Alaska Season Kicks Off with Events In Vancouver and Seattle

Holland America Line kicked off its 2024 Alaska season with festive “sailaway” events in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on April 27 and Seattle, Washington, on May 4.

Four ships are homeporting in Vancouver this year: Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam and Zaandam. The Crow’s Nest aboard Koningsdam was the venue for the April 27 event, which took place the same day as King’s Day, a national holiday in the Netherlands. In a nod to its Dutch heritage, Holland America invited Consul General of the Netherlands in Vancouver Sebastiaan Messerschmidt to speak about the role the company played in bringing immigrants – especially Dutch immigrants – to Canada.

Guests were welcomed by Koningsdam’s Cruise & Travel Director, Bettyann Chung, who acted as emcee.

Aaron Williams of Squamish Nation gave a traditional welcome and offered stirring remarks comparing Holland America’s ships to his people’s canoes, with a focus on the immense responsibility we assume when guests step foot on our vessels.

Koningsdam Hotel General Manager Ronald Bontenbal shared details about what guests can expect during their cruise in Alaska this season. He also touted the new “Dutch Day” programming that was recently announced for all of HAL’s ships worldwide. To close the event, he presented Messerschmidt and John van Rij, President of the of Dutch Network cultural society in Vancouver, with a Koningsdam commemorative plate and HAL-branded tiles manufactured by our long-time partners at Royal Goedewaagen.

In Seattle – where Eurodam and Westerdam are homeporting this year – members of the University of Washington alumni band played a rousing selection of music to start a ceremony on the terminal’s outside deck, with Eurodam berthed just beyond the gangway. Cruise & Travel Director Chris Pappas welcomed guests and emceed the event.

Captain Jeroen van Donselaar spoke about the significance to Seattle of Holland America’s 38 calls there this season – each of which injects around $250,000 into the local economy. He also spoke about HAL’s long partnership with Port of Seattle and presented a large model of Nieuw Amsterdam, Eurodam’s sister ship, to Linda Springmann, the port’s Director of Cruise and Maritime Marketing.

To cut the ribbon to officially open the season, President’s Club members John and Ginger Arnold and John and Marta Georgeades were joined by the Hetrick family: David and Diane Hetrick were traveling with their son and daughter-in-law (Brian and Erica) and their grandsons Ian and Declan. It is the Hetrick family’s first time cruising to Alaska. Following the ribbon-cutting, band members continued playing as guests boarded the ship.

This Alaska season is HAL’s 77th year offering cruises to the state. New in 2024, HAL is offering a “Glacier Guearante”: If a ship does not visit an Alaska glacier, guests are eligible to receive a Future Cruise Credit equal to 15% of their cruise fare.

Also new for the 2024 season, we’re debuting “Glacier Day” as part of the “We Love Alaska” onboard experience. Glacier Day includes sighting times, scenic commentary, presentations, informational viewing stations, photo opportunities, Dutch Pea Soup on deck, Glacial Ice cocktails, insightful talks by Glacier Bay National Park Service Rangers, and an open bow for viewing.

In addition to glaciers, HAL offers more ways to see wildlife. We carry a wildlife expert on board to help guests witness the majestic animals found in Alaska, including whales, eagles, bears, moose, otters, seals, sea lions and more. A Wildlife Spotting Guide points out the native animals found along the cruise route and includes a map with the best places to see each species. Between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., wildlife sightings are announced for guest viewing.

All of our Alaska cruises offer authentic experiences that focus on culture, cuisine and adventures ashore, as well as our enrichment and entertainment programming “Alaska Up Close.”