As of September 2010, Holland America's schedules are set up to two years ahead of time so you have time to plan. In early October the Veerdam leaves New York and stops at St. George, Grenada; Hamilton, Bermuda; and finally Rio de Janeiro. In mid-March the Veendam leaves Rio de Janeiro for a 28-day voyage to Ft. Lauderdale. Along the way, she visits French Guiana, Barbados, Aruba, Turks & Caicos and the Bahamas. In the fall, she repositions back to South America. This refurbished ship offers spacious staterooms, the Greenhouse Spa and Salon and a resort-style pool.
Holland America Line
300 Elliott Ave.
West Seattle, WA 98119.
206-281-353
hollandamerica.com
In mid-October HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam leaves Spain for a 20-day cruise to Ft. Lauderdale;in early April she reverses this itinerary. The seven days at sea leave passengers time to enjoy the onboard $3,000,000 art collection, the expanded Greenhouse Spa and Salon, a hydropool and a large gymnasium. After seven days at sea, her ports-of-call include Madeira, Portugal; Gibraltar; and Cadiz, Cartagena, Valencia and Barcelona in Spain. You can add another ten days of sailings with stops at Monte Carlo; Florence, Pisa, Rome and Sicily, Italy; and Greece's Nauplion, Olympia and Corfu.
In early fall, HAL's Rotterdam, Zuiderdam, Westerdam, Statendam and Volendam all depart Vancouver, Canada, and Seattle, Washington, for the Caribbean through the Panama Canal. These voyages average about two weeks in length with stops at San Diego, California, and Mexican and Central American ports. In April, some of these ships reposition from the Caribbean for summer in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Passengers can embark at Ft. Lauderdale and take 22 to 29-day cruises through the Panama Canal as far as Seattle and Vancouver. Passengers can also embark at San Diego for a four-to-five day cruise to Seattle or Vancouver. From these ports the ships are prepared for a full summer of Alaskan cruises.
