Culinary highlights include Alaska dishes by Fresh Fish Ambassador Chef Morimoto and new Alaska-themed cocktails by acclaimed bartender Sam Ross
SEATTLE, April 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Holland America Line is debuting “Glacier Day” on its Alaska cruises as it rolls out new programming within its “We Love Alaska” on board experience. The new offerings include Alaska Up Close presentations as well as culinary and beverage experiences to help foster a deeper connection to the people, history and culture of the state. The 2024 season kicks off April 27 from Vancouver and May 4 from Seattle.
Westerdam in Glacier Bay, Alaska. (PRNewsfoto/Holland America Line)
“Holland America Line continues to focus on bringing regional and local experiences on board every cruise, with our Alaska sailings leading the way in authentic programming, localized cuisine, and now special events like ‘Glacier Day’,” said Beth Bodensteiner, chief commercial officer of Holland America Line. “We continue to cultivate like-minded partnerships and fine-tune everything from cocktails to wildlife maps to ensure our guests are completely immersed in all facets of Alaska.”
Alaska Season Itineraries and Cruisetours Through September 2024, guests can embark on Holland America Line’s Alaska cruises and Cruisetours from Vancouver and Seattle aboard Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam and Zaandam. In addition to seven-day itineraries, guests can take longer 14-day cruises and a new 28-day Arctic Circle Solstice Legendary Voyage that includes 12 Alaska ports.
Cruisetours range from nine to 18 days and include a one-, two- or three-day visit to Denali National Park. Select Cruisetours also include a journey into the wilds of Canada’sYukon. Holland America Line remains the only cruise line that offers overland tours to the Yukon combined with an Alaska cruise and Denali experience.
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‘Glacier Day’ Puts a Spotlight on Alaska’s Majestic Glaciers As a leader in Alaska cruising, Holland America Line offers more glacier experiences than any other cruise line. The new Glacier Day includes sighting times, scenic commentary, presentations, informational viewing stations, photo opportunities, Dutch Pea Soup on deck, Glacier Ice cocktails, insightful talks by Glacier Bay National Park Rangers and Huna cultural interpreters, an open bow for viewing, and more.
Every Alaska cruise includes a visit to one or more of Alaska’s iconic glacier destinations: Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier, Dawes Glacier, and the Twin Sawyer Glaciers of Tracy Arm. Shore excursions also offer the opportunity to visit additional glaciers, including Mendenhall and Portage glaciers.
Serving Fresh Fish in Alaska Holland America continues to build on its groundbreaking Global Fresh Fish program, which includes being the only cruise line with Alaska seafood certified sustainable by the Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) and bringing locally sourced fresh fish from port to plate in less than 48 hours. In addition to the seafood and other local delicacies served on the menus, ships in Alaska will serve three exclusive dishes created by the brand’s Fresh Fish Ambassador Chef Morimoto: Fresh Black Cod Yuzu, Morimoto Epice Lobster and Fresh Halibut XO.
A new Alaska Seafood Boil will be offered once per cruise in Lido Market for a surcharge. The foodie feast will serve Ivar’s Northwest-Style Clam Chowder, Dungeness Cruise Clusters, Alaska Salmon, Penn Cove Clams, Penn Cove Mussels and a Shrimp Bucket, with Triple Berry Crisp and vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Offered once per cruise, all dishes on the Alaska Brunch menu in the Dining Room were created with the influence of fresh, local Alaskan and Pacific Northwest ingredients. The selections range from sweet to savory and include Alaskan Blueberry Pancakes, Salmon & Potato Chowder, Wild Forest Mushroom and Tarragon Crepes, Kodiak Steak and Egg Skillet, Crab and Hot Smoked Salmon Cakes, Biscuits with Gravy and Alaskan Reindeer Sausage, and Home Smoked Gulf of Alaska Cod Benny.
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Bartender Sam Ross Creates Alaska Cocktails Acclaimed bartender Sam Ross created a menu of exclusive cocktails that will be featured in the bars on all Alaska ships: Juneau AK, Klondiker, PNW Penicillin, Mosquito, Midnight Sun and Frontier Champagne Flip. Ross was the 2011 “U.S. Bartender of the Year” and his flagship bar, Attaboy, won the 2022 award for “Best Bar in the U.S.” by The World’s 50 Best Bars. Ross is credited with creating two of the most famous modern classic cocktails: Penicillin and Paper Plane.
New Exclusive ‘Killer Whale Pale Ale’ Available On Board Holland America Line is debuting a new “Killer Whale Pale Ale” on all Alaska cruises. The beer was produced in collaboration with Pike Brewing – Seattle’s oldest craft brewery – and features notes of honey, citrus and tropical fruits. The label artwork was created in collaboration with Native Artist Rico Worl, a member of the Tlingit and Athabascan community, who also designed the Native artwork featured on the Alaska menus. The Killer Whale Pale Ale label represents the food chain in the Pacific Northwest, with a seal deftly maneuvering out of the grasp of a killer whale.
More Wildlife Viewing than Any Other Cruise Line Alaska is synonymous with stunning wilderness, and Holland America Line offers more ways to see wildlife in its natural habitat. Alaska ships carry an expert on board to help guests witness the majestic animals found in the region, and a Wildlife Spotting Guide points out the native animals found along the cruise route and includes a map with the best places to see each species. Ashore, Holland America Line offers nearly 180 shore excursions to see species of all kinds.
On Deck for a Cause Continues to Support Alaska’s Parks Holland America Line will continue to donate proceeds from its “On Deck for a Cause” charitable event aboard ships in the region to Alaska Geographic, the nonprofit education partner of Alaska’s parks, forests, refuges and conservation lands. Called “On Deck for a Cause: Alaska’s Parks,” guests on all Alaska cruises will be invited to donate $25 to participate in a noncompetitive 5K fundraising walk aboard every sailing. Funds raised through “On Deck for a Cause: Alaska’s Parks” will go to support education, science and research in Alaska’s parks. The 2023 Alaska season raised more than $100,000 for Alaska Geographic.
Standby Program Offers Reduced Rates for Seattle and Vancouver Cruises Guests with easy access to Seattle or Vancouver have an opportunity to cruise to Alaska at a reduced rate of $49 per person, per day with Holland America Line’s Standby program. Travelers who sign up for a cruise are alerted between seven and two days before departure if they will be sailing. Solo cruisers also only pay $49 per day and do not incur a single supplement for a double stateroom.
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For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.
Find Holland America Line on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and the Holland America Blog. You can also access all social media outlets via the home page at hollandamerica.com.
About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)] Holland America Line has been exploring the world for 150 years with expertly crafted itineraries, extraordinary service and genuine connections to the destinations. Offering an ideal perfectly-sized ship experience, its fleet visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world and has shared the thrill of Alaska for 75 years — longer than any other cruise line. Holland America Line’s 11 vessels feature a diverse range of enriching activities and amenities focused on destination immersion and personalized travel. Guests enjoy the best entertainment at sea each evening and dining venues featuring exclusive dishes by world-famous chefs. A new global fresh fish program brings more than 80 types of fresh fish on board, sourced and served locally in regions around the world.
Mom or Dad is at work all day, or out of the picture altogether. The spouse is at home taking care of the kiddos but needs to get out of the house to work or pursue an education. There is just one obstacle, but it is a big one – day care. In Alaska and throughout the nation quality day care is hard to find and expensive.
J. Howard Miller’s “We Can Do It!”, also called “Rosie the Riveter” after the iconic figure of a strong female war production worker. (U.S. Office for Emergency Management image)
Imagine the issue resolved. Imagine that high quality day care is widely available and jaw-droppingly inexpensive at about $8 to $10 per child per day. Day care includes snacks and a hot lunch. It includes a ratio of 1 to 10, staff to children. And it includes basic health care.
The day care facility may be a new building specifically built as a fully equipped modern day care center, or it may be a local school building. It opens early and stays open late to accommodate elastic work schedules. Some day care facilities are open 24 hours a day, six days a week. At the end of the day, select day care centers send home an evening meal for the parent and children.
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Impossible but tantalizing daydream? No, not a mere daydream — part of our American history. Parents demanded it. Politicians wanted it. And it was done. For a few brief years the United States had a generously funded day care program across the nation.
Early in the 1940s the United States had hurled itself into war against the Axis powers. The men were gone, engaged in the war effort. Graphics of Rosie the Riveter were everywhere, urging women to replace men in critical war industries. Maybe Rosie didn’t have children, or maybe she had a kindly mother who watched her children while she was hammering rivets. But millions of real women were alone at home with their children. How could they work full-time in war industries and be full-time mothers at the same time? As the New York Times reported in 2019:
“The major source of funding to remedy this came from the Lanham Act of 1940, which enabled a number of social programs during the war years. Beginning in 1942, the Lanham Act funded the Federal Works Agency to provide group child care in areas of ‘war impact.’ But far from instantly setting up a cheerful child care center on every block, the act created a complex patchwork of public and private entities, which in some cases sustained existing centers, and in others allowed communities to set up new ones.”
According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, even at the outset of the program the “need for the child care centers was estimated to be much greater than the services provided.” Nevertheless, it was an extraordinary accomplishment:
“The wartime child care programs were locally planned… Overall, as many as 635 communities across the nation were granted funds to operate one or more centers. Projects included programs for preschool and school-age children. In July 1944, when the wartime child care program reached its apex, 52,440 preschoolers and 76,917 school-age children were enrolled.”
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By mid-1945 it was clear that the Allies had won the war. The prevailing male sentiment was that it was time for Rosie the Riveter and her female factory colleagues to pack up and go back home. They were urged to take their “traditional” place in the kitchen and give the factory jobs back to men. And to make sure the women did that, politicians immediately slashed funds for national day care, quickly dismantling the program. Pushback ensued. Women and children demonstrated in the streets. There were write-in campaigns, according to the CRS report:
“Approximately one month after this announcement, the FWA [Federal Works Agency] reported it had received communications from 26 states and the District of Columbia (1,155 letters, 318 wires, 794 postcards and petitions signed by 3,647 individuals), urging continuation of the program. Principal reasons given were the need of servicemen’s wives to continue employment until their husbands returned, the ongoing need of mothers who were the sole support of their children, and a lack of inadequacy of other forms of care in the community.”
Nevertheless, sexism and discrimination prevailed. Within a few short years most of the national day care program had been wiped out. Vestiges remained through the 1960s, mostly in California. Then the national day care program was entirely gone.
So here we are today. Day care woes abound. Tax breaks and other marginal incentives of today cannot build a national day care program. However, eight decades ago the Federal Works Agency did. We have the precedent and the need but lack politicians with the vision.
Boaters anchor in Juneau’s harbor to watch its Fourth of July fireworks. (Heather Bryant/KTOO)
The Fourth of July often brings thoughts of festive celebrations like parades, picnics and fireworks, but what does honoring the nation’s independence mean? What are our rights, but also our responsibilities to a healthy democracy? How do you reflect on what freedom means, and what’s the best way for us all to move forward as a united nation? We discuss historical and philosophical context on our democracy and what freedom requires of us all on this next Talk of Alaska.
HOST: Lori Townsend
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GUESTS:
Dr. Terry Kelly – Associate Professor & Chair of Philosophy, University of Alaska Anchorage
Sam Woolsey – Social Studies Teacher, Bettye Davis East High School
PARTICIPATE:
Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast
Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (comments may be read on air)
Post your comment before, during or after the live broadcast (comments may be read on air).
LIVE Broadcast: Tuesday, July 2, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. on APRN stations statewide.
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Lori Townsend is the news director and senior host for Alaska Public Media. You can send her news tips and program ideas for Talk of Alaska and Alaska Insight at ltownsend@alaskapublic.org or call 907-550-8452.
This winter, we’re expanding our guests’ options with nonstop service to two exciting international destinations
Alaska Airlines is excited to announce an expansion of our international network with two new Mexico destinations starting this winter. We’ll soon start flying between Los Angeles and breathtaking La Paz, as the only U.S. carrier serving the coastal Mexican destination. We’ll also become the only U.S. airline to offer daily nonstop flights between Los Angeles and the bustling city of Monterrey when we begin service in February.
During the winter months, our guests search for warm-weather travel destinations. Our new nonstop service to La Paz (LAP) and Monterrey (MTY) caters to that demand by offering our guests the perfect escape to sunny skies, a vibrant city experience and warm hospitality. It’s never too early to start booking your winter vacation. Tickets are available starting the afternoon of July 3 on alaskaair.com.
We recently celebrated 35 years of service to Mexico and are proud to connect travelers with the rich culture and natural beauty of the country. We look forward to continuing to serve as the carrier of choice from the West Coast, especially as we prepare to start service to these popular destinations in Mexico,” said Kirsten Amrine, vice president of revenue management and network planning at Alaska Airlines.
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We’re proud to be the #1 U.S. carrier with the most flights, seats and nonstop routes to Mexico from the West Coast. This announcement continues our longstanding commitment and plans for growth in the region.
Our new nonstop service to LAP and MTY from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) enables guests to easily connect from cities across our network. From our hub at LAX, we continue to offer the most flights to the most destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean of any carrier – which includes almost 16 average daily departures this winter to 15 cities throughout the region.
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La Paz, Mexico
This year, we will become the only carrier offering nonstop service between the United States and La Paz where you’ll find some of the world’s best diving and sport fishing. We’re excited to offer flights year-round with service up to three times weekly.
“We appreciate Alaska Airlines’ confidence in investing in the virtues of La Paz and providing it with the opportunity to expand its borders by connecting with the United States. Especially with its flight to Los Angeles, California, which we are sure will be a success,” said Maribel Collins, minister of tourism and economy of Baja California Sur. “For the Government of Baja California Sur, tourism is one of the pillars that drives the state’s economy. Therefore, we are highly committed to promoting actions that benefit this important sector through our tourism trusts, which day by day seek alliances for the benefit of all.”
“Connecting La Paz with Los Angeles is an important step for internationalizing this airport which has grown passengers significantly over the past three years. We thank Alaska Airlines for offering this flight to one of the most beautiful destinations in Mexico and look forward to welcoming travelers to La Paz and continuing to provide greater ease for foreign tourists to visit this city,” said Raúl Revuelta Musalem, CEO of the Pacific Airport Group.
Monterrey, Mexico
We’re adding daily service from Los Angeles to Monterrey, Mexico’s second-largest metro area. The popular destination offers dramatic peaks of the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountain range and a vibrant food scene, including several Michelin-starred restaurants. Immerse yourself in history with a visit to one of the city’s many museums or satisfy your love for the outdoors with a visit to the Huasteca Canyon, a popular rock climbing area located on the outskirts of the city.
We are pleased to announce that Alaska Airlines will begin operations from Monterrey Airport to Los Angeles, expanding its services from our airports along with Mazatlan and Zihuatanejo,” said Ricardo Dueñas, CEO of Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte. “Through LAX, this new route will offer access to new destinations on the West Coast, as we continue to increase international connectivity from Monterrey to meet both business and leisure travel demand.”
Whether traveling for pleasure or business, our guests can take advantage of a premium travel experience on any Alaska flight with no change fees, the most legroom in First Class* and Premium Class, the most generous Mileage Plan with the fastest path to elite status, high-quality West Coast-inspired food and a premium selection of beverages. Our guests can also buy tickets and earn Mileage Plan miles with our domestic and Global Partners directly at alaskair.com.
Alaska Airlines is making it easier for you to plan your next trip while saving money and earning Mileage Plan miles. Bundle flights, hotels, car rentals and experiences at Alaska Vacations, find deals car rentals on Alaska Car Rentals and book your next adventure while earning 4 miles for every $1 spent on GetYourGuide.
*Out of any U.S. legacy airline excluding lie-flat seats
