Holland America Line has a lot to celebrate. The premium cruise line dedicated to explorers, foodies and music lovers marked 75 years of Alaskan adventures in 2022, and this year they celebrate 150 years of sailing the world’s oceans.
Founded in 18 April, 1873, as the Netherlands-American Steamship Company, Holland America Line are the leading cruise company for travellers looking for a beautiful, uncrowded ship that offers unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences at ports around the world as well as award-winning service, exquisite dining, extensive activities and enrichment programs. Throughout their history, Holland America Line have welcomed more than 150 ships, travelling to all seven continents.
Their current fleet of 11 modern classic ships offers more than 500 sailings a year to both popular and less-travelled ports in the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Mexico, South America, the Panama Canal, Australia, New Zealand and Asia – as well as unique voyages to the Amazon, Antarctica and their extended Grand Voyage.
“Guests return to Holland America due to our rich itinerary selection,” says Ryan Taibel, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Holland America Line.
The company attracts the modern explorer, people who seek out experiences in the spirit of trying something new and different. Modern explorers are not searching for another theme park at sea when they travel. They want to discover a new experience with true meaning and be part of a like-minded community of explorers. As well as providing 150 years of experience sailing the world’s oceans, with more than 500 itineraries connecting with more than 470 ports of call, Holland America Line also offer the exclusive Explorations Central™ destination programming that gives guests a deeper understanding of the places they visit, with local cultural insights, insider travel tips and unique shore excursions.
“It’s about seeing, tasting, touching and feeling the remarkable moments at Holland America Line through the destinations we visit and our onboard experience,” says Taibel. “We’re for explorers, foodies and music lovers and [were] recently awarded Best Service [in the] 2022 Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks Awards. We believe bigger isn’t better, better is better with our mid-sized ships and timeless ship design.”
EXCEPTIONAL DINING
For foodies who wants unrivalled experiences in food, wine and spirits on ship and on shore, Holland America Line is the only cruise line with a dedicated Culinary Council® of world-renowned chefs – plus experts in wine and spirits – who design their onboard dining experiences. All ships offer a variety of dining options, including specialty restaurants, pop-up dining and the exceptional Dining Room as well as live onboard cooking demonstrations with Port to Table, with a focus on regional cuisine.
“Our dining is led by a team of world-class celebrity chefs, with dining options that satisfy every craving across our all-inclusive and speciality dining options. As you explore the globe, our menus are tailored to honour the local produce which allows us to take you on a taste adventure with various dining options,” says Taibel. “I recently travelled on the Westerdam and enjoyed all the food on offer. Standouts were the Dining Room which included a variety of cuisines to satisfy all taste buds and speciality dining [at] Pinnacle Grill where I enjoyed an incredible ‘surf and turf’.”
NEW HERITAGE CRUISES
To mark the momentous 150th Anniversary year, Holland America Line are introducing Heritage Cruises that focus on ports significant to the brand’s history and feature unique onboard and shoreside experiences. From a marquee city like Rotterdam in the Netherlands that celebrates the company’s beginnings to meaningful ports like Skagway and Juneau that introduced the world to Alaska cruising, guests will become fully immersed in Holland America Line’s Dutch seafaring heritage. Over the next year, the 48 Heritage Cruises will be rolled out with special itineraries in Alaska, the Caribbean, Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Australia/New Zealand, Hawaii, South America and Mexico.
The Heritage Cruises will include special onboard experiences like Dutch high tea served with treats specially made for the voyages like oliebollen (doughnuts), specoolus (cookies), mini bossche bollen (pastry), and a historic happy hour with prices and drinks to match. Dinner menus in the Dining Room will showcase Holland America Line’s history with regional-based heritage dishes and classic cruise activities and sporting games like sjoelen (shuffleboard), along with anniversary-themed trivia. Each Heritage Cruise will also include a Captain’s Gala Menu one evening in the Dining Room with a collection of classic dishes, with every option coming from a previous Holland America Line menu.
With a history that spans centuries and continents, Holland America Line’s cruises have called at hundreds of ports around the world but the Heritage Cruises will shine a spotlight on 56 exceptional ports of call that delve into the region-specific stories that connect these locales to the cruise line. In Alaska this includes such ports as Juneau, the most remote and beautiful state capital in the US, Skagway with its pristine wildlife, and Alaska’s ‘First City’ of Ketchikan.
Meanwhile, the Northern Europe port calls will include Copenhagen, Eidfjord, Ålesund, Geiranger, Bergen, Oslo, Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
If you fancy visiting the always popular Mediterranean, why not stop at Trieste, Naples, Rome, Florence, Dubrovnik, Barcelona and Libson.
Enjoy sun and adventure at ports such as Half Moon Cay, St. Thomas, Curaçao, San Juan, Philipsburg and Colón on the Caribbean cruises. There’s more fun and sun as the Heritage Cruises sail to Hawaii and visit Hilo, Honolulu, Kona and Maui.Head to the fabled Mexico Riviera for itineraries that star Ensenada, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. Lima, Pisco, La Serena, Santiago, Punta Arenas and Puerto Montt await on the South America Heritage Cruises. Locally, Holland America Line’s 14-Day Australia/NZ cruise departing 25 February from Auckland includes visits to Napier, Wellington, Port Chalmers, Hobart and Melbourne. “These special Heritage Cruises allow us to continue celebrating Holland America Line with our guests in a meaningful way,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “We have a deep connection to ports around the world, and we’re excited to show how each highlighted destination has shaped our brand.”
BOOK NOW
The Holland America Line Time Of Your Life Sale offers up to 25% of your Have It All Fare and a 50% reduced deposit. Plus, book by 28 February 2023 and kids cruise free. T&Cs apply.
For more details, visit hollandamerica.com/en_US.html
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