Holland America has always been known as the cruise line that offered the greatest number of extended and unique itineraries out of the seven major cruise lines that account for the majority of cruises taken by Americans. This reputation stems from the fact that Holland America is the largest cruise line.
Two of Holland America's 11 ships have just this week set sail from Florida on epic journeys that will last for several months: one will make a 74-night circumnavigation of South America, and the other will make a 128-night circumnavigation of the entire world. Both of these journeys will begin in Florida. This month, five additional Holland America ships will set sail on journeys lasting anywhere from 14 to 22 nights to destinations like the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, Hawaii, South America, and both Australia and New Zealand.
Fans of lengthier cruises, on the other hand, are set to have a lot more alternatives made available to them by the 150-year-old business.
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In a series of recent itinerary announcements, Holland America has given the impression that it is doubling down on long and unusual voyages, focusing ever more on what has set it apart from competitors such as Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line. These competitors include Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line.
As the company emerges from the cruising slump that it has been in over the past three years, it is making this change as part of a noteworthy shift in focus that is going place at the brand.
"We decided that it made sense for us to lean into these longer, more differentiated itineraries and kind of try to move away from the mass-market [itineraries] that others do a beautiful job of delivering," Beth Bodensteiner, the chief commercial officer of Holland America, said in an exclusive interview with TPG to discuss the shift. Bodensteiner was speaking about the decision to move away from mass-market itineraries.
Bodensteiner said that the plan is to "let them deliver those, and we'll deliver what we do best, which we think is crafting these perfect unique itineraries that you can't find anywhere else." He was referring to the relatively short sailings of three to seven nights that dominate the schedules of most of the seven major cruise lines that cater to North Americans.
Four-week cruises to Alaska
One of the many upcoming lengthier cruises that Holland America is planning to provide is an unforgettable trip to Alaska that will last for 28 nights and will depart in 2024. It was announced on Tuesday that it will be four times longer than the average Alaska cruise and will carry passengers well beyond the Southeast Alaska destinations such as Juneau and Skagway that most ships visit.
Off-the-beaten-path destinations like Nome, Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands, and Kodiak Island will be included on the new Alaska itinerary. These are the types of sites that cruise ships run by the main lines do not often stop at.
Bodensteiner expressed to TPG that she had high hopes that the cruise line will one day be able to conduct the voyage annually.
Related: an explanation of the four different types of ships operated by Holland America
Additionally, Holland America revealed on Tuesday plans for two 14-night sailings to Alaska in 2024, both of which would include trips to Anchorage. This is something that does not happen very often. The settlement can only be reached by a select few ships due to the long journey up the Cook Inlet.
More 21-night "Ultimate Viking Explorer" sailings to Iceland, Greenland, and Scotland are planned to be offered in 2024. These voyages can be combined with 14-night voyages to Norway, Germany, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark to create extra-long, 35-night sailings. In recent weeks, the cruise line also announced plans for more Europe cruises lasting 14 nights or longer in 2024.
According to Bodensteiner, there has been an explosion in demand for vacations that include trips to Iceland and Greenland.
The newly announced itineraries are in addition to a sizeable increase in the number of longer sailings that the brand already has planned for the year 2023.
Bodensteiner mentioned that the line's new emphasis on longer journeys will begin in earnest in the fall of 2023. "You'll see that we've increased our grand voyage deployment, and in addition to that, we've lengthened our Caribbean trips on average."
According to the data that were produced for TPG, Holland America would provide 28% more sailings of 25 nights or more in 2023 in comparison to 2019, which was the company's final regular year of operation. This is even though the company has retired many boats since 2019, resulting in a smaller overall fleet size.
In addition, the number of itineraries offered by Holland America in 2023 that are at least 50 nights long and are considered to be "grand voyages" has increased by 117%. These itineraries are often referred to as such by the cruise line.
After that, the year 2024 will provide even more extended travel opportunities, including the itineraries described above. According to Bodensteiner, this is what the clients of Holland America desire in this day and age.
A rise in the number of requests for extended trips
"When we go to create our itineraries, we conduct a lot of research," explained Bodensteiner. "What we [see today in the study], and I think a lot of this is due to the pandemic and people stopping on vacation for a time, [is that] overwhelmingly people [want a] longer, more distinctive deployment."
Bodensteiner pointed out that "longer" does not always signify many months. "Taking a conventional seven-day cruise and stretching it by only a couple days... [to] go down to Aruba and Curacao" is an example of what can be possible in the context of Caribbean sailings. Or introducing more 12-night and 14-night sailings.
According to the figures that were prepared for TPG, Holland America will run 41% more Caribbean sailings of 12 nights or longer in 2023 than they will have in 2022.
Related: Here are the top five places that Holland America cruises take its passengers
The line will place a greater emphasis, under the category of longer sailings, on doing epic, week-long round-trip sailings from U.S. ports to Europe, Africa, and South America; this is something for which it has been well-known for a long time.
One example of such a trip is the 73-night trip to Africa that will be offered by Holland America later this year and will depart from Fort Lauderdale. The trip will entail a full tour of the continent. It is the cruise line's most popular route and allows passengers to explore a large portion of Africa without ever having to board an aeroplane outside the country.
According to Bodensteiner, travellers should anticipate seeing an increase in the number of such trips over the next couple of years. According to her, journeys lasting between 25 to 50 days are the "sweet spot" for such excursions because they let travellers see far-flung locations from the United States without having to go on a protracted aeroplane ride.
She referred to it as "something that nobody other has" before mentioning that her team has been working on additional itineraries of this type as of late.
"We've had a fantastic time trying to come up with these unique things," she said, noting that the process included "surveying our guests that we know sail on longer cruises, finding out what they're interested in, and then going out and crafting some of these cool new itineraries." "We've had a fantastic time trying to come up with these unique things," she said.
Delivering a better experience
The new CEO of Holland America's parent company, Carnival Corporation, Josh Weinstein, is conducting an in-depth review of the strategies employed by each of the firm's cruise brands. As a result, Holland America has shifted its attention to a different set of priorities. Holland America, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Seabourn are just a few of the nine cruise lines that are owned by Carnival Corporation.
However, Bodensteiner stated that the transition at Holland America to a greater emphasis on longer sailings began before Weinstein assumed command of the company in August.
"He agrees with [the focus on longer sailings] and thinks it's a good spot for us, but we'd already kind of been down the path of trying to think about how we can differentiate ourselves and, quite honestly, how to drive our prices higher to return shareholder value. He thinks it's a good spot for us to focus on longer sailings. This will result in a distinguished product that is one of a kind and hence will fetch a premium price due to its rarity."
Bodensteiner pointed out an additional connection between the company's goal of reducing its carbon impact and the introduction of lengthier routes.
She pointed out that providing lengthier itineraries enables the ships to travel at a more leisurely pace, which results in a reduction in fuel use.
Related: Here Are the Top 6 Itineraries You Should Book on Your Next Cruise Right Away
According to her analysis, the most significant benefit of extending the duration of cruises is that it makes it possible to enjoy a more satisfying vacation. It makes it possible to visit additional ports, remain at a port for longer periods, and even spend the night in some of the destinations.
For example, Holland America's newest and lengthier itineraries departing from Athens feature an overnight stop at the beginning of the journeys.
She explained that "you can offer a destination better... [by] being there for a bit longer." She also mentioned that increasing the length of a trip from ten days to twelve days makes a difference.
For instance, a lengthier trip that departs from Athens enables the ship to stay two days rather than just one in the city of Athens. According to Bodensteiner, "You may sleep in Athens before you go, which is better commercially." "Guests enjoy the flexibility of being able to fly in and utilise the ship as their hotel" when they are in Athens before the ship leaves.
She stated that guests who wish to put in a day for visiting Athens before a cruise will most likely do so even if they are travelling from North America.
Choosing to cut back on removing all short cruises
Short cruises won't be entirely phased out by Holland America any time soon. It will continue to provide a selection of seven-night cruises to a variety of ports of call all over the world, ranging from Alaska to Northern Europe.
According to Bodensteiner, shorter sailings are a crucial "entry product" for the company. They provide potential customers who are new to the line with the opportunity to sample the brand. According to her, shorter itineraries are another factor that attracts families to Holland America Cruises.
Customers from the Netherlands continue to make up a significant portion of the company's clientele; their trips often begin in Rotterdam with a seven-night circumnavigation of Northern Europe. A trip to Alaska for seven nights is typically how North Americans receive their first experience with the company.
Related: How to get the most out of Holland America's Mariner Society loyalty programme
Both itineraries have been and will continue to be mainstays for Holland America as they explore the world.
Bodensteiner explained that "they are an essential element of what we provide to draw people into the brand and have them come to know us."
Nevertheless, the company is moving toward longer sailings as its future destination. Bodensteiner provided hints that a significant number of brand-new itineraries that are lengthier are on the way. She speculated that the line is in the process of experimenting with a variety of different approaches for lengthier journeys. Certain things will remain. Some may be one-off occurrences. She said that it will be determined by how the general population who cruises feels about them.
"You do realise that they are all tests, right? We are introducing new things into the world, from which we will learn "the fact that she noticed "There is no feedback that is more useful than the bookings. However, the [team that plans the schedule] has a few exciting surprises up its sleeve."
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