Welcome Aboard!

03-28-2026: We were up early and out of the house by 7a. Uber to the airport and an uneventful flight, the best kind! There was mush chatter about the NO KINGS protests in San Diego but it didn’t affect us. We landed about 10:45a and got a sandwich to share at a kiosk. It wasn’t very good but then we have 14 days ahead of tasty foods! We saw the shuttle for the ship and decided to join that before taking an Uber. We were to the ship and in our cabin by 1p. No glitches with protests, we only saw a few people dispersing after the event. We headed to the Sea View pool to enjoy the sun. It was a bit breezy. While sitting there Paul and Maureen walked up and we became quickly reacquainted. We will be having dinner with them in Pinnacle Grill tonight. So good to see them. Now it was back to our cabin, unpacking, and sprucing up for dinner. Of course, dinner was delicious. We took a walk up to see the Morimoto and Tamarind Restaurants after that. Paul and Maureen retired for the evening. We went to the casino, where my luck soon ran out. I listened at Billboard for a time and then back to the cabin. Stuart played on with no success. It was still a nice day. There is certainly a different “vibe” on this cruise since it is a 7-day cruise for a lot of people. It seems like the longer cruises we typically go on have a different mindset. Anyway, it was a nice day.

Overview of the Holland America Line Fleet of Ships

Between the two of us, we have been on more than 60 cruises, ranging from 7 days to 111 days. Our first cruise together still ranks as the longest cruise for me (73 days), and we are continuing to enjoy going on Holland America Line (HAL). We have made many friends on these cruises and occasionally re-acquaint with them as we see them on the ship.

Here are the four ship classes in HAL's current fleet, and the cruises we have enjoyed, and will enjoy, on them:

Pinnacle Class -- Designed to provide a more elegant and modern cruising experience, including five specialty dining opportunities and spacious cabin options. About 2650 passengers.

• Koningsdam
• Nieuw Statendam – Baltic Capitals 2027 (14 days)
• Rotterdam

Signature Class -- Enjoy a comfortable cruise experience aboard a perfectly proportioned mid-size ship with additional fine dining, world-class entertainment, and stylishly appointed staterooms and suites. About 2100 passengers.

• Eurodam
• Nieuw Amsterdam – West Coast & Mexico 2026 (14 days)

 Vista Class -- Each cruise ship features a three-story atrium with central sculptures — an embodiment of timeless elegance at sea. About 1970 passengers.

• Noordam – South East Asia & Australia 2025 (57 days)
• Oosterdam – TransAtlantic 2027 (14 days)
• Westerdam
• Zuiderdam – Grand Africa 2023 (73 days)

 R (Rotterdam) Class -- Smaller ships offering an intimate atmosphere and a more traditional style of cruising. About 1400 passengers.

• Volendam
• Zaandam -- South Pacific 2025 (51 days); Grand South America 2027 (70 days)

 BOTTOM LINE: We have gotten to know and really like the service and amenities on a Holland American Line cruise. Comment below on what you like about cruising and let us know if you would like to join us on a future cruise.

Bon Voyage

Holland America Cruise

In a few days we will be boarding the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam. We have not been on the ocean since last November when we did 51-days in the South Pacific. We will board this (new to us) ship in San Diego on March 28, cruising south along Baja Mexico, in the Sea of Cortez. We will have several stops there. The remainder of the 14-days will be spent getting back to San Diego and then heading north. We will cruise the PNW (Pacific North West) ending up in Vancouver BC, Canada. No extensions after that. We will fly home the day we disembark, April 11. Let the fun begin!

Holand America Nieuw Amsterdam

New Blog

 I am starting this new blog for travels with Stuart & Sharon.