Alaska and Canada Enter a Landmark Cruise Year as Holland America Marks 80 Years in 2027

Alaska and Canada will take centre stage in Holland America Line’s 2027 programme as the cruise company marks 80 years of exploring Alaska with six ships, new and returning itineraries and expanded Denali accommodation from April through September. The anniversary season will connect Seattle, Vancouver and Whittier with Alaska’s ports, glaciers and wilderness destinations, while a major lodge investment will strengthen the cruise-and-land tourism network around Denali National Park and Preserve.

Six Ships Put Alaska at the Heart of the 2027 Programme

Holland America’s anniversary deployment will place six ships in Alaska during the 2027 season: Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam and Zaandam. They will operate from Seattle in the United States, Vancouver in Canada and Whittier in Alaska between April and September. The deployment is significant for the regional visitor economy because Alaska cruising connects major gateway cities with smaller coastal communities where cruise passengers contribute to shore excursions, restaurants, retail, transport and tourism attractions.

The programme will also extend beyond conventional coastal cruising. Holland America is combining cruises with inland journeys, wildlife experiences, glacier viewing and longer itineraries reaching the Arctic Circle and Canada’s British Columbia. Anniversary activities are expected to include special culinary experiences, entertainment, enrichment programmes and other commemorative elements during the 2027 season.

Vancouver Gains New Eight-Day Alaska Inside Passage Cruise

A major addition for 2027 is a new eight-day Alaska Inside Passage cruise operating round trip from Vancouver, British Columbia. The itinerary will travel through the Inside Passage before visiting Glacier Bay, with calls at Skagway and Ketchikan in Alaska and Prince Rupert in British Columbia.

The itinerary gives Vancouver another role in the anniversary programme while strengthening cross-border tourism between Canada and Alaska. Glacier experiences will remain central to the wider Alaska product. During the 2026 season, Holland America scheduled more than 150 opportunities for guests to visit one or more major glaciated destinations, including Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier, Dawes Glacier and Endicott Arm. Shore excursions also provided opportunities to experience Mendenhall and Portage glaciers.

Arctic Circle Voyage Returns for a Third Year

Travellers looking beyond the standard week-long Alaska cruise will have a considerably longer option. The 28-day Legendary Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice itinerary will return for a third year aboard Noordam, departing Seattle on 6 June 2027. The round-trip voyage is scheduled around the summer-solstice period and will travel towards the Bering Sea and into the Arctic Circle.

British Columbia will feature more prominently as well. Noordam will operate a seven-day Great Bear Rainforest voyage, while Zaandam is scheduled for two 18-day Great Bear Rainforest & Alaska Explorer sailings. These products widen the geographical reach of the programme by connecting Alaska’s established cruise appeal with the wilderness and wildlife tourism offering of western Canada.

US$70 Million Denali Investment Expands Inland Tourism

One of the most important developments is taking place away from Alaska’s cruise ports. Holland America is completing a US$70 million multi-year enhancement programme at Holland America Denali Lodge, its property near Denali National Park and Preserve. The work is scheduled to be ready for the 2027 Cruisetour season.

The final phase includes construction of two new guest buildings replacing older structures, increasing lodge capacity by 72 rooms. The Main Lodge interiors and public spaces are also being refreshed, while the Grizzly Grind coffee shop is undergoing a complete renovation. Other improvements have included renovated accommodation and public areas, better wayfinding, an enhanced riverside interpretive trail, additional dining capacity and expanded food and beverage facilities. For Alaska tourism, the investment strengthens the connection between cruise arrivals and longer inland stays rather than concentrating the visitor experience exclusively around coastal ports.

Nineteen Cruisetours Connect Alaska With the Yukon

Holland America plans 19 Cruisetour options from May to September 2027, ranging from nine to 17 nights. The programmes combine a three- to seven-night Alaska cruise with an overland journey. Every Cruisetour visits Denali National Park and includes between one and three nights at Holland America Denali Lodge.

Some itineraries extend farther into Canada’s Yukon Territory, including Whitehorse and Dawson City, creating another cross-border tourism link between Alaska and Canada. The structure allows travellers to combine maritime travel with rail, accommodation, organised touring and wilderness experiences. It consequently distributes visitor activity across a much broader geographical area than the cruise ports alone.

Alaska Communities Remain Part of the Cruise Tourism Strategy

The 2027 expansion follows a 2026 season in which Holland America reported contributing more than US$320,000 to organisations and initiatives across Anchorage, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Denali.

That total included US$150,000 for the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, supporting animal care and development work. Passengers also raised more than US$60,000 for Alaska Geographic, which supports educational work associated with Alaska’s parks, forests, refuges and conservation lands. Such activity adds a community and conservation dimension to a sector whose economic footprint stretches across ports, accommodation providers, tour operators and inland destinations.

Alaska Tourism Heads Into a Milestone 2027 Season

Holland America’s 80th anniversary is therefore more than a commemorative cruise season. The combination of six ships, an expanded Vancouver programme, Arctic Circle voyages, British Columbia itineraries, 19 Cruisetour options and the US$70 million Denali Lodge investment creates a broader tourism proposition linking sea, rail and land.

For Alaska, the strategy could help encourage travellers to move beyond port calls towards longer stays and deeper inland exploration. For Canada, Vancouver, Prince Rupert, British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest and the Yukon become important components of the same tourism network.

When the 2027 season begins in April, the anniversary will place Alaska and western Canada at the centre of one of Holland America’s most extensive destination programmes, combining established cruise corridors with longer wilderness-focused journeys and expanded accommodation infrastructure.