Holland America Line Announces 2007 Alaska & the Yukon CruiseTour Line-Up

More Time, Best Places, Personal Wilderness Experience

SEATTLE, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Holland America Line offers 29 different CruiseTours visiting legendary Glacier Bay and Denali National Park plus beautiful regions as remote as the Arctic, as colorful as the Klondike Trail and as charming as Homer at the tip of the Kenai Peninsula. CruiseTour guests travel to the best places to see glaciers, mountains, wildlife and wilderness. Leisurely Inside Passage cruising aboard 5-star ships and luxury land travel via domed McKinley Explorer railcars and custom-built highway Explorer Coaches(TM) create the quintessential Alaska experience.

"Holland America takes guests to more national parks and recognized wilderness areas than any other CruiseTour company," said Richard D. Meadows, CTC, senior vice president, marketing and sales. "Our carefully planned itineraries make it easy to enjoy ample time in Denali and to visit unique places like Kluane National Park and Tombstone Park in the legendary Yukon. We also feature intimate, small-group explorations of the Yukon River, Prudhoe Bay, Gates of the Arctic National Park, the lush Kenai Peninsula and pristine Kenai Fjords National Park."

"We are offering our guests more opportunities to get off the beaten path and have a more personal wilderness experience," said Meadows. "This is the primary reason guests come to the Great Land. Our program is designed to offer more chances to experience Alaska and the Yukon in smaller groups and in more remote and stunning areas."

New for 2007

CruiseTour guests traveling the state's roadways will enjoy a brand new or recently enhanced Explorer Coach sightseeing experience with as much legroom as domestic first class, comfy leather seats, a mini-galley with cold snacks and beverages, an eight-channel in-seat audio system, and an enriched narration program including topical handouts and exclusive videos.

Guests on CruiseTours 3, 4, 5, and 6 will enjoy the scenic beauty and historical interpretation of the longest operating narrow gauge railroad in North America -- the nostalgic White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad. After an investment of US$8 million, the railroad will be rebuilt to carry visitors from Skagway to Lake Bennett and Carcross over much of the same ruggedly beautiful route traveled by thousands of stampeders during the rollicking gold rush days. The trains will stop at the Historic Bennett Station Eating House and guests will be served a traditional northern style family lunch before continuing on their journey by Holland America Line ship or Holland America Line Tours Explorer Coach(TM).

More national parks, historic sites and thrilling excursions

Eighteen CruiseTour itineraries feature Holland America Line's "Double Denali" experience -- two nights at a classic wilderness lodge near the gates of Denali National Park, a comprehensive guided Tundra Wilderness Tour featuring the best wildlife and Mt. McKinley viewpoints, and an array of exceptional optional excursions that sample the great outdoors -- from mild to wild.

Holland America spotlights the special wildlife and unique geological features of Kluane National Park, home of five of the seven tallest peaks in North America; Tombstone Park in the Yukon, an ancient region of unique landforms that was once part of the original North American continent; the year-round playground of Alyeska near Anchorage; the Land of the Midnight Sun across the Arctic Circle; and the fascinating Visitor Centers and heritage sites that describe the Klondike gold rush era.

The leader in Alaska Cruises and Tours

Celebrating its 59th year as the leader in Alaska travel, Holland America Line will have eight ships offering 156 cruises in 2007 for scenic glacier viewing in Glacier Bay National Park or Hubbard Glacier plus Tracy Arm or College Fjord, depending on ship and departure. Most CruiseTours include rail travel on the largest, most luxurious touring railcars in the world -- the McKinley Explorer(R), Yukon River sightseeing aboard the mv Yukon Queen II, and Portage Glacier cruising aboard mv Ptarmigan.

CruiseTours range from 10 to 20 days and start at $1,399 per person, double occupancy. For more information about booking an Alaska cruise or CruiseTour, contact a travel agent or call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425) or visit www.hollandamerica.com.