We finished all our port visits and spent three days at sea before arriving in Ft Lauderdale to complete our 133-day loop. It is the longest cruise Holland America has ever sailed, covering 28 countries, 68 ports, and almost 32,000 nautical miles.
Some guests are ready to go home, others are actually staying on for the next voyage that will head back up the East coast and end in Montreal.
We are happy to end with the incredibly positive experience we have had. Volendam has been a wonderful home away from home for 4 plus months and we could not have asked for a more friendly, capable crew than we have had. There is a certain camaraderie aboard this ship that we appreciate. The staff clearly like each other and work as a team. We were told that there is a crew survey that is meant to measure satisfaction with jobs and workplace and the Volendam has been labeled as the happiest ship in the fleet – and it shows!
We have been the beneficiaries of their desire to please and have loved being part of the family for this unique voyage.
While we were in Boston, the ship underwent a full US Coast Guard Inspection. The captain was thrilled to report that the ship had zero deficiencies and both the ship and crew were praised by the authorities. This is no small feat for a ship that is 26 years old. Of course, he thanked the crew for their hard work and dedication.
We have no plans to be back on this ship until the 2027 World Cruise. Our assignments for 2026 are taking us to other “Dam” ships as we fondly refer to them: the Zaandam for Grand Australia & New Zealand and the Zuiderdam for the Voyage of the Vikings. We are sad to leave this remarkable environment for now, but we know the Cruise Specialists groups will be well taken care of until our return.
So, what do we want to say to sum up this voyage?
Mentioning a few highlights hardly does it justice, but here are the places that readily come to mind:
Machu Picchu - everyone needs to experience this magical place at least once.
Robinson Crusoe Island - our favorite little oasis.
Antarctica - worthy of multiple trips as it is never the same twice and is always breathtakingly beautiful.
Blankenberge, Belgium - discovering a surprisingly enjoyable resort town.
Barcelona’s two Grand Voyage ships meetup, party, and drone show - a first ever for Holland America Line and a wonderful celebration.
Lanzarote, Canary Islands - a trip to the moon without leaving Earth.
Djupivogur and Isafjordur - the quiet parts of Iceland, where the magic is in the small pleasures of black sand or Alaskan Lupins.
Icebergs in Greenland - a natural wonder up close and personal.
As we have often mentioned, we may not love every port, but we love the experience of being there and it certainly makes our geocaching hobby an international activity.
Captain Rens van Erten, who left this voyage in Edinburgh, would end every announcement by wishing us all a wonderful afternoon or evening on the “beautiful, elegant Volendam.” And that became our theme, our slogan, our anthem, our mantra. It was repeated endlessly but lovingly in many conversations. Our final gift of the voyage is a navy-blue tee shirt for everyone who completed the full voyage with that phrase on the back. A perfect choice.
This voyage has been grand in every way: food, entertainment, service, ports. And the Volendam has been the star of the show, both beautiful and elegant and a grand place to call home.
'Til the next time, Fondly,
Wendy and Steve
Continue Reading:
A Bon Voyage! | Costa Rica & Panama | Ecuador and Northern Peru | Wendy's Adventures in Peru | Steve's Adventure in Machu Picchu | Arica and San Antonio, Chile | Robinson Crusoe & Southern Chile | More Chile & Argentina | Antarctica | Falkland Islands | Montevideo & Punta del Este | Brazil | The Amazon | Salvation Islands | Arriving in Africa | Canary Islands & Morocco | Gibraltar and Barcelona | Spain & Portugal | France, Belgium and The Netherlands | Scotland and Norway | More Norway | Iceland | Greenland | Canada & New England
See upcoming Holland America World Cruises >>