Holland America Alaska Cruise – Everything You Need to Know

Thinking of cruising to Alaska? Holland America has been sailing to the Last Frontier for more than 75 years. Here’s everything you need to know about a Holland America Alaska Cruise.

If you’re here you’re probably thinking of cruising to Alaska and trying to figure out if Holland America Line is right for you. There is no right cruise line for everyone, but when it comes to cruising in Alaska, it is hard to go wrong with Holland America Line.

Holland America Alaska Cruise

They’ve been cruising in Alaska for more than 75 years – longer than it’s been a state. They are considered one of the best to sail in the region. What sets them apart? Are they good for everyone? Who would like sailing with them and who should look elsewhere? Let’s take a look.

What Sets Holland America Apart in Alaska?

Aside from their deep knowledge of the region, there’s a few things that put them a step above the rest for cruising to Alaska.

Onboard Enrichment:

• Alaska specific presentations and information
• Onboard naturalist to answer questions
• Dining to highlight the flavors of the region
• Fresh fish program

Itineraries and Ports

• Access to cruising in Glacier Bay National Park
• Glacier Guarantee
  • The company guarantees glacier viewing during your cruise
• Extensive options for pre-or post-cruise tours deeper into Alaska
• Curated excursions
• Carefully designed itineraries with options to go deeper including a variety of 14-28 night itinearies.

Ships Well Designed for Alaska

• Smaller ships offer a more intimate look at the region
• Can cruise through the Inside Passage where as some large ships are unable to
• Dome over the mid-ship pool area makes more of the ship usable for all seasons

Good Multi-Generational Fit

• Programming for every generation onboard
  • From Kids Club, to live music, to casino play, to production shows, to Mahjong and Bridge – there’s a good mix of something for all ages.
• While there is an onboard Kids Club, the ship is not as kid-heavy as some other lines. This makes for a more relaxing atmosphere.
• Kids Club starting at age 3
  • During Alaska season on 7 night cruises you can anticipate between 100-300 kids depending on the ship and when (busiest late June to early August)

Extra Bonus:

• Room service is included onboard! One of the few (if only?) mainstream/premium cruise lines to include it in the base cruise price.

What is the dress code on Holland America Alaska cruise?

Officially, it is the same as on any other Holland America cruise. But, after sailing with Holland America to Alaska 50+ times I can tell you that the dress code is all around more relaxed while cruising in Alaska than other parts of the world.

Here’s what the website says about the dress-code:

“Formal wear: Anticipate two formal nights per week. Ladies wear a cocktail dress or gown and gentlemen don a suit and tie or tuxedo.

Smart-casual wear for dinner: Slacks and collared shirts or sweaters for men. Skirt or trousers, sweater or blouse for women.”

While it’s the official stance, I would say that you can downgrade it a little bit. Still no jeans or shorts in the dining room (I’ve seen it happen but realistically it shouldn’t be based on the rules), but it’s a lot more relaxed than cruising elsewhere in the world.

How do I know? Part of my old job onboard was to greet guests on Dressy nights in the dining room before the first and second seatings! I saw a lot of variety coming through those doors.

Worried about packing? Don’t! Holland America offers a variety of laundry packages, read about Holland America Laundry Packages here.

What is the newest Holland America ship to Alaska?

Holland America has six ships scheduled to sail in Alaska in the 2026 and 2027 seasons. The newest of these ships is the ms Koningsdam, which sailed its inaugural cruise in 2016.

The ships, in order of newest to oldest are:

• ms Koningsdam, built in 2016, 2,650 guests
• ms Nieuw Amsterdam, built in 2010, 2,106 guests
• ms Eurodam, built in 2008, 2,104 guests
• ms Noordam, built in 2006, 1924 guests
• ms Westerdam, built in 2004, 1916 guests
• ms Zaandam, built in 2000, 1432 guests

What is the best Holland America ship in Alaska in 2026?

Which ship is the best for cruising in Alaska is so subjective. It depends on what you’re looking for as no one ship is better for everyone than another.

Based off of Cruise Critic reviews, the Eurodam, Noordam, and Westerdam score slightly higher than the other Holland America ships sailing in Alaska, but not significantly.

With the exception of Koningsdam and Zaandam, the other ships are fairly comparable. Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam are slightly larger than Noordam and Westerdam and have slightly more dining options, but I don’t think choosing one ship over the other would make or break your cruise.

The Koningsdam and Zaandam are worth looking at further as they are the most different of the ships and they are also sailing on nearly identical itineraries.

The Zaandam is the oldest Holland America ship sailing in Alaska in 2026 and is also the smallest. With that in mind there are a lot of things that Koningsdam has that Zaandam doesn’t – movies by the pool, the Grand Dutch Cafe, New York Deli & Pizza, a much bigger kids club, more music venues, family staterooms as well as solo staterooms, more suite options.

But, the Zaandam has beautiful wide promenade decks and more of a classic ship feel. It also will have less kids and families onboard. Not none, you could figure about 100 kids onboard the Zaandam in Alaska, whereas the Koningsdam would likely be averaging closer to 300.

So which ship is the best between these two depends on what you need in the ship. The smaller ships like Zaandam have a devoted following and some like the quieter atmosphere, but for a lot of folks the increased dining and entertainment venues of Koningsdam would be a big added bonus.

Here’s a bit more of a breakdown of the ships sailing in Alaska.

Holland America Alaska Cruise Schedule 2026

There are the pretty standard one week itineraries offered out of both Vancouver and Seattle. The northbound and southbound options typically include two glacier viewing days which really is an incredible opportunity to see the magnitude of Alaska during a one week cruise.

Where in Alaska Does Holland America Sail?

Holland America primarily sails in southeast Alaska but also offers voyages visiting the Kenai peninsula, Anchorage, and even going as far north as Nome.

There are four main types of voyages Holland America offers in Alaska:

• 7 night roundtrip Vancouver “Alaska Inside Passage”
  • On Koningsdam and Zaandam
  • My recommendation: Koningsdam for families and if you’d like more nightlife. Zaandam if you’d like a more laid back and cozier vibe.
• 7 night Vancouver to Seward/ Seward to Vancouver “Glacier Discovery”
  • Nieuw Amsterdam and Westerdam
  • Both great ships. Slight edge to Nieuw Amsterdam for families with a bigger kids club and extra dining options.
• 7 night roundtrip Seattle “Alaska Explorer”
  • Eurodam and Noordam
  • My recommendation: Slight edge to Eurodam for kids club size and an extra dining venue, but otherwise you’re good either way!
• 14 night + Great Alaska, roundtrip Seattle/Vancouver “Great Bear Rainforest”, “Great Alaska Explorer”, “Legendary Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice”
  • Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, and Zaandam
  • My recommendation: If you’re interested in one of these cruises you are more in it for the itinerary, so find the best itinerary for you!

Here’s a complete list of ports and scenic cruising offered:

• Anchorage: Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Zaandam
• Dutch Harbor: Noordam
• Haines: Noordam
• Homer: Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam, Zaandam
• Icy Strait Point: Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam
• Juneau: Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam, Zaandam
• Ketchikan: Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam, Zaandam
• Kodiak: Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Zaandam
• Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, Canada: Noordam
• Nome: Noordam
• Prince Rupert, British Columbia: Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Zaandam
• Puget Sound: Noordam, Westerdam
• Scenic Cruising:
  • Bella Bella: Noordam, Zaandam
  • College Fjord: Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam
  • Endicott Arm/ Dawes Glacier: Eurodam, Koningsdam, Noordam, Westerdam, Zaandam
  • Glacier Bay National Park: Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam, Zaandam
  • Great Bear Rainforest: Noordam, Zaandam
  • Grenville Channel: Noordam, Zaandam
  • Hubbard Glacier: Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam, Zaandam
  • Johnstone Strait: Noordam
  • Princess Royal Island: Zaandam
  • Stephens Passage: Eurodam, Noordam
  • Inside Passage: Koningsdam, Noordam, Westerdam, Zaandam
  • Tracy Arm: Eurodam, Noordam, Nieuw Amsterdam
  • Seattle: Eurodam, Noordam, Westerdam
• Seward: Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam
• Sitka: Eurodam, Noordam, Zaandam
• Skagway: Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam, Zaandam
• Valdez: Noordam, Zaandam
• Vancouver: Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam, Zaandam
• Victoria: Eurodam, Noordam
• Whittier: Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam
• Wrangell: Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Zaandam

What new 2026 itineraries are being offered by Holland America Line for Alaska?

There are a few new voyages being offered and some returning favorites. The new addition is the 18-Day Great Bear Rainforest And Alaska Explorer. This voyage explores Alaska while also including extensive exploration along the inside passage and the Great Bear Rainforest.

Returning is the 28 Day Legendary Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice. This cruise has been offered for the last few years and has become and annual favorite.

Holland America Alaska & Yukon Cruise Tours

A huge part of Holland America’s Alaska business is combining a cruise with a land tour of Alaska and sometimes the Yukon.

These are offered in a few days, ranging from a week all the way up to two weeks plus.

There are four different cruises that can accompany these cruise tours. The Glacier Discovery cruises, northbound or southbound, and the roundtrip Inside Passage cruises out of Vancouver.

The one week northbound or southbound Glacier Discovery cruises end in Seward. You could either start on the land portion or end on the land portion. This gives you the option to get up into Denali National Park. You can select how many days you spend either pre-or post- cruise on this adventure.

The other option is to disembark seemingly mid-cruise, in Skagway or join part way through a cruise in Skagway. This is done every week and the ship is well-versed in making this happen.

You would either have a pre-or post-cruisetour that would start or end in Skagway. This means you are only onboard the ship for either three or four days.

That particular cruisetour option can feel a bit more rushed due to the short time onboard and depending on which part of the cruise you join you may miss sailing in Glacier Bay.

Regardless of which Alaska Cruisetour you choose you’ll get to see so much more of Alaska and go deeper into this great state than you get to by doing a cruise only option.

It’s worth noting that food is not included on the land portion of the tour and that the hotels are in general not considered as nice as the ship. They are working to improve this but it is a pretty common complaint for these tours.

Holland America Alaska Cruise Itinerary Review & Insights: Alaskan Explorer

Let’s take a deep dive into one of the most popular itineraries out there. The Alaskan Explorer, one week roundtrip from Seattle.

Starting out roundtrip in Seattle, a big thing to know about this itinerary is that you will not sail the Inside Passage. You’ll get a bit of it as you leave Ketchikan at the end of your cruise but if the Inside Passage is what you’re dreaming of, you should look at the Inside Passage Alaskan itinerary on Koningsdam or Zaandam.

Day 1: Seattle

The Seattle sail-away is gorgeous with Mount Rainier in the distance, the Space Needle, plus exploring downtown for a day or so before – seeing the famous Pike Place Market – is such a treat.

Joining in Seattle is super easy. Embarkation tends to go very smoothly, you won’t embark downtown, but the port isn’t far.

Day 2: At Sea

This sea day really is a sea day. While you’ve still got a shot at seeing some whales, you’ll mostly be looking out at the ocean. Not a bad thing but something to consider.

You’ll have a time change between Seattle and your first Alaskan port in Juneau. You should expect the time change this night and most likely this will be the first ‘Dressy Night’.

There will also be a Captain’s Welcome in the main theater before the first show where they introduce the senior Staff officers onboard and you get a glass of bubbly to cheers the voyage.

Day 3: Cruising Stephens Passage and Juneau, Alaska, 12:30pm – 10:00pm

The scenic cruising here really is lovely. The entire sail in to Juneau is surrounded by beautiful mountains, waterfalls and is without hyperbole is truly gorgeous.

A 12:30pm arrival in Juneau means everyone is going to try to get off at the same time. While you will most likely be docked at the second dock, there is a tiny chance you’ll have to tender in Juneau. It only happens to Holland America ships a couple times each summer but pay attention to your itinerary to see if it’s there.

And, even with docking, when everyone tries to get off the ship at the same time it takes a few minutes, plus there’s always the possibility of things like a medical disembarkment that can slow the process down. I say this to caution you about planning your own excursions too close after arrival. You’d probably be okay with 1:30pm, but to reduce stress I’d use 2:00pm as a safer option.

Juneau itself is a great little downtown with restaurants, bars, and lots of tourist shops and more jewelry stores than you’ll ever need.

There’s also a small pharmacy and post office downtown to send out post cards and get little things you’ll need.

While staying downtown is great you can be left feeling a bit like you got tossed into tourist central and less like Alaska. The most popular excursion is going to Mendenhall Glacier – you can do this by excursion, taxi, or even taking a public bus.

Other great options are whale watching, a helicopter tour, fishing, or going up Mount Roberts tram. If you’re looking for a bit of exercise it’s not a bad hike up Mount Roberts – you can hike up and take the tram down if you’re legs are tired at the end, too.

10:00pm departure for most of the summer it won’t hardly be dark when you leave. This gives you the whole evening to enjoy being in town.

Day 4: Scenic Cruising Glacier Bay National Park (during the day), Icy Strait Point, 6:00pm-10:00pm

This is listed from 7:00am to 4:00pm. There are two ships allowed into Glacier Bay each day, and only one ship can be in front of Marjorie Glacier at a time. This means one ship will have the earlier morning slot and the other will have the mid-morning time. Check the daily program to see what time you can expect to be there.

The ship will be at the glacier for about an hour. It will be positioned so one side of the ship faces it for about a half hour, and then will do a 180 degree rotation and the other side of the ship will face it. This means there is no best side of the ship when picking out your balcony.

There will also be park rangers onboard, typically having information displayed in the Crow’s Nest. They will be doing a presentation on the World Stage (main theater), a kids presentation, and scenic commentary throughout the day as well.

While the main event is seeing Marjorie Glacier, the whole day is so pretty with chances to see lots of wildlife and enjoy the serenity.

Curious about other cruises to Glacier Bay?
Check out this blog post.

Icy Strait Point:

You’ve only got a few hours in Icy Strait Point – and to be honest there isn’t a ton to do there. The world’s longest zip line is there. One of my favorite things to do in Icy Strait Point is to go for a walk along the beach or do some whale watching from the ship. Seriously, from the ship I have seen so many whales in Icy Strait Point. It’s a short port of call but nice to get you an extra taste of the region.

Day 5: Sitka, Alaska, 8:00am-4:00pm

In Sitka you’ll be docked a bit outside of town and will take shuttle busses into town. These shuttle busses are usually school busses, so be prepared for that.

The busses run throughout the day but you should plan on about 20 minutes to get into town between the bus ride and waiting for them to load/unload etc.

There is a big Russian history in Sitka and you can see that at the church. There is also a historical center you can see presentations at. Sitka is also a prime place to go on a sea otter tour (and you almost always see whales, too).

If you’re big into bears, there is also a bear sanctuary called the Fortress of the Bears that is fun to see.

Day 6: Ketchikan, 6:30am-1:00pm

You read that right, 6:30am! This is a short port day with a 12:30pm all aboard, but you can pack a lot into that time. You’ll be at one of the downtown docks right near the Lumberjack Show.

Great Ketchikan excursions include a flight plane over Misty Fjords National Park, fishing, going out on a crab boat and enjoying a crab feast, and going to the Lumberjack Show.

Onboard this will be your second dressy night and will be an hour forward time change. This will happen at 2:00am overnight, which will then become 3:00am.

Day 7: Victoria, British Columbia, 8:00pm-11:59pm

Ketchikan is a first thing in the morning post and Victoria is late at night. It is absolutely still worth going ashore. Victoria downtown is alive and bright and full of life. It’s about a 20 minute walk from the dock to downtown but there is also a shuttle bus that runs downtown. This shuttle does cost money but can be worth it depending on your fitness level or how much time you have.

Enjoy drinks at a bar, have dinner, check out local artisans booths by the waterfront. You can also go to Butchart Gardens – even at night it’s gorgeous.

Prepping to Disembark/Go Home

You’ll be asked to put your luggage out going into your last morning. But, you don’t have to and can opt to bring it off on your own if that’s easier for you.

Everyone will be assigned a luggage tag number that will coordinate to an approximate time you’ll leave the ship. This is coordinated to what time people’s flights are. The earlier your flight the earlier you’ll leave the ship.

Day 8: Seattle, Washington

Time to say goodbye. You’ll leave the ship when your luggage number is called.

You’ll be asked to wait in a public lounge where they’ll make announcements. You can still get room service before you leave, or the buffet or dining room.

You’ll be off the ship fairly early in the morning – most likely by 9:00am at the latest so the ship can get ready for the next guests onboard.

Conclusion: Holland America Alaska Cruise

It’s really a great cruise line to consider when planning your Alaskan cruise. There are good multi-generational options and have ships ranging from smaller classic cruising, to great mid-sized (in this case mid-sized is 2600 passengers) ships with lots to offer.