Holland America Line restarted operations in July 2021. Since then, the Seattle-based cruise line’s ships have been steadily returning to service.
Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Rotterdam, Zaandam, and Zuiderdam have returned to service with cruises in Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, California Coast and South Pacific. Volendam is assigned on a special mission in the Netherlands.
On June 12, Westerdam becomes the final Holland America Line cruise ship to welcome guests again. It has been more than two years since the last guests disembarked the Vista-class cruise ship.
First Westerdam Guest Sailing In Two Years
Holland America Line’s fleet of eleven ships is back in operation from June 12. Westerdam sails on her first cruise in more than two years from Seattle, Washington. The last time guests disembarked the cruise liner was on February 19, 2020, in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
The Vista-class cruise ship, which has space for 1,964 guests, is operating a seven-night Alaskan Explorer cruise. From Seattle, she will be calling to Juneau, Hubbard Glacier, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Victoria, British Columbia.
The voyage is the first in a series of sixteen trips that Westerdam will be making in Alaska, all with broadly the same itinerary. The 82,500 gross tons cruise ship will be making the transit to Australia after her Alaskan season.
That decision was somewhat of a surprise for many guests as Holland America canceled Westerdam‘s eleven cruises in Asia, which were due to start in September of this year. The Asian cruises onboard Westerdam were canceled due to the uncertain entry requirements in many Asian countries.
New Itinerary for Westerdam
Holland America Line designed an entirely new itinerary for Westerdam to replace those eleven voyages. Setting sail from Seattle on October 2, the ship will sail a 51-night South Pacific, Australia & New Zealand Collector cruise.
“The pent-up demand for cruises to Australia and New Zealand led us to the decision that it would be valuable to have Westerdam sail these unique itineraries that include some uncommon ports for us,” said Beth Bodensteiner, the chief commercial officer for Holland America Line.
Ports along the way include Honolulu, Hawai, Western Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea; Sydney, Australia; and Wellington and the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, before she returns to Sydney on November 23.
In January, Westerdam will be finally making her return to Asia, as she arrives in Singapore on January 19. Westerdam resumes full Asia sailings in February 2023.
Holland America’s Return Now Complete
It’s been a hectic ten months since Eurodam became the first Holland America ship to return to service on August 15, 2021.
Since then, the cruise line has been following a slow but steady mantra by adding a ship at a rate of one per month. Including the company’s newest cruise ship, MS Rotterdam, which made her debut on October 20, 2021.
One ship is not sailing with guests just yet. Volendam was chartered by the Dutch government earlier this year to give refugees from Ukraine a place to sleep. This agreement has since been extended, with the first cruise with paying guests not expected to take place until September 24.
Other Carnival cruise brands have already fully returned to service, including Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises and Seabourn.
