Looking to do a land/cruise tour, starting land first. So it would be a southbound one way. Hoping to do a verandah cabin. I've read the lower decks are better but the bars and restaurants are there and I'm worried about noise. Would Deck 4 or 5 be ok?? Any tried and true tips?? Thanks for the insight.

With the transfer of Arcadia to HAL from P&O...It makes you wonder what her name will be. Especially since all of the Vista class ships are named after the four compass points and Holland America's preference of reusing ship names...which do you think it should be?

Some options

• Prinsendam — 2 prior iterations; last retired 2019.
• Maasdam — 5 prior iterations; last retired 2020
• Statendam — 5 prior iterations; last retired 2015
• Ryndam — last retired 2015
• Veendam — last retired 2020

Hello. We are considering taking an Alaskan cruise using Holland America cruise line. One of the stops on the itinerary is Icy Strait Point. The port time is 5:30 PM - 10PM. For those that have have been there, is there anything to do in Icy Strait Point in the evening?? I'm not understanding why they would arrive so late and only stay 4.5hrs. My husband thinks it's a waste of a stop. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Has anyone done standby? What was the pricing like?
Would be solo traveling and wondering if the price of standby is worth it, even if they charge 200% occupancy. I would also add the “have it all” package.

Are there any additional fees? I have never done a cruise.
-gratuity
-bar
-dinner

Update: 10/4

I had a blast!
7 days: $993
Flights: $705
Wifi, quench drink package, whale excursion, linear jack show, taramind dinnerx1, beer tasting, bingo: $714
Misc(Ubers, gifts, snacks): $123
TOTAL: $2535
This is a WIN!!! Considering the original pricing I was offered on the webs site was $2738, I’m still below the cost!! Flights were expensive as delta was the only direct and I basically bought them the night before. Would only pay this price if cruise was cheap (and verandah).

Whale watching was $214, but well worth it considering it didn’t rain and I saw multiple whales breach!!

Speciality dinner was delicious and worth the price ($43)

Did not mind paying the quench DP, as I love my Red Bull and sodas. Didn’t feel like I was missing out on alcoholic drinks as I didn’t want to do that alone and wouldn’t have been able to justify the package cost. I did the beer tasting for $18 the experience, and I got to meet two cool people!

Bingo for a single game (paper) as $29 and NOT worth it.

Overall there were many funny activities to do, or do nothing at all. Food was pretty good! Alaskan brunch was by far favorite (hot/spicy salmon crab cakes w/ a salad and a lemon blueberry pancake stack).

I felt safe at every port and within the ship itself, considering I was solo. Definitely missed seeing more people my age :// and older folks tend to be slower and coughing everywhere lol
But very person/couple I met was incredibly nice and kind.

Overall I would cruise again (and maybe solo) if it was to a location where cruising was the best option.

Sailing in July for 7 days on Nieuw Amsterdam, is $1000 upgrade to a Neptune suite from Signature worth it? We are traveling with others that wouldn't be in a Neptune Suite.

Thanks for your input!

My wife and I are booked for cruise from Quebec City to Miami on the Zuiderdam departing October 17. This is a question about our port of call in Halifax. We arrive in Halifax at 8am. We then depart the next day at noon. Why not 2 full days? My theory is that we will be refueling and that that is the reason for the extended stay. Thoughts?

We don't care for the person who has been assigned as our Personal Cruise Consultant (PCC) on Holland America. Does anyone have someone they would recommend?

I’m joining my family on a cruise aboard the Rotterdam, and saw a couple of photos that show the promenade deck as having no views and surrounded by equipment/life boats. Are there any sections with ocean views at all?

The library is an important feature for some folks in our party. The brochure photos look lovely, are they actually stocked with a variety of books? And/or do folks grab books early in the cruise itinerary, leaving bare shelves for those who check the space later?

We’re not Dutch, but understand the history behind the Orange Party. Does anyone know of popular songs that might be fun for us to learn in advance, so we can join in the singing?

Thanks in advance!

We watched Koningsdam begin her sail away from Vancouver on her way to Hawaii and (eventually) San Diego. But for the last hour plus, she has been “parked” on the outer edge of English Bay, doing a very slow 360 and belching smoke. Anyone onboard know what’s going on?

Really scratching my head on this one. Milkshakes are not included with the have it all package.

Yet, Ice Cream and Milk is available in the Lido at no charge.

Guess I'm taking a little blender with me next time.

It’s been long long time since we’ve last cruised on HAL, but we’ve got one coming up soon and I can’t remember…In my never ending quest to keep the pounds off, I was wondering if you get popcorn for snacks on HAL ships?

The upcoming 35-day “Legendary Hawaii, Tahiti & Marquesas” sailing aboard Holland America Line’s Zaandam has seen significant port changes in recent days. The ship departs on Thursday, October 15, 2026 and ports are still being moved and times adjusted, raising concerns among booked guests about possible propulsion difficulties and other challenges.

Originally, Zaandam was to have called on Bora Bora on Tuesday, November 3 from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., followed by Raiatea on Wednesday, November 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On those dates, Silversea’s Silver Whisper is also planned for each port.

Now, Zaandam will visit Raiatea on November 3 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Bora Bora on November 4 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“Adjustments to the ship’s planned operating speed will be required during portions of the voyage,” the email noted. “As a result, we will no longer call at Tabuaeran (Fanning Island), Kiribati, on Thursday, October 29, and have adjusted the time spent in certain ports.”

To compensate for the loss of Tabuaeran, two extra hours have been added to two different ports, Kahului on October 24 and Moorea on November 6.

excerpt-Cruise Hive 10/03/26

Reported by Melissa Mayntz

HI HAL cruisers, Just wondering what your thoughts are re: the pros and cons of an oceanview cabin with a smaller window on the 4 deck VS an oceanview with a larger window on the 1st deck? I'll be on the Zuiderdam in January. Many thanks in advance :-)

Do I need to bring a fan on the Eurodam in September? I have an Ocean view cabin. I can't see a reason for bringing it other than to dry wet clothing. Am I wrong?

Hi everyone,

I live in Vancouver and seeing cruise ships coming and going is a normal occurrence during the summer. Today I saw a Holland America ship make its way under the Lions Gate bridge and sail off. Normally it would be out of sight within 45 minutes but today it seemed stopped in the water. I kept checking and it stayed in roughly the same place for at least 2 hours. It was facing different directions whenever I checked, almost as if it had anchored and was getting moved around by the current.

Does anyone know why this happened? Anyone on board able to comment? I’m generally curious as this is the first time I have ever seen it happen.