Holland America

A Holland America cruise fare typically includes your stateroom accommodation, meals in main dining rooms and buffets, select non-alcoholic beverages like coffee, tea, and water, and access to most onboard entertainment and activities. Specialty dining, alcoholic beverages, shore excursions, and gratuities are usually extra.

Holland America ships offer a variety of dining options. These generally include main dining rooms with multi-course meals, casual Lido Market buffets, and several specialty restaurants offering diverse cuisines for an additional fee. Room service is also typically available.

Onboard Holland America, guests can enjoy a range of entertainment and activities. This often includes live music in venues like B.B. King's Blues Club or Billboard Onboard, Broadway-style production shows, movies, casino gaming, swimming pools, fitness centers, and enrichment programs like cooking demonstrations.

Holland America's cancellation policy varies depending on the cruise length, fare type, and how far in advance you cancel. Generally, penalties increase closer to the sailing date, potentially resulting in the loss of the full fare. It's crucial to review the specific terms at the time of booking or on their official website.

With Holland America, a daily gratuity (Hotel Service Charge) is typically automatically added to your onboard account for crew members. Guests may also have the option to prepay gratuities before their cruise. These gratuities are distributed among stateroom attendants, dining staff, and other service personnel.

For Holland America cruises, infants must generally be at least 6 months old on the first day of the cruise, or 12 months for certain longer or more exotic itineraries. Guests under 21 must typically be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone who is at least 21 years old in the same or connecting stateroom.

Holland America can accommodate various special dietary needs, such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, diabetic, and common food allergies. It's essential to notify the cruise line of any dietary requirements at the time of booking, or at least a few weeks before sailing, to ensure proper arrangements can be made.

Required travel documents for a Holland America cruise depend on the itinerary and your nationality. Generally, a valid passport is highly recommended for all international travel; some closed-loop cruises from the U.S. may permit U.S. citizens to travel with an official birth certificate and government-issued photo ID. Visas may also be required for certain ports of call, so it's vital to check specific requirements well in advance.