Holland America wants travelers to live on a cruise ship for 4 ½ months while it sails to 39 countries on all 7 continents — see what it'll be like

Holland America's 2026 world cruise is scheduled for 47 ports in 39 countries, the latest addition to its lineup of extended itineraries.

Business Feb 28, 2024 0 86 Add to Reading List

Holland America wants travelers to live on a cruise ship for 4 ½ months while it sails to 39 countries on all 7 continents — see what it'll be like

Holland America Line's Zuiderdam — Holland America Line says its 2026 Grand World Voyage will sail to 47 ports in 39 countries on all seven continents.
Holland America Line

Holland America Line announced a 2026 around-the-world cruise.
The 132-day itinerary includes 47 ports in 39 countries on all seven continents.
Longer sailings like this one are all the rage right now.

In 2026, the only flight you'll have to take to visit 39 countries in less than half a year is the one from your home to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The catch? From there, you can travel around the world on a 25-year-old ship.

If the concept sounds familiar, it's probably because you're thinking of Royal Caribbean's nine-month Ultimate World Cruise, one of TikTok's first obsessions in 2024.

Royal Caribbean's around-the-world sailing isn't a one-off. Quite the opposite: It's part of a growing interest in longer cruises.

And companies like Holland America have taken note of this shift. To satisfy travelers' appetite for extended sailings, the cruise line released a slate of itineraries ranging from 25 to 59 days long this time last year. Most are set to sail roundtrip, to, or from North America.

But none of these one to two-month cruises compare to the cruise line's new 2026 "Grand World Voyage," a whopping 4 ½-month journey to all seven continents.

map of world cruise itinerary — Holland America's map of its 2026 Grand World Voyage itinerary.
Holland America Line

Holland America says its 1,432-guest Volendam ship will set sail in January 2026 on an "east-to-west route" from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to 47 ports in 39 countries on all seven continents.

From sunny Florida, the ship will sail down to chilly Antarctica by way of eastern South America.

Rio De Janeiro — Destinations in South America would include Rio de Janeiro and Punta del Este, Uruguay.
Shutterstock.com

Volendam is scheduled to spend four days around Antarctica. Good luck on the infamous Drake Passage.

The icy destination isn't common on most around-the-world itineraries. But the cruise line seems partial to it: Holland America's 133-day "pole-to-pole" cruise, sailing to Antarctica and the Arctic Circle, is scheduled for January 2025.

From the itinerary's southernmost destination, the ship is set to venture back north to the South Pacific Islands like Easter Island, New Zealand, and Australia.

Ports in the Asia and Europe legs would include Singapore (pictured above), Civitavecchia, Italy (near Rome), and Lisbon.
Allan Baxter/Getty Images

Then, it will set sail to Southeast and South Asia, the Maldives, and Egypt before its final few stops around northern Europe.

With the exception of two ports in Egypt, the Middle East and Africa have been largely left off the 132-day plan.

Almost 4 ½ months and 39 countries later, the journey will conclude back in Fort Lauderdale.

composite of amenities on Volendam — The Volendam joined Holland America's fleet in 1999.
Holland America Line

It's a long itinerary for a compact ship: The 781-foot-long Volendam is one of Holland America's smallest and oldest vessels.

Compared to this older counterpart, Holland America's newest ship, the Rotterdam, is almost 200 feet longer and can accommodate 1,236 more guests. However, the cruise line tapped a ship of Volendam's size to give guests a more "intimate experience."

Holland America's vessel of choice is larger than the ones being used by more luxurious companies Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, and Silversea's 2024 world cruises, which all have guest capacities of less than 700 people.

serenade of the seas — Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas has 1,073 staterooms and amenities like an arcade and adult-only Solarium.
Royal Caribbean International

But the Volendam is still significantly smaller than Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise vessel of choice: The 965-foot-long, 2,476-guest Serenade of the Seas.

And unlike Royal Caribbean's new mega-ships, the Volendam has no waterslides or wild rides. Instead, the 10-deck vessel features six restaurants (including a café), five bars, two pools, and activities like pickleball courts.

Compared to other global itineraries, Holland America’s 47-port world cruise might seem light.

The Seven Seas Mariner. — The Seven Seas Mariner departed Miami on January 6 on a 132-night global expedition to 66 ports in 31 countries.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Ultra-luxury Regent Seven Seas and Silversea's ongoing 4 ½-month world cruises each include at least 65 ports.

But busier doesn't always mean better.

The Oslo Norway Harbor is situated on the Oslo Fjord in Oslo, Norway. — The itinerary includes five "late-night departures" in destinations like Oslo, Norway (pictured above) and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Kenyeres Zsolt/Shutterstock

Guests will have more time to spend at the scheduled ports by sacrificing additional destinations, Gus Antorcha, Holland America's president, said in a news release. (The ship is scheduled for overnights at nine popular destinations, including Bali, Indonesia, and Papeete, Tahiti.)

A spokesperson for Holland America told Business Insider that details about the itinerary's fares aren't available yet.

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