Holland America Line provides an update for two cruise ships that will restart operations in 2022. It comes as the cruise line pushes forward with its restart plan, with six vessels set to be back in service by November 2021.
Update on Volendam and Zaandam
The cruise line has provided an update on the Volendam and Zaandam cruise ships that will now restart operations in May 2022. New cruise offerings will result in the cancellation of the Grand World Voyage and Grand South America and Antarctica Voyage in 2022.
“We have been diligently planning and preparing to move our ships back into service, and after an extremely successful restart in Alaska and Europe we are thrilled to have return-to-service dates for Volendam and Zaandam,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “The team members on our ships in service have shared what a positive experience it has been welcoming guests back on board. We look forward to next spring when even more eager travelers can get back to cruising with us.”
Volendam will make a return on May 1, 2022, offering 14- to 35-day voyages, including the Baltic, Norway, British Isles, and Iceland. The cruises will take place out of Rotterdam, Netherlands. There will also be options to cruise along the Iberian Peninsula to the Mediterranean and down to Egypt and Israel.
Zaandam will restart operations on May 12 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Boston, Massachusetts. There will then be itinerary offerings between Boston and Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In July 2022, the Holland America cruise ship will sail a 35-day cruise from Boston, including Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
Changes to Grand Voyages
So with the two Holland America ships resuming in May 2022 in Northern Europe and Canada/New England, the Grand Voyages will instead resume in 2023. The Grand World Voyage will depart on January 3, 2023, with the Zuiderdam cruise ship lasting 128 days.
“Our 2022 Grand World Voyage booked in record time, and with the pent-up demand to get back to world cruising we moved the cruise to Zuiderdam,” Antorcha added. “For the first time on a Grand World Voyage our guests will be able to book a verandah stateroom category, which makes for spectacular scenic cruising, breakfast with a view or relaxing outside without leaving your stateroom.”
Volendam will return for the 74-day Grand South America and Antarctica Voyage in 2023 that departs Jan. 3, 2023. The adjusted deployments do have a knock-on effect, meaning Koningsdam will take over the exotic sailings in 2023.
The ship will alter its 25-day Mexican Riviera and Hawaii voyage from January 1 to January 7, 2023, for 24 days. Koningsdam will then begin its 35-day cruise from San Diego in February 2023.
Also Read: Holland America Line Restarts Cruises from the U.S.
Zuiderdam‘s Panama Canal cruises in January and April 2023, as well as a 10-day Mexico and Sea of Cortez voyage, will be assumed by Zaandam.
There are lots of changes that will impact many guests, but Holland America is providing some options. Guests booked on the 2022 Grand South America, and Antarctica Voyage will be automatically moved to the 2023 departure aboard Volendam. Guests booked on the 2022 Grand World Voyage aboard Zaandam will be automatically moved to the 2023 Grand World Voyage aboard Zuiderdam.
A full refund can be requested if guests no longer want to go ahead with their cruise, but this will have to be requested using an online form by September 24, 2021.
