Holland America is out with yet another epic Alaska itinerary that is unlike anything we've seen before.
The 18-night "Great Bear Rainforest and Alaskan Explorer" voyage, as the line is calling it, will bring an extended sailing up the coast of Alaska to small towns that most cruise lines never visit. It will also include a rare multiday passage along the western coast of Canada.
Among the most unusual calls planned for the voyage, which will kick off Sept. 16, 2026, in Vancouver, British Columbia, will be day visits to the small fishing town of Homer, Alaska, known as the halibut capital of the world, and mountain-ringed Valdez, Alaska.
Neither of the towns, which are home to populations of just 6,040 and 3,805 people, respectively, draws many cruise ships — in part because of the time it takes to reach them from Vancouver and other Alaska cruise hubs.
The remote Alaska town of Kodiak, on Kodiak Island, is also on the itinerary. The island is particularly known for its large population of Kodiak bears — the largest subspecies of brown bears.
The trip also will include an overnight stop in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. Few ships on Alaska cruises ever visit Anchorage due to the distance of travel required to reach it through the Cook Inlet.
All the above destinations are too far north to reach on a typical seven-night cruise to Alaska out of Vancouver or Seattle. Only far longer sailings to Alaska, which are rare, typically include them.
Holland America's new itinerary, which will take place on 1,432-passenger Zaandam, also will include stops in the relatively little-visited Alaskan town of Wrangell, as well as Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan, the latter three being more common stops on Alaska cruises.
Visits to two of Alaska's iconic glacier destinations, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve and Hubbard Glacier, also are on the schedule.
Related: The 6 best Alaska cruise shore excursions — from heli-hiking to whale watching
Still, perhaps the most impressive piece of the voyage will take place as Zaandam begins the voyage northward to Alaska.
The ship will spend two full days exploring the immensely scenic narrow channels that cut through the western edge of British Columbia — most notably, the super-tight Grenville Channel (so narrow you feel like you can reach out and touch its sides as you cruise through it), as well as the Seymour Narrows.
They are waterways that once formed the heart of what was known as the "Inside Passage" to Alaska, but they have been mostly bypassed by cruise vessels for decades.
As it sails the region, Zaandam will pass by the Great Bear Rainforest, Bella Bella and Princess Royal Island, among the region's best-known sites.
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To arrive at our list of the Best Places to Go in North America and the Caribbean in 2025, we painted with the broadest strokes possible. Quite literally, because these destinations test the physical bounds of the region. From Alberta to Cuba, and Denver to Greenland (which, yes, is technically part of North America), we’ve left no possibility unturned. Within this wide geographical stretch, there’s also a diversity of travel inspiration—from nature explorations to food and wine trails and cultural immersions. In Alaska, where the much-loved Glacier Bay National Park celebrates 100 years of being made a national monument, Native-run adventures abound on Kodiak Island, where small groups of visitors can share space with the largest subspecies of brown bear in the world. In Canada’s Banff and Lake Louise, a sprawling new wellness center at a beloved Canadian Rockies hotel will offer health and vitality alongside dazzling views. Out and away in Greenland, new access to parts previously untrammeled means more visitors can enjoy its majestic fjords and incandescent northern lights from land and sea. If that doesn’t feel soaring enough, there’s Space Coast, Florida, where you can claim your spot to witness historic rocket launches (and sample more earthly adventures like kayaking through its bioluminescent waters). It’s not all space travel and remote landscapes. If you’re drawn to more intimate experiences, perhaps you’ll consider Barbuda: the 62-square-mile gem in the eastern Caribbean Sea will come alive with fresh energy (there’s also a new Nobu Beach Inn arriving) as its airport reopens after the devastation of 2017’s Hurricane Irma. Or maybe Alexander Valley, California—where the establishment of a new wine region is underway—calls out to you, for Cabernet Sauvignons that rival the best of ‘em and gastronomic delights that range from Michelin-star meals to family-style spreads. In the end, whatever catches your fancy, we hope that you’ll bookmark this list, and use it to plan where you’ll visit in North America and the Caribbean in 2025. See you out there! —Arati Menon