Increasingly, guests appreciate knowing what their total vacation costs will be ahead of time, rather than separately accounting for cruise fare, drinks, dining, excursions, and more.  For guests on Holland America Line, the new “Have It All” package can provide clearer pricing while also offering substantial savings for many.

Ashford, a five year veteran of premium cruise line Holland America Line, is stepping down and leaving at the end of May according to a press release on May 12, 2020...

So often when traveling, I go out of my way to avoid the touristy spots – especially when it’s a place I’ve been to many times.  Today however was a nice reminder for us that often, the touristy spots are popular because they have something nice to offer.  We enjoyed some beach time, good conversation, ran errands, and a great performance once back on the ship, on our second from last day on Holland America Line’s Niuew Statendam...

I often find on a seven-night cruise that there ends up being one day where I do almost nothing.  Sometimes this is planned, sometimes it happens by accident.  Today we got a late start, learned of two itinerary changes, took it very easy, but ultimately had a lovely day. 

Ocho Rios is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Jamaica, the third largest island in the Caribbean.  We spent the day enjoying the peaceful scenery from a raft while learning about the island Nation, on this, our fourth day on Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam...

I love visiting new places in different countries throughout the world – I also really enjoy relaxing on a ship at sea, and today was perfect for that, as we enjoyed our first sea day on our seven-night Nieuw Statenam cruise...

On the first full day of our cruise we visited Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line’s private destination in The Bahamas.  We took it easy and enjoyed what I truly feel is one of the prettiest beaches in the Caribbean...

Today we boarded Nieuw Statendam, a new Pinnacle Class ship from Holland America Line (HAL).  Our seven-night sailing will take us to Half Moon Cay, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.  Usually I start with separate post explaining out upcoming cruise, why we chose it, etc, but since I’m starting right off on embarkation day, I’ll share a tiny bit of that information before jumping into our day...

The last day of any cruise is a sad one, but to us, it’s a bit easier when the last day is a port day as the distraction of going ashore keeps us from dwelling on the inevitable.  On the final day of our Nieuw Amsterdam sailing we found ourselves visiting Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line’s private island in the Bahamas.  We enjoyed the tropical paradise, thought about how it compared to other private islands, and then went back onboard to absorb the last hours of what Nieuw Amsterdam had to offer us this cruise, including dining in the Pinnacle Grill...

Sometimes we cruise to enjoy the destinations, the activities, and the entertainment – other times we cruise for the sake of leaving our cares behind.  Today’s sea day on Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam was one of those days we just wanted to look around and bask in the enjoyment of doing nothing.  Don’t worry, we still managed to do something, or else we wouldn’t have much to write about…