October 27, 2009 - For the first time, Holland America's flagship Rotterdam will sail from Seattle to Alaska in 2010, featuring seven-day, roundtrip cruises.
She is offering a total of 18 Alaskan Explorer sailings departing Saturdays from May 15 through to September 11.
The Alaskan Explorer itinerary highlights the scenic Inside Passage and immense Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay, North America's largest tidewater glacier.
Hubbard Glacier is one of only eight glaciers in Alaska that is currently advancing instead of retreating. First mapped in 1895, the Hubbard's huge open face is more than five miles wide and actively calves icebergs as large as 10-storey buildings.
The Rotterdam's Alaskan Explorer cruises call at the historic ports of Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, plus Victoria, BC, and feature scenic cruising of the Inside Passage and Vancouver Island. In Alaska's capital of Juneau, guests can visit the Alaska State Museum or opt for an active adventure such as kayaking, rafting, whale-watching or flight-seeing over the Mendenhall Glacier.
In Sitka guests can learn about Alaska's Russian heritage at onion-domed St Michael's Cathedral, visit the renowned Raptor Center, or see otters, whales and seabird rookeries up close by day boat or kayak. In Ketchikan they can enjoy its colourful Creek Street, Totem Bight State Park and Saxman Native Village or opt for a floatplane flightseeing trip to Misty Fjords National Monument.
Holland America Line: 0845 351 0557, www.hollandamerica.com.
