It just might be the most epic Alaska cruise ever.
Holland America on Tuesday unveiled plans for an extremely long voyage on The Last Frontier that will include calls to remote areas that most cruise ships never visit.
Alaska’s Arctic Circle Solstice voyage, as Holland America calls it, will be 28 nights — four times longer than a typical Alaska cruise — and will include stops at more than a dozen ports.
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Starting in Seattle on June 9, 2024, it will also include a passage through the Bering Strait into the Arctic Ocean that will be timed for the summer solstice – the longest day of the year.
The time will result in a 24-hour day, as the ship will sail above the Arctic Circle.
The ride is unlike anything the line has ever done before. It will take place on the 1,964-passenger Westerdam, one of six ships Holland America plans to launch in the Alaska market for the summer of 2024. It will be a departure from Westerdam’s normal schedule of seven-night Alaska cruises out of Seattle.
In addition to a passage through the Bering Strait to the Arctic Circle, the 28-night voyage will include a rare trip to Nome, one of the northernmost settlements in the United States. Home to fewer than 4,000 people, it is perhaps best known as the finish line for the 1,049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. It is also known for its proximity to Russia, which is only a few hundred miles to the west.
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Other unusual stops include the remote settlement of Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands. Known as the largest fishing port in the US by volume of fish caught, it has become famous in recent years as the setting for the Discovery Channel reality television series Deadliest Catch.
In addition, the Westerdam will sail into Cook Inlet for an overnight call in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city. Few ships on Alaska cruises ever visit Anchorage because of the travel distance required to reach it through Cook Inlet.
The remote town of Kodiak, Alaska, on Kodiak Island, is also on the itinerary. The island is particularly known for its large population of Kodiak bears – the largest subspecies of brown bears.
Other stops in Alaska will include Skagway, Homer, Juneau, Ketchikan, Seward, Sitka, Valdez and Wrangell. The trip will also include a visit to Prince Rupert in Canada.
The cruise will include scenic sailing in Glacier Bay National Park, as well as Tracy Arm, College Fjord, Prince William Sound and Hubbard Glacier – all known for their spectacular Alaskan landscapes including glaciers.
Related: TPG’s Ultimate Guide to Alaska Cruise Itineraries
Holland America announced the new route on Tuesday to coincide with Alaska’s statehood day celebrations.
The route announcement comes as Holland America is in the midst of adding longer routes to its schedule. Always known for a broader mix of longer and more intensive itineraries per destination than many of its competitors, Holland America is doubling down on longer itineraries as a focus for the coming year and beyond.
In addition to the new 28-night Alaska cruise, the line announced it would offer the state two 14-night cruises in 2024 — the first such cruises in five years.
Like the 28-night itinerary, the cruises will feature infrequent visits to Anchorage, as well as Kodiak, Homer, Valdez and a mix of other more traditional Alaska ports such as Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway.
Related: 4 types of Holland America ships, explained
In an exclusive interview with The Points Guy ahead of the announcement, Holland America Chief Commercial Officer Beth Bodensteiner said the new 28-night Alaska itinerary was something she hoped the line could do every year in the future.
“It’s a great way to offer something unique and make us … a bit of a step from the mainstream for a few weeks,” Bodensteiner said, adding that the route offered the chance to “cross something off your bucket list.”
Related: 6 Coolest Things to Do on an Alaska Cruise
Bodensteiner said Holland America’s itinerary planning team worked hard to build the itinerary around getting passengers into the Arctic Circle right on the summer solstice, offering a rare chance to see a day without sunset.
“This time is a great example [of] how talented our route planning team is, that they think of something like this,” she said. “That’s what they started. they [said] wouldn’t it be great to be this far north for the summer solstice? And then they go back to planning the rest of the itinerary.
Fares for the new 28-night itinerary start at $4,259 per person, excluding taxes and fees of up to $645.
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