Holland America Line
Cruise Categories
Ship Category: Moderate Sized Ships - 1500 to 3000 passengers
Capacity: 1432 to 2668
Ships: 11
Customers: Adults, Retirees, Couples
Description and Background
The Holland America Line is celebrating its 151st anniversary in 2024 so the company has been in the transportation business since the days of the steam engine. Until recently, the cruise line focused on operating ships that were traditional in size and layout. Holland America's reputation within the industry was one of providing a high level of services to an older adult group of loyal and discerning customers at a moderate price.
Owned by the Carnival Cruise group, Holland America operates an older fleet of 11 ships with capacities ranging from 1432 to 2668 passengers. It does not seek to compete with some other cruise lines offering a party atmosphere or amusement attractions for families with children. However, Holland America recognized that the changing lifestyles and expectations of cruise customers for a wider range of activities and better amenities required significant upgrades in its ships and innovations in the types of experiences provided to customers. The improvements reflected in Holland America's new Pinnacle class of ships such as the Rotterdam, Koningsdag, and Nieuw Statendam suggest that the cruise line has evolved nicely with the times. It is positioned to compete for adult customers with Celebrity, Princess, and the more expensive cruise lines.
Holland America offers cruises to many popular destinations around the world including the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, and the Alaskan, Canadian, and Mexican coastlines of North America; northern and Mediterranean countries in Europe; selected places in southeast Asia and South America; and Antarctica. Its itineraries are interesting and sometimes lengthy but not hectic.
Notable Features of Holland America Ships
The three new Holland America ships have been designed to be familiar, welcoming, and comfortable for first time cruisers and longstanding Holland American customers. The interior features and furnishings lack the glitziness of the newer Norwegian and Celebrity ships, but they are still more ornate and homey than the stark ships of Viking Ocean. It is not clear whether the cruise line’s older ships will be similarly renovated and reimagined to match the updated design standards of the newer ships.
Once you have been on board for a few days, the strong points of the layout and design become apparent. First, the ship never seems really crowded even when full. Some of that spaciousness is due to the three separate banks of elevators which allow people to move smoothly throughout the ship. In addition, the layout has been designed so that most daytime functions are concentrated on Decks 9, 10, and 12, while evening dining and entertainment activities flow back and forth along Decks 2 and 3.
Second, there are multiple areas set aside throughout the ship for relaxing with friends, reading, or having a quiet drink or coffee. Cruisers soon discover the coziness and many functions of the large Explorer Lounge and Crow's Nest area at the front of the ship on Deck 12. This area features space for several hundred people to relax in family room type settings with couches, coffee tables, and comfortable chairs spread around the room. Dozens of them look out picture windows at the water. The Explorer Lounge also features special sections for playing cards, games, reading, enjoying a full coffee and drink bar, and the Shore Excursion desk. In a tribute to traditional ocean liners, Holland America has added a modern, bright, and comfortable library area to Deck 2 with books from a variety of disciplines displayed under lights that make reading seem exciting for all ages to enjoy.
Third, the ship has an abundance of lounge chairs and bar stools available on sea days. The main pool and jacuzzies in the center of Deck 9 are surrounded by colorful couches and chairs, and the adults only pool and jacuzzies in the rear of Deck 9 feature cafe tables and sunny areas for relaxation. Additional areas for pool activity and sunbathing include the spa hydro pool on Deck 9 and a retreat section with cabanas on Deck 10.
Finally, despite a reputation for drawing an older demographic mix of passengers, the exercise and recreation options on board are more than adequate for fitness enthusiasts and younger passengers to enjoy. The fitness center has a full complement of exercise machines and aerobic equipment along with separate rooms for cycling and yoga. The Sports Court on Deck 11 includes a full pickleball court with daily lessons and scheduled times for play along with basketball and shuffleboard. There are kids’ clubs also for preteens and younger children.
Staterooms:
The staterooms on the newer Holland America ships are well proportioned. The most popular staterooms, concentrated on Decks 4 to 8, are the standard veranda rooms which are 228 square feet in size. These rooms feature a modern and decently sized bathroom with a sink, toilet, and full walk-in shower, a sitting area with a couch and desk combination, and a queen size bed or two twins. The balcony is large and deep enough to fit two chairs and a small table. Perhaps the most spacious feature of these rooms is the very ample closet space, and placement of many drawers for clothes and personal items.
Another popular type of room on the newer Holland America ships are the suites. Some of these suites are provided with access to the Neptune Concierge Lounge on Deck 7 or the Cabanas in the retreat section of Deck 10. The inside cabins and ocean view cabins, mostly concentrated on Deck 1, are smaller but comparable to the offerings of other cruise lines.
Dining:
Holland America has upgraded its food offerings by providing different kinds of restaurants and food venues which will appeal to fine dining cruisers, families, coffee lovers, and longstanding Holland America customers. The quality of service and food provided is strong enough to sustain discerning passengers for a seven day or more cruise trip. The main choices for meals and snacks on Holland America ships include:
Main Dining- The main dining room on Decks 2 and 3 offers fixed seating times with tables for duos or groups along with anytime dining. It is open on occasion for breakfast and lunch. There are enough specialty entrees, appetizers, and interesting desserts to appeal to a variety of tastes. Rather than offering certain coveted items like filet mignon or lobster tail, or surf and turf once each week, they are available daily for a small additional fee.
Specialty Dining- The new class of ships has expanded Holland America's specialty dining options to include the outstanding Rudi's Sel De Mar, a seafood dining option that offers fish entrees and meats with French cuisine; the traditional Pinnacle Grill which is open for lunch and dinner; and Tamarind which has attracted a growing number of admirers for its Asian based dishes and fusion cuisine. These three locations require an additional fee that is higher than most other cruise lines, but the quality and amount of food provided will satisfy discerning guests. The final specialty venue is Canaletto Italian restaurant which features hundreds of wine offerings, but its location in the Lido Market on Deck 9 is not particularly romantic or appealing.
Lido Market- The Lido Market on Deck 9 has adopted the serving station approach now commonly used on newer cruise ships rather than a cafeteria format. Once you figure out where everything is, there are plenty of food options to pursue at breakfast, lunch, dinner, or between meals. Separate areas for omelet making salad bars, desserts, pasta, and meat carvings serve passengers efficiently. The number of people eating there regularly suggests that the quality is meeting expectations.
Cafes and other Outlets- Two other locations for finding quality food during most of the day and early evening were the Grand Dutch Cafe, which makes an array of specialty coffees and teas to go along with snack sandwiches and treats, and the three food outlets on Decks 9 and 10 around the main pool. The New York Deli and Pizza, Dive-In Burger, and Gelato stand are among the best at sea, and the first two are included without charge.
Ship's Activities:
Ships activities on Holland America have been completely revamped through the creation of the Music Walk entertainment complex on Decks 2 and 3 of the new ships. BB Kings Jazz and Blues stage and dance floor presents live bands playing classics ranging from old time blues to Motown to soul numbers. Next door the Rolling Stone Rock and Roll stage and dance floor have a house band playing different sets every night from classic 60s rock to songs from modern rock eras. The third venue called Billboard Live features a centrally placed piano player playing cover versions of hundreds of Billboard's top hits over the decades. All three of these venues on Deck 2 have established that location as the center of nighttime activities along with the fully equipped Casino above them on Deck 3. With ample seating in all these venues, it is not unusual to see 600 people gathered there during the evening hours to listen, dance and drink. It appears that Holland America's Music Walk is a hit. The two things that are lacking in those venues are any food service or audience-based entertainment such as quality karaoke show for passengers to participate fully in the excitement.
The next challenge for Holland America may be to upgrade the entertainment selected for the main World Stage. The venue is professional, and the design features a large central stage with 270 degrees of audience seating. However, the selection of music and dance shows may be falling short of the quality found on its competitors’ ships. Some of these acts on a recent Caribbean cruise did not rise to the level of a Broadway production like Princess, Celebrity and some other cruise lines do. Nevertheless, many passengers enjoyed the clever shows put on by mentalist, Brian Ledbetter, who interacted well with his audience, and the performances of comedian Johnny Cardinale.
Holland America is offering a strong menu of services at the Greenhouse Spa and Salon on Deck 9. The spa area includes modern treatment rooms and relaxation areas that all ages can enjoy. Finally, there are a decent number of talks and lectures provided during the daytime and on sea days to keep passengers informed about upcoming ports, future cruises, and other topics of interest to fill the day on longer Cruises.
Excursions:
The excursions offered on Holland America cruises are adult oriented and usually designed for a 4-to-6-hour experience rather than an all-day or overnight trip. On the islands, there will be opportunities for boat cruises, swimming, nature encounters and other outdoor activities. In foreign lands overseas, most stops will provide a basic introduction to the country and its culture, and sometimes a stop for lunch or a demonstration by local merchants or dancers. It is always important to carefully read the detailed description to determine whether certain locations are a drive-by, a photo stop, or a full guided tour of the site. Similarly, if a cruise line has visited a site many times previously, you are less likely to experience a disappointing tour or logistical delays.
Editor's Personal Observations:
The priorities and services of the major cruise lines can be similar in some ways and completely different in others. Holland America understands what it is and what it is not. Unlike Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, and Norwegian, Holland America's ships do not have water slides, amusement park rides, or poolside DJs cavorting with passengers. Holland America has also avoided remodeling its ships to jam in exclusive hideaways designed to attract luxury minded, high paying customers.
Instead of undermining its basic brand, Holland America has selectively adopted some of the improvements that other lines have introduced. As a result, we believe Holland America is now better positioned to attract the baby boomer generation of cruisers whose members have the health, time, and money to see the world. The addition of quality specialty restaurants, flexible dining options, coffee, pizza and snack venues, live music dance clubs, technology improvements, and comfortable swimming areas and amenities all improve the look and feel of the vessels. However, do not expect the typical Holland America passenger to change dramatically anytime soon. There are far more people with scooters and walkers than with tattoos and nose rings on board. But the thought does count, and Holland America should be able to capture a decent share of the adult middle market customers and some premium customers from Princess, Celebrity, Oceania and Azamara in coming years. If it makes significant upgrades to its older vessels and adds a few more new vessels, improves its evening shows, and finds some new itineraries that reach the smaller ports in Europe and Asia, the line could do even better.
Average Daily Price Per Person excluding Airfare for Basic Veranda Stateroom and Meals:
Over $500 ___ $350 to $500 ____ $200 to $350 _X__ Under $200 ____
SERVICES PROVIDED WITHOUT ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR CRUISE ONLY FARE
Coffee, tea, water, and juices in the dining rooms and some cafes.
Destination Talks
Entertainment on the ship's stages and lounges
Use of gym facilities
Children's clubs
Editor’s Overall Rating of Cruise Line Quality and Value- 4.1 for the three newer Pinnacle Class ships and 3.75 for the eight older ships
4.5 to 5.0 is Outstanding / 4.0 to 4.5 is Very Good / 3.5 to 4.0 is Acceptable / 2.5 to 3.5 is Fair / Less than 2.5 is Poor.
This profile is based on information published by the cruise line or gathered from other published sources. Other information listed in the profile as the Editor’s Personal Observations and Overall Report reflects the personal experience and opinion of the Editor which may or may not be applicable to other guests traveling on the ship.