Key Aspects:
- Zaandam’s July 22, 2026, sailing to Alaska has been oversold.
- Holland America Line is dangling a free cruise to try to get some guests to change their travel plans at the last minute.
- The cruise line isn’t alone in overbooking sailings, which is a common practice in the travel industry to maximize profits.
Alaska cruises are always in high demand, but in some cases, they become too popular. This is the case for Zaandam’s next embarkation in Vancouver, Canada, on July 22, 2026.
On this date, guests will be boarding the 1,837-passenger ship for a 7-night sailing to Endicott Arm Fjord, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, and Ketchikan.
But as of July 20, just two days before embarkation, Holland America Line is trying to tempt guests to change their travel dates because the voyage has been oversold.
“Due to the popularity of your upcoming July 22nd 2026 Zaandam cruise, you are eligible for exceptional savings should you choose to change departure dates,” the cruise line wrote in a letter to impacted passengers, which was posted on Facebook.
Holland America essentially offered guests a free cruise if they volunteered to bow out. The “special offer” came with a 100% refund plus a 100% future cruise credit based on the original cruise fare.
Another passenger booked on the same sailing received the same offer and posted their letter on Reddit.
Guests who choose to go this route will have two years to reschedule, with the deadline to use the cruise credit set for July 31, 2028.
That said, receiving this email does not mean that guests are required to volunteer to skip the upcoming sailing.
And on the flip side, not everyone who volunteers will actually get this offer. The Carnival-owned cruise line will accept volunteers on a first come, first served basis and may have to turn away some cruisers who step forward.
If guests try to volunteer but they aren’t needed, there will be no changes made to their existing travel plans.
More Oversold Sailings
Holland America Line isn’t the only cruise brand to wind up scrambling due to oversold sailings this year. Cruise Hive has reported on multiple overbooked Alaska sailings impacting Royal Caribbean as well.
In a very similar situation, guests booked to sail onboard Voyager of the Seas’ June 19 itinerary were lured away from their cruise with generous perks. Royal Caribbean’s request to pivot came less than a week before embarkation.
Serenade of the Seas’ July 19 departure was also overbooked. Guests were similarly tempted to change their plans in exchange for free cruises.
To maximize revenue and counteract last-minute cancellations and no-shows, it’s standard practice for cruise lines to book beyond 100% capacity. Cabins that are left empty equate to lost profits.
In fact, this is a practice that is common throughout the travel industry. Airlines routinely overbook flights, while hotels often sell more rooms than they actually have (and will “walk” guests to other properties when necessary).
In all cases, the decision of how much can be sold is determined by analyzing historical data to predict the number of last-minute cancellations or “no shows.”
Zaandam’s Alaska Season
Selling out this voyage marks a major turnaround for the 61,396-gross ton vessel’s 2026 Alaska season.
At the beginning of the peak season, the June 3 and June 10 sailings were delayed and significantly altered due to unexpected propulsion issues.
This led to rumblings within the cruise community as some wondered if the propulsion issues were fixed and how reliable the 2000-launched cruise ship would be for their upcoming voyages.
At the beginning of July, Cruise Hive reported that several of Zaandam’s remaining Alaska itineraries for this year had been tweaked due to operating speeds and tidal constraints.
Normally, this type of news frustrates cruisers, making it even more impressive that the Holland America Line ship has become oversold.
Zaandam will continue cruising to Alaska through September before repositioning to San Diego, California, in early October. The ship will return to Vancouver in April of 2027 to begin a new Alaska season.
