The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) has partnered with Holland America Line to educate the cruise line’s culinary staff about Alaska seafood. This is the first time ASMI has offered such a program.

Holland America Line serves a significant amount of Alaska seafood on their cruises, and this partnership will ensure their staff is knowledgeable about the different species, their health benefits, and the sustainable fishing practices used in Alaska.

ASMI’s Seafood U® is a short online course that covers these topics. Over 2,500 staff members from six Holland America ships will take the course before the 2024 Alaska cruise season.

This partnership allows Holland America to continue offering an immersive culinary experience while showcasing their commitment to sustainability.

If this sounds familiar, it is. In 2022, Holland America Line was awarded Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certification for all six ships that sail to Alaska, making it the first cruise line to achieve this distinguished credential by serving only certified sustainable and traceable wild Alaska seafood.

“We’ve shared the thrill of Alaska’s glaciers and wildlife with our guests for more than 75 years and supporting sustainable fishing and local business is an important commitment for us,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “With this new step, Holland America Line has committed to not only serving fresh, sustainable seafood, but ensuring our team has the knowledge to be expert sources to our guests as we cruise Alaska’s waters.”

Consumers increasingly seek wild seafood, especially those labeled “wild” or with the Alaska Seafood logo. This is despite uncertainty about what constitutes sustainable seafood. Alaska offers a wide variety of wild seafood caught using sustainable practices, making it a great choice for environmentally conscious consumers, whether shopping at grocery stores, dining in restaurants, or even enjoying it on a cruise ship. The Seafood U® training program educates professionals across the seafood industry about these benefits and sustainable practices.

The Seafood U® training course is available across industries and beneficial for staff anywhere seafood is bought, sold or served. To inquire about access to the training program, please reach out to Leah Krafft at lkrafft@alaskaseafood.org.