The Most Underrated Cruise Line Ever

This is a sponsored post for Holland America.

I’ve been onboard Holland America several times now, but it took me a while to properly understand the cruise line.

I first visited a Holland America ship for the day in 2022 and again in 2024. The ships were beautiful, the food looked fantastic and everything felt very polished, but a ship visit only tells you so much. You don’t really know what a cruise line is like until you wake up there every morning, eat there every day and see what the atmosphere is like once everyone has properly settled into their holiday.

That finally happened for me in 2025, when I spent a week onboard Nieuw Statendam sailing from Rotterdam to Iceland. It was only then that Holland America really clicked for me.

I cruised with Holland America again with my family in 2026, and if anything that made me appreciate it even more. There are some cruise lines that are very easy to explain because they have one huge selling point. Holland America is a little harder to sum up, but that’s exactly why I think it might be one of the most underrated cruise lines around.

The Ships Are Better Than The Headlines Suggest

Cruise ships have become enormous, and I do think that some cruise lines are very good at grabbing your attention. They build the biggest ships, add enormous waterparks or install something so unusual on the top deck that everyone immediately wants to see it.

I enjoy all of that. I’ve sailed on plenty of mega-ships and I’m usually first in the queue to try whatever ridiculous new attraction they’ve added.

But I think this is one reason Holland America gets overlooked. Its ships aren’t trying to win your attention with one enormous feature, so they don’t always create the same buzz. Their ships are classically designed and perfectly sized. Their ships offer more room at the rail, diverse dining, quiet retreats, fun spaces for all ages.

What stood out to me on Nieuw Statendam wasn’t one huge attraction. It was how spacious the ship felt, how good the food was, how friendly the crew were and how easy everything seemed.

There was plenty happening, but I never felt as though the ship was constantly trying to entertain me. If I wanted live music, a show or an activity, I could find one. If I wanted to sit somewhere quiet with a drink and do absolutely nothing, that was easy too.

More importantly, I never felt as though the ship was crowded.

Those things are much harder to appreciate from photos or a quick ship visit, which is probably part of the problem. You really notice them after a few days onboard.

The Itineraries Don’t Get Talked About Enough

I’m always surprised when people tell me they choose a cruise mainly for the ship, because the itinerary is a huge part of it for me.

My Nieuw Statendam cruise started in Rotterdam, called at Ålesund in Norway and then headed to Iceland, visiting Djúpivogur, Akureyri, Ísafjörður and Reykjavik.

It was a brilliant itinerary, and it also showed one of the advantages of Holland America’s mid-sized ships. They can get into ports that some of the really enormous cruise ships can’t, which opens up a much wider range of possibilities.

Holland America is especially well known for Alaska, but I think some cruisers overlook just how broad the choice is elsewhere too. There are cruises all over the world as well as some much longer voyages for anyone lucky enough to have the time.

There are also plenty of convenient European departures. Rotterdam and Amsterdam are both very easy to reach from the UK, and there are also sailings from Dover if you don’t fancy flying out to meet your ship.

For me, Holland America feels like a cruise line where the destination still matters, rather than simply being somewhere for the ship to park for the day. If itineraries are important to you, that alone makes it worth a closer look.

The Food Deserves More Credit

Food is one of those things every cruise line claims to do well, so it’s easy to tune out when you hear another brand talking about its dining.

But on Holland America it was absolutely one of the highlights, and I don’t think that side of the cruise line gets as much attention as it should.

The main dining room on Nieuw Statendam is one of the prettiest I’ve seen on a cruise ship, and I liked having the flexibility to decide when I wanted to eat rather than being tied to the same dining time every night.

As a vegetarian, I did have a slight wobble when I first looked at the menus in the app because there didn’t seem to be many options. Once I asked, though, I was handed a separate vegetarian and vegan menu with loads more choice, so that concern disappeared pretty quickly.

I also really liked the Lido Market buffet. Most of the food is served by crew rather than guests helping themselves, which I much prefer, and staff regularly came around offering coffee and juice at the tables.

Then there are the casual places, including Dive-In, the Grand Dutch Café and New York Deli & Pizza. I became a big fan of the pizza because they make a whole one to order with whatever toppings you want, which feels much nicer than grabbing a slice that has been waiting around for somebody to choose it.

And if you want something a little more special, there are restaurants including Pinnacle Grill, Tamarind, Canaletto and Rudi’s Sel de Mer.

Lastly, Holland America’s cuisine goes beyond the plate with the new, first-of-its-kind Global Fresh Fish Program, offering more than 80 varieties of fresh fish sourced locally from across their worldwide network. With more fresh fish and ingredients native to the places they visit, the dining experiences tell the story of each region through its unique flavors. 

It’s one of those areas where Holland America quietly does a very good job without necessarily shouting about it.

The Service Is Another Thing You Only Really Notice Onboard

It’s difficult to write about good service without sounding like every cruise brochure ever printed, but there was a noticeable difference onboard.

The crew were attentive, but it never felt overdone. People had time to chat, and if I returned to the same place regularly, it didn’t take long before staff started recognising me.

That happened in the bars, but there were little touches elsewhere too. Crew members would come around the buffet offering drinks, and my cabin steward was always happy to sort out anything I needed. They’d even left a little notepad specifically for any requests I had – a nice touch.

None of those things on their own would make me book a cruise, and they’re not exactly the kind of things you’ll see splashed across an advert either.

But you notice when that level of service continues all week, and it’s one of the reasons Holland America made a stronger impression on me once I actually cruised with them.

It’s Much Livelier Than People Assume

Before my first full cruise, I did wonder whether Holland America might be a little too quiet for me, and that turned out to be one of the biggest misconceptions I had.

I think this perception probably puts some people off before they’ve even looked properly at what’s onboard.

Live music is a huge part of the experience, and on Nieuw Statendam there were several different venues offering everything from duelling pianos to rock and rhythm and blues.

I loved being able to wander between them in the evening depending on what I fancied listening to.

The World Stage was impressive too. On the Pinnacle-class ships, the screen wraps around much of the theatre, which makes a huge difference to the shows. It was also used for daytime talks, where having all of those visuals around the stage made them much more interesting.

During the day there was plenty going on without the daily programme feeling frantic. I really enjoyed the art studio, where you could join classes in things like watercolour painting and sketching, and the Crow’s Nest had an enormous collection of board games and jigsaws.

There were sports facilities, pools and hot tubs too, but there was never any pressure to join in. You could have a busy day if you wanted one, or a very lazy one.

So if your impression of Holland America is that everyone goes to bed after dinner, that’s definitely one stereotype worth questioning.

It’s Not Just For Older Cruisers

Let’s tackle probably the biggest stereotype of Holland America: passenger ages.

Before I sailed, I’d been given the impression that everyone onboard would be considerably older than me, but that really wasn’t my experience.

There were certainly plenty of guests in their 50s, 60s and 70s, but that’s hardly unusual on a cruise ship. I found a good mix of people onboard, and the atmosphere felt relaxed rather than old-fashioned.

What caught me off guard was how good the family facilities were, because that’s definitely not what Holland America is best known for.

Club HAL has dedicated spaces and organised activities for different age groups, while High Score! on Nieuw Statendam has games consoles, pinball machines, air hockey, table football and lots more.

I remember looking around it on my solo cruise and thinking that my own children would love it. Spoiler: they did!

Holland America doesn’t have the huge waterparks, cartoon characters and endless family attractions you’ll find on some ships, so it doesn’t attract families in quite the same numbers. Add: “As they like to say, they’re “refreshingly free of coasters and waterslides onboard”.”

That can actually work really well if you’re travelling with children but don’t necessarily want your whole holiday to feel like a children’s holiday.

For example, on my August sailing in 2025, I was amazed by how few children there were onboard despite it being the school holidays.

For some families, that’s a big plus, and for some adult cruisers, it’s even more of a win.

This is probably one of the clearest examples of why I think Holland America is underrated. People can dismiss it based on who they assume it’s for, without realising it may actually suit them very well.

Read more: Is Holland America Line Good For Kids? We Tested It

Solo Cruisers May Be Overlooking It Too

My 2025 cruise was a solo trip, and I found Holland America very easy to cruise with alone.

There were solo traveller meet-ups early in the sailing, so I went along to one and met a really nice group of people. Some of us ended up going for dinner together afterwards.

What I liked was that there was no pressure attached to it. If you wanted to meet people, there were easy opportunities to do that, but you could just as happily spend time by yourself.

The three Pinnacle-class ships – Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam and Koningsdam – also have dedicated solo cabins, which is always worth considering if you don’t need the extra space of a standard cabin.

Holland America isn’t always one of the first names that comes up when people talk about cruise lines for solo travellers, but based on my experience, I think it deserves to be in that conversation.

It Keeps Some Things Other Cruise Lines Have Quietly Dropped

Cruising has changed a lot, and mostly for the better, but there are a few things that have quietly disappeared from some cruise lines over the years.

The good news is that Holland America still keeps some of those traditional touches.

My cabin steward provided evening turndown service, including chocolates and towel animals, and complimentary room service was still available around the clock.

There were also a couple of dressier evenings, but nothing felt overly formal. Some people made an occasion of it, while others kept things much more casual.

That’s probably the best way I can describe Holland America generally. There’s a traditional side to it, but it doesn’t feel stuffy. You still feel like you’re on a proper cruise, just without being told exactly how you’re supposed to enjoy it.

Again, none of that is particularly flashy, but I do think these are the sorts of details cruisers notice when they start disappearing elsewhere.

Have It All Is Better Than People Might Assume

Cruise packages can be difficult to judge because what represents great value for one person can be completely pointless for somebody else.

Holland America’s Have It All package bundles together several of the extras that a lot of cruisers would probably buy anyway, including drinks, WiFi, speciality dining and shore excursion credit.

If you’re going to use all of those things, it can make a lot of sense. If you barely drink, don’t care about WiFi and prefer eating in the included restaurants, then obviously the calculation looks rather different.

What I like is that it gives you the option of paying for a lot of your extras upfront, which makes the final bill rather less frightening.

There are often other Holland America offers around too, so it’s always worth checking what is included with your particular sailing rather than assuming every fare works the same way.

It’s another part of the experience that may not be the first thing people associate with Holland America, but can make the overall package more appealing than it initially looks.

Read more: Holland America Have It All Package: Is It Worth It?

So Why Is Holland America Underrated?

I think the answer is that Holland America is much easier to appreciate once you’ve actually spent some proper time onboard.

My first ship visits showed me beautiful ships, lovely restaurants and some impressive facilities, but they didn’t show me what it feels like to wake up there each morning, how relaxed the ships are or how quickly the crew start recognising you.

That only really clicked once I cruised on Nieuw Statendam in 2025, and returning with my family the following year confirmed that my first experience hadn’t been a one-off.

There isn’t one spectacular attraction that defines Holland America. Instead, it gets lots of smaller things right. The ships feel spacious, the food is excellent, the live music is brilliant, the crew are friendly and the itineraries are genuinely interesting.

Most of those things are quite difficult to show in a photograph or a short video, which perhaps explains why Holland America can get overlooked when people are comparing cruise lines online.

But they’re exactly the things you notice once you’re actually on holiday.

So if you’ve looked at Holland America before and thought it might be too quiet, too traditional or simply not quite for you, it’s worth taking another look.

I thought I had a pretty good idea of what Holland America was about after my first couple of ship visits and it turns out I didn’t really get it until I cruised with them.

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