The Caribbean evokes images of white-sand beaches, balmy breezes and sun-kissed skies, but a cruise to the Caribbean with Holland America Line delves beyond the beauty and immerses guests in the local way of life. For the 2022-23 season, seven ships will explore the traditions and tranquility of the region — including the two newest Pinnacle Class ships — on itineraries roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Holland America Line’s island-hopping adventures sail from October 2022 through April 2023 and feature five- to 14-day itineraries to the eastern, western and southern regions, including sailings that spend a day discovering the Panama Canal. All Caribbean cruises include a call at Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line’s award-winning private Bahamian island, and the 2022-23 season commemorates the 25th anniversary of the line’s acquisition of the tropical jewel.
Guests can book a Caribbean cruise aboard Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, Volendam, Zuiderdam and one holiday cruise on Zaandam.
Half Moon Cay: Best Private Island and Highest-Rated Caribbean Port
Porthole Cruise Magazine, Travel Weekly and TravelAge West have repeatedly named Half Moon Cay the industry’s best private island, and it is consistently ranked the highest-rated Caribbean port by Holland America Line guests. The quintessential and quaint sanctuary has evolved into a playground for cruise guests, and features the finest beach in the Caribbean, a natural 700-acre lagoon, two-story villas and private cabanas, delicious dining venues like Lobster Shack, a children’s waterpark and a variety of shore excursions for nature lovers, adventure-seekers and explorers.
Guests to the island will notice five new, colorful, two-story Beach Villas available for rent during each call. The luxury hideaways boast exclusive hot tubs on the second floor and provide private accommodations for guests while they relax and experience the island’s highlights.
Two Pinnacle Class Ships in the Caribbean
During the 2022-23 season, Holland America Line’s two newest ships will explore the islands of the Caribbean, offering more guests the opportunity to experience the tropics from the privacy of a verandah stateroom. Plus, family and single staterooms, unique to Pinnacle Class ships, provide additional configurations to meet the needs of guests. The two ships also feature all Holland America Line Music Walk venues and specialty restaurants.
Holland America Line’s ships explore the Caribbean on a variety of routes:
Eastern Caribbean
Ports: Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.; Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
Length: 7 days
Ships: Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, Volendam, Zuiderdam
Ports: Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; Half Moon Cay
Length: 5 days, one departure Dec. 18, 2022
Ship: Nieuw Amsterdam
Western Caribbean
Ports: Combination of Cozumel, Mexico; Falmouth or Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Key West, Florida; Half Moon Cay
Length: 7 days
Ships: Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, Zuiderdam
Southern Caribbean
Ports: Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curaçao; Half Moon Cay
Length: 7 days
Ships: Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Zuiderdam
Ports: Combination of Basseterre, St. Kitts; Bridgetown, Barbados; Castries, St. Lucia; Fort-de-France, Martinique; Kralendijk, Bonaire; Philipsburg, Sint Maarten; Saint Georges, Grenada; Amber Cove; Aruba; Curaçao; Grand Turk; Half Moon Cay; San Juan; St. Thomas
Length: 9, 10, 11 or 14 days
Ships: Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, Volendam, Zaandam
Tropical Caribbean
Ports: Amber Cove, Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, Key West
Length: 7 days
Ships: Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam
Partial Sunfarer Panama Canal
Ports: Cartagena, Colombia; Colon, Panama; Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Aruba, Curaçao, Half Moon Cay, Panama Canal partial transit (Gatun Lake/scenic)
Length: 10 or 11 days
Ship: Eurodam, Volendam
Holiday Cruises
Eastern: Rotterdam (Dec. 21), Nieuw Amsterdam (Dec. 23), Volendam (Dec. 27), Eurodam (Dec. 28)
Western: Eurodam (Dec. 21), Zuiderdam (Dec. 22), Rotterdam (Dec. 28)|
Southern: Nieuw Statendam (Dec. 17, 27), Zaandam (Dec. 20), Zuiderdam (Dec. 29), Nieuw Amsterdam (Dec. 30),
Partial Panama Canal: Volendam (Dec. 17)
Celebrate the Season with a Festive Holiday Cruise
During a December holiday cruise, guests can take part in a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, enjoy traditional holiday meals with all the trimmings and indulge in a special Royal Dutch High Tea with fanciful holiday cookies and pastries. The ships’ international crew chorus performs a magical holiday show, while caroling and sing-alongs take place around the ship. Offering something for all ages, kids will delight in a visit from Santa Claus and holiday-themed crafts. The New Year’s Eve sailings are the ideal setting to ring in a new year, featuring a festive holiday ball with a Champagne toast and followed by a day of college football bowl games.
Combine Back-to-Back Cruises for Longer Collectors’ Voyages
Many of the cruises can be extended into Collectors’ Voyages to create the ultimate Caribbean exploration with more economical fares than booking the cruises individually. Ranging from 12 to 21 days, these longer journeys combine nonrepeating, back-to-back itineraries, enabling guests to span more than one Caribbean region and enjoy the ultimate island-hopping journey.
Delve Deeper into Caribbean Life
Throughout each cruise, EXC programming brings the Caribbean’s local traditions, culinary tastes and cultural experiences to life. Guests can get an insightful look at life below the water’s edge or learn the story of rum at a captivating EXC Talk. Foodies can discover how to get the perfect balance of smoke and spice for authentic jerk chicken at a Port to Table cooking demonstration featuring local fare or participate in an exclusive culinary-themed shore excursion in partnership with FOOD & WINE magazine showcasing the region’s food scene from a local perspective.
Cruise fares for Caribbean cruises begin at $699 for a seven-day departure. Taxes, fee and port expenses are additional.
For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.
