Holland America Adds First Nootka Sound Cruises For 2028 Alaska

After 80 years of sailing in Alaska, Holland America Line is adding a new destination to the route map: Nootka Sound. The cruise line's newly opened 2028 season leans into its legacy while keeping things fresh with a rare opportunity to experience scenic cruising in a lesser-sailed waterway.

I sailed on Holland America's Eurodam through Alaska's Inside Passage in May, and scenic cruising was a major highlight — so seeing the line venture into a waterway they've never sailed before is a big deal for long-time Alaska cruisers looking for something they haven't experienced yet.

What's new for Holland America's 2028 Alaska cruise season

The headline addition to Holland America's 2028 Alaska cruise season is scenic cruising through Nootka Sound , a remote passage on Vancouver's west coast known as the birthplace of British Columbia. Select 14-day Great Alaska Explorer and 18-day Great Bear Rainforest & Alaska Explorer voyages will sail through the sound, giving passengers the rugged coastline and forested shoreline views that ocean cruise ships rarely showcase.

It's a first for Holland America Line. And it says something about how competitive the Alaska cruise space has become that a line with 80 years in the region is still seeking out new waterways to show guests.

The other marquee news for the 2028 season is the Alaska debut of the reimagined Oosterdam. She's the first ship in the fleet set to complete the Holland America Evolution transformation — the company's largest fleet investment in its 153-year history — and she'll bring purpose-built Solo Verandah staterooms, new Bridgeview Suites with panoramic forward-facing views, and the Grand Dutch Café to Alaska sailings.

Oosterdam will also become the primary ship for Holland America's Alaska Cruisetours, which pair a cruise with an overland extension into Denali and the Yukon.

"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," Paul Grigsby, the line's vice president of revenue planning and deployment, said in a press release . "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."

Holland America's 2028 Alaska Itineraries at a Glance

• New for 2028: 11-Day California to Alaska: Shores, Fjords & Glaciers— sails aboard Zaandam from San Diego to Vancouver, departing April 29, 2028. Highlights include Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Juneau, Ketchikan, Wrangell, and Klawock in Alaska, plus Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

• 14-Day Great Alaska Explorer— sails aboard Noordam round trip from Seattle, departing June 4 and Aug. 20, 2028. Includes Juneau, Ketchikan, Prince Rupert, Anchorage, Kodiak, and Valdez, plus Hubbard Glacier, Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier, and the new Nootka Sound scenic cruising.

• 18-Day Great Bear Rainforest & Alaska Explorer— sails aboard Zaandam round trip from Vancouver, departing Sept. 13, 2028. Includes Glacier Bay, the Great Bear Rainforest, Bella Bella, Homer, Kodiak, Anchorage, and Valdez, plus Nootka Sound.

• New for 2028: 16-Day Great Bear Rainforest & Alaska Explorer— sails aboard Oosterdam round trip from Vancouver, departing April 28, 2028. Highlights include the Great Bear Rainforest, Hubbard Glacier, Prince Rupert, Kodiak, Anchorage and Valdez, plus scenic cruising through Johnstone Strait, Grenville Channel, and Princess Royal Channel.

• Seven-Day Glacier Discovery— sails aboard Oosterdam and Eurodam between Vancouver and Whittier (Anchorage), with 36 departures. Includes Glacier Bay, and either College Fjord or Hubbard Glacier, as well as stops in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan.

• Seven-Day Alaska Inside Passage— sails aboard Koningsdam, Zaandam, and Oosterdam round trip from Vancouver, with 46 departures, visiting Glacier Bay, Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan.

• Seven-Day Alaska Explorer— sails aboard Westerdam and Noordam round trip from Seattle, with 45 departures, visiting Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan, plus either Glacier Bay or Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier.

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Holland America's Alaska Cruises Are Ideal for Repeat Cruisers and Families with Older Kids

As an adventure-seeking mom who's cruised to Alaska with older kids , I appreciate that Holland America keeps outfitting its Alaska sailings with more than 200 shore excursions and Alaska Up Close presentations featuring National Park Service rangers and onboard wildlife experts. It's the kind of programming that keeps teens like my son engaged and learning in between the sports challenges and video game competitions he enjoyed on Eurodam.

The line's Destination Dining lineup, including the Alaska seafood boil, Alaska-themed brunch , and cocktails made with glacial ice, is also worth planning your scenic cruising days at sea around.

Related: A wildlife lover's guide to seeing whales on an Alaska cruise

If you know you want to cruise to Alaska with Holland America Line in 2028, it's worth booking early. On select sailings, the cruise line offers a limited-time Have It All Early Booking Bonus, which includes shore excursion credits, specialty dining, an Elite Beverage Package, premium WiFi, prepaid gratuities, and the cruise line's best price guarantee.

If Nootka Sound or the new Oosterdam sailings are on your radar, Dennis Post of Postcard Travel Planning recommends booking early, since the early booking bonus and in-demand cabin categories like the new Bridgeview Suites tend to sell out well ahead of peak Alaska season.

"Plan early and put a deposit down so you can lock in your trip and price," Post suggests.

 (Paradium.AI will earn a commission if you book a cruise with Postcard Travel Planning.)

Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel Planning , or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.

This story was originally published by TravelHost on Aug 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the Come Cruise With Me section. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking here.