SEATTLE, March 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For those ready to
travel again, there's no better place to start than Alaska, offering opportunities for travelers
to see glaciers up close, spot bucket-list wildlife, explore
national parks and see Denali – North
America's tallest mountain. This summer, Holland America
Line and Princess Cruises offer many ways for travelers to
experience Alaska through Gray
Line Alaska, Princess Alaska Lodges and Holland America Line's
Westmark Hotels, giving travelers a combination of tours, lodging
and sightseeing options on land.
"We love Alaska, and we love
that we get to share it with visitors from all over the world.
We're committed to helping locals and visitors alike experience all
the best parts of Alaska in a safe
way," said Dave McGlothlin, Vice
President, Tour Operations. "For the last year, many people stayed
close to home, so this summer, as we're able to reopen some of
these land offerings, we are more ready than ever to welcome
visitors back through our doors."
This year's tours highlight the best of Alaska's interior with COVID-19 health and
safety precautions top of mind, both for the well-being of
employees and guests. For travelers who want to take the legwork
out of planning their Alaska
vacation, a tour is a great option. For travelers who want to go at
their own pace and make their own itinerary, hotel and sightseeing
options make for a custom experience.
Among the highlights for escorted tours will be the full
eight-hour Tundra Wilderness Tour at Denali, where guests have
opportunities to see the big five – grizzly bears, wolves, moose,
caribou, and Dall sheep. Other included tours are the Portage
Glacier Cruise near Anchorage and
Riverboat Discovery excursion in Fairbanks. In addition, optional tours such as
flightseeing around the mountain, river rafting, and more will be
available to book at each hotel property.
Options this summer include the following:
- Escorted and Explorer tours
-
- Variations between Kenai, Anchorage, Denali and Fairbanks are available.
- Escorted tours include a tour director and range from six to
seven nights.
- Explorer tours do not include a tour director, but helpful
staff members are available along the way. Tours range from five to
six nights.
- Rail travel on GoldStar service on Alaska Railroad rail
cars.
- Most meals and some sightseeing included.
- Denali Rail tours
-
- Trip variations range from one to six nights with up to four
nights at Denali National
Park.
- Options include travel by rail or a combination of rail and
deluxe motor coach. Rail travel is hosted in Adventure Class on
Alaska Railroad rail cars with the option to upgrade to GoldStar.
- Tour choices include round trip from Anchorage to Denali, Anchorage to Denali to Fairbanks, or Fairbanks to Denali to Anchorage.
- No meals or sightseeing included. Guests may customize their
experience with optional tours.
- Hotel only and sightseeing
-
- The Westmark Fairbanks Hotel & Conference Center is
currently open. Additional properties will open for guests,
May 28- September 6, including
Holland America Line's McKinley Chalet Resort at Denali National Park and Preserve and the
Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge overlooking the world-famous
Kenai River.
- Portage Glacier Cruises will operate, May 28-September 6. Portage Glacier Cruises will
run five daily departures of its one-hour cruise to see the face of
Portage Glacier, including one departure at 1:30 p.m. that includes round trip transportation
from Anchorage with a stop at the
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
Princess and Holland America Line
are working to create new health and safety protocols to address
COVID-19, to ensure the well-being of guests, team members and the
greater community. Information and advisories about traveling to
Alaska from the Lower 48 or an
international destination is available at the State of Alaska Safe
Travels website. Anyone booking with Gray Line Alaska, Princess
Alaska Lodges or Holland America Line's Westmark Hotels is
encouraged to review and follow the advisories put in place to help
people travel responsibly.
2022 Alaska Season
After getting a taste of "The Last
Frontier" this summer, set sail for new experiences onboard either
Holland America Line or Princess Cruises.
In 2022, Holland America Line will celebrate 75 years of
Alaska exploration — longer than
any other cruise line — and bookings are now open for its
award-winning cruises and Land+Sea Journeys. From April through
October 2022, guests can embark on
Holland America Line's cruises to Alaska aboard Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw
Amsterdam, Noordam, Oosterdam and Zuiderdam. For
explorers who want to travel farther into the Great Land, 16
different Land+Sea Journeys combine a three-, four- or seven-day
Alaska cruise with an inland
exploration of Denali National
Park. Holland America Line is
the only cruise line that extends land tour options up to the
unspoiled reaches of Canada's
Yukon Territory. Visit
www.hollandamerica.com for more information.
More guests choose Princess in Alaska than any other cruise line, exclusive
Direct to the Wilderness rail service on custom built rail cars and
Princess Wilderness Lodges. The newly announced 2022 Alaska cruise
and cruisetour program offers six ships, including the line's
newest ship, Discovery Princess. Guests can choose
from 12 cruise itineraries, plus 25 seamless cruisetour options.
Cruisetour guests see even more of Alaska by combining a seven-day Voyage of the
Glaciers cruise with multiple nights on land in the heart of
Alaska. Every cruisetour features
Alaska's top two attractions
Glacier Bay National Park and Denali
National Park, with options ranging from 10 to 17 nights.
Princess owns and operates five wilderness lodges, located on the
doorsteps of legendary national parks.
Visit www.princess.com for more information.
For more details and to book a tour visit
www.GrayLineAlaska.com or call 1-800-544-2206. To book room
stays, visit www.WestmarkHotels.com and
www.PrincessLodges.com.
About Holland America Line and Princess Cruises Select Alaska
Land Offerings
Westmark Hotels, a division of Holland America Line, has
been the leader in full-service Alaska and Yukon hotels since 1987. Each of the six
properties is designed to reflect the personality of the
communities they call home to ensure that every Westmark guest can
experience the essence of each distinct town. With extensive
facilities and full-service catering, Westmark Hotels are top
destinations for conferences, meetings and events.
Princess Lodges, a division of Princess Cruises, is
responsible for the operation of Alaska Land Tours and the land
portion of Cruisetours. Founded in 1972 and headquartered in
Seattle, Washington, the company
offers a wide variety of Alaska
land tours and Alaska train tours
as well as owning and operating five wilderness lodge properties
and several luxury railcars.
For over 70 years, Gray Line Alaska has been helping
travelers explore Alaska and the
Yukon, offering an extensive array
of Alaska tour packages from
multi-day and escorted itineraries to Denali rail tours and
sightseeing trips. Gray Line has the
knowledge, expertise, and infrastructure for one-stop shopping to
create a memorable Alaska
vacation. Gray Line Alaska is a division of Holland America
Line and Princess Cruises.
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/experience-alaska-land-vacations-this-summer-with-holland-america-line-and-princess-cruises-301240867.html
SOURCE Princess Cruises