Holland America Line Newsroom

Culinary Ambassador makes first appearance on Grand World Voyage in Asia with curated tea programming, custom blend and immersive guest experiences

Holland America Line’s Koningsdam returned to service this weekend following a two‑week dry dock in the Bahamas, debuting new accommodations for families and friends traveling together, along with refreshed entertainment and retail spaces. 

For the first time, bourbon barrels mature across a cruise fleet, their flavors shaped by the maritime conditions of Holland America’s carefully crafted itineraries.

As part of its ongoing commitment to ocean health, Holland America Line has selected Conservation International as the new beneficiary of its On Deck for a Cause charitable program on all sailings outside of Alaska, expanding the reach and impact of guest donations. Conservation International works in more than 100 countries and is a global leader in mangrove conservation and restoration — advancing the science and innovative approaches needed to protect coastal and marine ecosystems.

Holland America Line will sponsor the 2026 Nenana Ice Classic, an historic Alaska competition inviting participants to guess the precise moment the ice on the Tanana River gives way each year, which marks the first time the long-running tradition has ever had a title sponsor.

Holland America Line brought guests from its two 2026 Grand Voyages together in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday, March 7 to celebrate a rare meetup of Zaandam and Volendam. A special Chocolate Afternoon Tea was designed as a reunion moment for travelers on the cruise line’s longest and most immersive itineraries.

What began as a sales incentive became a defining moment in the life of U.K. based travel advisor Dan Hammond and his future wife Mary. Dan won a Caribbean cruise from Holland America following a drawing of eligible travel advisors. Hammond, a specialist with GoCruise & Travel with Tony & Dan, realized Nieuw Statendam was the perfect place to propose to his partner Mary. 

Holland America Line is partnering with Crane, the renowned American stationery brand, to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary with an original collection of cards designed by artists from the United States Veterans’ Artists Alliance (USVAA). Rooted in the storied legacies of Crane and Holland America Line, these exclusive, original designs honor heritage shaped over generations. 

As Holland America Line’s Volendam cruises from port to port on its annual 133-day Grand World Voyage, a different kind of journey is unfolding on every sea day—one measured not in nautical miles, but in stitches and a shared purpose. Guests calling themselves “blanketeers” gather to knit and crochet blankets for Project Linus, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing handmade blankets to children facing illness, trauma or crisis. The organization was named after the security blanket-toting character Linus from the Peanuts comic strip.