Attending the Seatrade Cruise Global convention in Fort Lauderdale this week, Holland America Line announced a number of interesting events coming up in the future. Today, I’m talking about west coast sailings and some unique offerings for the 2023-24 season.

Highlighting the San Diego cruise season are two solar eclipse cruises that place Koningsdam and Zaandam in Mexico for total viewing during the April 8, 2024, eclipse. In addition, a special Mexico sailing in December 2023 explores unique ports in the Sea of Cortez.

Now open for booking, travelers can set out to explore Mexico, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast and Panama Canal on six ships across 39 departures. Voyages are roundtrip from San Diego or begin or end in the popular California port. San Diego sailings are part of Holland America Line’s homeport initiative that allows guests to see the world from their doorstep, without international air or by taking an easy flight from Canada.

Two Solar Eclipse Cruises Offer Total Viewing

• Zaandam’s 14-day Solar Eclipse Cruise departs on March 30, 2024, and is positioned for a total view of the solar eclipse as it tracks over Mexico. Roundtrip from San Diego, the ship is at Mazatlán on April 8, giving guests a front-row seat. 
• Koningsdam’s 22-day Solar Eclipse Cruise positions the ship along the coast of Mexico for a total view before crossing the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. The San Diego to Vancouver itinerary departs on April 5 and heads south to Cabo San Lucas before spending the day at sea on April 8 for the total eclipse. Koningsdam then makes its way to Puerto Vallarta before crossing over to Hawaii.

Historical Baja Peninsula & Sea of Cortez Explores Unique Ports

Volendam’s 12-day “Historic Baja & Sea of Cortez” cruise departing Dec. 10, 2023, explores the sun-kissed jewels along the Baha Peninsula on a roundtrip from San Diego cruise to Mexico that features charming La Paz, tranquil Loreto, and vibrant Puerto Vallarta. The journey follows in the footsteps of ports visited by author John Steinbeck and biologist Ed Ricketts in 1951 when they collected marine specimens on an expedition that eventually resulted in two books about their experiences.

Highlights of the 2023-24 Mexico Cruise Season:

• All Mexico cruises are roundtrip from San Diego. 
• Three ships offer Mexico itineraries: Koningsdam, Volendam, and Zaandam.
• All seven-day “Mexican Riviera” cruises feature Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas.
• The 10-, 11- and 12-day itineraries include the ports on the seven-day cruise, plus a combination of Guaymas. Loreto, Manzanillo, Pichilingue (La Paz), Santa Rosalia, Topolobampo and Zihuatanejo,
• One five-day cruise calls at Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. 

Highlights of the 2023-24 Hawaii Cruise Season:

• Cruises to Hawaii are aboard Koningsdam and Volendam.
• Itineraries are roundtrip from San Diego, roundtrip from Vancouver, or between Vancouver and San Diego.
• “Circle Hawaii” cruises range from 16 to 18 days:
  • 17-day roundtrip from Vancouver with calls at Lahaina, Hilo, Honolulu Kona, and Nawiliwili, all in Hawaii. The 17-day roundtrip from San Diego also includes Ensenada. 
  • 16-day calls at Lahaina, Hilo, Honolulu, Kona, and Ensenada.
  • 18-day calls at Lahaina, Hilo, Honolulu (overnight), Nawiliwili, Kona, and Ensenada.

Highlights of the 2023-24 Pacific Northwest and Coast Cruise Season:

• Six ships will cruise along the West Coast of the United States: Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Volendam, and Zaandam.
• Itineraries are roundtrip from San Diego, roundtrip from Vancouver, or between Vancouver and San Diego.
• Two one-day “Pacific Northwest” getaways in October 2023 and May 2024 between Vancouver and Seattle offer a quick taste of Holland America Line aboard Eurodam.  
• “Pacific Coast” itineraries are four and five days. The four-day offers a call at Avalon, California; Astoria, Oregon; or three days at sea. The five-day cruises visit a combination of Monterey, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco, California; and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. 
• “Classic California Coast” and “Wine Country and Pacific Northwest” are six or seven days. Ports include a combination of Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Victoria, and Ensenada,
• A special five-day itinerary roundtrip from Vancouver on April 30 calls at Ketchikan, Alaska, and Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada.

Highlights of the 2023-24 Panama Canal Cruise Season:

• Four ships transit the Panama Canal: Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Volendam and Zaandam. 
• Cruises sail between Vancouver, Seattle or San Diego and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
• Transits range from 14 to 22 days and include calls in Aruba, California, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Turks and Caicos.
• Most Panama Canal cruises include a call at Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line’s award-winning private island in the Bahamas. 
• Guests enjoy a daylight transit of the man-made marvel, with commentary on the open decks detailing the amazing feat of the canal. 

Collectors’ Voyages Craft Longer Journeys 

Many of the cruises can be extended into Collectors’ Voyages, which offer the ultimate exploration. By combining two itineraries and longer non-repeating voyages, these artfully crafted journeys up to 32 days combine back-to-back sailings, enabling guests to visit more ports and spend extra time discovering the regions.

Have It All Premium Fare     

Holland America Line’s “Have It All” premium fare adds four popular perks to the booking: shore excursions, specialty dining, a beverage package and Wi-Fi. The number of tours and specialty dining experiences depends on length of voyage. Have It All is available for cruises six days or longer. 

For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.