Holland America Line announced that it is celebrating 80 years of exploring Alaska, offering more than 100 cruises available for booking as part of its 2027 anniversary season.
From April through September 2027, the company will deploy six ships to Alaska. Guests can choose to sail roundtrip from Seattle, Washington; roundtrip from Vancouver, British Columbia; or between Vancouver and Whittier, Alaska, with voyages ranging from seven to 28 days.
The company said in a press release that itineraries will feature more than 175 shore excursions, including a new Reindeer Encounter at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
In the lead-up to the anniversary, Holland America Line will roll out an enhanced “Ultimate Alaska & Denali” in 2026.
The cruisetours combine multi-day inland adventures, including a two-night stay at Holland America Denali Lodge, and a visit to Alyeska, Seward or Homer with a seven-day “Glacier Discovery” cruise.
Each cruisetour itinerary will feature a tour director, and guests will enjoy a complimentary visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
Alaska’s 2027 season highlights include the following:
New in 2027, an eight-day “Alaska Inside Passage” sailing takes guests roundtrip Vancouver through the Inside Passage before visiting Glacier Bay and calling to Skagway, Ketchikan and British Columbia’s Prince Rupert.
The 28-day “Legendary Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice” departs June 6 aboard the Noordam and sails roundtrip from Seattle to the Bering Sea and into the Arctic Circle. The ship visits 11 Alaska ports, plus Prince Rupert and Vancouver.
The seven-day “Alaska Inside Passage” cruises sail roundtrip from Vancouver on Koningsdam and Zaandam. A September 12 departure is available aboard the Westerdam, sailing from Vancouver to Seattle. The voyage visits ports including Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau.
The seven-day “Alaska Explorer” cruises sail roundtrip from Seattle aboard the Eurodam and Noordam, and include calls at Victoria, British Columbia (evening visit), and Ketchikan, Juneau and Sitka. The Eurodam includes Alaska’s Icy Strait Point and Glacier Bay; the Noordam explores Dawes Glacier.
The seven-day “Northbound Glacier Discovery” and “Southbound Glacier Discovery” itineraries cruise between Whittier (Anchorage) and Vancouver aboard Nieuw Amsterdam and Westerdam. Ports include Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.
Both itineraries include stops at Glacier Bay; the northbound itinerary includes a visit to College Fjord, and the southbound itinerary includes a visit to Hubbard Glacier.
The 14-day “Great Alaska Explorer” sails roundtrip from Seattle aboard the Noordam, calling at ports like Kodiak, Valdez and Prince Rupert. It includes scenic cruising of Hubbard Glacier.
Guests looking to combine Alaska can embark on a seven-day “Great Bear Rainforest” cruise aboard the Noordam, sailing roundtrip Seattle, or choose between two sailings of an 18-day “Great Bear Rainforest & Alaska Explorer” aboard the Zaandam, sailing roundtrip Vancouver.
(WSVN) – A person has been injured on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship after the glass of a water slide they were riding broke.
The cruise ship said a piece of acrylic glass broke open as an adult was passing through the slide on the Icon of the Seas.
Video shared with 7News shows water coming out of a large gaping hole where the glass used to be.
In a statement, the cruise ship said: “Our team provided medical care to an adult guest when acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide. The guest is being treated for his injuries. The water slide is closed for the remainder of the sailing pending an investigation.”
According to the cruise ship, the guest is being treated for their injuries.
It’s unclear where the cruise ship was sailing to and from.
Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.
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Anthem of the Seas is coming to Australia for its first ever season.
While it’s largest similar to the Royal Caribbean ships we’ve seen in recent years, it does have a few unique features that are important to know.
We’ve got you covered with itineraries, new features and hidden spots on the ship.
Anthem of the Seas will arrive in Sydney on October 31, 2025 for its first ever Australian season. The ship is also a Quantum-class ship like the other Royal Caribbean ships we’ve seen in recent years such as Ovation or Quantum. B`1ut just like any other ships, it has its own unique charm and hidden surprises.
Royal Caribbean cruisers are quite loyal and enjoy repeat cruises, so having a new ship in town will offer something fresh and new.
Anthem won’t just be a one-hit wonder out of Sydney – it’s already scheduled to come again for the 2026/27 season.
This guide has you covered on our picks for itineraries, what will be new for those who have already sailed with Royal Caribbean and a few insider tips on how to best enjoy the ship.
What’s new for Aussies?
Anthem of the Seas is not dissimilar from ships like Quantum and Ovation which have sailed in Australia before. However, there are definitely some new features for Aussies.
While many Aussies hoped for a different Royal Caribbean class ship, Anthemof the Seas will have new features never seen before in this market. Here’s a few picks for some new places to check out on Anthem that you won’t find on the ships that have sailed Down Under.
Johnny Rockets
Johnny Rockets is a popular American chain restaurant that also exists on Anthem of the Seas. It has an old school, classic diner vibe, offering a retro feel.
The menu looks something you might imagine, with options like a Chicken Club Sandwich or hot dogs with loaded fries. Johnny Rockets is also known for its milkshakes, so don’t hesitate to give them a try.
It’s not included dining so you will have to pay, but it’s a la carte and generally priced pretty reasonably, so if you’re a fan of American food it’s definitely worth a visit.
We Will Rock You
We Will Rock You is a classic show on Anthem of the Seas, written by comedian and author Ben Elton. The world famous show was running in London for over 12-years.
The whole storyline takes place in the future, where rock ‘n’ roll has been banned, but a group of citizens band together to bring it back to life and fight back against those who are banning it.
You can enjoy a range of Queen songs, reimagined with extremely extravagant production and costuming.
Watch ‘The Gift’
For something a bit different to the average cruise ship show, you can enjoy The Gift in the Royal Theatre. This original musical can be enjoyed in the Royal Theatre.
The storyline follows a family that has become estranged since their mother passed away, and the shows weaves between reality and more a spiritual universe and perspective.
Royal Caribbean introduces its newest and most technologically advanced cruise ship Anthem of the Seas.
Insider tips for Anthem of the Seas
For something different make sure you make it to the ‘circus school’ at the Sea Plex. Here you can live out your Circus de Soleil dreams and learn to fly through the air on a trapeze and plenty more.
The Music Hall is your go-to move for a late-night drink and dance, as well as a mixture of tribute and original music shows. If you want something even louder, head downstairs for another bar, which has a bit more of a nightclub vibe.
If you’re travelling without kids or have a few moments to yourself, the adults-only Solarium pool is the place to go to enjoy some pool tranquility, away from the madness of the main pool.
Head to Two70 during the day and you can generally enjoy a series of different craft workshops, some boardgames, and there’s an internet cafe with great wifi for if you’re looking to get some work done.
If the Windjammer is packed and you’re not in the mood for crowds, give Cafe 270 a go instead.
As far as late night food goes, Sorrento’s or the Cafe Promenade will generally be your best options.
If you’re lucky, you might catch a happy hour at Boleros. While there’s no set schedule, you may occasionally see a two for one promo for margaritas or other beverages at Boleros, so keep an eye out.
Which itinerary to go for?
Visiting the neighbours?
If you’re looking to get over to New Zealand, Anthem of the Seas has plenty of options available. However, the sailings can get pricey.
The good news is that there this is still a sailing to New Zealand that starts for about $240 a day, a good $50-60 cheaper per day than the other options.
This 10-night New Zealand cruise leaves on December 1, 2025, and you’ll get to visit five-ports in New Zealand through the sailings.
Looking for something snappy?
If you just want to get on the ship and take it for a spin, the way to do this is to go on a two-night cruise, which starts from just $589. Your two options will be on January 17 or February 13.
If you’re looking to cruise one extra night, you should for the South Coast Getaway option, which visits Eden during a three-night cruise and starts from $979.
Make it down to Tassie
Anthem has one option for a cruise down to Hobart, leaving on March 8, the five-night cruise starts from $1429. Cruisers will get two days in Hobart, giving them the chance to enjoy an excursion one day and simply explore the city for another.
Something sunny?
If you want to make it over to the South Pacific on Anthem of the Seas, there are plenty of options. These cruises are generally quite short, but if you want the most time away, you can opt for a nine-night South Pacific cruise, with dates on February 27, January 8 and March 13.
You’ll get to visit Noumea, Mystery Island and Port Vila, and then have a few extra days at sea to enjoy the ship.
A section of MSC Meraviglia, one of the largest cruise ships in the world, can be seen at the end of the street. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle
RED HOOK — The giant cruise ship MSC Meraviglia currently towers over the Western Brooklyn waterfront. But come fall 2026, the 2,224-room vessel, which has been operating out of the Red Hook Cruise Terminal for almost three years, will be setting sail for a new homeport in Miami, according to publication Cruise Critic, which broke the news Wednesday.
MSC has canceled five months of 2027’s sailings from Brooklyn, offering alternatives to booked passengers. The cruise line recently opened the “world’s largest cruise terminal” at PortMiami, Cruise Critic says.
The ship, which carries more than 5,600 people, was ranked the sixth-largest cruise ship in the world when it burst onto the scene in 2017, according to another cruise site, Cruise Hive. But its 2023 arrival in isolated Red Hook brought hours of gridlock every time its passengers disembarked en mass, resulting in traffic jams, bus delays and unsafe walking and biking conditions.
The MSC Meraviglia, seen here docked in Red Hook, carries more than 5,600 passengers. Eagle photo by Mary Frost
Some Cruise Critic readers speculated that MSC might have been having trouble filling the enormous ship in a homeport that “is difficult to reach if you don’t have a car and where it’s eye-wateringly expensive to park if you do.”
The vessel also brought toxic diesel exhaust to the neighborhood, as the electrical shore power hookup on the pier was not initially positioned to properly connect to the vessel’s system.
In February 2024, the Red Hook Business Alliance wrote in an opinion piece published in the Brooklyn Eagle, “New York City’s haphazardly executed surge in cruise ship dockings, combined with the neglect of the cruise terminal, port infrastructure and the absence of planning for traffic or tourism, has dropped a mess of toxins and traffic on Red Hook’s residents and small business economy.”
The MSC Meraviglia towers over the local Red Hook streets. Eagle photo by Mary Frost
The traffic conditions currently existing in Red Hook and along the Columbia Street Waterfront District — including deliveries to and from last-mile warehouses and vehicles bypassing the dilapidated Brooklyn-Queens Expressway — have raised major questions about the New York City Economic Development Corp’s Brooklyn Marine Terminal plans, which critics say is devoid of major traffic planning.
The proposed 122-acre waterfront mega-development would bring as many as 18,000 new residents to a stretch from Atlantic Avenue to Red Hook on the East River, an area encompassing the Cruise Terminal.
The MSC Meraviglia’s last day in Brooklyn will be April 6, 2026. The line doesn’t yet have plans to replace it with another vessel, Cruise Critic reports.
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