Holland America Line
Holland America Line: the back story
The back story
About Holland America Line: the back story
Holland America Line marks 150 years of sailing. Its eleven ships are mid-sized by today’s standards, with traditional promenades, three-storey atriums and a Dutch Day on every cruise.
A Dutch line
For 150 years Holland America Line has carried passengers across the oceans, and its ships still wear the names of Dutch towns and waterways: Rotterdam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Zaandam. Every cruise keeps a Dutch Day, with Royal Dutch Tea, a Dutch dinner and the line’s famous Orange Party.
Mid-sized by design
The fleet is deliberately middle-sized. The Pinnacle Class ships (Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam) are the newest and largest; the Signature Class (Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam) and Vista Class (Noordam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam) follow, and the two R Class ships, Volendam and Zaandam, carry 35 per cent fewer guests than the Pinnacle Class, for a more traditional style of cruising. Each ship has a three-storey atrium with a central sculpture. A twelfth ship, Arcadia, joins in 2029, to be renamed and refitted with Holland America’s signature spaces.
Experiences with us are too good to hurry through, as the line says.
Fresh at sea
The line’s culinary ambassadors shape the menus. Masaharu Morimoto created Morimoto by Sea and exclusive dishes in the Dining Room; the chocolatier Jacques Torres makes the Chocolate Surprise served on every cruise; the Seattle chef Ethan Stowell writes the trattoria dishes. The Pinnacle Grill serves steaks and seafood with an extensive wine list, and Canaletto, Tamarind and Sel de Mer cover Italy, Asia and the Mediterranean.
The island
RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay is Holland America’s private island in the Bahamas, included on nearly all Caribbean itineraries. A multimillion-dollar transformation has added a new Beach Club, pickleball courts and refreshed cabanas and two-storey beach villas; beyond the beach are Stingray Cove and the 1,400-plus acres of protected mangrove habitat in Bone Fish Lagoon.
Every continent
With more than 500 sailings a year, the line reaches all seven continents: Alaska in summer, the Caribbean and Mexico in winter, Europe year-round from 2027, and extended Grand Voyages, with voyages to the Amazon and Antarctica.
Our advice: choose a Pinnacle Class ship for the widest choice of restaurants, or an R Class ship for a quieter, more traditional voyage. On a week or more, the Have It All package usually simplifies the bill, as it bundles drinks, Wi-Fi, three nights of specialty dining and crew appreciation.
Why it's on our list
- 150 years at sea
- Eleven ships in four classes
- Dutch Day and the Orange Party
- RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Holland America Line: the back story before you go.