With the Alaska season in full swing, there’s a lot of news to report from the region. From the first Air North flight arrival to the renovated Westmark Skagway hotel, guests have a lot to look forward to on the Land+Sea Journeys.

If you can’t join Holland America Line in 2014, the 2015 Land+Sea Journeys are already open for booking with many exciting highlights. The popular Land+Sea Journeys combine an Alaska cruise with an overland exploration, and in 2015 the 13 Land+Sea Journeys featured range from 10 to 20 days and are in two distinct series with cruise-first or land-first choices: Yukon and Denali Land+Sea Journeys and Denali Land+Sea Journeys.

Each option combines a three- to seven-night Holland America Line cruise with the possibility to spend one, two or three nights at Denali National Park. New for 2015, guests now have the option of a 10-day Denali Land+Sea Journey that combines one night at Denali and a seven-night cruise.

A lone hiker at the foothills of the Yukon.

The five different Land+Sea Journeys that include Yukon and Denali range in length from 10 to 20 days and travel round-trip Vancouver, British Columbia, or between Vancouver and Anchorage, Alaska. During these Journeys guests will enjoy scenic cruising throughout the Inside Passage and/or Glacier Bay before calling at Ketchikan, Juneau, Haines or Skagway. In addition to Denali National Park, the overland portion includes Whitehorse, Fairbanks and Dawson.

The eight different Denali Land+Sea Journeys range in length from 10 to 14 days, including the new 10-day option, and travel between Vancouver and Fairbanks or Anchorage, Alaska. Included is Glacier Bay scenic cruising where guests can explore the ice-studded fjords of this national treasure for a full eight hours as a park ranger narrates. Ports of call on the cruise portion include Haines or Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, while the overland portion features Denali and Fairbanks.

Look out for bears while touring Denali, left, or visit the Chena Hot Spings from Fairbanks.

On double- and triple-night Yukon and Denali and Denali Journeys, the comprehensive six- to eight-hour Tundra Wilderness tour is included for the best way to see epic Denali with its abundance of wildlife and Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain peak in North America. For adventure-seekers, there also are plenty of optional opportunities to go hiking, rafting, flightseeing and fishing.

Westmark Skagway Renovated and Ready
Last year Holland America Line acquired the McKinley Chalets Hotel in Denali National Park on the Nenana River, giving Land+Sea Journey guests an elegant wilderness retreat featuring seamless hospitality and sustainable Alaskan cuisine that serves as base camp for all adventures at Denali National Park.

The purchase was part of an enhancement program that also saw modifications to Holland America Line’s Alaska hotels at Fairbanks, Skagway and Whitehorse. The renovations, which will take place over the next several years at a cost of approximately $70 million, will include extensive room updates, upgrades to soft goods and hotel décor, and some expansion at the Skagway property.

The Westmark Skagway’s renovation are complete, and the new look gives it a fresh “Contemporary Victorian” feel that we know our guests will enjoy.

New décor and furnishings at the Westmark Skagway hotel.

First Flights Connect Fairbanks and Dawson
In May, the first Air North flights carried guests between Fairbanks and Dawson on a quick journey. The new flight eliminated a long bus ride, giving guests more time in the destinations.

The first Air North flights took Land+Sea guests from Fairbanks to Dawson.

Have you been on an Alaksa Land+Sea Journey with Holland America Line? Share your experience by sending photos and your thoughts to info@hollandamericablog.com and it might be shared on social media!