{"id":61557,"date":"2022-03-14T12:59:42","date_gmt":"2022-03-14T16:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/alaska\/alaska-up-close-programming-delivers-authentic-experiences\/"},"modified":"2024-08-22T14:18:04","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T21:18:04","slug":"alaska-up-close-programming-delivers-authentic-experiences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/activities\/alaska-up-close-programming-delivers-authentic-experiences\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Alaska Up Close\u2019 Programming Delivers Authentic Experiences"},"content":{"rendered":"

Holland America Line has been exploring Alaska since 1947, and the premium cruise line is putting 75 years of expertise into new \u201cAlaska Up Close<\/a>\u201d programming \u2014 a 360\u00b0 experience that immerses guests in The Great Land in a way that only Holland America Line can deliver.<\/p>\n

Through authentic experiences on board and ashore that focus on culture, cuisine and immersive adventures, \u201cAlaska Up Close\u201d allows guests to discover, taste and experience the real Alaska. Guests won\u2019t just cruise Glacier Bay, they will discover its ecosystem from native tribe members and National Park Rangers. Guest won\u2019t simply eat seafood, they will taste the salmon they caught that day and have it prepared by Holland America Line chefs.<\/p>\n

Alaska Up Close features local experts and personalities leading workshops and lectures, Explorations Central (EXC) Talks revealing the stories of real Alaskans, tours highlighting the best of each destination, Port to Table culinary immersion and local cuisine served in dining venues throughout the ship.<\/p>\n

EXC Talks Focus on History and Culture:<\/strong>
\nElevating the shipboard lecture, EXC Talks<\/a> offer insight into local culture through the eyes of Alaskans with vivid imagery, compelling interviews and authentic stories:
\n\u2022 \u201cBreaking the Ice Ceiling\u201d features stories of Alaskan women working in fields
\n\u2022 \u201cAncestral Memories\u201d tells the stories of native Alaskans keeping their culture and language alive.
\n\u2022 \u201cPacific Giants\u201d describes the wonders, habits and future of Alaska\u2019s largest inhabitants.
\n\u2022 \u201cIditarod \u2014 The Last Great Race\u201d shares what it\u2019s like to ride in the sled of this amazing Alaskan adventure.<\/p>\n

Meet Alaska Locals and Experts On Board<\/strong>
\nGuests will learn the science and history of Alaska\u2019s splendors as naturalists lead workshops and host wildlife spotting on deck. Itineraries that include Glacier Bay National Park will feature a Park Ranger and a member of the Huna Tlingit Tribe who will share their insights, offer commentary and answer questions.<\/p>\n

\"Park<\/a><\/p>\n

BBC Earth Brings Alaska to Life in an Epic Production<\/strong>
\nGuests on all Alaska cruises will be moved by BBC Earth<\/a>\u2019s \u201cAlaska in Concert\u201d multimedia performance on the main stage. A live orchestra plays the soul-stirring soundtrack set against a backdrop of mesmerizing footage from the BBC Earth television series \u201cWild Alaska.\u201d Audiences experience the cycle of four seasons and see this land is as unforgiving as it is beautiful.<\/p>\n

Eat Like a Local<\/strong>
\nThrough Port to Table<\/a> programming, guests delve into the culinary traditions of Alaska and learn how to eat like a local via live cooking demonstrations.<\/p>\n

\"salmon\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Food & Wine Tours Highlight Local Fare<\/strong>
\nFood lovers will find much to explore on an Alaska cruise, and through an array of exclusive FOOD & WINE shore excursions<\/a> guests can tap into Alaska\u2019s unique gastronomic scene. Developed in partnership with the culinary authority, guests can dine on some of the world\u2019s freshest seafood, sample Anchorage\u2019s craft beer, taste fire-warmed sourdough rolls and attend an authentic crab feast or salmon bake.<\/p>\n

Alaska Shore Excursions for Every Interest<\/strong>
\nHolland America Line offers a wide selection of award-winning shore excursions to suit every interest and activity level. Helicopter onto a glacier, spy on whales in their natural habitat, go whitewater rafting or kayaking for a scenic adventure, strike it rich panning for gold and sail on a real crabbing boat featured on \u201cDeadliest Catch.\u201d Otters, bears and eagles await. Every tour provides an in-depth glimpse into The Great Land.<\/p>\n

\u2018Savor My Catch\u2019 Ocean-to-Table Dining<\/strong>
\nGuests who reel in a big one on select fishing-focused shore excursions<\/a> can savor every bite of their catch on board. Holland America Line\u2019s expert chefs will prepare and serve it in a true ocean-to-table experience. Select tours also allow guests to ship their bounty home.<\/p>\n

\"fishing<\/a><\/p>\n

Raptor Encounters on Westerdam<\/strong>
\nGuests on Westerdam will have the opportunity to meet and learn about raptors during calls at Sitka. Through presentations and interactions about the birds from the Alaska Raptor Center, guests will be able to ask questions, have a meet-and-greet and photo opportunity with the charismatic Red Tail Hawk or Northern Goshawk. <\/p>\n

Next time you’re on board, check the daily program to see what’s happening on board so you can learn more about majestic Alaska, and don’t forget to book your shore excursions. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Holland America Line has been exploring Alaska since 1947, and the premium cruise line is putting 75 years of expertise into new \u201cAlaska Up Close\u201d programming \u2014 a 360\u00b0 experience that immerses guests in The Great Land in a way that only Holland America Line can deliver. Through authentic experiences on board and ashore that focus on culture, cuisine and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1876,"featured_media":61558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,39],"tags":[4196],"class_list":["post-61557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-activities","category-life-on-board","tag-experiences"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1876"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61557"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67921,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61557\/revisions\/67921"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}