Nearly four years had passed since my last Holland America’s Eurodam cruise. No particular reason for the lapse in time. Life and new ships just happen. In the meantime, there was an extensive Eurodam refurbishment. I was really excited to see what was new and have the chance to write a Eurodam review. Plus, we were going on […] Read more…
For many cruisers, a stop at this beautiful private island means a day to kick-back at the beach. For me, Half Moon Cay means a cruise excursion to go horseback riding in the ocean. Half Moon Cay is Holland America’s private island in the Bahamas. It’s located halfway between Cat Island and Eleuthra, about 100 […] Read more…
Oprah fans…in case you missed it, there was a big deal happening at Port Everglades last weekend. Holland America held the christening for their newest ship, the 2,666 passenger Nieuw Statendam, and Oprah was the godmother. The much-anticipated event was held on February 2, 2019 at 2 PM. Unlike some christenings where invited guests sit […] Read more…
This was something new for me. I’ve stayed in Holland America standard balcony staterooms (called “verandahs” on Holland America) a few times. But this extended balcony stateroom aboard the new Nieuw Statendam was something different and interesting for me. In case you missed it, in a recent article I wrote about my first impression of Nieuw […] Read more…
If there’s one onboard program that I never miss, it’s Holland America’s live America’s Test Kitchen presentations. I’ve learned how to make everything from Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup and Oven-Roasted Salmon to Spanish-style Garlic Shrimp. America’s Test Kitchen presentations are offered on all Holland America ships except Maasdam. Onboard cooking shows on every cruise are hosted […] Read more…
Preview peek at Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam As a fan of Holland America’s 2016 Koningsdam, I jumped at the chance to spend a week aboard the cruise line’s newest and sister ship to the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam. Nieuw Statendam arrived into its homeport of Fort Lauderdale in late December 2018, after a fall season cruising […] Read more…
Earlier this week, Port Everglades welcomed the 2,666-passenger Nieuw Statendam to its new home port in Fort Lauderdale. Sister ship to Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam is the second Pinnacle Class ship and one of the largest ships in their fleet. After leaving from the port of Civitavecchia, Italy at the beginning of December, Nieuw Statendam arrived […] Read more…
Only 42 days until Nieuw Statendam cruises begin from Ft. Lauderdale Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam officially joins the fleet in just 22 days…on December 1, 2018 before crossing the Atlantic to Ft. Lauderdale. To celebrate this major event, Holland America just released this list of fun facts about Nieuw Statendam that range from historic to […] Read more…
Holland America Line has been awarded 17 gold and seven silver 2018 Magellan Awards from the industry publication, Travel Weekly. The cruise line’s 17 gold awards covered the categories of Premium Ship, Restaurant Design, Education Program. For their marketing programs, Holland America won gold for Website, Print Advertising, Campaign-Advertising/Marketing, Promotional Video, Direct Mail and TV […] Read more…
A transatlantic crossing is not your ordinary cruise. Try to imagine a cork bobbing around in an triple-sized olympic swimming pool. That’s kind of how I visualize what it’s like crossing the Atlantic. But I don’t have a choice. Most others do. Read next: 5 Observations on Cruising Solo on Transatlantic Crossings I take transatlantics […] Read more…
I’m not one to always follow the crowd. Many times in port, I forego the cruise line shore excursion and explore the downtown or city center on my own. Sometimes it’s with the help of a local shuttle into town when we’re docked in an industrial area. Other times, I’ll have done pre-cruise research and […] Read more…
Longer cruises to Hawaii are what you can expect from fall 2018 through spring 2019 when two Holland America Line ships sail roundtrip cruises to Hawaii from the west coast. Nine cruises with itineraries ranging from 16 to 20 days are planned for Eurodam and Amsterdam. Hawaii sailings depart from Seattle, Washington; Vancouver, British Columbia; and San Diego and Los Angeles, California. Most itineraries feature […] Read more…