Tag Archives: Panama Canal

Holland America’s Zaandam Enters Drydock in Freeport

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Holland America Line’s Zaandam recently arrived in Freeport to undergo routine maintenance at the Grand Bahama Shipyard.

After concluding a cruise in Fort Lauderdale, the ship entered one of the drydocks of the facility on Jan. 25, 2025.

As part of its two-week shipyard stay, the Zaandam is now undergoing a series of technical overhauls, as well as class work and general maintenance.

Upon completion of the drydock, the vessel is scheduled to welcome guests back in Florida on Feb. 8, 2025.

The 2000-built ship will then kick off a month-long cruise to the Caribbean, South America and the Amazon.

Sailing roundtrip from Miami, the “Amazon Explorer” itinerary is part of Holland America’s Legendary Voyages program and features visits to 13 destinations.

The sailing is highlighted by an overnight stay in Manaus, as well as scenic cruising on the Amazon River.

After the cruise, the Zaandam is scheduled to offer a Panama Canal cruise before kicking off a series of cruises to the Mexican Riviera.

The seven- to ten-night itineraries from San Diego will be followed by a summer deployment in Alaska and Canada.

In September, the 1,440-guest ship is also scheduled to offer a 56-night cruise to the South Pacific and Hawaii.

The vessel continues to sail in the Pacific during the 2025-26 winter, with itineraries to the Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia and more.

Extensively refurbished over the years, the Zaandam underwent a major refit in 2018 as part of a $300-million fleet upgrade program.

At the time, the vessel saw significant suite and stateroom enhancements and updates to its public areas.

New additions included USB outlets to the bedside headboards, as well as LED lights to facilitate late-night reading and upgraded electrical outlets. A fully new interactive television system was also installed in all cabins.

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Zuiderdam Embarks on Holland America’s Grand World Voyage

The Zuiderdam is sailing from Port Everglades on Saturday for Holland America Line’s 2025 Grand World Voyage.

According to Holland America Line, the 124-night itinerary is highlighted by bucket-list destinations, including Machu Picchu, Easter Island and the Great Barrier Reef. The full itinerary includes ports in 34 different countries.

The cruise also features six overnight stays across the globe, including extended visits to Tahiti, Sydney, Cape Town and Barcelona.

After departing from Port Everglades, the Zuiderdam heads south for visits to destinations in the Caribbean before crossing the Panama Canal.

The 2,000-guest ship then heads to South America and the South Pacific, visiting destinations in Ecuador, Peru, Chile and French Polynesia.

Ports of call set to be visited during this segment include Manta, Easter Island, Callao, Moorea, and Raiatea.

The cruise continues with visits to additional island destinations in Polynesia and Melanesia, such as Tonga and New Caledonia, before arriving in Australia.

In late February, the Zuiderdam arrives in Southeast Asia for calls in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and more.

On its way back to the United States, the itinerary includes destinations in the Indian Ocean, such as the Maldives, the Seychelles and Mauritius.

The ship will also visit South Africa, Cape Verde, Namibia, and the Canaries before entering the Mediterranean.

After sailing to destinations in the United Kingdom, Spain, Malta, Egypt, Italy, Portugal and Morocco, the Zuiderdam finally crosses the Atlantic Ocean.

The vessel will return to Fort Lauderdale on May 9, 2025, after a visit to San Juan in Puerto Rico.

In addition to its Grand World Voyage onboard the Zuiderdam, Holland America is set to offer a second world cruise in 2025.

Sailing onboard the Volendam, the Pole to Pole Grand Voyage departs from Port Everglades on Jan. 25, 2025.

Norwegian Cancels Most of Jade’s 25-26 Season, Redeploys Ship

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After cancelling 38 cruises onboard three ships, Norwegian Cruise Line also informed guests booked on the Norwegian Jade that many sailings onboard the vessel will no longer go ahead.

In a statement, the company said that all sailings scheduled to depart between Oct. 18, 2025, and Feb. 16, 2026, are now cancelled.

The 2,400-guest ship was set to offer six- to 14-night cruises to the Panama Canal and the Caribbean during the timeframe.

Norwegian said that the cancellations are a result of a fleet redeployment, which will see the Norwegian Jade offering cruises from Southern California.

“The Norwegian Jade will be redeployed and will soon be offering seven-day round trip sailings from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera where guests can explore a blend of stunning coastal landscapes, rich cultural experiences, and unforgettable culinary delights,” the company said.

According to the statement, the ship’s new schedule on the West Coast will be available for booking soon.

A full monetary refund of the fare paid for the canceled cruise will be automatically returned to the original form of payment provided at the time of reservation, Norwegian added.

Reservations paid via a previously issued Future Cruise Credit (FCC) will see the credit returned to the guest.

Affected passengers will also receive a 10 per cent discount in the form of an FCC. The credit can be used towards any of Norwegian’s published sailings through Dec. 31, 2026.

“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment this cancellation may cause,” Norwegian said.

Earlier this week, Norwegian Cruise Line also cancelled the winter schedule of the Norwegian Dawn, the Norwegian Star and the Norwegian Jewel.

While the Norwegian Dawn was scheduled to offer itineraries in Africa and the Indian Ocean, the Norwegian Star was set for a season in South America and Antarctica and the Norwegian Jewel was poised to offer itineraries to the Caribbean departing from Tampa.