Tag: Holland America Line

Holland America Line’s most ambitious world voyage to depart in 2026

February 28, 2024 baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Holland America Line’s most ambitious world voyage to depart in 2026

132-day Grand World Voyage on Volendam will call 47 ports in 39 countries

Grand World Cruise Map 2026. Holland America Line.

Holland America Line is set to sail one of its most ambitious Grand World Voyages in 2026. The meticulously planned 132-day cruise will span all seven continents, including a special four-day Antarctic Experience. Details were announced today by President Gus Antorcha to 2024 Grand World Voyage guests aboard Zuiderdam, which is currently sailing in between Okinawa and Tokyo.

2026 Grand World Voyage Highlights —Volendam

  • 132-day voyage. Departs 4Jan26, roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale.
  • Heads south along the East Coast of South America, crossing the equator and sails down to Antarctica. Makes way to Easter Island before traversing the islands of the South Pacific en route to Australia. Explores the Great Barrier Reef, Singapore and the Maldives, then calls at Alexandria, Egypt, for an overnight stay before meandering through the Mediterranean and northern Europe before an Atlantic Ocean crossing.
  • 47 total ports in 39 countries across seven continents.
  • 9 overnight calls: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Papeete, Tahiti; Sydney, Australia; Bali, Indonesia; Singapore; Malé, Maldives; Safaga (Luxor) and Alexandria (Cairo), Egypt; and Lisbon, Portugal.
  • 5 late-night departures: Bahia d’ Opunoha, French Polynesia; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Oslo, Norway; San Juan, Puerto Rico.
  • Memorable Moments: Four-day Antarctic Experience, scenic cruising of Chilean fjords, a visit to Easter Island followed by scenic cruising Pitcairn Island, a call at Bordeaux paired with scenic cruising of Gironde Estuary.

Holland America Line Enhances Alaska Cruisetours with McKinley Chalet Resort Room Upgrades and New Gold Rush Experience

February 16, 2024 baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Holland America Line Enhances Alaska Cruisetours with McKinley Chalet Resort Room Upgrades and New Gold Rush Experience

Twenty-eight rooms at the hotel will be upgraded to Denali Suite category by adding balconies; new included 'Klondike Gold Tour' tour explores Klondike Gold Rush history

Holland America Line is elevating its award-winning Alaska Cruisetours in time for the 2024 season with room upgrades at McKinley Chalet Resort and a new, included tour in Dawson City, Yukon. Alaska Cruisetours combine an Alaska cruise with an overland tour to Denali, and Holland America Line is the only cruise line that extends those tours into the Yukon.

Balconies will be added to 28 river-view rooms at McKinley Chalet Resort — Holland America Line’s hotel property at Denali National Park — upgrading them to the Denali Suite category. In addition, a new Deluxe category of non-balcony rooms with suite amenities is being introduced. For the excursions, guests on select Denali and Yukon Cruisetours will have a new “Klondike Gold Tour” that expands on the region’s famed gold rush experience. The tour visits the original discovery claim site that launched the gold rush and Gold Dredge 4.

Ep154 – Cruise Review – Koningsdam Alaska

Ep143 – Costa back to Asia, history of ss Austral raised from Sydney harbour and more

Ep120 – Holland America Line Celebrates 150th Anniversary and soooo much more

Holland America Line’s Special 150th Anniversary Crossing is a Celebration of the Brand’s Journey

October 8, 2022 baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Holland America Line’s Special 150th Anniversary Crossing is a Celebration of the Brand’s Journey

Exclusive musical piece composed for Lincoln Center Stage, collector’s menu covers, culinary surprises, special gifts and more highlight the voyage

Image Credit: Holland America Line

As Holland America Line prepares for its 150th Anniversary in 2023, the cruise line is kicking off a year of celebrations with a special transatlantic crossing in October. Primed to recreate a bygone era of ocean travel through Holland America Line’s history, guests on board the voyage are in for a journey from past to present with special events, activities, and commemorative keepsakes.

Departing Oct. 15, 2022, from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to New York City aboard Rotterdam, the voyage retraces Holland America Line’s first cruise back in 1872 aboard Rotterdam I. Guests will see the brand’s history come alive through onboard enrichment programming, memorable culinary experiences and exclusive entertainment.

Exclusive Lincoln Center Piece Composed for Anniversary

A highlight of the crossing will be a performance of a musical piece by Emmy Award-winning producer and Emmy-nominated composer Steven Schoenberg, written exclusively for Holland America Line’s anniversary to accompany a special short film about the cruise line’s journey. The composition will be performed by a 25-piece ensemble of former Holland America Line’s Lincoln Center Stage musicians. The piece will debut on board Oct. 26 in New York on World Stage.

During the sailing, guests also will be entertained by Dutch sensation Tiny Little Big Band, bringing their unique sound of jazz and soul with a hint of swing, along with the ship’s Music Walk entertainment featuring BB King’s Blues Club, Billboard Onboard, Lincoln Center Stage and Rolling Stone Rock Room.  

Culinary Delights an Ode to Dutch Heritage

Every evening in the Main Dining Room, menus will showcase Holland America Line’s 150-year history with a Classic Entrée reminiscent of a dish served as early as the 1920s. Guests can choose from selections including Royal Rib of Beef a la Medicis, Holland Duckling Port Wine Sauce and Artic Char a la Normande.

A special 150th Gala Menu one evening in the Dining Room will be a memorable collection of dishes, with every option — from appetizers to desserts — from a previous Holland America Line voyage. The menu is designed to evoke a feeling of days gone by and features a keepsake cover that guests can take home.

At least once during the voyage as a pop-up experience in Tamarind, guests can indulge in a Rijsttafel — a Dutch word that translates to “rice table” — with side dishes served in small portions, accompanied by rice prepared in several different ways. The Dutch adapted the Indonesian tradition so they could enjoy a wide array of dishes at a single sitting with an abundance of flavors and textures.

The toasting continues with a “Throwback Happy Hour” that will roll back time and feature drinks priced to when the brand began, as low as 25 cents. Guests who want to learn about wine can join Holland America Line Vice President of Dining and Beverage Operations Anthony Stice for wine tastings and surprises around the ship.

Additional culinary delights in honor of Holland America Line’s 150th Anniversary include a special Dutch High Tea, Dutch station in Lido Market that features traditional sweet and savory items, one Dutch-themed lunch with classic Dutch items and one Indonesian-themed lunch, both in Lido Market.

Enrichment and Activities Bring History to Life

Presentations reliving the history and roots of the company will be offered by Bill Miller, maritime historian, and Holland America Line authority, while Dr. Jennifer Foray, professor of history at Purdue University, will deliver lectures on Dutch history.

Origin Story, a staple on every Holland America Line cruise, is visual telling of the company’s history from founding through present day. The presentation is offered in World Stage with 270-degree wraparound LED screens that envelop the audience in an emotional journey that includes incredible, historical images.

Ep113 – Norwegian Prima, Robotron, HAL’s Culinary Cruises, Revolutionising the Internet at Sea and more

Ep99 – ss Rotterdam and Cruise News

First Cruise Ship Set to Return to Canada

April 9, 2022 quality_baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on First Cruise Ship Set to Return to Canada

Holland America Line's Koningsdam Calls at Victoria and Vancouver April 9 and 10 with local governments holding celebratory events

Holland America Line will be the first cruise line to return to Canadian cruising following a more than two year industrywide pause due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Koningsdam will call at Victoria, British Columbia, Saturday, April 9, restarting the cruise industry in Canada. The following day the ship will end its current seven-day cruise at Port of Vancouver, its homeport for the summer Alaska season.

Koningsdam’s call at Victoria marks 905 days since a cruise ship has visited the port, and it also will be a maiden call for the ship. To mark the milestones, Antorcha and local government officials will be on hand in both Victoria and Vancouver to celebrate the return to Canadian cruising and address the importance Canada and Alaska to Holland America Line.

In 2022, six Holland America Line ships will call at Victoria and Vancouver for the Alaska cruise season. In total, the six ships will make 45 calls at Victoria and bring nearly 75,000 guests to the port, and 76 cruises begin or end at Vancouver, welcoming approximately 140,000 guests.

For Canada and New England cruising on the East Coast, two ships return in May and cruise between Boston, Massachusetts, and Quebec City or Montreal, Quebec. Nieuw Statendam and Zaandam offer itineraries ranging from seven to 24 days to more than 12 Canadian ports.

In total for 2022, Holland America Line operates 141 cruises on eight ships in Canada with more than 250,000 guests visiting both coasts. 

Holland America Line Ship Will Become Temporary Home for Ukrainian Refugees

April 2, 2022 quality_baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Holland America Line Ship Will Become Temporary Home for Ukrainian Refugees

Volendam will house and feed up to 1,500 people as part of government's commitment to help families

Image Credit: ms Volendam, Holland America Line

Holland America Line’s Volendam will be used to accommodate Ukrainian refugees as part of an agreement announced by Netherlands and City of Rotterdam government officials. The ship will dock in Rotterdam for three months to provide a temporary home for approximately 1,500 Ukrainians, part of a larger commitment from the Netherlands to accommodate 50,000 people who fled the war in their homeland.

Under the agreement to charter Volendam, Holland America Line will provide three hot meals per day, private stateroom accommodations, housekeeping services, use of public spaces, fitness facilities, internet access, and other necessities. Volendam will be staffed with approximately 650 crew members.

Volendam was scheduled to return to service May 15, with voyages from Rotterdam to Norway, the British Isles and Iceland. To accommodate the three-month commitment, Holland America Line will cancel three of those voyages and resume service on July 3 instead. Guests on canceled cruises are being notified today and will be accommodated on similar itineraries.

Volendam will be docked at Merwehaven, a cargo port on the north side of the River Maas in Rotterdam. Remaining docked will ensure Ukrainian families can transit easily to and from services in Rotterdam.

Holland America Group has already been working with its own team members who are Ukrainian. A $1 million emergency assistance fund provides direct financial support. Team members from the region also receive counseling assistance, free internet service to communicate with family, and scheduling accommodations such as early disembarkation or an extension to remain on board as needed.