Holland America details 2028 Grand Voyages

Holland America Line has moved its 2028 Grand Voyages from teaser stage to bookable product, with new detail around how the two long sailings are built. The company said on May 20 that it had opened bookings for a 129-day Grand World Voyage on Volendam and a 90-day Grand Australia & New Zealand Voyage on Zaandam. A May 23 follow-up report from CruiseToTravel added more itinerary detail, including Bora Bora calls, overnight stays and overland extensions tied to the two ships. The line said the voyages were designed around longer stays and more time within each region rather than simply adding more ports. ### Which ships are sailing these 2028 Grand Voyages? Volendam and Zaandam are the two ships assigned to the 2028 program. Holland America said Volendam will operate the 129-day Grand World Voyage, while Zaandam will sail the 90-day Grand Australia & New Zealand Voyage. The company said both ships were chosen in part because they can reach smaller ports that larger vessels cannot. (hollandamerica.com) April 30 marked the first public outline of the itineraries, when Holland America said the voyages would span six continents and focus on what it called rare and renowned ports. President Beth Bodensteiner said at the time that the itineraries were shaped by guest feedback and by demand for more time ashore. ### What is different about the 129-day world voyage? (hollandamerica.com) The 129-day Grand World Voyage on Volendam is built around a full Antarctic segment and long scenic passages in South America. Holland America said the route includes the Chilean Fjords, Glacier Alley and the Beagle Channel, along with a call at Easter Island and a sail-past of Null Island, where the prime meridian and equator intersect. (hollandamerica.com) New Zealand is another extended section of that sailing. Holland America said guests would spend eight days exploring six ports in New Zealand before the ship continues through Australia, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and around the Cape of Good Hope on the return to Fort Lauderdale. ### What does the Zaandam itinerary focus on instead? (hollandamerica.com) Zaandam’s 90-day Grand Australia & New Zealand Voyage is narrower in geography and deeper in pacing. Holland America said the sailing focuses on the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia, with overnight calls and multi-day stays rather than a globe-circling route. (hollandamerica.com) CruiseToTravel reported on May 23 that the Zaandam itinerary includes overnight stays in Sydney, Cairns, Auckland and Papeete, plus an extended call in Bora Bora. Holland America had already said the voyage would also include access to remote parts of Western Australia that appear on relatively few cruise itineraries. (hollandamerica.com) ### Why is Bora Bora getting so much attention? Bora Bora is one of the clearest selling points because 2028 will be the first season in which both of Holland America’s Grand Voyages call there. The company said both itineraries include the French Polynesian stop, making it a shared headline destination across the two sailings. (cruisetotravel.com) CruiseToTravel said arrivals are planned through the Teavanui Pass into Bora Bora’s lagoon, and described the Zaandam sailing as including an extended call there. That detail fits with Holland America’s broader emphasis on scenic cruising and slower-paced regional exploration. ### What overland and onboard extras are attached to the trips? (hollandamerica.com) Paul Grigsby, Holland America’s vice president of deployment and revenue planning, said the 2028 voyages were planned by looking at how each part of the itinerary connects and how much time guests will have in each region. CruiseToTravel reported that Volendam guests can add a multi-day South African safari extension near Kruger National Park, while Zaandam guests can book a Western Australia extension centered on Margaret River, with vineyard, coastal and cave visits. (cruisetotravel.com) Both sailings also include destination-focused programming on board, according to CruiseToTravel, including regional dining, guest speakers, gala evenings and a Captain’s Grand Voyage Dinner. ### When do these cruises leave? January 4, 2028, is the departure date for the Grand World Voyage, which sails roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (hollandamerica.com) January 30, 2028, is the departure date for the Grand Australia & New Zealand Voyage, which sails roundtrip from San Diego, California, Holland America said when it opened bookings on May 20. (cruisetotravel.com)