Holland America Line adds festive dining and offers for 2026 holidays

International

Seasonal menus, onboard celebrations and selected fare discounts feature across Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year sailings

Holland America Line has outlined its programme for the 2026 holiday season, combining traditional meals, festive entertainment and decorated ships with promotional fares on selected departures. Activities will span Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year voyages, with itineraries ranging from the Caribbean to Antarctica and Australia.

Dining is a central part of the programme. Guests can expect Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas meals with Santa, a Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes and Nutcracker Tea. New this year is a Magnolia Gingerbread Cake, developed through the cruise line’s partnership with Magnolia Bakery and served in the main Dining Room. Seasonal drinks and destination-inspired dishes will complement familiar holiday recipes.

The announcement also gives travel sellers a short booking window for additional incentives. Under the Save on Sunshine promotion, selected cruises offer fare reductions of up to 50%, alongside free cruise fares for children travelling as the third and fourth guests in the same stateroom. Eligible bookings made from 13 to 21 October can receive up to $200 in onboard credit per stateroom and one complimentary evening of speciality dining.

Familiar traditions, different surroundings

“The holidays are a time when traditions and togetherness matter most, and traveling doesn’t mean leaving those traditions behind,” said Michael Stendebach, Holland America Line’s Vice President of Food, Beverage and Rooms Division.

The menus draw on several holiday traditions, with dishes and drinks including latkes, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and eggnog. Regional influences will also appear, allowing guests to try destination-inspired flavours alongside the seasonal staples.

Coffee options include cocoamint, vanilla gingerbread and eggnog varieties, while festive cocktails range from a ginger mojito to a seasonal margarita and mint martini. Availability of promotional benefits is limited to selected sailings.

Beyond the dining rooms, ships will host tree-lighting ceremonies, carol singing, holiday films, crew performances and family activities. New Year’s Eve celebrations will include parties and a champagne toast to welcome 2027.

Gingerbread displays return across the fleet

Shipboard culinary teams will create individual gingerbread villages, continuing an established fleet-wide tradition. Each display involves planning, baking and assembling a design unique to the ship.

The seasonal programme accompanies a range of departure lengths. Among the announced options is a seven-day Baja Peninsula cruise aboard Koningsdam, sailing roundtrip from San Diego on 21 November. Zaandam follows with a 15-day Panama Canal Holiday voyage from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale on 19 December.

Caribbean departures include Rotterdam’s 11-day Eastern Caribbean Holiday, visiting the Windward and Leeward Islands, and Volendam’s 14-day Southern Caribbean itinerary covering the ABC and Windward Islands. Both sail roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale on 22 December.

Eurodam departs Fort Lauderdale on 26 December for a seven-day Western Caribbean Holiday covering the Greater Antilles and Mexico. A number of holiday itineraries also include the cruise line’s Bahamian destination, RelaxAway Half Moon Cay, adding a beach stop to the onboard celebrations.