Celebrating King’s Day with Orange Party Memories

April 27 is King’s Day in the Netherlands, a traditional holiday held each year to honor the birthday of the reigning Dutch monarch. At Holland America Line, we take great joy in celebrating King’s Day each year given our roots in the Netherlands and ties to its royal family. In recognition of this, King’s Day is celebrated across our fleet. The festivities kick off with a special King’s Day Afternoon Tea featuring Dutch delicacies such as poffertjes, mini-pancakes dusted with powdered sugar, and tompouces, layered puff-pastry desserts with orange icing.

As King’s Day is known for being a celebration of the color orange in Holland in honor of the House of Orange-Nassau, the evening brings our Orange Party where guests and crew don their best orange attire for a night of music, dancing and specialty cocktails, along with a King’s Day Orange Deck Party. Every cruise year-round actually has an Orange Party — inspired by King’s Day celebrations — and guests receive an email prior to departure inviting them to bring orange attire to wear to the festivities.

As we didn’t celebrate King’s Day on board this year or last, we asked our Facebook fans to send in their favorite Orange Party photos so we could look forward to the coming days when we’ll be able to celebrate King’s Day together on board and once again hold Orange Parties.

Anne Deacon and her friend on Koningsdam.

Anne Deacon sent in this photo from Koningsdam.

From left: Esther Cooke on the Grand World Voyage 2019 with Dutch friends and Joanne Fritch.

From left: Esther Cooke on the Grand World Voyage 2019 with Dutch friends; Joanne Fritch.

Four stylish and chic guests, sent in by Deb.

Four stylish and chic guests, sent in by Deb.

From left: photos by Diane Diotte and Debra and Michael Pontius.

From left: photos by Diane Diotte; Debra and Michael Pontius.

Photo from Heather McLennan.

Photo from Heather McLennan.

Leslee Lunman and her dining room stewards.

Leslee Lunman and her dining room stewards.

From left: Janiel Izquierdo and friends, and a photo by Liz Knight.

From left: Janiel Izquierdo and friends; a photo by Liz Knight.

Pat Hendrickson and friends looking fabulous on Nieuw Statendam's maiden voyage.

Pat Hendrickson and friends looking fabulous on Nieuw Statendam’s maiden voyage.

From left: Kenneth Dick's exclusive King's Day Heineken bottle and a Wang Wang from Scott Singer.

From left: Kenneth Dick’s exclusive King’s Day Heineken bottle and a Wang Wang from Scott Singer.

Taken aboard Zuiderdam with the captain, sent in by Scott Peterson.

Taken aboard Zuiderdam with the captain, sent in by Scott Peterson.

From left: Yvonne De Nooy Ryan in Alaska on Maasdam; Putri Permatasari looking stylish in her orange glasses!

Wherever you are in the world this King’s Day, we wish you a day filled with all-things orange. Proost!

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22 Comments

  1. Carlee Coolidge September 25, 2022 at 7:05 pm - Reply

    I don’t know how we missed the Orange Party last November on our Mexican Riviera cruise⁉️ 🤷🏻‍♀️

    Will there be an Orange Party on our 5-Day Mexican cruise on December 17th?? How will we know when/where it is??

  2. Richard September 8, 2022 at 1:33 am - Reply

    We are booked for Alaska on the Westerdam, is the an Orange Party (booked in September 2022.
    Thank you!
    See you soon! Love Holland America and Alaska! My 4 cruise there! 😊

  3. Jan August 19, 2022 at 6:32 pm - Reply

    We’re doing the Southern Caribbean October 30 – November 9 on the Rotterdam. Will there be an orange night?

  4. Audrey August 12, 2022 at 7:48 am - Reply

    I am bringing a group of 20 people in two weeks aboard the MS Noordam. Will there be an orange party?

    Many thanks and have a great day!
    Audrey

  5. Clare Anthon July 24, 2022 at 4:32 pm - Reply

    We are sailing 8/21. Will we have an Orange Party?

  6. Clare Anthon July 24, 2022 at 4:30 pm - Reply

    Julie, I put down the wrong date!! We are arriving 8/19 and sailing */21.
    Hope we are having the Orange Party.

  7. Kathy Domash July 16, 2022 at 7:03 am - Reply

    We are headed to Alaska in August on Nieuw Amsterdam. Will there be an orange night when we go? Is it just another night to dress up and have fun? This is the first we have heard of it. They did not do it on our first trip 5 years ago. Thank you!

  8. Kathy Domash July 16, 2022 at 7:02 am - Reply

    We are headed to Alaska in August on Nieuw Amsterdam. Will there be an orange party when we go? Is it just another night to dress up and have fun? This is the first we have heard of it. They did not do it on our first trip 5 years ago. Thank you!

  9. Nataly Lavallée June 19, 2022 at 6:56 am - Reply

    Do you have a Orange party on Eurodam Alaska (june 25 to Joly 2)

  10. Lynette Lange June 10, 2022 at 6:13 pm - Reply

    I received the email alerting us to the Orange Party during our July 2022 cruise. Is this only for adults or will there be activities for children? If for children, can they wear orange t-shirts in the dining room that evening? Is it all day or just in the bars after dinner? I won’t pack orange attire for us if it is only for adults.

  11. Elaine February 3, 2022 at 7:57 pm - Reply

    Hi Julie
    Am getting back to find out about Kings Night 2022. Are you planning anything?
    There has been a lot of discrepancies regarding. Orange Club, they think it’s for them and am wondering about a party. The post is on HAL Mariners Facebook.
    (Is HAL still doing the orange party? We leave in 9 days and wonder if I need an orange outfit?)

  12. Elaine October 27, 2021 at 11:36 pm - Reply

    We bought our orange shirts and Cruise was cancelled then Covid arrived.

    We have a 17 night Panama Canal April 7-26. (ft Lauderdale to San Diego).

    Will you returning to having an an Orange Party in 2022, the whole month of April or only on April 27.

    Thank you ever so much.

  13. Jan April 29, 2021 at 3:37 am - Reply

    Just to let You know, that in the Netherlands not everybody likes the Monarchy (only 58 percent does)
    There are many Republicans, who hate this Orange Theater

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