New "Alaska Up Close" programming and
sustainable seafood certification highlight anniversary
season
SEATTLE, Oct. 7, 2022
/PRNewswire/ -- Following a full season of 107 cruises and
Cruisetours aboard six ships, Holland America Line set sail from
Alaska for the last time this year
with Eurodam and Koningsdam completing a final port visit at
Ketchikan yesterday, Thursday, Oct. 6, before ending at Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,
respectively on Saturday.
As summer Alaska cruise season ends, travelers showing
greater interest in exploring Alaska by ship in 2023.
"As this successful season winds down, we're pleased to see
growing interest in Alaska 2023,"
said Gus Antorcha, president,
Holland America Line. "Alaska is a
bucket-list destination and people are excited to travel more.
We're seeing bookings well above levels from similar periods in the
seasons prior to the industry pause."
The 2022 Alaska season was Holland America Line's milestone 75th
Anniversary exploring the Great Land, and the cruise line
celebrated with a "Love Letters to
Alaska" contest, new "Alaska Up
Close" shipboard programming, a "We Love Alaska" marketing
campaign, and two new partnerships that celebrate the brand's
commitment to serving sustainable Alaska seafood.
"Holland America Line's 75th Anniversary in Alaska got off to an incredible start with
Koningsdam as the first ship back in Canada in more than two years, and we kept
building momentum with new immersive programming, partnerships that
focused sustainability and more," added Antorcha. "No other cruise
line can deliver Alaska like
Holland America Line, and this season we focused all of our
expertise and passion on giving guests a memorable Alaska experience that touched all elements of
their vacation, from enrichment to culinary to shoreside
tours."
Koningsdam First Ship to Resume Cruising in Canada
At the start of the season on
April 8, Koningsdam became the first
cruise ship to return to Canada in
over two years with a call at Victoria,
British Columbia, Canada. The ship's call marked 905 days
since a cruise ship has visited the port, and it also was a maiden
call for the ship. The next day Koningsdam arrived at Vancouver for the start of its Alaska season.
'Alaska Up Close' Immerses Guests in the Local
Culture
Holland America Line
launched its "Alaska Up Close" program that deeply immerses guests
on Alaska cruises in the local
culture with authentic onboard programming, cruise activities and
award-winning shore excursions. The exclusive experiences are
delivered through experts leading workshops and lectures from those
who know Alaska best, EXC Talks
exploring the stories of real Alaskans, tours highlighting the best
of each destination, and fine dining events showcasing the culinary
traditions of the region.
Partnership with Alaska Seafood Marketing
Institute
Holland America
Line partnered with Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
(ASMI) to highlight the line's leadership and commitment to
sustainably sourced local seafood. The first formal partnership of
its kind between ASMI, the state of Alaska and Alaska's fishing industry, and a major cruise
line highlights Holland America Line's use of Alaska seafood exclusively on all six ships
serving the Great Land.
To celebrate, Holland America Line introduced three new seafood
dishes created by Culinary Council Member Ethan Stowell: a fried
Alaska cod sandwich, Alaskan
salmon chop and roasted fennel crusted Alaska halibut. This is in addition to several
Alaska seafood dishes that are
already on menus throughout the ships. On any Alaska cruise, the line serves more than:
2,000 pounds of Alaska Salmon; 1,000 pounds of Alaska cod; 800 pounds of Alaska halibut; 500 pounds of Alaska rockfish; and so much more.
Certified by Responsible Fisheries Management
Holland
America Line was awarded Responsible
Fisheries Management (RFM) certification — making it the first
cruise line to achieve this distinguished credential by serving
only fresh, certified sustainable and traceable wild Alaska seafood. RFM certified all six of the
cruise line's ships that sail to Alaska following an independent audit. RFM is
a third-party certification program for wild-capture fisheries and
is aligned with the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries
Fans Profess Passion for Alaska in 'Love Letters to Alaska' Contest
On Valentine's Day 2022
Holland America Line launched a "Love
Letters to Alaska" contest
in celebration on the 75th Anniversary. More than 40,000 hopefuls
submitted a letter professing their love for Alaska or why they would like to visit.
Selected as the best of the best by a panel of judges who have a
connection to Alaska, Washington state or the cruise line,
Deborah Thelwell from Phoenix, Arizona, was named the grand prize
winner of a seven-day Holland America Line Alaska cruise for two in
a Neptune Suite.
'We Love Alaska' Campaign
With 75 years of
Alaska exploration, Holland
America Line wanted to show the locals its devotion to the region
by having all six Alaska ships
proudly display a new "We Love Alaska" logo below the Bridge.
Holland America Line encouraged
guests to snap a photo of the ship with the logo and post to social
media.
2023 Alaska Season
From April through September 2023, guests can explore Alaska on 121 cruises aboard six Holland
America Line ships. In addition to seven-day itineraries,
Holland America Line is bringing back the popular 14-day "Great
Alaska Explorer" cruise for two departures. For explorers who want
to travel farther into the Great Land, 16 different Cruisetours
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.
For more information about Holland America Line, consult a
travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit
hollandamerica.com.
Editors Note: Photos are available at
https://www.cruiseimagelibrary.com/c/mcssyl5i.
Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram and the Holland America Blog. You can also
access all social media outlets via the home page
at hollandamerica.com.
About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival
Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)]
Holland
America Line has been exploring the
world for 150 years with expertly crafted itineraries,
extraordinary service and genuine connections to the destinations.
Offering an ideal mid-sized ship experience, its fleet visits
nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world and has shared
the thrill of Alaska for 75 years
— longer than any other cruise line. Holland America Line's 11 vessels feature a diverse
range of enriching activities and amenities focused on destination
immersion and personalized travel. The best live music at sea fills
each evening at Music Walk, and dining venues feature exclusive
selections from a Culinary Council of world-famous chefs.
CONTACT:
|
Bill Zucker, Erik
Elvejord
|
PHONE:
|
800-637-5029,
206-626-9890
|
EMAIL:
|
pr@hollandamerica.com
|
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SOURCE Holland America Line