Holland America Line Promotes Alaskan Culture

With the 75th anniversary of the company’s first voyage into Alaska approaching, Holland America Line is presenting a new line of programming designed to enhance passengers’ awareness of the region’s cultural, gastronomic, and shoreside experiences.

Among the highlights of the “Alaska Up Close” program will include seminars and lectures led by local experts, multimedia presentations exposing the lives of genuine Alaskans, excursions showcasing the significance of each place, and gourmet immersion in regional cuisine.

According to Beth Bodensteiner, senior vice president and chief commercial officer, Holland America Line: “Alaska is so abundant that it requires a different approach to exploring it and presenting it. With ‘Alaska Up Close,’ our guests will have access to activities and experiences that they will not be able to find anywhere else.” 

In order to ensure that our guests are completely immersed in Alaska from the time they board the ship in 2022, we drew on our unrivaled knowledge to create unique and special programs to mark our 75th year of exploring Alaska in 2022.

During the talks, participants will get insight into Alaskan culture via discussions of Alaskan women working in sectors dominated by males, how Alaskans preserve their culture and language, and descriptions of what it’s like to race in a sled.

In addition to these activities, there will be talks on the science and history of Alaska’s natural regions.

A showing of BBC Earth’s “Alaska in Concert,” a multimedia event involving a live orchestra providing a soundtrack to footage from the BBC Earth television series “Wild Alaska,” will also be included in the program.

Along with culinary traditions in Alaska, Holland American Line will expose tourists to local fish and Anchorage’s specialty brew. Guests participating on fishing trips may have their catch prepared by Holland America Line chefs.

In 2022, Holland America Line will have six ships operating to and from Alaska. Ships will sail round-trip between Seattle and Vancouver, or between Vancouver and Whittier, Alaska, depending on the route chosen.