Holland America Line has opened bookings for Zuiderdam’s 2028 European season, pairing a major ship modernisation with an extensive programme of regional voyages.
Holland America Line has opened bookings for Zuiderdam’s first voyages following its transformation through Holland America Evolution, with the ship’s enhancements scheduled to debut on April 2, 2028. Zuiderdam is reported to return to service in the Mediterranean before spending the summer sailing from Amsterdam through Northern Europe and Iceland. The programme places a newly modernised ship at the centre of the cruise line’s broad European offering.
The season links Mediterranean cities, Atlantic coastlines, Norwegian fjords, the British Isles and North Atlantic destinations. Holland America Line said Zuiderdam will begin with open-jaw voyages connecting Rome, Barcelona and Lisbon, followed by a 13-day Atlantic Europe itinerary from Lisbon to Amsterdam. The cruise line has described Europe as a region it has explored for more than 150 years, while the Amsterdam programme connects the ship to its Dutch heritage.
The itinerary schedule includes a seven-day Western Mediterranean voyage departing April 2, 2028, and a seven-day Iberian Idyll sailing departing April 9. The 13-day Atlantic Europe voyage departs April 16 and calls at destinations including Porto, A Coruña, Bilbao, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Paris, London, Cork and Dublin. From Amsterdam, seven-day Norwegian Fjords cruises are scheduled between April and August, while longer options include the 10-day Norwegian Fjords & Landscapes voyage departing June 10 and the 11-day Wild British Isles sailing departing June 20.
The ship’s changes extend beyond its itinerary. Holland America Line said the multiyear Holland America Evolution modernisation is designed to bring features associated with the fleet’s Pinnacle Class to more ships, alongside new venues. Zuiderdam is set to receive purpose-built Solo Verandahs, forward-facing Bridgeview Suites, Vista Suites and a reimagined Pinnacle Suite, as well as refreshed accommodations and a Grand Dutch Café. Further additions are due to be announced by the cruise line in the coming months.
The season also includes voyages between Amsterdam and Reykjavík, with calls in Iceland, the Shetland Islands and the Faroe Islands, before a 21-day Cultural Crossing with Icelandic Fjords & Greenland departs Amsterdam for Boston on August 12, 2028. Taken together, the schedule gives Zuiderdam a route from southern European cities to northern landscapes and transatlantic waters. For Holland America Line, the bookings place the ship’s next phase of modernisation alongside a distinctly European operating plan.
