Blue, White, and Dancing: The Volendam Ball

January 13

Formal Night, Lightly Enforced

Today was our first formal night of the 2026 Grand World Cruise—and the Volendam Ball. Although it was officially a Formal Night, the ship didn’t make announcements reminding guests of the distinction, and the maître d’ didn’t turn anyone away from the main dining room if they weren’t wearing jackets or ties. On previous Grand Voyages, the dress code was more clearly emphasized and enforced.

Dining Schedules and Timing

The Volendam Ball officially starts at 8:30 p.m. in the World Stage. Vivace opens the evening at 8:00 p.m. with classical music. On R-class ships, the removable center seating allows the World Stage to transform into a large dance floor, keeping the party contained in a single venue—unlike on previous World Cruises, where the entertainment team had to spread events across multiple locations.

We have late seating at 7:30, and on most nights we can usually finish by 8:30. However, on formal nights with a hosted table, getting out of the dining room by 8:30 is a challenge. We had to scurry to reach the World Stage by 8:45, by which time the ball was already well underway. Ship activities are clearly structured around early diners, and if you want to participate fully on special evenings like this, earlier dinner plans help.

Dinner and Table Hosts

The dining room staff decorated the space in blue and white, with a table of penguins greeting guests at the entrance. Lobster tails were available on the menu alongside Beef Tenderloin as separate entrees—surely tempting some guests to create their own surf-and-turf combinations.

This evening our table was hosted by Pop, the Provisioning Manager, and Gloria, the Financial Manager. Conversation flowed easily, covering where everyone was from and sharing past and present cruising experiences.

See the menu – Here

Opening Dance and the Party Begins

Vivace Classical Trio played from 8:00 until 8:30, when Cruise Director Erin welcomed everyone and announced that Captain Rens van Eerten and Environmental Officer Neda Domanovic would take to the dance floor for the evening’s first dance.

The Dam Band launched into “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire—and the night was on.

The Dance Floor and the Room

The dance floor filled quickly and stayed busy for most of the evening, thinning only briefly when the band took a break. Bathed in blue and white lighting, the Volendam Ball nodded to Holland America’s Dutch heritage and nautical traditions. The Dam Band proved to be a solid party band, keeping the energy high with a lively mix of popular dance tunes.

The World Stage was nearly full on the lower level, with about a third of the balcony occupied.

Captain Rens took to the stage just before the band’s first break around 9:45 p.m., dancing first with Piano Bar player Grace and then with Michaela, the lead singer of the Dam Band.

The party continued until 11:00 p.m.

A Small Surprise Back in the Cabin

We left around 10:00 p.m. while the band was on break. Back in our cabin, we discovered that our room stewards had delivered the Pillow Gifts. They used to be distributed throughout the cruise, but in recent years they’ve shifted to delivering them all at once on the first formal night—one more small signal that the Grand Voyage is fully underway.