-day sailing.  For a copy of the 2010 Alaska Cruises & CruiseTours brochure, contact a professional travel agent, call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425) or visit www.hollandamerica.com.