- Visas and Luggage (Post #2)
- 2024 Grand World Voyage (Post #1 )
- Grand World Voyage Activities (Post #3)
- Grand World Voyage Packages (Post #4)
- A LAZY DAY IN FORT LAUDERDALE (Post #5)
- The Grand Adventure Begins (Post #6)
- BLOCK PARTY AT SEA (Post #7)
- MEET AND GREET AT SEA (Post #8)
- MEET ME AT THE JUNCTION (Post #9)
- GOAT RACING IN TOBAGO (Post #10)
- A TASTE OF TAMARIND (Post #11)
- SWIMMING ON DEVILS ISLAND (Post #12)
- CROSSING THE AMAZON BAR (Post #13)
- HOT BRAZILIAN NIGHT ON THE AMAZON (Post #14)
- Alter do Chao – Rubber Trees and Brazil Nuts (Post #15)
- BOCA DA VALERIA – BACK TO BASICS (POST #16)
- OPERA HOUSE ON THE AMAZON – MANAUS (Post #17)
- 2026 WORLD CRUISE SURVEY RELEASED
- BOI BUMBA FESTIVAL & TRICICLOS IN PARINTINS, BRAZIL (POST #18)
- MEETING OF THE RIVERS IN SANTARÉM – (POST #19)
- LEAVING THE AMAZON & CROSSING THE CARRIBEAN (Post #20) 17-19 JAN 2024
- CHOCOLATE IN GRENADA (Post #21)
- CARIBBEAN ISLAND DREAMS AT THE LIDO POOL (Post #22) 21 Jan 2024
- WALKING THRU WILLEMSTAD, CURAÇAO (Post #23)
- Panama Canal Transit and Burgers! (Post #25)
- 2024 WORLD CRUISE – RED SEA REVISION (Post #24)
- Quepos, Costa Rica – Iguanas, Sailfish and Sodas (Post #26)
- Ice Cream Social at Sea (Post #27)
- Manzanillo Street Tacos (Post #28)
- PUERTO VALLARTA – TRAVELING SPOON (Post #29) 30 JAN 2024
- Six days at Sea from Mexico to Hawaii (Post 30)
- Kona “Pirate” Food Tour – (Post #31)
- Super Sunday at Sea (Post #32)
- MARDI GRAS IN THE PACIFIC (Post #33)
- Mid Pacific Valentine’s Day (Post #34)
- HILO’S RAINBOW FALLS AND LAVA FLOWS (Post #35)
- Ishigaki, Japan – Glass Bottom Boats and Fu ChanpurÅ« (Post # 37)
- Naha, Okinawa – Street Food and Pub Crawl (Post #38)
- 2026 Grand World Voyage – Itinerary announced
- Two days in Tokyo – Yarn, Food and Knives (Post #39)
- Kobe & Himeji Castle (Post #40)
- Singapore Pulau Ubin Island and the Night Safari (Post #41)
- Malé, Maldives (Post #43)
- Aprils Fools day at Sea (Post #42)
- Victoria, Seychelles (Post #44)
- Walvis Bay and Sandwich Harbor, Namibia
HAL President Gus Antorcha announces the 2026 Grand World Voyage Itinerary
Gus Antorcha took to the World Stage today at 2 PM and presented an overview of recent Holland America initiatives. One highlight was the continued emphasis on serving Fresh Fish as a regular menu item.
The highlight of the presentation was the disclosure of the 2026 Grand World Voyage.  132 days on the Volendam.  The Zuiderdam will be assigned to other itineraries.  The Volendam is the same class ship as the Amsterdam and is more popular with world cruisers as the cabins tend to have more room than the Vista-class ships.
Gus announced that long-time Hotel General Manager Henk Mensink will retire after the 2025 Grand World Voyage.
Other highlights:
Holland America won’t offer competing 100+ day Grand Voyages again as they are in 2025 with traditional World Cruise and the Pole to Pole.
They will be taking a close look at the Mariner Program in 2025 with an eye toward making certain levels more exclusive.  When everyone’s a five star, then no ones a five star.
There is no change to the single supplement charges; however, singles paying the supplement may get double mariner points.
Four new production shows are being rehearsed in NYC, with a continuing emphasis on singing and dancing.
Gus answered questions for almost two hours. One item of note – no one complained about the internet.  It has been very reliable and fast all cruise
Here is a transcript where he talked about 2025 World and Pole to Pole
Gus: And then we’ve got our two longer voyages the 124 day grand world you see here. You guys are very familiar with and many of you are already booked on it. Some questions I’ve, I’ve gotten, and we’re going to, we’re going to look at this, and I think it’s worth making a decision soon.
Do we think the Suez is passable in 2025?
Anybody’s guess. Well, does anyone think it would be passable in 2025? (Audience Shouting) Two optimists in the room. Three? Four?
Okay. Yeah. So I think it’s worth getting clarity on that. And we’re gonna make, decision-making, now. The challenge is that it’s a lot of Africa, again, and you know, it’s tough.
We’re going to do it here (2024). We just did a grand Africa, so I’m going to talk to the team tomorrow and see if there’s a way to zip around Africa a little faster.
We’ll look at it. But there may be something we can do to minimize the African content and get to more of the Med, maybe some North Africa, Casablanca. (applause) We’ll look at it, we’ll look at it. You guys give it a thumbs up? Sounds like it would be worthwhile. We want to do it fast, we want to give certainty to all of you and potential folks that want to come on board.
And then we’ve got the 133 day pole to pole , and we haven’t announced it, but we will announce in the next couple of months we’re going to do something special in Barcelona. Both the ships are there. We’re going to try and figure out how we do something between both of the ships. They’re going to be there in the same the same day. And so we still need to plan it. But we’ll be coming out with some of that detail in the next, the next couple of months.
Here is the audio only from above
Any comments made about the 2025 WC itinerary changes?
They are going to decide and announce changes “soon”
Gus’s comment – There is no change to the single supplement charges; however, singles paying the supplement may get double mariner points.
Where would I get more info on that?
I’ve sailed as a solo – never got double points.
There isn’t anything more on that for now. It’s just Gus speculating that they are going to “Take a look at it”
It was my understanding that the Amsterdam had only one sister ship and that was the former rotterdam. They were on a class by themselves.
The Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Volendam and Zaandam while not identical, are all considered R class ships.
Rotterdam class (R class) From Wikipedia
Unlike the ships of the S class, Holland America Line’s R-class ships did not all start out identical. Rotterdam, the first of the four, was similar to the S class, but slightly longer and wider, with a third set of passenger stairs/elevators, twin funnels, and some new facilities. The twin sister ships Volendam and Zaandam followed, similar to Rotterdam, but with a different (single) funnel and larger because the aft pool was moved up one deck to the Lido level, creating more space for passenger accommodations below. The final R-class ship, Amsterdam, like a hybrid of Rotterdam and Volendam/Zaandam, incorporates Rotterdam’s twin funnels as well as the Lido deck aft pool. Together, Rotterdam and Amsterdam were considered HAL’s flagships.[citation needed] On July 15, 2020, it was announced by Holland America that MS Rotterdam and MS Amsterdam were sold to an undisclosed buyers. The ships were sold in pairs, with the two joining an existing cruise brand in fall 2020.[81] It was further announced on the same day, that this pair will join Fred. Olsen Cruise Line.[81]
Thanks for the ideas HAL is considering. Maybe they will make some levels between 5* and President’s Club. I’m booked on the Pole to Pole so I was glad to hear they are going to do something special in Barcelona.
Is HAL changing the Mariner Program? “They will be taking a close look at the Mariner Program in 2025 with an eye toward making certain levels more exclusive. When everyone’s a five star, then no ones a five star.”
Gus said they are going to take a new look at the Mariner program in 2025. He didn’t give any specifics, but he didn’t mention that Airlines, Hotels and other loyalty programs have an annual requalification requirement. I could see them saying that your mariner stars expires after so many years. But nothing specific was said.