HOLLAND AMERICA? Our clients overwhelmingly travel on river boats, small-ship ocean cruises, and increasingly on expedition ships. So why might you consider Holland America?
- The SMALLEST of the Big Ships. We can’t call HAL’s ships “small” like the luxury lines, but they are a fraction the size of the floating amusement parks. HAL ships carry between 1400 and 2600 (as opposed to 5000 or more) and ALL HAL ships are under 100,000 tons (as opposed to 240,000 tons (or more).
- Take the kids or grandchildren. River or small ship ocean cruises might not be optimal for younger people. HAL isn’t overrun with children like the floating amusement parks, but there are facilities and programs for children and teens.
- Alaska Land-Sea Combos. HAL has 6 ships in Alaska, and along with their sister brand, Princess, own just about all the lodge and transportation infrastructure in the 49th State. You’ll have MORE choices (upwards of 2 dozen) for Land-Sea combinations.
- Selection of Suites: If you travel with HAL in a Signature Suites, Neptune Suite or a Pinnacle Suite, you’ll have between 500 -1300 square feet, and a KING bed. The suites have jacuzzi tubs, and if you go in the Pinnacle Suite, you’ll have a hot tub on your outdoor deck. Suites also get priority embarkation/disembarkation and tender queuing.
- Entertainment. Like the other big-ship lines, they have the Vegas-style production shows in the big theatre, but I really like the smaller venues geared to those of us over 50: The BB King Blues Lounge, the Dueling Pianos, the Rolling Stones Lounge, and the Strings (if you feel like classical music).
- Pickleball anyone? It’s hard to believe how popular this has become, and HAL has got you covered, if this is part of your routine.
- Travel Slow. HAL wants its guests to be story collectors, so they have longer voyages, and stay in places longer.
- Extended Voyages. You might not be ready for a 6-month world cruise, but if you wanted to try living on board a cruise ship for 20 to 100 days, there’s several choices.
PRIVATE SALE OFFER:
Holland America wants access to our river cruise and small-ship ocean cruise clients, so they’ve extended this exclusive offer to clients of our agency for the month of April:
- The DEAL: Between 5% off (on shorter cruises), and 12% off (on cruises over 35 days) on HAVE IT ALL fares.
- WHERE: Alaska (2026), Australia/New Zealand, Europe, South America
- EXCLUSIONS: World Cruises, Grand Voyages, Caribbean, Mexico
- COMBINES: with all HAL’s current market offers
I’ve put some examples below, but this deal applies to MOST of HAL’s inventory.
Getting the BEST VALUE: Layer it up
- PRIVATE SALE SAVINGS: We can get you 5% – 12% OFF the pricing for HAVE IT ALL fares you see on the HAL website.
- EARLY BOOKING BONUS for 2026: You’ll get FREE gratuities, the Elite beverage package, Premium wifi, a shore excursion credit, specialty dining.
- MARINERS’ CLUB CREDITS: If you’re a previous HAL guest, you’ll get an additional on board credit in recognition of your loyalty.
- VERANDA OBC: We can add an additional $50 per person OBC for Veranda rooms (and higher).
- CLUB ORANGE: Add club orange for upgrades, concierge service, priority embarkation/disembarkation.
When you layer all these things together, this offer is pretty hard to beat.
Dream-Travel-Share UNPACKED:
Check out our VIDEO BLOG where Kim & Bob talk about Holland America, where they excel, and why you might want to consider them. Also hear about Kim’s trip on Holland America to Yukon and Denali: https://youtu.be/bws9SQbmJus
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Today’s Travel Opportunities
HOLLAND AMERICA FEATURED SAILINGS
We can get you a price break on just about ALL Holland America sailings (for departures in late 2025 through 2027), so what’s below is just a handful of examples.
ALASKA with YUKON & DENALI (Y1L) round-trip Vancouver for 17-days
- Start in Vancouver, then fly to Whitehorse (included), visit Dawson City (overnight), Fairbanks (overnight), Denali NP (2 nights), Anchorage (overnight), then board the ship, and visit Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and then finish back in Vancouver
- Depart June 4, 2026 from $5814 (LESS 7%) for HAVE IT ALL fare
ALASKA with DENALI (D1C) depart June 7, 2026 from Vancouver to Fairbanks for 12-days
- Visit Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, College Fjord, Anchorage, Denali NP (3 nights), then on to Fairbanks, with the return flight to Seattle (included).
- Fares from $3894 (LESS 7%) for HAVE IT ALL fare
HAWAII & ALASKA departing September 6, 2026 for 28 Days.
- Visit Vancouver, Sitka, Hubbard Glacier, Anchorage, College Fjord, Valdez, Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, Kauai, Honolulu (overnight), Kona, Hilo.
- Fares from $5744 (LESS 10%) for HAVE IT ALL fare
AUSTRALIA Circumnavigation departing November 15, 2026 for 35-days
- Great if you like seas days. Visit every major port in Australia, as well as 4 in Papua New Guinea,
- Fares from $7749 (LESS 12%) for HAVE IT ALL fare
ICELAND & CANADA departing June 20, 2026 for 28-days. Round-trip from Boston
- Visit Portland, Sydney, St. Pierre/Miquelon, St. John’s, 7 stops in Iceland, 2 stops in Newfoundland, Quebec, and Halifax before returning to Boston
- Fares from $7669 (LESS 10%) for HAVE IT ALL fare
SOLAR ECLLPSE from NORTHERN EUROPE departing July 25, 2026 for 28-days
- Visit 3 ports in Norway, and one fjord sailing day, 8 stops in Iceland, 4 stops in Greenland, experience the eclipse from the path of totality, the Faroe Islands, 3 stops in Scotland, London
- Fares from $7734 (LESS 10%) for HAVE IT ALL fare
MEDITERRANEAN SOLAR ECLIPSE: departing Lisbon August 9, 2026 for 13-days
- Visit Lisbon, Alicante, Barcelona (overnight), experience the eclipse from the path of totality, Corsica, Rome, Puglia, Montenegro, and finish in Athens.
- Fares from $4289 (LESS 7%) for HAVE IT ALL fare
** ALL FARES above INCLUDE gratuities, Elite Beverage Package, Premium Wifi, a shore excursion credit, specialty dining
EXPLORE the RIVERS with AMA WATERWAYS
AMA has a strong culinary offering, and is great for people that want more choices for shore excursions. Your final payment also isn’t due until 90 days prior to sailing.
TULIP CRUISE round-trip Amsterdam for 7-nights
- Visit Amsterdam (overnight), Kampen, Bruinisse, Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Kinderdijk
- March 2026: Fares from $2449
- April 2026: Fares from $3449
- May 2026: Fares from $4099
PROVENCE, FRANCE: Lyon to Marseille for 7-nights
- Visit Lyon (overnight), Vienne, Tournon, Viviers, Avignon, Arles (overnight). Experience farm to table food, wineries, Roman Ruins, and the French countryside.
- Departures April – December from $3139.
- Here’s our video from when we did this cruise: https://youtu.be/H2rBL8J7DIU
DISCOVER SOUTHERN AFRICA:
- Start in Capetown for 3-nights, then board your ship, and spend the next 4 days on Safari both by riverboat and 4 X 4. Spend 2 nights in Victoria Falls, before finishing in Johannesburg for the trip home.
- 2025: Fares from $12,045 with departures April through November.
- 2026: Fares from $12,170 with departures February through November
ACTIVE ADVENTURES with NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
You don’t have to be an elite athlete, but if you like to be active on vacation, here are some great options close to home:
OREGON & WASHINGTON: Columbia River from Portland to Clarkston for 6-days
- Visit Portland, The Dalles (for Multnomah Falls and fish hatchery), Columbia Gorge, Walla Walla, Palouse River. Traverse the locks by river boat right here at home!
- Go hiking, kayaking, ride on the zodiacs, visit museums and wineries
- Departures in March, April September or October from $3720
BRITISH COLUMBIA and the SAN JUAN ISLANDS for 8-days round-trip Seattle
- Visit Victoria BC, Desolation Sound for kayaking and hiking, Alert Bay for First Nations immersion, the Canadian Gulf Islands to visit quaint communities, Friday Harbor on for the Whale museum, and other islands in Puget Sound.
- This corner of the country is a well-kept secret. Visit remote islands to see the sea lions, eagles, humpback and orca whales. Go for a bike ride in Victoria; kayaking, zodiacs, and paddleboarding in remote bays.
- Departures in September and October from $4718
WHALE WATCHING in MAGDALENA BAY (Baja California) for 6-days round-trip Loreto
- Whale Watching in Magdalena Bay for 6 dyas Jan, Feb, Mar. RT Loreto Mexico
- See the Gray Whales, explore the sand dunes at Sand Dollar Beach, and visit the fishing village of Puerto Magdalena. Go kayaking, zodiacs, paddleboarding, hiking, and cycling.
- Departures January through March from $3750
LAND CRUISES with G-ADVENTURES
G-Adventures has a new product called GELUXE, for those wanting to travel in a bit more comfort. Here are 3 examples:
IRELAND from Dublin to Ennis for 10-days with departures June through October
- Start in Dublin, do a walk on the Howth Coastal Trail, Cork & Spike Island, visit the villages of the Baera Peninusla, go sea kayaking (or if you prefer, a scenic boat ride), Dingle, Ring of Kerry, Killarney, Adare, Limerick, Inisheer Island, Cliffs of Moher, and finish in Ennis
- Fares from $4799 on departures June through October
CROATIA Island hopping on Dalmatian Coast from Dubrovnik to Trogir for 9-days
- Visit the walled city of Dubrovnik (see where Game of Thrones was filmed), travel by small boat to Korcula (for hiking, biking, or a winery visit), Hvar (for a beach day, or day on the water), Split and Trogir for Krka NP and Waterfalls
- Fares from $3824 for departures April through October
In Case You Missed It:
INSURANCE: You don’t need insurance until you need it. Here’s some questions to ask when you’re buying your travel insurance:
https://pamperedcruiser.com/our-advice-about-travel-insurance-2/
WHY WE TRAVEL: Some of you have asked about the travelling we like to do. I wrote this article about a year ago that offers some insight in to when, how, and where we like to go.
https://pamperedcruiser.com/why-we-travel/
Latest YOUTUBE Post:
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS: If you’re a photographer, or outdoor enthusiast, this destination is already on your radar. Check out our itinerary video from our recent trip there:
Reminder: VISITING THE UK?
You now need to complete an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) if you are visiting or connecting a flight anywhere in the UK. England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland require US Passport Holders to complete this prior to arrival. Here’s a video we did that contains all the details: https://youtu.be/6NGfCqOsDKk
If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
