Holland America Line’s tenth ship has resumed passenger cruises, as Westerdam sets sail today out of the Port of Seattle.
Technically, the vessel’s resumption means that all 11 Holland America ships have resumed service, even though only ten are sailing regular passenger cruises. That’s because Volendam is currently being chartered by the Dutch government to house refugees from Ukraine in Rotterdam.
Today Westerdam is kicking off a summer season of seven-night Alaskan Explorer cruises, which will stop in Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Victoria, with scenic cruising to see Hubbard Glacier. This season will run through September 25, seeing the ship operate 16 cruises with this itinerary.
On October 2, Westerdam is scheduled to depart on a 37-night one-way voyage from Seattle to Sydney, Australia, with port calls including destinations such as Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Hawaii. The voyage will also have an extended option, making the sailing 52 nights — also ending in Sydney.
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Through mid-December, the ship will operate Australia and New Zealand Voyages before repositioning to Asia.
Westerdam is part of Holland America’s Vista-class, and debuted in 2004. In 2015, the ship’s suites underwent a major transformation as part of Holland America’s $300 million effort to upgrade its best staterooms. In 2017, it underwent major renovations again — this time to public areas. They included the addition of Explorations Central and the live music venue Billboard Onboard.
Following the global cruise industry shutdown in 2020, Holland America initially restarted operations in July 2021. The final ship to resume regular passenger sailings — Volendam — is scheduled to begin a series of Mediterranean voyages this September following her charter.
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