Holland America Line is now selling tickets for two new itineraries that promise to take voyagers to “rare Mariners’ Collection ports exclusive to these cruises.” One is a 129-day round-the-world sailing setting out from Fort Lauderdale, Florida; the other, a 90-day Pacific adventure from San Diego, California.
Beth Bodensteiner, the cruise line’s president, has hailed the new offers as “truly unforgettable moments, from exploring Antarctica and crossing the globe on the Grand World Voyage to sailing past Null Island, where the Prime Meridian and the Equator meet at zero, and calling at legendary destinations like Easter Island and Bora Bora.”
The world tour will first explore the Caribbean and east coast of South America, visiting Antarctica and the Chilean Fjords. It is set to operate aboard the company’s Volendam, with six suite types, spa and wellness facilities, retail, world-class dining, bars, cocktails, casinos, and entertainment. It departs Fort Lauderdale on 5 January 2027.
The sailing will take in 28 countries, and 16 port calls will only be available on these “Grand Voyage” tours, including rare Holland America Line destinations such as Walvis Bay, Namibia; Reunion Island; and Cape Verde. There will be seven overnight stays: Lima, Tahiti, Sydney, Bali, Cape Town, Bordeaux, and Copenhagen. The final leg will be a Transatlantic crossing and call in Puerto Rico en route back to Florida. Tickets are currently on sail from €26,549.
The other new itinerary, the 2028 Grand Australia & New Zealand Voyage Highlights departs San Diego onboard Zaandam to call at 41 ports on two continents, including Hawaii, remote ports and overnight stays at Hobart; Sydney; Cairns; Fremantle (Perth); Auckland; and Papeete, Tahiti.in Australia and New Zealand, return leg calls at Fiji, Samoa, and French Polynesia, and a 15-hour stop at Bora Bora.
Paul Grigsby, Vice President of Planning and Analytics told Travel + Leisure, “When we design Grand Voyages, we look for places our guests can really savor, and Bora Bora is a perfect example. We can only access the island with our R Class ships.”
With 35% fewer guests than Holland America’s Pinnacle Class, R Class ships boast “an intimate atmosphere and a more traditional style of cruising,” the company’s website says. This allows the cruise firm “to build calls that are about time, not just arrival,” Grigsby explains, adding: “That kind of access gives guests the flexibility to experience the lagoon, the marine life and the changing views of Mount Otemanu at their own pace.”
