Holland America Line has enjoyed a distinguished record of traditional cruises, world exploration, and transatlantic crossings since 1873 - all facets of its history that are reflected in the fleet's multimillion dollar shipboard art and antiques collections. Even the ships' names follow a pattern set long ago: all end in the suffix "dam" and are either derived from the names of various dams that cross Holland's rivers, important Dutch landmarks, or points of the compass. The names are even recycled when vessels are retired, and some are in their fifth and sixth generation of use.
Noted for focusing on passenger comfort, Holland America Line cruises are classic in design and style; however, with an infusion of younger adults and families on board, they remain refined without being stuffy or stodgy. Following a basic design theme, returning passengers feel as at home on the newest Holland America vessels as they do on older ones.
Entertainment tends to be more Broadway-stylish than Las Vegas - brash. Colorful revues are presented in main show lounges by the ships' companies of singers and dancers. Other performances might include a range of cabaret acts: comedians, magicians, jugglers, and acrobats. Live bands play a wide range of musical styles for dancing and listening in smaller lounges and piano bars. Movies are shown daily in cinemas that double as the Culinary Arts Centers.
Holland America Line may never be considered cutting edge, but the Signature of Excellence concept introduced in 2003 sets them apart from other premium cruise lines. An interactive Culinary Arts Center offers cooking demonstrations and wine-tasting sessions; Explorations Café (powered by
The New York Times) is a coffeehouse-style library and Internet center; and the Explorations Guest Speakers Series is supported by in-cabin televised programming on flat-screen TVs in all cabins; the traditional Crow's Nest observation lounge has a new nightclub - disco layout, video wall, and sound-and-light systems; and facilities for children and teens have been greatly expanded. Signature of Excellence upgrades are scheduled to be complete on the entire Holland America fleet by fall 2006.
Food
Holland America Line chefs, members of the Confrerie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs gourmet society, utilize more than 500 different food items on a typical weeklong cruise to create the modern Continental cuisine and traditional favorites served to their passengers. Vegetarian options as well as healthy Inbalance Spa Cuisine by Jeanne Jones are available, and special dietary requests can be handled with advance notice. Holland America's passengers used to skew older than they do now, so the sometimes bland dishes were no surprise; however, the food quality, taste, and selection have greatly improved in recent years. A case in point is the reservations-required Pinnacle Grill alternative restaurants, where fresh seafood and premium cuts of Sterling Silver beef are used to prepare creative specialty dishes. The $20 per person charge for dinner would be worth it for the Dungeness crab cakes starter and dessert alone. Other delicious traditions are afternoon tea, a Dutch Chocolate Extravaganza, and Holland America Line's signature bread pudding.
Flexible scheduling allows for four full dinner seatings in the two-deck, formal restaurants, alternating between upper and lower levels at 5:45, 6:15, 8:00, and 8:30.
Fitness & Recreation
Well-equipped and fully staffed fitness facilities contain state-of-the-art exercise equipment; basic fitness classes are available at no charge. There's a fee for personal training, body composition analysis, and specialized classes such as yoga and Pilates.
Treatments in the Greenhouse Spa include a variety of massages, body wraps, and facials. Hair styling and nail services are offered in the salons. All ships have a jogging track, multiple swimming pools, and sports courts. Some have hydrotherapy pools and soothing thermal suites.
Your Shipmates
No longer just your grandparents' cruise line, today's Holland America Caribbean sailings attract families and discerning couples, mostly from their late-30s on up. Holidays and summer months are peak periods when you'll find more children in the mix. Comfortable retirees are often still in the majority, particularly on longer cruises.
Dress Code
Evenings on Holland America Line cruises fall into three categories: casual, informal, and formal. Ties are optional, but men are asked to wear a sport coat on one informal night. For the two formal nights standard on seven-night cruises, men are encouraged to wear tuxedos, but dark suits or sport coats and ties are acceptable, and you'll certainly see them. Other nights are casual. It's requested that no T-shirts, jeans, swimsuits, tank tops, or shorts be worn in public areas after 6 pm.
Junior Cruisers
Club HAL is Holland America Line's professionally staffed youth and teen program. Age-appropriate activities planned for children ages three to seven include storytelling, arts and crafts, ice-cream or pizza parties, and games; for children ages 8 to 12 there are arcade games, Sony PlayStations, theme parties, on-deck sports events, and scavenger hunts. Club HAL After Hours offers late-night activities from 10 pm until midnight for an hourly fee. Baby food, diapers, cribs, high chairs, and booster seats may be requested in advance of boarding. Private in-cabin babysitting is sometimes available if a staff member is willing.
Teens aged 13 to 17 have their own lounge with activities including dance contests, arcade games, sports tournaments, movies, and an exclusive sun deck on some ships. Select itineraries offer water park - type facilities and kid-friendly shore excursions to Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line's private island in the Bahamas.
Service
Professional, unobtrusive service by the Indonesian and Filipino staff is a fleetwide standard on Holland America Line. It isn't uncommon for a steward or server to remember the names of returning passengers from a cruise taken years before. Crew members are trained in Indonesia at a custom-built facility called the ms
Nieuw Jakarta, where employees polish their English-language skills and learn housekeeping in mock cabins.
Tipping
$10 per passenger, per day is automatically added to shipboard accounts, and gratuities are distributed to stewards and waitstaff. Passengers may adjust the amount based on the level of service experienced. Room-service tips are usually given in cash (it's the passenger's discretion here). An automatic 15% gratuity is added to bar-service tabs.
Past Passengers
All passengers who sail with Holland America Line are automatically enrolled in the Mariner Society and receive special offers on upcoming cruises as well as insider information concerning new ships and product enhancements. Mariner Society benefits also include preferred pricing on many cruises; Mariner baggage tags, and buttons that identify you as a member during embarkation; an invitation to the Mariner Society champagne reception and awards party hosted by the captain; lapel pins and medallions acknowledging your history of Holland America sailings; a special collectible gift delivered to your cabin; and a subscription to
Mariner, the full-color magazine featuring news and Mariner Society savings. Once you complete your first cruise, your Mariner identification number will be assigned and available for lookup online.
Public Areas & Facilities
Ships for the 21st century, Vista-class vessels successfully integrate new youthful and family-friendly elements into Holland America Line's classic fleet. Exquisite Waterford crystal sculptures adorn triple-deck atriums and reflect vivid, almost daring color schemes throughout. Although all the public rooms carry the traditional Holland America names (Ocean Bar, Explorer's Lounge, Crow's Nest) and aren't much different in atmosphere, their louder decor (toned down a bit since the introduction of the
Zuiderdam) may make them unfamiliar to returning passengers.
Only two decks are termed promenade, and the exterior teak promenade encircles public rooms, not cabins. As a result, there are numerous outside accommodations with views of the sea restricted by lifeboats on the Upper Promenade Deck. Veterans of cruises on other Holland America class ships will find the layout of public spaces somewhat different; however, everyone's favorite Crow's Nest lounges still offer those commanding views.
Restaurants
The formal dining room has four dinner seatings; alternatives are Pinnacle Grill, the upscale specialty restaurant, and the casual Lido café, which also serves buffet breakfast and lunch. Terrace Grill serves lunch poolside. The extra-charge Windstar Café (except on
Noordam) offers specialty coffees and pastries.
What Works & What Doesn't
Adjacent to the Crow's Nest, outdoor seating areas covered in canvas are wonderful, quiet hideaways during the day as well as at night when the interior is transformed into a dance club -- a better choice for dancing than the disco. Missing from the Vista-class ships are self-service laundry rooms, a serious omission for families with youngsters and anyone sailing on back-to-back Caribbean itineraries or cruises of more than a week. The murals in Pinnacle Grill restaurants are strangely chintzy looking, especially considering the priceless art throughout the rest of the ships' interiors.
Accommodations
Layout: Comfortable and roomy, 85% of all Vista-class accommodations have an ocean view, and almost 80% of those also have the luxury of a private balcony furnished with chairs, loungers, and tables. Every cabin has adequate closet and drawer - shelf storage, as well as bathroom shelves. Some suites have a whirlpool tub, powder room, and walk-in closet.
Amenities: All staterooms and suites are appointed with Euro-top mattresses, 250-thread-count cotton bed linens, magnifying halogen-lighted makeup mirrors, hair dryers, a fruit basket, flat-panel TVs, and DVD players. Bathroom extras include Egyptian cotton towels, shampoo, body lotion, and bath gel, plus deluxe bathrobes to use during the cruise.
Suites: Suite luxuries include duvets on beds, a fully stocked minibar; some also have a whirlpool tub, powder room, and walk-in closet. Penthouse Verandah and Deluxe Verandah suites have exclusive use of the private Neptune Lounge, personal concierge service, canapés before dinner, and complimentary laundry, pressing, and dry-cleaning services.
Good to Know: Twenty-eight staterooms are wheelchair-accessible.
Favorites
Most Unusual: Tables in the Pinnacle Grill specialty restaurant are set with Frette linens, Riedel stemware, and Bulgari china by Rosenthal, but traditional appointments stop at the table top. The chair design is based on organic forms and resembles delicate, silvery tree branches. Some may require seating assistance, though -- in reality, the chairs are cast aluminum and so heavy that they don't budge without a great deal of effort.
Moving With the View: Take a good look at the etched-glass doors of the four outside scenic elevators -- they mirror the 1920's motif of the 10 interior elevator doors, which are done in cast aluminum. The design effect may look vaguely familiar because it was modeled after the art deco Chrysler building in New York City.
Our Favorite Spot for a Nightcap: The canvas-covered areas outside the Crow's Nest narrowly edge out second choice -- a seat by the faux fireplace in the Oak Room.
