Founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company, the Holland America started out as a shipping and passenger boat company, sailing through the Suez Canal between Holland and the Dutch East Indies. In 1895, the company began to offer vacation options and has steadily increased its number of in-service cruise ships ever since. In 1971the company sold its shipping industry and turned its pursuits completely to cruise destinations. Now, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, the Holland America Line provides quality cruise and vacation experiences to people all over the world.
Holland America Line is best known for their huge selection of Alaska cruise and tour packages. Alaska is by far their most popular cruise destination. With the stunning seascapes and nighttime views of the breathtaking Aurora Borealis, the colors of the sky, cruises to Alaska have steadily grown in popularity over the past years. Holland America Line, however, offers much more than a simple Alaskan cruise. There are excursion options and specialty packages that most other cruise liners don’t offer. For example, there are cruises where you dock in Alaska and ride a train to Mt. McKinley. Other packages include hiking expeditions and whale-watching trips. You’re not confined to seeing Alaska from the deck of a ship; you get to explore it, up close and personal. The company’s website offers an enormous amount of information to help you plan your getaway to the northernmost state, including tips and maps for exploring Alaska by car, bus, and train.
Besides their Alaskan cruise options, they also offer cruise trips all over the world including popular locales such as the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico and Europe. The company operates a total of twelve ships and carries an estimated 6,000,000 cruise passengers destinations spanning the seven continents each and every year. To learn more about Holland America Line and the cruises they offer, you can visit their website at www.hollandamerica.com and browse their different specials and packages. You can also request that a company brochure or informational video on any areas of interest be sent to you.
The Holland America company is also known for their eco-friendly practices and policies. It’s nice to know that a company that sails all over the world’s oceans is committed to keeping them as clean as possible, especially when they are entering areas of the world where conservation efforts are of high importance such as Alaskan and south American coastlines. The company urges passengers to help protect the oceans and also follows the environmental standards put out by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), which includes proper procedures for processing and disposing of on-board garbage and waste. The company boasts they adopted these practices three years before they became fundamental law. The company also offers environmentally sensitive shore excursions that emphasize ecology. Their Alaskan cruises have even incorporated a recycling program into their cruises in addition to using environment-friendly products. The program “Seagoing Environmental Awareness” educates the company’s staff on ways they can help preserve the environment.
By Stacy Hinojosa