Holland America Line

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.

Private cabanas can elevate a normal beach day to a memorable VIP experience. However, they aren't cheap. 

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 in the Bahamas, and live the rock-star beach life for a few hours.

Was it worth the $1,000?

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.

Rotterdam’s first port of call was Bimini, Bahamas, a relatively new cruise ship destination. At first, the port was going to be the exclusive beach club domain of Virgin Voyages, but now several cruise lines are calling at the island. This would be my first visit.

Oh-dark-thirty wakeup calls, malfunctioning ride share apps, and flight delays are not how I prefer to start my trips, but sometimes you have to work to earn your cruise. Today was one of those days. 

It might surprise you, but cruise lines have been debuting new ships during the pandemic, including Carnival’s Mardi Gras, Celebrity Apex, and Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas. Another newcomer, Holland America’s Rotterdam is on its maiden transatlantic crossing right now. On Friday I will board that ship’s first cruise from Fort Lauderdale – a five-night Bahamas sailing -- to give you all a first look at the brand-new ship.