Holland America Line Unveils Pole-to-Pole Grand Voyage

Holland America Line has announced a first-of-its-kind “pole-to-pole” Grand Voyage that will span 133 nights and offer guests phenomenal ports of call across five continents, including cruising in Antarctica and crossing the Arctic Circle.

The cruise is a roundtrip sailing from Fort Lauderdale, and will be underway at the same time the line’s Grand World Voyage of 124 nights is also taking guests around the world.

Pole-to-Pole Grand Voyage Revealed

Holland America Line’s Grand Voyage with a pole-to-pole itinerary will set sail aboard Volendam on January 25, 2025, departing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a convenient homeport for cruise travelers, particularly as this is a roundtrip sailing that will also end in Fort Lauderdale 133 days later.

The ship will follow a south-north-south route, transiting the Panama Canal before sailing down the west coast of South America. Four days of scenic cruising will give guests amazing views of Antarctica, then the ship will sail north along the east coast of South America before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Africa.

After outstanding ports of call in Africa, the ship will visit key destinations in Europe up to the North Cape of Norway, above the Arctic Circle. The ship will then turn to Iceland and Greenland before heading south along the eastern coast of North America back to Fort Lauderdale.

“Detailed planning went into this voyage to ensure we’re visiting destinations when the weather is favorable, and we included locations that are sought after like the Amazon River, Greenland and Iceland, in addition to Antarctica and the Arctic,” said Paul Grigsby, vice president for deployment and itinerary planning for Holland America Line.

In total, the cruise will visit 68 ports of all in 28 countries and 5 continents. Included are 8 overnight calls in vibrant destinations such as Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Barcelona, Spain; and Reykjavik, Iceland.

Other highlights of the voyage will include the full Panama Canal transit, exploring the Amazon River, passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, and unparalleled scenery in the Norwegian fjords.

Volendam is Holland America Line‘s smallest vessel, weighing in at 61,214 gross tons, and just 1,432 guests will have the opportunity to book this amazing, one-of-a-kind voyage.

While bookings will not officially open until May 24, 2023, interested guests can contact the cruise line or their travel advisor to make a “Future Cruise Request” deposit which will give them priority booking confirmation.

2025 Grand World Voyage Also Announced

At the same time that Volendam is sailing pole-to-pole, the slightly larger Zuiderdam will be underway on its 2025 Grand World Voyage, a 124-night sailing visiting 46 ports of call in 32 countries across 6 continents.

“This will be a truly historic pair of voyages,” Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line, said. “Our Grand World Voyage travels east to west and our other Grands focus on one region, so designing this first-of-its-kind route that explores south to north roundtrip from the U.S. is an incredible way to allow our guests two different choices to travel across the world.”

Also, roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, the Grand World Voyage sets sail on January 4, 2025, and will transit the Panama Canal en route to Easter Island and further on to Australia. The cruise continues through Indonesia, South Africa, the eastern African coast, through the Suez Canal, across the Mediterranean, across the Atlantic, and back to Fort Lauderdale.

Along the way, Zuiderdam will enjoy 9 overnight visits in stunning ports like Papeete, Tahiti; Sydney, Australia; Singapore; Mombasa, Kenya; and Safaga, Egypt, as well as late-night departures in other memorable destinations.

Read Also: Interest for Longer Voyages Increases for Holland America Line

April 24, 2025 will be a momentous occasion for both ships on such stunning voyages, as Volendam and Zuiderdam meet in Barcelona, Spain, for a joint overnight call and special festivities.

As with the pole-to-pole voyage, bookings will officially open on May 24, but guests can reserve their interest immediately. Guests who book the full 133-night Grand Voyage: Pole-to-Pole or 124-night Grand World Voyage by June 3, 2024 will also receive amazing incentives, such as onboard credits, complimentary Wi-Fi packages, air credit, and roundtrip airfare transfers.

Exact amenities may vary between the two voyages and will also depend on the stateroom category booked.