Holland America Line
Overview
Cruises
Dining
Tipping
Kids
Overview
For more than 136 years, Holland America Line has been a recognized leader in cruising, taking our guests to exotic destinations around the world. If you are looking for some of the most spacious and comfortable ships at sea, award-winning service, five star dining, extensive activities and enrichment programs and compelling worldwide itineraries, you’ve come to the right place. We are committed to our mission: through excellence, we create once-in-a-lifetime experiences, every time.
Today, Holland America Line’s fleet of 14 elegant, mid-size ships offers nearly 500 sailings a year visiting all seven continents. Cruises include both popular and less-traveled ports in the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Mexico, South America, the Panama Canal, Australia, New Zealand and Asia – as well as unique voyages to the Amazon, Antarctica and our extended Grand Voyages. Along with enticing destinations, we offer one-of-a-kind programs such as the Culinary Arts Center cooking demonstrations and The Collections of Holland America Line – specially chosen shore excursions to further enhance our guests’ appreciation and understanding of the places they visit.
Cruises
Dining
Enjoy exquisite dining across a range of venues
Throughout your cruise vacation, you will enjoy delicious and innovative menus across a broad range of dining venues. From a casual bite poolside to a formal five-course affair in our classic main Dining Room, the crew of Holland America Line will orchestrate a truly memorable dining experience. Led by Master Chef Rudi Sodamin, our exceptional culinary staff creates signature Holland America line dishes using only the freshest produce and the highest quality meats and seafood available. Our knowledgeable wine stewards are adept at pairing the perfect wine with every dish. Whether you desire the relaxed atmosphere of the Lido, the elegance of the Pinnacle Grill or dinner for two on your private verandah, the choice is always yours.
As You Wish Dining
We are proud to introduce As You Wish dining in our main dining room. This innovative program allows you to choose from the best of both worlds; either traditional pre-set seating and dining times, or a completely flexible dining schedule. One level of the two-tiered restaurant will offer a flexible/open dining service from 5:15 to 9 p.m. daily, and the other will host two seatings, an early and main seating. At the time of booking choose the plan that best suits your lifestyle and needs. If you choose the flexible/open seating program, you may make reservations daily up to 4 p.m. – or simply walk up during dining hours. We are implementing As You Wish dining throughout our fleet, the schedule per ship is shown below.
Our commitment to culinary choices and personalized service is further reflected in our many dining options. We offer complimentary 24-hour room service, special kid-friendly menus at the Lido Restaurant and Terrace Grill, daily afternoon tea service; elevated to Royal Dutch High Tea once per cruise, an ice cream bar, espresso and pastries in the Explorations Café, complimentary hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour, hand-dipped chocolates in the Explorer’s Lounge after dinner and a late-night buffet and chocolate extravaganza in the Lido Restaurant.
Special dietary needs, such a vegetarian, diabetic or gluten-free meals, are easily accommodated with advance requests. Kosher meals and a Health Conscious Dining option are also available.
RESTAURANTS & GRILLS
MAIN DINING ROOM
Each evening as the dinner hour approaches, the melodious call of the chime master invites you to the main Dining Room for an incredible culinary experience. Fine Rosenthal China, sparkling stemware, panoramic ocean views and fine art and antiques create the elegant setting for sumptuous five-course meals prepared by our renowned chefs. Savor seared sea scallops, filet mignon topped with crab and Hollandaise, excellent wines and irresistible desserts. Fresh herbs and imaginative combinations make lighter fare an equally satisfying choice. New, As You Wish dining allows you to enjoy classic fixed dining times or the flexibility of dining when you wish.
PINNACLE GRILL
The Pinnacle Grill offers a level of elegant sophistication unmatched anywhere on the seven seas. Beautifully appointed with Bvlgari® china, Riedel® stemware and Frette® linens, the intimate, reservations-only Pinnacle Grill is ideal for a romantic dinner for two or a special group celebration. Creative and innovative menus, drawing from regional ingredients of the highest quality, will delight the palate and ignite the senses. Indulge in hand selected aged Sterling Silver Beef, fresh seafood and an extensive, world-class wine list. For this exquisite 5-star dining experience, guests pay a modest surcharge. Adults may dine for US$20.00 per person or lunch for US$10.00. Children under 12 dine free of charge. A rate of 50% applies for children between 13 years and under 18 years of age. The Pinnacle Grill is available by reservation only for both lunch and dinner. We recommend making your reservations as soon as possible after booking.
LIDO RESTAURANT
Located in the center of the Lido deck, our Lido Restaurant offers relaxed dining, extensive menu selections and as always, impeccable service from our attentive, yet unobtrusive staff. Bountiful breakfasts feature fresh-squeezed orange juice, cooked-to-order omelets, pancakes, fresh fruits, natural cereals and yogurts. For lunch, cuisine from around the world, including Asian stir-fry, sushi, pizza, pasta, gourmet sandwiches and an extensive salad bar. At dinner time, the Lido features waiter service and entr’es from both the Lido and Main Dining Room menus. Dine indoors in air-conditioned comfort or enjoy the fresh salt air on deck.
TERRACE GRILL
Located outside on the Lido deck, the Terrace Grill features portable buffet bars offering pizza, nachos, grilled hamburgers and hot dogs with all the trimmings, sandwiches and gourmet sausages. Whether cruising the tropics where it’s sunny and warm or enjoying the cooler destinations under our insulated sliding glass roof, enjoy a relaxed lunch poolside at the Terrace Grill.
TAMARIND RESTAURANT
Exclusive to the ms Eurodam, Holland America Line’s first Signature class ship launching in June 2008, the new Tamarind Restaurant offers exceptional Pan-Asian fare. Located on the uppermost deck, this 144-seat top-side restaurant provides stunning views port and starboard.
Classic, steamed dumplings filled with chicken, Asian pork, spring vegetables, spinach and mushrooms and shrimp shu mai lead the procession of the lunch time dim sum offerings at the Tamarind. Also available are vegetable spring rolls, spicy crab sushi nuggets, shrimp won ton sticks and spicy crab rangoon.
For dinner, guests will have the choice of ordering a variety of Asian-inspired cuisine from the menu or enjoying Rijsttafel, a Dutch adaptation of the traditional Indonesia dinner. It consists of rice accompanied by more than a dozen, often spicy side dishes served in small plates. Rijsttafel at Tamarind will include an assortment of dishes from satay, steamed vegetables and sweet & sour pickles to braised poultry, stir fried lamb and seafood steamed in banana leaves. This traditional Dutch-Indonesia culinary experience is exclusively available on Holland America Line’s Eurodam.
Dinner at Tamarind will cost US$15 per person with the Rijsttafel costing US$20 per person. Lunch is complimentary.
CANALETTO RESTAURANT
Named for the famous 18th century Venetian artist, our new Canaletto Restaurant is exclusive to the ms Eurodam, Holland America Line’s first Signature class ship launching in June 2008. Adjacent to the Lido Restaurant dining area, the Canaletto Restaurant will serve classic Italian fare with tableside service for dinners only. During breakfast and lunch the area will provide additional seating for Lido Restaurant guests.
DRESS CODE
Evening dress falls into two distinct categories: Formal or Smart Casual. Smart Casual can be defined as slacks and collared shirts for men and casual dresses, slacks and informal evening wear for women. T-shirts, swimsuits, tank tops and shorts are not allowed in the restaurants or public areas during the evening hours. On festive Formal evenings, ladies usually wear a suit, cocktail dress or gown and gentlemen wear a jacket and tie, dark suit or tuxedo. There are approximately two formal nights per week.
On festive formal evenings, women usually wear cocktail dresses or gowns and men usually wear business suits or tuxedos. There are approximately two formal nights per week. (Gentlemen: Although business suits or tuxedos are suggested attire for formal evenings, they are certainly not required. You are welcome to wear a jacket and tie on formal nights.)
Dining times
| Meal | Normal Sitting | Late Sitting |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 8:00am | |
| Lunch | 12:30pm | |
| Dinner | 6:00pm | 8:15pm |
Tipping
Gratuities
Our crew works very hard to make sure that every aspect of your cruise meets the highest standards. This includes those crew members who serve you directly, such as our dining room wait staff and the stewards who tend to your stateroom each day. There are also many others that tend to your care that you may never meet, such as galley and laundry staff. To ensure that the efforts of all of our crew members are recognized and rewarded, a daily Hotel Service Charge of US$11.50 per passenger for staterooms & US$ 12.00 per person for suite guests is automatically charged to each guest’s shipboard account. If our service exceeds or fails to meet your expectations, you are free to adjust this amount at the end of the cruise. The Hotel Service Charge is paid to Holland America Line crew members, and represents an important part of their total compensation package. A 15% service charge is automatically added to bar charges and dining room wine purchases. In terminals, airports, ports of call and on shore excursions, we suggest that you extend gratuities consistent with customary local practices.
Kids
Youth Activities
YOUTH PROGRAMS
On Holland America ships, we provide a wide variety of exciting youth- and teen- friendly activities and facilities for guests ages 3 to 17. With supervised fun for our younger guests, the entire family can have the cruise vacation of their dreams.
SAFE AND MANAGED SUPERVISION
You can feel at ease knowing that your child’s on board experience is safe and well-managed. All Club HAL® activities are supervised by permanent, full-time staff, and are designed to be kid friendly and age appropriate. Youth Staff hold degrees in education, childhood development, recreation, leisure studies or related fields.
PROGRAMS AVAILABLE
Club HAL® – Kids*: Children, ages 3-7, can participate in such activities as story telling, fabric painting, indoor games, arts and crafts, drawing contests, ice-cream sundae parties, puzzles, bingo, pirate treasure hunts or a farewell pizza party. Children in the Kid’s age group must be toilet trained. Children in pull-ups or diapers are not allowed in the youth facilities, due to mandates from US Public Health. Exceptions to this rule cannot be made.
Club HAL® – Tweens*: Tweens, ages 8-12 might learn golf putting, have disco parties and theme parties, participate in the award-winning National Park Service Jr. Ranger Program on Alaska cruises, compete in on-deck sports events, compete in scavenger hunts or simply play Ping-Pong with a friend.
The Loft and The Oasis*: Teens, ages 13-17 will especially enjoy the teen disco, karaoke sessions, video games, teen sports tournaments, card games, trivia contests, bingo, movies and videos. When there are more than 100 children on board, a HAL Talent Show is offered. (The Oasis is not available on all Vista-class ships)
*On the Prinsendam, youth activities are offered for ages 5-17. All other ships offer youth activities for ages 3-17.
DAILY PROGRAMMES
Times vary based on age group, number of children on board and staffing:
Sea Day – Morning, Afternoon and Evening Activities
Port Day – Morning, Afternoon and Evening Activities
EXTENDED HOURS
Club HAL® After Hours is available on all ships (except the ms Prinsendam) from 10:00pm – 12:00am. The fee is US$5 per child, per hour. Parents must pick up their children on time or a late fee is charged. For babysitting outside of the hours offered in Club HAL, guests may check at the Front Office to schedule this service provided by staff on a voluntary basis only.
KIDS & TEENS CULINARY ARTS CENTRE PROGRAM
HAL Kids Culinary Workshops now offer children a unique and fun learning experience. Kids will learn basic cooking techniques, kitchen safety, new ingredients and how to follow recipe instructions. Aside from the fun involved, cooking encourages kids to think about numbers and measuring, cleanliness, safety, and time management. All the workshops are hands-on where questions are encouraged and having fun is a must!
HAL Kids Culinary Workshops are geared toward two age groups; ages three to seven and ages eight and up. Teenagers 15 and up may participate in the adult classes.
*The menus range from simple to teen gourmet
*Classes are usually limited to fifteen students unless otherwise noted
*All classes are hands-on
*Each student receives copies of the recipes prepared in class
*All classes are complimentary and last approximately one hour
ADDITIONAL FAMILY SERVICES
Holland America Line is dedicated to making your family’s cruise vacation memorable and happy for each member of your family. We serve a wide variety of kid-pleasing food, including special sandwiches, tacos, hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza. Baby food, high chairs and booster seats may be requested in advance of boarding. Baby-sitting services are available for a small surcharge. Special-kid friendly birthday parties can also be arranged with advance notice.
SPECIAL NEEDS
HAL Youth Programs recognize that some children may have special needs. Special needs children are invited to attend activities based on their chronological age. HAL Youth Programs have many staff trained to work with special needs children. Guests should make HAL aware of this when booking their reservation.
IMPORTANT NOTES
A limited number of high chairs, booster seats and cribs are available at no charge. These must be reserved in advance at the time of booking. An international children’s menu is offered at dinner and includes a variety of appetizers, salads and soups, and standard items such as hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and chicken, plus chef’s specials like beef tacos, grilled cheese, fish and chips or spaghetti.
