Whether you're having a holiday party or not, it's always fun to have some specialty cocktails on-hand to serve to friends, family or yourself this time of year! We enlisted our Master Mixologist Dale DeGroff to show us how to make some of his signature must-have holiday drinks, and these certainly won't disappoint! Enjoy these recipes. We're making sure you ...

Holland America Line asked Guest Roland if he would send in an article about his recent Journeys Ashore experience in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on his recent Westerdam cruise, and he was more than happy to oblige! Roland took the "Cabo San Lucas Ziplining Adventure" and it certainly is a great option for guests who like an adrenaline rush in ...

While the Alaska cruise season is coming to a close, we're sure you're already dreaming of booking your Alaska adventure for 2017. After all, Holland America Line is celebrating our 70th year in The Last Frontier next year so it's the perfect time to go. One of the highlights of every Alaska cruise is the wildlife. Not only can you ...

Holland America Line offers thousands of Journeys Ashore appealing to a wide variety of interests. Whether you seek active and adventurous or cultural and calm, we showcase some of the best sites and activities at each port. While there can be much to see on land, a tour that takes you below the surface without getting wet makes for a ...

Holland America Line is turning its culinary programming up a notch with the introduction of dynamic shipboard cooking shows produced in partnership with the long-running public television show America’s Test Kitchen, the most popular how-to-cook show on TV. Holland America Line is a sponsor of America’s Test Kitchen on public television, and is proud to make this experience possible at ...

All the buzz about Koningsdam's staterooms has been focused on the new Family and Single stateroom categories — both a first for Holland America Line! The Family Staterooms can accommodate up to five people, while the Single Staterooms are perfect for the solo traveler. However, the ship also has several other stateroom categories, ranging from modest insides to the grand ...

Call all horse-lovers and those who just seek an adventure! Saddle up for a gallop across the globe! From the warm beaches of the Caribbean to breathtaking mountains of Iceland, Holland America Line offers many shore excursions for cruisers to go horseback riding. Whether you’re a cowboy, cowgirl or just someone looking for a little excitment, “tack up” and hold ...

The Panama Canal is an incredible man-made marvel that can be uniquely experienced on a Holland America Line cruise. If it's not on your bucket list, it should be! There's an incredible wave of awe that comes over every cruiser transiting the lakes and locks of this spectacle that made the list of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. ...

Holland America Line cruises travel all over the world, and some of the most unique and exciting shore excursions are the many wildlife tours highlighting native species unique to an area. If you’re cruising to South America or Australia and New Zealand, keep your eyes peeled for an adorable little bird unique to the South Pole. With their tuxedo-like coloring, ...

Thanks to Erik Tomren, senior specialist of hotel & tour management at Holland America Line, who wrote this post in collaboration with Danielle Rosenow, manager of hotel & tour management, to inform readers about the transfer services for guests that are offered to/from the ship. ------ A Holland America Line cruise is an exciting adventure, and part of the appeal ...

On two recent cruises, both Zuiderdam and Zaandam were called upon to assist vessels in need of assistance. At 2:10 a.m. Jan. 3, 2015, while en route to Oranjestad, Aruba, Zuiderdam answered a distress call from the Bahamian inter-island vessel Excalibur that was sinking with eight crewmembers onboard. Zuiderdam was approximately 15 miles away and the closest ship in the ...

With the array of culinary options, exciting activities, spectacular shows and entertainment at your fingertips, it can be relatively easy to forget to relax on your cruise. …

The wait is over! Holland America Line ships are back in Alaska for a full season of cruising to some of the most beautiful and remote parts of the state. …

Some of Hollywood's most legendary films were shot on location on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Guests looking to explore those sites and feel like they are in the movie themselves can take the "Hollywood Hawaii: Movies & Waterfalls" tour. This special excursion is ideal for movie buffs, as well as those who simply want to experience the beauty ...

Grand Turk is a beautiful island that is relatively new to cruise ships. The port facility was completed in 2006 and it is one of the newest and most impressive anywhere in the Caribbean. A small island in the British West Indies, it is a part of the commonwealth that is known as the Turks and Caicos. Only 7 by ...

As highlighted in the above video, Holland America Line’s seven-day eastern Caribbean cruises feature the gorgeous port of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in addition to Grand Turk, St. Maarten and Half Moon Cay. Puerto Rico is the largest island that the ships visit on this exciting itinerary. Rich in history and culture, it is always a guest favorite. Dating back ...

We left off the last post when it was decided that Panama would serve as the location of the canal. Frenchman Bunau-Varilla then went to Washington, D.C. He got there before the official delegates of the new Republic of Panama arrived and negotiated a treaty between the U.S. and Panama allowing the U.S. to build a canal. The treaty provided ...

With so much to see and do, a trip to Australia and New Zealand is made all the more exciting by taking part in one — or several — of our exciting shore excursions. Each tour is carefully crafted to offer the most fulfilling experience possible, and our reputable tour operators ensure that our guests are well taken care of ...

Photo courtesy of Controller Yono Sudarto. Alaska: the last frontier. The untouched quality of Alaskan wilderness lends itself to a sense of adventure and exciting natural occasions. Alaska Inside Passage cruises offer guests incredible views of one of the most exciting natural attractions in the state, glacier calving. Glacier calving is a natural event that occurs when large ...

The Galapagos Islands are composed of 120 volcanic islands. Their extreme isolation has led to some pretty interesting animal species, and Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Shore Excursion Manager Judy Hu dreamed of visiting the island for years. That dream became reality when she led the Galapagos Overland Adventure shore excursion during a 2012 South America Grand Voyage. The reason ...

In our latest video, Elizabeth Falkner, new Culinary Council chef and Top Chef judge, prepares her delectable recipe for shrimp, andouille, and grits. For Chef Falkner, sweet shrimp, spicy andouille sausage and cheesy grits are beloved comfort foods. She offers this recipe so you can share her enjoyment. YIELD: Serves 2 INGREDIENTS: 1 piquillo or poblano chile pepper or red ...

Swimming with dolphins is just one of the many exciting shore excursion adventures passengers can experience on their Holland America Cruise Line. Thanks to Liz Day for sharing her tour while at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. What a great shore excursion in Cabo San Lucas. It was a great way to spend a day with "Aqua," one of the dolphins ...

I know this island well, one might say ‘intimately’, for not only did I call here on the ‘Mail’ run, but I also spent over a week here, after abandoning my ship, along with 83 others, we were brought back here by the tanker which sighted our lifeboats and rescued us. Having nothing but a rather dirty-white uniform to my ...

Here are pictures of the latest addition to Eurodam's Crew Bar -- a new pool table! We received the final pieces upon our arrival to Madeira. The first game and table commissioning was hosted by Captain Jeroen van Donselaar and Assistant Culinary Operations Manager Paul Kerr. Since the commissioning it has been non-stop games! The movement of the ship has ...

Holland America Line’s Director of Public Relations Erik Elvejord recently participated in the land-portion of a CruiseTour that visits Denali National Park in Alaska and sent us these cool photos. On Sunday, July 24, I headed out for an early morning paddle rafting trip on the Nenana River, one of the optional tours offered on CruiseTours that include Denali National ...

Holland America Line just announced that in keeping with the majority of guest preferences, a change is being made to the shipboard smoking policy on its fleet of 15 ships effective for sailings departing on or after January 15, 2012. The new smoking policy now designates staterooms as nonsmoking areas in addition to the indoor public areas already defined as ...

Recently during a call to San Juan, Puerto Rico, some of our talented beverage personnel took a tour out to the Bacardi Rum factory during the San Juan City Tour and Bacardi Distillery excursion. They toured inside the distillery and learned some informative facts about the history of rum and other rum production details. All who participated found it very ...

The Westerdam crossed the equator at 10:08 a.m. (one hour past GMT) and commemorated the special event with a “Crossing the Line” ceremony. To a completely packed Lido aft deck, the Westerdam ‘troop’ translated the event in German for our guests and made this a very festive and playful occasion for all! It was a hit! ‘Pirates’ and ‘doctors’ all ...

Marine navigation lights are simply coloured electric lights fixed on ships and used to indicate the size of the ship, the direction in which the ship is travelling and the angle where they should be visible. They must be exhibited by law between sunset and sunrise and in poor visibility. The location (on the ship), the range (distance at sea ...

Hallo HALbloggers, Today, April 30, is marking the Netherlands' national holiday Konninginen dag (Queen's day). Today we celebrate the birthday of Queen Beatrix. It's not Her Majesty's official birthday, she was born on January 31, 1938. April 30 was the birthday of Her Majesty's mother, Queen Juliana. When Queen Juliana abdicated, Her Majesty ordered that April 30 stays Queen's Day ...

Zaandam called at Sitka, Alaska yesterday. This year is an anomaly economically and weather-wise. It is July in Alaska and the weather we had in May was both brighter and warmer. I am guessing mid to high 50’s today with gray skies and drizzle. The touring goes on regardless of weather and we are in the Tongass National Rainforest, the ...

Ketchikan provided an opportunity to take the afternoon excursion on the Aleutian Ballad from the Bering Sea. We had a gorgeous day today, really a gorgeous week in Alaska, and off we sailed from our dock. The boat is owned by Dave with Steve and Kiwi giving him a hand in the workings of the tour. The boat was originally ...

We received this plaintive cry for help and just couldn't resist the opportunity to share a Rudi Sodamin recipe with you: We have sailed on the Westerdam before and loved the trip and the bread pudding. I know I found the recipe on line before but can't find it now. Could you tell me how to find it or e-mail ...

Merabella is a new fine jewelry shop just installed on Veendam during the Signature of Excellence Phase 2 dry-dock. Shop manager Matt Gibson explained that the Merabella experience is about finding a unique piece of jewelry and that the intimate space can be used for private showings and guests can join him over champagne and caviar to look at the ...

We were at sea and celebrated Easter with a Grand Show Buffet in the Dining Room Lower level during this Grand World Voyage. Of course, it wouldn't be Easter without some Easter bunnies. The Rotterdam dinning room team really got into the mood of the holiday. Komang Sumartha is Rotterdam's assistant dining manager.

Global Pilotage Most ports in the world require pilotage, the practice where a pilot comes on board near the entrance of the port and then assists the ship's captain with bringing the ship into port, and docking or anchoring in the designated anchorage. The pilot also helps provide safe passage when the ship departs. The role of a pilot is ...