Alaska Cruises Central

Holland America is one of the largest cruise lines around, so it comes as a bit of a surprise that Holland America Alaska cruises actually offer something pretty unique and separated.  Larger cruise lines try to please everybody at the same time, and as we know, that’s not really possible.  However, theirs is something of a good compromise.

For one, they leverage their size well.  There are four main types of Alaska cruises they have, and the first is simply called Alaska cruises.  These cruises leave four days of the week, leave from Seattle or Vancouver, and they have a one-way Vancouver to Seward as well.  This cruise hits up Ketchikan, Juneau and Sitka and does give you the glacier views along with the humpbacks, moose, bears and eagles.

The second type is called the Alaskan Explorer cruise.  Seattle, Vancouver Island, the Gulf of Alaska is the way it starts, and from there, you can choose to either head towards Glacier Bay, or towards Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the Hubbard Glacier and St. Elias mountain range.

The third type is called the Glacier Discovery Cruises.  These head towards Glacier Bay, and are all about glaciers and fjords.  The Hubbard Glacier is on the itinerary, and there is a double-length 14-day option available so you can check everything out better.

The fourth is the famous Inside Passage cruise, that many operators offer.  However, just because they all offer it, doesn’t mean it’s mundane -  in fact, they offer it because it’s considered to be the ideal Alaska cruise.  It hits up Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm, the Sawyer glaciers, Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau.

Compared to smaller lines like Cruise West Alaska, you’ll be on a massive ship, the same type you’d see going to the Caribbean or elsewhere, meaning you’ll have all the amenities you can dream of, more than enough social events, and maybe even Tom Jones.