Holland America Line

Unfortunately, sometimes we need to change travel plans. Not ideal, but life is busy, and things pop up. Adding to travelers’ worries are the recent flight delays and cancellations, resulting in some guests missing their cruise.

Before booking a cruise, it is a good idea to understand cancellation policies, especially as it relates to any promotional pricing and packages. Details regarding how much money you will get back, timeframes and processes are all things to know ahead of time.

Holland America Line’s newest ship, Rotterdam, had its official naming ceremony on May 30, 2022. The ceremony took place in the city for which the ship is named, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Attending the ceremony was her royal highness, Princess Margriet of The Netherlands. Princess Margriet will serve as the ship’s godmother, and participated in the naming ceremony.

In a statement from Beth Bodensteiner, Chief Commercial Officer for Holland America Line, they said, “guests are thrilled to be back on board and exploring new adventures. We want everyone to feel comfortable when booking one of our great cruise offers available right now, knowing that they will be covered if their plans change.”

Saturday was the first time a cruise ship has docked within Canada in over 905 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Holland America’s ship the Koningsdam was the first to return to Canadian waters since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. The ship docked in Victoria British Columbia on Saturday, containing roughly 1,200 passengers.

The cruise line Holland America has committed to housing roughly 1,500 Ukrainian refugees onboard their ship Volendam. The ship will be docked in Rotterdam Netherlands for the time being.

Holland America will be providing temporary home and shelter for Ukrainian Refugees for approximately three months. This arrangement from Holland America comes on the heels of the Netherlands’ commitment to accommodate 50,000 Ukrainians who fled their homes due to the war and ongoing fighting in Ukraine.

I just spent five night onboard Holland America’s Rotterdam, the line’s newest ship, and I wanted to share a few takeaways from my cruise.

Have you ever wondered if the VIP experience is worth the money or not? Today, thanks to Holland America, I got to spend a day at one of the rental villas on Half Moon Cay, the line’s private island, and live the rock star beach life for a few hours.

Anyone who’s been to Half Moon Cay knows it’s a perfect beach day. On this itinerary, we have a rare two-day stop at the Carnival Corporation private island shared by Holland America and Carnival Cruise Line. That means I have the opportunity to try out a few new activities since I have extra time.

One of the hallmarks of Holland America is its music program, especially on its newest ships. As today was a sea day, I decided to explore more of the ship’s musical offerings.