My experience on Holland America’s new Great...

“Is that this actually needed?” I requested the tour information as he handed me an insulated full-body go well with.

We — that’s, me and a few dozen of my fellow cruise ship passengers, most of them round retirement age — have been about to embark on a 90-minute scenic boat journey across the coast of British Columbia’s Nice Bear Rainforest. The fits our information was doling out, which might have appeared extra at residence on an area shuttle, appeared like overkill.

However, as our information defined, though we might be comparatively near land, we might nonetheless be crusing the deep, frigid waters of the North Pacific, weaving between uninhabited fragments of land with names like Devastation Island. If one among us someway fell into the unforgiving water, these fits would give us a treasured further quarter-hour or so of survival time — hopefully sufficient to maintain us alive till assist arrived.

It was a startling reminder that, regardless of our cruise ship being moored maybe 100 yards away, we had stepped off the gangplank into a distinct world. Right here, the closest airport is reachable solely by ferry. Indigenous communities reside largely off the land and sea on distant islands. And fishermen and tour operators alike recurrently serve their households dinner straight from their very own crab traps — if native crab thieves do not get there first.

Welcome to Prince Rupert Island, an unusual however worthwhile cruise cease that I visited on Holland America’s newest itinerary often called “7-Day Nice Bear Rainforest.” This unconventional crusing promised to indicate 2,000 or so passengers of the ship Noordam a distinct path to Alaska, with surroundings and ports of name that few cruisers get to expertise.

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A brand new (outdated) path to Alaska

Seventies vogue traits aren’t the one issues beginning to make a comeback (I am you, fanny packs). Holland America’s latest itinerary reaches manner again to the gold rush of the 1800s, when the one (secure) approach to attain Alaska by boat was by way of the Inside Passage, a collection of channels weaving between scattered islands off Canada’s western coast.

In the present day’s cruise ships can deal with the open ocean, in order that they usually bypass the Inside Passage in favor of a quicker, extra direct path to Alaska’s prime sights and points of interest. That is true for many itineraries utilized by Holland America, which has a fleet of 11 ships and runs over 500 sailings a 12 months, together with greater than 100 cruises to Alaska.

With its latest itinerary, the road goals to provide frequent Alaska cruisers one thing new. As an alternative of specializing in Alaska, we might take the open ocean from Seattle to Ketchikan, Alaska, then make our manner again by way of the extra scenic Inside Passage. This may not solely give us a glimpse into the beautiful surroundings that gold rush passengers bought to witness, but in addition permit us to go to lesser-known locations — together with some that may’t be reached by street.

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And, in fact, we might be exploring the titular Nice Bear Rainforest, the world’s largest temperate rainforest, which covers a lot of the shoreline alongside the itinerary. It is named after the spirit bear (or Kermode bear), a uncommon white or yellow mutation of black bears that options prominently within the folklore and beliefs of First Nations peoples.

As a longtime Coloradan, I am very a lot a landlubber. I’ve a protracted historical past of seasickness and a a lot shorter historical past of cruising, having taken just one cruise, a Carnival crusing to the Bahamas in 2024, earlier than this.

Fortunately, one other benefit to crusing the Inside Passage is that the shallower, extra protected waterways assist reduce the rocking of the boat — good for nervous sailors like me. It appeared the perfect manner for me to go to Alaska and British Columbia for the primary time. So, I packed my layers and rain gear and hauled my overflowing suitcase aboard the Noordam.

Listed here are the highlights from my seven-day Nice Bear Rainforest cruise and why I’d return in a heartbeat.

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New and strange port stops

Earlier than we reached the Inside Passage, the Noordam carved a route by way of open ocean to Ketchikan on the southern tip of Alaska. This tourist-friendly cruise ship cease is so widespread that it has turn into outdated hat for frequent cruisers; lots of my fellow passengers did not even trouble disembarking from the ship.

As for me, I wasn’t going to move up an opportunity to set foot in Alaska for the primary time. I had a blast exploring the city’s well-known totems and the lovable overwater procuring district of Creek Road.

However did Ketchikan present an “genuine” Alaskan expertise? In all probability not. I might inform this city — at the very least, the half simply reached from port — was designed for vacationers, with outlets hawking totem magnets and salmon jerky at each flip. (Not that that stopped me from shopping for them. Who can say no to memento procuring in buildings raised on stilts?)

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Prince Rupert, British Columbia

After we raised anchor in Ketchikan and headed into the Inside Passage, the port stops bought somewhat extra fascinating. They began with Holland America’s first in a single day name to the distant, rugged Prince Rupert Island.

Admittedly, there’s not a lot to see right here past a couple of arts and crafts outlets, a scenic coastal strolling path and maybe the world’s tiniest Walmart — however that is not what attracts most vacationers. Prince Rupert is called a gateway to British Columbia’s huge and awe-inspiring outdoor, together with the Nice Bear Rainforest. (It additionally holds the title of rainiest metropolis in Canada, although the climate was blessedly gentle and sunny throughout our go to.)

That is the place I donned my vivid purple spacesuit for the adults-only Northern Nice Bear Rainforest by Zodiac tour ($230 per individual), through which we toured the rainforest’s meandering shoreline by motorized raft. We did not spot any spirit bears, however we did see a number of bald eagles resting regally within the treetops, in addition to harbor porpoises and sea lions bobbing by way of the water.

And, I am completely satisfied to report, none of us put our protecting fits to the take a look at.

The place I come from, puddles are a uncommon sight — so it was fascinating to see simply how a lot water is woven into the material of day by day life right here. We cruised previous the Port of Prince Rupert, Canada’s third-busiest seaport, and Prince Rupert Airport (YPR), the place a once-daily flight to Vancouver, British Columbia, connects residents to the skin world. We noticed from afar the village of Metlakatla and discovered how Indigenous communities there have been residing off the land (and sea) because the mid-1800s. We even bought to satisfy Dungeness and purple rock crabs that our tour guides caught in underwater traps, destined for the dinner desk.

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Nanaimo, British Columbia

Our subsequent cease was Nanaimo, a metropolis on the jap coast of Vancouver Island. This was Holland America’s maiden name at Nanaimo, and ours was the biggest cruise ship the port had ever welcomed.

This grew to become obvious throughout our shore tour: Gallery Stroll, Cranberry Farm, and Metropolis Sights ($80 per individual). The tour operators clearly underestimated the variety of cruise passengers who would clamor to see a cranberry farm. This led to lengthy, dreary delays within the chilly rain and triggered us to overlook the gallery stroll and metropolis sights parts of the tour fully.

Though the shore excursions in Nanaimo are nonetheless discovering their toes, it was obvious that this metropolis — a lot bigger than Prince Rupert and with a extra genuine really feel than Ketchikan — has lots to supply to future cruise passengers. Earlier than my afternoon cranberry farm debacle, I explored the city on foot and found hip classic boutiques, magical bookstores, memento outlets with native artwork on the market and, in fact, bakeries providing each taste of Nanaimo bar, a neighborhood layered no-bake deal with.

It was the right mixture: Conducive to vacationers however not mobbed by them (but). I’d fairly have spent the whole day exploring Nanaimo by myself than by way of a booked shore tour.

Victoria, British Columbia

We spent our final day on land in Victoria, on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island and only a stone’s throw from the U.S.-Canada border.

I spent the morning on the Malahat Skywalk & Victoria Highlights tour ($100 per grownup and $80 for teenagers 12 and underneath), the place I loved nature walks and spectacular views — and reconnected with my inside baby on the 12-story slide.

Afterward, I explored Victoria’s downtown. This metropolis was by far the biggest we visited on this cruise, with a number of museums, procuring and eating galore, quirky points of interest like haunted miniature golf and Miniature World, a small Chinatown, and a surprisingly giant variety of Irish pubs.

Additionally, you may discover loads of water taxis, my new obsession.

Because it seems, Victoria is a standard cruise cease — however usually a short-lived one. Most cruise ships solely drop anchor right here for a couple of hours, usually late within the night, making it exhausting for passengers to take pleasure in all the things Victoria has to supply. Why? As a result of non-U.S.-flagged ships are required by legislation to cease at a non-U.S. port, and Victoria suits the invoice for cruise ships headed to Alaska.

That is a disgrace as a result of my time in Victoria was one of many highlights of the cruise. I used to be glad to have a full day right here, and I would not have minded staying longer to discover different points of interest like The Butchart Gardens and Craigdarroch Fortress.

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An out of doors paradise

One other spotlight was, as anticipated, the nice outdoor. I might see it in all its glory from the ship on cruising days, after we handed by way of components of the Inside Passage just like the Grenville Channel, Johnstone Strait and Seymour Narrows — the place you virtually really feel like you would attain out and contact the shore.

We shared the Inside Passage with pods upon pods of whales, making themselves identified with blowhole spouts and the occasional tail slap. They have been too far-off for a whale-watching novice like me to differentiate, even with binoculars, however our onboard information identified quite a lot of species, together with orcas, proper whales and pilot whales.

It was enjoyable to see what number of of my fellow passengers bought excited concerning the whales. It was virtually a bonding exercise — at the very least, within the health club, the place we loved mentioning whale spouts to one another from neighboring treadmills. Within the window-filled Crow’s Nest lounge, nonetheless, issues bought somewhat spicier. It is all enjoyable and video games till binocular-wielding retirees begin preventing over chairs.

In fact, we bought a number of possibilities to get nearer to nature throughout the port calls. I took a number of outdoorsy shore excursions, together with the Rainforest Island Nature Stroll and Seahawk Journey in Ketchikan ($195 per grownup and $140 per baby 12 and underneath). A brief boat journey took our small group to the aptly named Rainforest Island, the place our native information — barefoot, T-shirt-clad and presumably superhuman — led us by way of the chilly rainforest, mentioning mushrooms, banana slugs and 800-year-old western purple cedar timber.

Different adventurous choices included e-bike excursions, kayak and canoe excursions, backcountry Jeep rides and fishing journeys.

Immersion in native historical past and tradition

There have been loads of much less outdoorsy shore excursions, too, from trolley excursions and cultural museums to barhopping and cooking lessons. There really appeared to be one thing for everybody. What’s extra, Holland America appeared eager to assist visitors dive into the historical past and tradition of the locations we visited — each on shore and aboard the ship.

Our cruise schedule was filled with academic actions. Tour guides gave port talks to packed audiences concerning the locations we might go to, and visitor lecturers delivered seminars on matters just like the ghost cities of British Columbia. Wildlife guides taught visitors find out how to spot whales and use binoculars. On our cruising days, commentators defined what we have been seeing as we navigated the Inside Passage — and, often, the captain would interrupt them to level out a pod of whales.

In Prince Rupert, the Noordam hosted a neighborhood Nisgaa First Nations dance group, who gave a efficiency of conventional dance, music and storytelling.

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RACHEL CRAFT/THE POINTS GUY

I used to be impressed by the quantity of free programming Holland America offered to assist passengers study these comparatively lesser-known cruise areas. Though we did not spend a lot time on land at every cease, I felt way more linked to the Nice Bear Rainforest area as a result of I discovered a lot about its historical past, wildlife and other people.

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How (and why) to e-book it

Holland America launched this new route on a trial foundation, but it surely should have been properly obtained as a result of the road is bringing it again subsequent 12 months. There are presently three “7-Day Nice Bear Rainforest” sailings on the calendar, together with two in 2026 and one in 2027.

On the subsequent crusing, which departs April 19, 2026, inside cabins begin at $1,149 per individual (double occupancy) and verandah cabins like mine begin from $1,649 per individual. Charges are decrease for the Oct. 4, 2026, crusing, with inside rooms ranging from $944 per individual.

You can even e-book the “18-Day Nice Bear Rainforest and Alaska Explorer” crusing — one other new itinerary that covers the identical route however with extra time in Alaska — ranging from $3,189 per individual. The following crusing departs Sept. 16, 2026. This page reveals all of Holland America’s choices that embody scenic cruising of the Nice Bear Rainforest.

Who ought to e-book these cruises by way of the Inside Passage? They’re definitely an ideal match for Alaska cruise veterans trying to tread some new floor or see this attractive space at a slower tempo, with extra time in every vacation spot. Nonetheless, cruise newbies like me will admire the journey simply as a lot, particularly adventurous vacationers who cannot resist an opportunity to get their boots muddy in a far-flung wilderness.

Holland America’s demographic skews older, however youthful vacationers should not be deterred. As pretty energetic vacationers, my husband and I fearful the tempo of this cruise is perhaps somewhat too gradual — however we ended up being exhausted on the finish of every day.

If you have children, the packed schedule of onboard actions — pickleball, bingo, artwork lessons and paper airplane contests, to call a couple of — and the complimentary youngsters membership ought to preserve them a lot busy. We noticed a number of younger households aboard the Noordam, and the children appeared to take pleasure in having the pool principally to themselves.

In the end, this can be a choose-your-own-adventure cruise. E book your schedule full of outside actions, or spend most of your time within the onboard spa watching the surroundings go by — no matter floats your boat. If a raging social gathering scene is in your want listing, nonetheless, this in all probability will not be your best trip.

Backside line

I am completely satisfied to say that this landlubber bought her sea legs underneath her and survived her first Alaska cruise.

On my earlier cruise to the Bahamas, my solely grievance was that I did not get to see a lot of, properly, the Bahamas; between snorkeling excursions and lounging on the cruise line’s non-public seaside, there wasn’t sufficient time to enterprise past the ports. This, to me, is the principle limitation of cruising.

Nonetheless, with its longer stops and considerate programming, the Nice Bear Rainforest itinerary allowed me to not solely see this lesser-visited area from a distance, however to expertise it on a deeper degree. I sailed again to Seattle with a way of connection to the Nice Bear Rainforest — and an eagerness to return and see extra of it.