When you’re a guest on a Holland America Line transatlantic crossing, you’re embarking on the adventure of a lifetime with a company that’s been sailing between Europe and North America for more than 140 years. Not only is a crossing a classic cruise experience, transatlantics offer some of the best values at sea, as well as some of the most unique itineraries.

On Veendam, this dream becomes a reality as the ship sails across the expansive Atlantic Ocean as famous explorers have for centuries, combining the New World charm of America’s East Coast with the majestic towns and cities of the Mediterranean.

The ship’s Atlantic Adventurer itinerary departing Oct. 16, 2017, takes the magical southerly route across the ocean and relives the glory days of ocean-liner cruises combined with a famous Holland America Line transatlantic crossing – without needing international air.

The Complete Atlantic Adventurer

The epic 53-Day Atlantic Adventurer begins in a city that could only play host to such a magnificent journey, New York City. It goes without saying that the city’s art museums and attractions, sweeping parks and glorious, historic buildings are among the most iconic sights on the planet. After New York City, guests will then experience true “Southern Hospitality” in Charleston before heading to Florida to see the shimmering blue waters and palm tree-lined streets of Fort Lauderdale. The ship then heads out on the epic journey across the ocean where the ship becomes the destination.

After six days at sea, guests will have two days ashore in the Azores at the beautiful ports of Horta and Ponta Delgada. From Ponta Delgada, the ship makes way to the Iberian Peninsula for two overnights at Lisbon, Portugal, before visiting the eastern coast of Spain.

Mountainous landscape in the Azores, Portugal — Image by © Goodshoot/Corbis

First up is a call at Málaga, the capital of Spain’s Costa del Sol, where guests will have the opportunity to head to the beach or explore a museum dedicated to one of the city’s most famous sons, Pablo Picasso. After Málaga, the cruise takes guests to Cartagena and then iconic Barcelona. At Barcelona, explore the Catalan capital’s tourist attractions and historic neighborhoods, Modernisme and world-renowned art museums, galleries and local crafts shops — some of which are centuries old and stock traditional Catalan wares. From Barcelona, cruisers will go to Palma de Mallorca, the largest city of Spain’s Balearic Islands, before heading to Italy.

Casa Battló in Barcelona is a masterpiece of design in the heart of the capital of Catalonia.

After crossing the majestic Strait of Bonifacio, guests arrive at Livorno, Italy, and can visit the Tuscan treasures of Florence and Pisa. The Italian exploration continues to the country’s capital, Rome. In the “Eternal City” guests can see Rome’s superstar attractions: the Colosseum and Vatican Museums, as well as being able take in all that this ancient open-air museum has to offer. From Rome, cruisers will travel south to Naples, Italy’s third-largest city and home to the celebrated Roman ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, both victims of Vesuvius’ devastating 79 C.E. eruption.

After a day at sea, guests will find themselves surrounded by the crystal-blue waters of the Adriatic Sea as the ship enters the port of Dubrovnik, Croatia. Guests will be seduced by its polished limestone streets, theatrical architecture, charming cafés, welcoming restaurants and distinctive shops along scenic side streets. Following the day at Dubrovnik, the cruise heads south into Ionian waters for stops at Corfu and Olympia before entering the heart of the Hellenic Republic, Athens. Here, guests will be spoiled with an entire day of exploring Athens’s many highlights. Following Athens, the cruise continues with two additional days of Greek Isle hopping at Rhodes and Souda.

A colorful fishing boat in Maltese waters.

From Souda, guests can enjoy two days at Valletta, Malta. The ancient city of Valletta is teeming with historic monuments, churches and gardens, and at just one-third of a square mile in area Europe’s southernmost capital is one of the easiest to explore on foot. After the two days at Malta, the cruise returns to Italy with calls in Sicily and Sardinia at Palermo and Cagliari.

A day at sea is followed with a stop at the British territory of Gibraltar for a fascinating mix of cultures that includes Moorish, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and English influences. Continuing its exploration of the Iberian peninsula, the cruise will then stop at Cadiz, Spain, before heading to the coast of northern Africa.

See the tallest Minaret in the world in Casablanca.

Arriving at Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city and its most important, guests can see the tremendous Hassan II Mosque, which can host 25,000 worshippers and has the world’s tallest minaret. The ship then heads to the Portuguese island of Madeira before heading back to the New World.

After seven sea days spent relaxing and unwinding, the ship stops at our private island, Half Moon Cay. With only two percent of the island developed, this untouched island in the Caribbean is the perfect respite before returning stateside to Fort Lauderdale.

The Partial Voyages

For guests looking for a shorter segment, Holland America has four options available: The longest of the segments is almost the complete crossing with a 49-day roundtrip Fort Lauderdale option.

The next three segments are 20-day cruises including, the 25-Day Atlantic Adventurer from New York City to Rome, the 21-Day Atlantic Adventurer from Fort Lauderdale to Rome and the 28-Day Atlantic Adventurer from Rome to Fort Lauderdale.

Veendam will take you on a truly Atlantic adventure.

Interested in Booking?

If an Atlantic Adventurer crossing peaks your interest, you may want to consider booking a Lanai Stateroom, one of the many unique features of this elegant ship. What makes these staterooms unique are the sliding glass doors that lead onto the walk-around Lower Promenade Deck for added convenience on instant access to reserved deck chairs and a gorgeous view. Privacy is not sacrificed with mirrored glass.

If you’re interested in booking one of the Atlantic Adventurer voyages, you can book directly on the Holland America website or through your preferred travel professional.