Last week, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) launched the latest addition to its 'EMBARK with NCL' visual storytelling series, a two-part episode entitled 'Adventure Alaska'. The online video series is designed to offer an inside look at the people, places and passion that drive the brand.
Now streaming on-demand, this new episode gives viewers a taste of one of the best ways to experience Alaska-a voyage with NCL. Andrea and Jayne, two members of NCL's shoreside team, take their audience on their first-time journey through The Last Frontier, as they discover firsthand the experiences that guests can expect during an Alaska cruise with NCL.
In fact, it's more than just cruising. Jayne and Andrea embark upon an NCL Cruise Tour itinerary, which combines ocean voyages with on-land adventures. Their journey starts out from the Inside Passage, where five of NCL's ships will be sailing a variety of five- to-16-day itineraries for the summer of 2022. Then, onward into the interior of Alaska, with visits to Skagway, Anchorage and Denali; as well as the port cities in which NCL's parent company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Ltd. (NCLH), has made impactful investments in the local communities, Juneau, Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan.
"Alaska is a bucket-list destination for so many travelers," said Harry Sommer, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. "It provides endless opportunities for adventure, wildlife encounters and awe-inspiring moments. While it is important for us to deliver these incredible experiences to our guests, it is also important to support and enrich these communities that rely on our presence each summer for their well-being. It's a partnership that we value tremendously, and have demonstrated through sustainable developments and programs across the region."
In Juneau, the ladies explore the downtown area, immersing themselves in local culture, art and flavors before meeting with a team of NCLH executives who outlines their plans for transforming the city's last waterfront parcel to benefit the local community.
In Icy Strait Point, Andrea and Jayne step into an authentic Alaskan destination that touts 23,040 acres of private beach and towering temperate rainforest, where there are endless opportunities to spot wildlife. The pair actually encounter a family of coastal brown bears during their time on the island.
Located in Alaska's largest Native Tlingit village of Hoonah, Icy Point Strait is owned and operated by the Huna Totem Corporation-a village corporation owned by roughly 1,400 Alaskan Native shareholders who all have aboriginal ties to Hoonah and the Glacier Bay area. As such, all profits directly support the local community.
During their visit, the ladies tour the new Wilderness Landing, which was built through a partnership between NCLH and the Huna Totem Corporation. This new guest experience features a debuting pier and a Transporter Gondola system, installed to support a vehicle-free zone. And, of course, the ladies couldn't miss a chance to ride the world's largest zip line, the mile-long ZipRider.
Jayne and Andrea continue their Alaskan adventure with a glacier experience, soaring to the top of the 13.6-mile-long Mendenhall Glacier by helicopter for a once-in-a-lifetime trek along the ice.
Then, they hop aboard the extraordinary, glass-domed Wilderness Express Railway, which provides unmatched panoramic views over the Alaskan interior, as they make their way to the six-million-acre Denali National Park and Preserve. The ladies are treated to another helicopter lift to the summit of Mount Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America at an elevation of 20,310 feet above sea level.
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Laurie Baratti is an Assistant Editor for TravelPulse. She is a San Diego-based journalist whose work has previously appeared in publications like TravelAge West, SPACE, Modern Home + Living, Montage, and Sandals Life magazines. Travel writing has long been her passion, and she is always looking for excuses to explore the world outside of her native California. Laurie is also a lifelong equestrian, a proud pet-parent, and an underground advocate of the Oxford comma.
