Veteran vessel set for its comeback
Holland America sends Maasdam to exotic ports as part of its newest itineraries
This week’s column comes to you direct from the Caribbean Sea aboard Holland America Line’s Veendam (cruise.center/ holland) as she sails around Cuba. It’s too early in the voyage to write about it just yet (more on the actual cruise in next week’s column), but it seems to be the perfect time to talk about some of the other exciting things that Holland America has in store for 2018.
I’ve got a real soft spot for Holland America. Before I ever did this as a career, I’d already accumulated nearly 40 days at sea with the line. I liked Holland America’s classic, quiet elegance, its well-designed ships and clever itineraries and its friendly crews — most of whom hail from Indonesia and the Philippines.
To me, Holland America has always epitomized classic cruising. But a series of recent partnerships with BBC Earth, America’s Test Kitchen and O, The Oprah Magazine ensure that this classic experience is also firmly rooted in the contemporary.
And this year, Holland America has some very cool experiences in store for guests.
Perhaps the company’s boldest move is coming this fall. I’m not talking about the December launch of the Nieuw Statendam (which is very exciting in its own right), but rather the new role that Holland America is carving out for its venerable Maasdam.
Starting in October, Holland America is sending Maasdam on a series of brand new Explorations Central (EXC) In-Depth Voyages — longer and more exotic itineraries that focus heavily on destination immersion through unique port visits and overnight stays in more places. Voyages will run from 12 to 34 days, and will offer an expedition-style experience that focuses on immersion through guest lectures and courses on photography, walking tours, and culinary exploration.
The first of these kicks off on Oct. 14, as Maasdam sails roundtrip from Papeete, Tahiti, on an exotic 14-day voyage through the South Pacific. Other itineraries include a 12-day exploration of New Zealand (Nov. 26, Auckland to Auckland); a South Seas Sampler voyage (Nov. 11; Papeete to Auckland); and even a 16-day Southern Ocean Holiday cruise (Dec. 21; Sydney to Freemantle (Perth).
Here’s the really cool bit: Holland America will be outfitting the 1,258-guest Maasdam with its own fleet of zodiac rafts for the first time in the vessel’s history.
“We created EXC In-Depth Voyages to further enhance our guests’ immersion experience in a more personalized way in the exotic destinations featured on this series of specially designed itineraries,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “The addition of Zodiac tours will allow guests to be modern-day explorers, and Maasdam will visit many ports that we have never been to or haven’t visited in years; EXC InDepth Voyages are truly unique.”
The task of scouting locations for Maasdam’s first-ever zodiac landings is being left to Dr. Peter Carey, Holland America’s director of explorations. An extensively-travelled zoologist, Carey is director of the Sub-Antarctic Foundation for Ecosystems Research; contributing lecturer at the University of Canterbury and an affiliate professor with the geography program at the University of Alaska.
I’m excited about this for another reason: it keeps the pretty, 1994-built Maasdam in the fleet, giving her a renewed purpose that she is perfectly suited for thanks to her modest ( by contemporary standards) size. Together with sister-ship Veendam’s new role as the company’s ambassador to Cuba, expect to see these attractive S -Class ships in the fleet a while longer.
Holland America has also crafted some great itineraries this year, one of which is the company’s legendary Voyage of the Vikings. Sailing aboard the 1,404-guest Rotterdam, this grand transatlantic crossing from Boston, Mass., has been on my bucket list for years. You can take it as a 38-day voyage sailing round trip Boston, or as a 19-day journey between Boston and Rotterdam or reverse. Stopping in Atlantic Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, Ireland, Norway and the Netherlands, it is a powerhouse itinerary on the Atlantic.
Finally, if you want to sail aboard Holland’s latest and greatest, some short preview cruises are offered aboard Nieuw Statendam when she debuts, including a four-day cruise to the Bahamas (Dec. 19); and a threeday Half Moon Cay cruise (Jan 30, 2019).
Happy cruising.