15 expand Holland America Denali Lodge, which is located just outside of Denali National Park and Preserve. The project began in 2025 and involves improving riverside trails and wayfinding, updating public spaces at the lodges, renovating and extending bars and dining areas, remodelling existing guest rooms and constructing a new building with 105 suite and standard rooms for guests. The project should be completed in 2027. “This investment reflects the growing demand for meaningful, land-based experiences that help to connect guests more closely with the destinations they visit,” says Bodensteiner. Guest and crew feedback plays a critical role in guiding all Holland America Line’s investment decisions. “We actively listen to what guests tell us through surveys, onboard feedback and direct interactions, as well as insights from our crew, who engage with guests and understand the operation firsthand,” says Bodensteiner. “This feedback helps us prioritise which investments will deliver the greatest value and ensure we focus on improvements that will genuinely enhance the experience.” One of the brand’s key focuses is to create more culturally immersive experiences for guests sailing onboard ships in different regions of the world. “We’ve taken several very deliberate steps to ensure the onboard experience feels every bit as enriching and regionally authentic as the destinations themselves,” says Bodensteiner. The Destination Dining culinary programme plays a “huge part” in this strategy by ensuring food and beverage menus feature “locally inspired and regionally specific cuisine” designed to reflect the destinations included on the itinerary. These menus are offered in casual eateries, speciality restaurants such as Pinnacle Grill and Morimoto by Sea, and during elevated dining experiences like the new Koningstafel Chef’s Table. “Guests can expect unique menus that tell the story of each region through fresh fish and ingredients native to the places we visit,” says Bodensteiner. Alaska is one of the best examples of this strategy in action, according to Bodensteiner. “From the moment guests step onboard, they’re immersed in the The Denali National Lodge in Alaska, which Holland America Line is upgrading, and (top) the Hubbard Glacier, another destination on Alaska voyages KEYNOTE
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