back to alaska - safely

Before travel ground to a halt, we had been taking a group to Alaska each year. But of course, there was no Alaska cruise season in 2020, and the 2021 season in Alaska was cut short. So, while we haven’t taken a group to Alaska since 2019, we were still eager to go back.

And thanks to our partnership with Holland America, that’s just what we did! Erin sailed to Alaska in August, and then, just last week, Tom embarked for the last frontier — each of us traveling on the Nieuw Amsterdam, one of the first of Holland America Line’s ships to return to service after the pandemic.

The obvious question — was it safe? We think so. The ship was absolutely spotless, and it was impossible to walk down a corridor without seeing someone sanitizing something. All passengers were fully vaccinated, and everyone on board was required to present a negative COVID test taken no later than two days prior to embarkation. And everyone on board was masked — compared to the rest of the general population, it was somewhat amazing that everyone on board was so good about wearing masks on board.

And the benefit of complying with those safety protocols? You get to experience the stunning landscapes, wildlife and food of Alaska.

We went to Dogsled Summer Camp, where we learned about dog sledding, participated in a conditioning run (on a wheeled cart), and cuddled sled dog puppies. We saw incredible glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park from our private cabana in “The Retreat” — a section on the top deck where the staff made sure we were well-cared for. We saw eagles plucking fish from the bay, and bears foraging for salmon. We feasted on dungeness crab at the George Inlet Lodge. We wandered through gold rush towns of Skagway and Ketchikan, and took the White Pass Railway almost to the Canadian Border. (We couldn’t continue on because of construction on the tracks — not so much because of COVID and the border).

The last week of the Alaska season is now behind us, and the Nieuw Amsterdam is now taking travelers through the Panama Canal, on the way to Florida. But, just because you can’t sail to Alaska right now, the good news is that we’re already booking clients on Holland America Line for Alaska in 2022. Since the floodgates are open, you’ll want to reserve your stateroom of choice sooner rather than later. And we’re here to help! Drop us a line!