Cruise: Alaska's Wonders on the Menu

HELICOPTER RIDEAlaska's Wonders on the MenuBy Paloma Villaverde de RicoWant your clients’ vacations to take their breath away? Point them north, to Alaska, where new offerings will have them soaring over waterfalls, hiking in the wilderness, connecting with nature and cruising along the state’s majestic glaciers. HAL MOOSE IN LAKEGlacier Day with Holland AmericaHolland America Line is debuting “Glacier Day” on its Alaska cruises as it rolls out new programming within its We Love Alaska on board experience. The new offerings include Alaska Up Close presentations as well as culinary and beverage experiences to help foster a deeper connection to the people, history and culture of the state. Holland America’s 2024 Alaska season kicked off late last month from Vancouver and on May 4 from Seattle. The new Glacier Day programming includes sighting times, scenic commentary, presentations, informational viewing stations, photo opportunities, Dutch Pea Soup on deck, Glacier Ice cocktails, insightful talks by Glacier Bay National Park Rangers and Huna cultural interpreters, an open bow for viewing and more.And note that every Alaska cruise includes a visit to one or more of Alaska’s iconic glacier destinations: Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier, Dawes Glacier and the Twin Sawyer Glaciers of Tracy Arm. Shore excursions also offer the opportunity to visit additional glaciers, including Mendenhall and Portage glaciers.DISNEY WONDER SHIP Gold Mining with Disney In summer 2025, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder will once again embark on adventures to Alaska from Vancouver, Canada, with 5-, 7-, 8- and 9-night sailings from May to September. Families will encounter the natural beauty of the last frontier on cruises to Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, with port adventures that offer excursions to Alaska’s glaciers and gold mining relics. In the Wild with NCLNorwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) April to October sailings in Alaska means there’s plenty of booking opportunities for those who might want to explore The Last Frontier outside the popular summer months. As John Chernesky, SVP of North America Sales, NCL, tells Recommend, “It’s almost a different destination to go to Alaska [early in the season]. The analogy I would give is that [it’s like] the bears coming out of hibernation in terms of the towns. So not every store may be open and not every short excursion might be available, because they’re still getting going since it’s not a 12-month operation, but the ruggedness of Alaska is [palpable]. You really feel like you’re in the wild. Alaska cruising is amazing.” In 2025, Norwegian Joy will make her return to Alaska to offer 9- to 10-day roundtrip sailings from Seattle, allowing for a longer, more immersive experience. The voyage will include scenic sailings to Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve and Hubbard Glacier. Select cruises will also call to Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan, where Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. is making significant investments to enhance the guest experience and support the local communities.SEWARD PASSENGER DOCKSeward Passenger Dock to Get UpgradeThe Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) seeks to replace the passenger dock and terminal building in Seward by purchasing $137 million in new infrastructure proposed by local developer Seward Company. The existing dock, which has been owned and operated by Alaska Railroad since it was built in 1965, is approaching the end of its useful lifespan. The proposed grand opening of the new dock is scheduled for spring 2026. “This dock is a vital piece of Alaska’s transportation infrastructure, not just for the community of Seward, but for Alaska’s visitor industry across Southeast, Southcentral and the Interior,” says ARRC President and CEO Bill O’Leary. “As maintenance becomes more challenging, it’s imperative we replace the old dock. This new, state-of-the-art infrastructure will serve Alaskans for the next 50 years.” Adds Dale Wade, VP, Marketing & Customer Service for ARRC, “When it’s finished, it’ll be the largest dock in Alaska at 746 ft. and 100 ft. wide, vehicle-capable to bring luggage trucks and heavy equipment out onto the ships. It’s a double-sided floating dock so there are no adjustments on ropes, etc. And it will be shore-power equipped.” Last year, 87 ships called on the dock, Seward’s only cruise port. The calls represented 188,000 passengers traveling on a cross-gulf itinerary, linking Seward with multiple ports of call in Southeast Alaska and Vancouver, Canada. Many of these cruise guests extend their time in the state by touring in and around the Kenai Peninsula or onward to Anchorage, the Mat-Su Valley, Denali, Fairbanks or other destinations.Immersive Glacier-Viewing Alaskan Dream Cruises has launched its new Ice of the Inside Passage itinerary for 2024. Designed with Alaska’s tidewater glaciers in mind, this 8-day journey focuses on sharing the iconic views and the science of Alaska’s most iconic glaciers. Starting in Sitka, guests on board the 49-passenger Baranof Dream cruise through scenic waterways to get up-close views of the Margerie, Grand Pacific, Mendenhall, Sawyer, South Sawyer, Dawes and LeConte glaciers. With seven departures available from May through August 2024, the itinerary also visits Glacier Bay National Park and immerses guests in Alaska Native culture during their visit to the Haida community of Kasaan. For the 2025 season, look out for two new itineraries: the 8-day Alaska’s Ultimate Adventure and the 8-day Wild Alaska Odyssey. MAN SITTING ON ROCKSTake Your Breath AwayJuneau Food Tours has partnered with Breathe Alaska to launch the 3.5-hour Mindfulness in the Wilderness tour, available May 15 to Sept. 15. The experience is designed to connect guests to the nature found in Alaska’s Inside Passage. Guests are treated to a scenic drive through the Mendenhall Wetlands and into the Tongass National Forest, where they will participate in a mindfulness experience. Each mindfulness experience includes a series of breathing exercises and mindfulness techniques designed to provide inner peace, rejuvenation, and connection with nature. Following the mindfulness experience, guests indulge in a specially crafted meal prepared by a local chef.Bird’s-Eye Views Alaska Helicopter Tours is expanding its operations to Homer. Offering four distinct experiences starting this summer, the Homer departures provide guests with a unique experience to explore more of Southcentral and Southwest Alaska by helicopter. The 4-hour Chinitna Bay Bear Viewing tour takes guests to the southern end of Lake Clark National Park & Preserve to Bear Mountain Lodge. There they’ll witness brown bears in their natural habitat and learn about their behaviors and conservation efforts, with views of glaciers, the Kenai Mountains and multiple active volcanoes from the air including Mt. Augustine and Mt. Iliamna, Mt. Redoubt, with more along the way. The 4-hour Helicopter Volcano Expedition, meanwhile, takes guests to view an active stratovolcano, the Augustine Volcano, which stands at over 9,000 ft. tall, and the 1.5-hour Grand Glaciers and Waterfalls takes guests over Kachemak Bay to witness the area’s glaciers, waterfalls and mountains found in and around the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula, areas unreachable by road. For those who might want to cut their flight time by a bit, recommend the 30-minute Glacier Viewing Flightseeing tour. Contact InformationAlaska Railroad: alaskarailroad.comAlaska Helicopter Tours: alaskahelicoptertours.comAlaskan Dream Cruises: alaskandreamcruises.comDisney Cruise Line: disneytravelagents.comHolland America Line: onesourcecruises.com/onesource/loginJuneau Food Tours: juneaufoodtours.comNorwegian Cruise Line: ncl.comCOVERSANDALSTable of ContentsSANDALS SPREADEditor's NotesWEBINAR HOUSE ADIndustry Insights: Cruise Industry—Overcoming Challenges & Leveraging OpportunitiesPALLADIUMAdvisor Speak: Selling Luxury TravelTURKISH AIRLINESCONDOR AIRLINES SCCONDOR AIRLINES‘A Cruise for Everyone’—Luxury Expeditions to Yacht-Style SailingsCruise: Alaska's Wonders on the MenuATLAS OCEAN VOYAGES SCATLAS OCEAN VOYAGESDISNEY CRUISE LINE SCDISNEY CRUISE LINEEMERALD CRUISES SCEMERALD CRUISESEXPLORA JOURNEYS SCEXPLORA JOURNEYSALASKA ADAsia-South Pacific CoverAsia/South PacificCUNARD SCCUNARDVIKING SCVIKING CRUISESCaribbean/Mexico: The Lavish Life—A Spotlight on LuxuryEDU HOUSE AD