Holland America’s 80th Alaska Season
Holland America brings six ships to Alaska in 2027, its 80th year there, with Vancouver roundtrips and Great Bear Rainforest sailings. A strong hook for Canadian cruise clients.
Holland America Line is turning 2027 into an anniversary year in Alaska, and Vancouver gets a meaningful share of it. The line says it is preparing to mark nearly 80 years in Alaska after its 2026 season, and it will deploy six ships there from April to September 2027: Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam and Zaandam, sailing from Seattle, Vancouver and Whittier.
“Alaska has been an important part of Holland America Line’s story for nearly 80 years, and we’re already preparing to mark this milestone following a successful 2026 season,” said Beth Bodensteiner, president of Holland America Line.
The Canadian angle
Three parts of the 2027 programme are worth flagging for Canadian clients:
- Alaska Inside Passage, eight days, roundtrip Vancouver. The line describes it as sailing “roundtrip from Vancouver through the storied Inside Passage before a visit to Glacier Bay.” No U.S. airport needed for B.C. and Prairie clients.
- Great Bear Rainforest. A seven-day Great Bear Rainforest cruise on Noordam, plus two sailings of an 18-day Great Bear Rainforest & Alaska Explorer on Zaandam, take in B.C.’s north coast as well as Alaska.
- Glacier time. In 2026 the line offered more than 150 opportunities to visit glaciated destinations including Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier, Dawes Glacier and Endicott Arm, it says.
Beyond the ship
For clients who want the long version, Holland America has a 28-day Legendary Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice voyage on Noordam, departing 6 June 2027 roundtrip from Seattle into the Bering Sea and the Arctic Circle.
On land, renovations at Holland America Denali Lodge will be completed in 2027, with two new guest buildings replacing older structures and adding 72 rooms, along with a refresh of the main lodge interior, according to the line. That matters for cruisetour clients, where the land portion is often where satisfaction is won or lost.
The line also reported more than $320,000 in donations to local organisations in Anchorage, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Denali during the 2026 season.
For advisors
- Who to pitch: Western Canadian cruisers who prefer to sail from Vancouver, multigenerational families, and repeat Alaska clients who haven’t seen the Great Bear Rainforest.
- When: now. With only two Zaandam Great Bear Rainforest & Alaska Explorer departures, space is limited.
- What to book: Vancouver roundtrips for simplicity; cruisetours with the refreshed Denali Lodge for first-timers; the 28-day solstice voyage for long-haul cruisers.
- What to watch: any 80th-anniversary programming or onboard events the line announces closer to 2027.