Holland America Line Cruises
Glacier Bay, longer itineraries and live music every night.
Classic and unhurried, mid-size ships with a strong music program (B.B.
What Holland America is like.
Holland America has been sailing since 1873 and still feels like a proper ocean liner: teak promenade decks that wrap the ship, afternoon tea, art collections, a real library and a crowd that has been around the world twice. The ships are mid-size, 1,400 to 2,700 guests, which means calmer decks and more time in port.
The Music Walk is the modern signature: B.B. King's Blues Club, Rolling Stone Lounge, Billboard Onboard dueling pianos and Lincoln Center Stage chamber music, all live, all night, all included. Add the Culinary Arts Center cooking shows and destination-focused enrichment and you have a ship that assumes you are curious.
Alaska is the other pillar. Holland America has Glacier Bay permits on nearly every Alaska sailing, the most Denali and Yukon Land+Sea Journeys of any line (by glass-domed McKinley Explorer rail), and it owns the Westmark hotels and the Denali Square lodge. The Pinnacle class (Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Koningsdam) brings newer ships to the region each summer.
The Have It All fare tier bundles drinks, specialty dinners, Wi-Fi and excursion credit, and Club Orange adds a private restaurant and priority perks for a per-day fee. Holland America also shares Half Moon Cay with Carnival, one of the best beach days in the Bahamas, and runs long Panama Canal, South America and Grand Voyage itineraries for people with time.
Ship classes, and which one to pick.
Newer is not always better. The right ship depends on the itinerary, your group and what you want to do on a sea day.
Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam
World Stage 270-degree theater, Music Walk, Rudi's Sel de Mer, Grand Dutch Cafe. The newest and most resort-like.
Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam
Alaska and Caribbean regulars with Tamarind Asian and the Retreat cabanas.
Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, Noordam
Mid-size ships on Alaska, Panama Canal, Asia and Australia.
Volendam, Zaandam
Smallest and most traditional; Alaska Inside Passage from Vancouver and Grand Voyages.
Half Moon Cay (Bahamas): a two-mile crescent beach, clamshell loungers, horseback riding in the surf and a barbecue lunch. Shared with Carnival, and a favorite on Caribbean sailings from Fort Lauderdale.
Where Holland America goes, and what it typically costs.
Starting fares per person, double occupancy, before taxes, packages and flights. They move with season and demand; we price your exact dates.
| Itinerary | Nights | Sails from | Ports | Season | Typical fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier Discovery (one-way) | 7 | Vancouver to Whittier or reverse | Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, College Fjord | May to September | from about $900 to $2,200 pp |
| Alaskan Explorer round trip | 7 | Seattle or Vancouver | Juneau, Sitka or Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, Victoria | May to September | from about $850 to $2,000 pp |
| Denali and Yukon Land+Sea Journey | 10 to 14 | Vancouver or Anchorage | Seven-night cruise plus Denali, Fairbanks, Dawson City by McKinley Explorer rail and coach | May to September | from about $2,300 to $5,000 pp |
| Eastern or Western Caribbean | 7 to 11 | Fort Lauderdale | Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, Amber Cove or Cozumel, Roatan, Costa Maya | Oct to April | from about $750 to $1,800 pp |
| Panama Canal | 10 to 21 | Fort Lauderdale, San Diego | Cartagena, Canal transit or Gatun Lake, Costa Rica, Mexico | Oct to April | from about $1,500 to $4,000 pp |
Which cabin, and who should book it.
Classic cabins with real closets and good storage.
Long-voyage regulars who spend the day in the lounges.
Balcony with two chairs; aft-wrap verandahs on Pinnacle class are the coveted ones.
Alaska and Panama Canal.
Neptune adds the Neptune Lounge with concierge, breakfast in Pinnacle Grill and a large balcony.
Couples on two-week itineraries who want space.
Exclusive Club Orange restaurant for breakfast and dinner, priority boarding and tendering, a cabin upgrade and a dedicated line.
Anyone; it is a daily fee, not a cabin category.
- The Dining Room (open or fixed seating)
- Lido Market buffet
- Dive-In burgers and New York Pizza by the pool
- Grand Dutch Cafe (Pinnacle class)
- Explorations Cafe coffee (extra for specialty)
- Room service
- Pinnacle Grill steakhouse
- Tamarind Pan-Asian
- Canaletto Italian
- Rudi's Sel de Mer (Pinnacle class)
- Nami Sushi
- Morimoto by Sea pop-ups
- Chef's Table experiences
What a sea day looks like.
What is in the fare, what is extra, and which packages pay off.
Names and inclusions change by sailing. We confirm the current terms before you buy anything.
- Dining Room and buffet
- All live music and shows
- Enrichment and Alaska naturalist programs
- Pools and promenade
- Club HAL kids program
- Coffee, tea, water, lemonade
- Drinks unless Have It All
- Wi-Fi unless Have It All
- Specialty dining beyond bundle
- Excursions beyond credit
- Crew appreciation (~$17 to $19 per person per day)
- Club Orange, spa, casino
A fare tier that bundles the Signature Beverage Package, specialty dinners, Wi-Fi and shore excursion credit. The best all-in value for most couples.
Drink packages with per-drink price caps; Elite raises the cap for premium spirits and wines.
Pinnacle Grill, Tamarind, Canaletto and Rudi's Sel de Mer, per-person surcharge or included with Have It All.
Priority boarding, an exclusive restaurant for breakfast and dinner, cabin upgrades and a dedicated line, for a per-day fee.
Alaska cruises joined to Denali and Yukon land tours by glass-domed McKinley Explorer rail, with Westmark hotels.
Strong Alaska and Canal catalog; we add independent charters and small-group tours where they beat the ship.
- Have It All is usually the right buy for couples who drink wine at dinner and want Wi-Fi.
- Club Orange is a bargain on longer cruises for the quiet restaurant alone.
- Aft-wrap verandahs on Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam are the best balconies at sea for the price.
- Glacier Bay: the Huna Totem cultural interpreters board with the rangers; go listen.
- Denali Land+Sea: pick the itinerary with two nights at Denali, not one.
Our take How we plan Holland America.
Holland America is the quieter Alaska choice with the same Glacier Bay access as Princess and a longer list of land+sea options into the Yukon. We use it for couples and multi-generation groups who want a calmer ship and more time in port, and we bolt a Ketchikan or Sitka fishing day onto the itinerary.
Before you book Holland America.
Holland America or Princess for Alaska?
Both have Glacier Bay permits and Denali land tours. Holland America ships are a bit smaller and calmer with better live music; Princess has newer ships and the Medallion tech. We match the line to your group.
Is Have It All worth it?
For most couples who drink wine with dinner and want Wi-Fi, yes. For light drinkers on a short sailing, cruise-only can be the better buy.
Are the ships too quiet?
They are calm by design, but the nightly live music venues are excellent. If you want water slides and go-karts, we will point you elsewhere.
What does an Alaska Land+Sea Journey cost?
A ten- to twelve-night Denali journey for two in a verandah with Have It All typically lands at $7,000 to $11,000 before flights. The seven-night cruise alone is roughly half.
Does Holland America go through the Panama Canal?
Yes, both full transits between Florida and California and partial transits into Gatun Lake on ten-night round trips from Fort Lauderdale.
What is the dress code?
Smart casual most nights with one or two Dressy Nights where jackets appear. It is relaxed compared with a decade ago.
Compare with the rest.
Ready to sail Holland America?
Tell us who is going and when. A person who has sailed it replies with the right ship, cabin and ports. No fee to you.