This Cruise Line Is Adding a Rarely Visited Destination to Its Alaska Sailings—With Rainforests, Mountains, and Rugged Coastline

Cruisers will have a new destination to take in onboard Holland America Line Alaska sailings in 2028. 

The Seattle-based cruise line, which opens Alaska bookings for the 2028 summer season today, will be one of the few cruise lines to offer scenic cruising in British Columbia's Nootka Sound on select Alaska itineraries, including the Great Alaska Explorer and Great Bear Rainforest sailings. 

The rugged coastlines, temperate rainforest, and dramatic coastal mountains on the west coast of Vancouver Island will be an all-new destination virtually untouched by mainstream cruise lines. Nootka Sound is often called the "Birthplace of British Columbia" because it is the site of the first recorded contact between European explorers and the First Nations residents of the island.

"What has always set Holland America Line apart in Alaska is our ability to combine the iconic experiences guests dream about with opportunities to see the destination in ways they haven't before," said Paul Grigsby, vice president of revenue planning and deployment for Holland America Line, in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure . "Our 2028 season reflects that approach, pairing the Alaska highlights guests expect with a collection of distinctive experiences, from rare itineraries and lesser-traveled waterways to new ways of enjoying the journey on board. It's a season designed to give guests an even deeper connection to Alaska." 

Also new in 2028 is a new California departure. The 11-day California to Alaska: Shores, Fjords & Glaciers  sailing aboard Zaandam will cruise from San Diego to Vancouver, by way of Glacier Bay, Juneau, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Klawock Island and Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

The summer 2028 season will also mark the first season for the newly refreshed Oosterdam , which will undergo upgrades as part of Holland America's Evolution program, the largest fleet investment in the company's history. Additions will include new Solo Verandah staterooms, new Bridgeview Suites with panoramic forward-facing views and design refreshes to the Grand Dutch Café. There will also be several interior space refreshes designed to bring the Oosterdam closer in feel to the newer Pinnacle Class ships.

Holland America Line will deploy six ships to Alaska for the Summer 2028 season, offering roundtrips from both Seattle and Vancouver, and one-way sailings between Vancouver and Whittier, Alaska, in addition to the new San Diego departure. 

Several Alaska sailings will be longer in duration, including the 16-or-18-Day Great Bear Rainforest & Alaska Explorer, which combines scenic cruising in British Columbia with ports in Southcentral Alaska, including Kodiak, Homer, Valdez, and directly in the Port of Anchorage. 

Holland America's 2028 Alaska season is open for booking today.

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