Cruising over the December holidays is a tradition for my family, usually on long itineraries to bucket list destinations like the Panama Canal, the Sea of Cortez, New Zealand, and South America/Antarctica. This year we’re embarking on a 16-night voyage from San Diego to Hawaii onboard Holland America’s ms Zaandam. While we’ve cruised to Hawaii many times before on other lines, this will be our first cruise to Hawaii on Holland America. I’m excited for a sailing that includes both my favorite cruise line (you know I adore them all, but if I had to choose a favorite…) AND one of my top five most loved cruise destinations. And all that over Christmas, New Year’s and my son’s 12th birthday, offering justification to go extra hard for the cruise desserts! Here are five things I’m especially looking forward to and why you might consider forgoing your usual holiday traditions for a Holland America cruise…
My mom, brother, and I still howl with laughter every time National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation airs around the holidays partly because Clark Griswold reminds us so much of my beloved late father who was famous around our Salt Lake City suburb for his outdoor Christmas display. And while the casual lookie-loo wasn’t privy to them, the indoor decorations were equally impressive (i.e. over the top – roughly 40,000 square feet of unfinished basement space was dedicated to their storage). My childhood memories of these holiday decorations are so fond, but I have no desire to spend weeks replicating them for my own kid. Thankfully, cruising over the holidays has allowed him to enjoy ships beautifully decorated with Christmas trees, garlands, wreaths, lights and, on Holland America ships, elaborate gingerbread villages featuring working trains.
One can also participate in numerous holiday activities and traditions (including Hanukkah traditions) without having to plan any of them. Which brings me to item number two…
Perhaps the best part of cruising over the holidays is that you don’t have to cook or clean or coordinate anything and you can avoid further losing the spirit over heated dinner conversations with your liberal or conservative (depending on your political persuasion) relatives: “We wish we could invite you over this year to compare corporations we’re boycotting, but we’re going on a cruise.”
You won’t even have to play Santa! On every holiday cruise we’ve taken across multiple cruise lines, Santa has made an appearance on Christmas Day to pass out gifts and pose for photos. On our most recent Holland America cruise, younger kids were given a stuffed animal and older kids/teens were given a portable charger. Families could also purchase professional photos with Santa or take their own for free. My husband and I watched as kids and families posed in beautiful coordinating Christmas outfits and then our kid marches up there (onto the stage in the main theater in front of a full audience) in swim trunks and flip flops and does this:
Most cruise lines offer special holiday menus, but Holland America really rolls out the red…and green…carpet for the holidays. Here are some of the special dining experiences guests onboard Holland America ships (including meeeeeeee!) can look forward to this holiday season:
Nutcracker Afternoon Tea Service. This special holiday-themed tea will be offered on select sea days in the main dining room. The full tea service will feature Grinch truffles, Santa hat cupcakes, reindeer chocolate tarts, and savory sandwiches.
Breakfast with Santa. Families sailing Holland America’s signature and pinnacle class ships in the Caribbean just before or during Christmas can join Santa in one of the specialty restaurants for a family-friendly breakfast, photos, crafts, and Christmas music. Breakfast with Santa is $25 per adult and $15 per child ages 3-17.
Christmas Eve Dinner in the Dining Room. Christmas Eve dinner will showcase holiday dishes from around the world including Norway, Thailand, Spain, and the Caribbean. Here’s the Christmas Eve dinner menu from 2022 for an idea of the international dishes guests will be sampling: Holland America Christmas Eve Dinner Menu
Christmas Dinner in the Dining Room. While this year’s Christmas Day menus will be a surprise, I have fond memories of the last time we sailed on Holland America over Christmas in 2022. Here’s a link to the menus (brunch and dinner) we enjoyed: Holland America’s Christmas Day Menus
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dinner in Canaletto. Canaletto, Holland America’s Italian specialty restaurant will also serve special Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners featuring festive Italian fare. Here’s the Christmas Eve menu (available on our ship for $41.30 per person):
Hanukkah Favorites in the Lido Market. The Lido Market (buffet) will offer traditional Hanukkah favorites such as doughnuts filled with strawberry jelly (a nod to the story of Hanukkah where oil burned for eight days) and crispy potato latkes served with apple sauce and sour cream.
New Year’s Eve Dinner in the Dining Room. A special New Year’s Eve dinner will be served in the main dining room. Here’s the menu we enjoyed on our last Holland America cruise over New Year’s: Holland America New Year’s Eve Menu
New Year’s Eve Dinner at Pinnacle Grill. For $88.50 per person on our ship, guests can opt for an extra indulgent New Year’s Eve dinner at Pinnacle Grill, Holland America’s steakhouse. The menu will feature a colossal crab tower with caviar, a sterling beef fillet with butter-basted lobster, a chocolate countdown, and a complimentary champagne toast.
New Year’s Day Brunch in the Dining Room and at Pinnacle Grill. A special complimentary New Year’s Day brunch will be served in the dining room as well as an upgraded experience at Pinnacle Grill. Brunch at Pinnacle Grill has become a tradition for my family any time we’re onboard a Holland America ship on New Year’s Day. This year, for $29.50 per person on our ship, we’ll be feasting on brunch favorites and bottomless mimosas (that New Year’s resolution to lose weight can…wait!). Here are photos of everything we ordered in 2022 as well as this year’s menu:
With the Captain as my designated driver and an epic New Year’s party scheduled for approximately 3 hours past my bedtime, I plan on imbibing in quite a few of these special Holland America holiday cocktails and coffee drinks:
The two things I love most in life? Cruise desserts and sleep. You’ll note that partying didn’t make the list. But even I feel obligated to ring in the new year with a glass of bubbly and quick blow of a noise maker before tumbling into blissful slumber to not see midnight again for another year. So while complimentary champagne, noise makers, and party hats are provided for the new year countdown on Holland America cruises, the best part is the proximity of the party to my bed. Five, four, three, two, one…HAPPY NEW YEAR…blow the horn…kiss…cheers…burp…and two minutes later…zzzzzzzzz.
I hope that wherever the holidays find you, on land or at sea, you have a safe, joyful, and delicious holiday season. Maybe I’ll even see you onboard the Zaandam! If so, I wouldn’t recommend standing too close to me during the Christmas caroling as my kid informs me my vocal range reminds him of a wild boar under attack (honestly, where’s his Christmas spirit!). And with that…
Class Dismissed!
Homework (5 points): Have you cruised over the December holidays? If so, share to the comments what you’ve loved most about it. If you’re cruising for the first time this year, share what you’re most looking forward to. And don’t forget to subscribe to the blog and follow me (@profcruise) on social media:
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