Have you ever gazed at a port of call over the railing of a cruise ship and wished that you could really experience the culture – the sights, smells, textures, sounds and flavors – of the place you are visiting? The Excursion Society makes that kind of experience possible.

Three years ago, Cruise Holidays launched the Excursion Society, a unique shore excursion program. This popular program offers unusual, complimentary shore excursions exclusively to it members – cruise guests who seek truly memorable, distinctive experiences while on shore. The Society’s excursions are available on selected Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean cruises.

When Holland America’s Zuiderdam stops in Oranjestad, Aruba, on November 6, for her 10-DAY PANAMA CANAL SUNFARER cruise, Excursion Society members will have the opportunity to experience the island’s artistic side. First up is a visit to Fort Zoutman, which dates from 1796 and is among the island’s oldest structures. The fort’s restored tower, the Willem III Tower, now houses the Fort Zoutman Museum. The museum has a fascinating collection of artifacts from the early days of civilization on Aruba.
From this immersion in Aruba’s past, the group will transition to the island’s vibrant present with a visit to the Access Art Gallery in the heart of Oranjestad. Here, Excursion Society members will not only browse the gallery’s works – they will have the opportunity to talk with local artists during a lecture and reception. A lunch of delicious local specialties will follow.

The group will top off its excursion with a tour of Aruba’s Numismatic Museum, which has coins from more than 400 countries. The amazing 40,000-piece collection was assembled by three generations of an Aruban family.

If you would like to experience this and other shore excursions that go beyond the ordinary, ask us how you can join the Excursion Society.

Seattle, April 14, 2009 - Holland America Line is introducing a new 14-day Alaskan Adventurer cruise itinerary in 2010 to complement its extensive selection of seven-day itineraries and departures. The Alaskan Adventurer increases the choice of Holland America itineraries to a total of four, joining the popular Alaskan Explorer, Glacier Discovery and Glacier Bay Inside Passage itineraries.

Holland America's schedule features eight ships offering 149 total departures from May 3 through September 24, 2010. The Alaskan Adventurer cruises will sail roundtrip from Seattle on flagship ms Amsterdam and call at Anchorage, Homer and Kodiak for the first time. Seven-day cruises will sail from Seattle, Vancouver and Seward.

"Drawing on more than 60 years of Alaska experience, Holland America Line has introduced this new 14-day Alaskan Adventurer itinerary to expand guests' cruising options," said Richard D. Meadows, CTC, executive vice president, marketing, sales, and guest programs. "It is a major addition to our 2010 Alaska cruise schedule, which continues to offer the widest selection of seven-day itineraries and departures of any cruise line in Alaska."

Holland America is featuring a wide range of seven-day cruises, both roundtrip from Seattle and Vancouver and one-way between Vancouver and Seward. As a longtime tour operator, Holland America continues to be awarded the most permit entries of any major cruise line to Glacier Bay, a 65-mile long fjord with spectacular tidewater glaciers.

"Holland America's itineraries also continue to feature the best glacier viewing," said Meadows. "Every cruise visits massive tidewater glaciers."

Many roundtrip Seattle cruises feature Alaska's immense Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay, the largest tidewater glacier in North America. Some cruises visit College Fjord with 10 large tidewater and valley glaciers named after Ivy League colleges. Others sail by the twin Sawyer Glaciers in the narrow, 26-mile Tracy Arm fjord.

Alaska Travel Guides sail on board every Holland America ship in Alaska and share their knowledge of local culture, history, art and flora and fauna with guests. In addition to the Alaska Travel Guides, Native interpreters board the ships in Glacier Bay and by Hubbard Glacier to explain the origins of the Huna and Yakutat people.

14-day Alaskan Adventurer Cruises
The 1,380-guest Amsterdam will homeport in Seattle to sail the 14-day Alaskan Adventurer cruises departing roundtrip May 17 through September 6, 2010. The Amsterdam will be the first cruise ship of a major cruise line to call in Anchorage, providing guests with a full day and evening in Alaska's major city.

The flagship will also call at the new ports of Homer and Kodiak. Homer features a breathtaking location at the tip of the Kenai Peninsula, the Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center and the famous Homer Spit in Kachemak Bay. Kodiak, home of the famed Kodiak bear, reflects both 7,500 years of native Alutiiq heritage and Russian fur trading influence since 1792 as the first capital of Russian America.

The Amsterdam's leisurely itinerary features the scenic Inside Passage, highlighted by cruising Tracy Arm fjord with its twin Sawyer Glaciers. The ship also cruises by the Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay. Ports of call include Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka, Anchorage, Homer, Kodiak, Juneau and Victoria, BC.

Alaskan Explorer Cruises
Four ships will be home-ported in Seattle in 2010, sailing a total of 63 seven-day Alaskan Explorer cruises roundtrip. The Amsterdam opens the season with two seven-day Alaskan Explorer cruises departing May 3 and 10 before shifting to the new 14-day itinerary.

From May 9 through September 24, the 1,432-guest ms Zaandam departs Fridays, 1,316-guest ms Rotterdam departs Saturdays and the 1,918-guest, Vista-class ms Oosterdam departs Sundays. The Zaandam and Rotterdam highlight the Hubbard Glacier and the Oosterdam showcases Glacier Bay. All Alaskan Explorer cruises call at the historic ports of Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, plus Victoria, BC, and feature scenic cruising of the Inside Passage and Vancouver Island.

Inside Passage and Glacier Discovery Cruises
Four ships will be home-ported in Vancouver, two of them sailing seven-day Glacier Bay Inside Passage cruises roundtrip. The 1,432-guest Volendam (Wednesday departures) and 1,916-guest Zuiderdam (Saturday departures) sail 39 voyages from May 8 through September 18. They visit Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, Glacier Bay National Park and Tracy Arm fjord.

The 1,270-guest ms Ryndam and the 1,258-guest ms Statendam will offer two more sailings of the Inside Passage-with port and glacier variations-September 12 and 19 to conclude the season.

The Ryndam and Statendam also sail 36 seven-day Glacier Discovery cruises between Vancouver and Seward and reverse with Sunday departures May 9 through September 12. From Vancouver, the northbound itinerary features Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord in Prince William Sound. The southbound route from Seward calls at Haines in place of Skagway.

The Glacier Discovery and Glacier Bay Inside Passage cruises are often combined with a land tour to create a comprehensive CruiseTour. A diverse selection of 31 CruiseTours from 11 to 20 days may include visits to Denali National Park, Fairbanks, the Kenai Peninsula, the Arctic and the Yukon Territory. Many CruiseTours offer two-days at Denali-"Double Denali"-to maximize wildlife and Mt. McKinley viewing.

Shore Excursions
Holland America offers more than 250 optional shore excursions in conjunction with its Alaska cruises. Guests can customize their Alaskan experience with excursions that involve everything from adventure and wildlife watching to history, art and cuisine. They can enjoy active excursions such as sea kayaking, fly or sport fishing, dog sledding and viewing eagles, sea otters and whales. Other exciting excursions feature such attractions as the White Pass Summit Scenic Railway from Skagway, Russian heritage in Sitka, a photography tour in Haines and a five-course tasting meal featuring Alaska seafood prepared by a local chef in Ketchikan.

A growing number of cruise lines, including Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Silversea Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines are including ports of call in Australia and New Zealand on their cruise itineraries. Some cruises call on ports "Down Under" as part of a longer South Pacific voyage or world cruise, but some focus specifically on these fascinating Southern Hemisphere destinations.

Australia, an island and a continent unto itself, offers stunning scenery that ranges from the vast inland wilderness of the Outback to world-famous beaches. New Zealand, while much smaller, offers everything from exotic black sand beaches – a result remnant of the nation’s volcanic origins – to rugged mountains swathed in glaciers.

Major ports in Australia and New Zealand include:

• Sydney, a world-class, multicultural city with outstanding shopping, nightlife and attractions. Landmarks include the Sydney Opera House, which watches over the harbor, and the 1,000-foot-tall AMP Tower in the central city, which offers breathtaking views.
• Cairns, a resort town that serves as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, the largest living coral formation in the world. Many excursions to the Outback also depart from Cairns. Local artists sell their works at the Pier Marketplace adjacent to Trinity Warf.
• Auckland, a center of yacht racing. The National Maritime Museum exhibits the nautical history of the city, including triumphs in the prestigious America’s Cup competition. Inland, the city of Rotorua is the county’s geothermal capital, complete with bubbling mud pools, geysers and steam vents. Visitors can also learn about the lifestyle of the native people, the Maori.

To start planning a cruise to Australia and New Zealand (winter is a terrific time to go), call Marilyn at 1-800-720-7245.