Before Cruising

• Travel Documents: U.S. citizens sailing on a qualifying closed-loop cruise departing from and returning to the same U.S. port may generally travel with approved citizenship evidence and government-issued photo identification, but a valid passport book is strongly recommended in case an emergency requires international air travel.
• International Itineraries: Cruises beginning or ending in different countries, along with many international itineraries, require a valid passport book. Visa and passport-validity requirements vary by destination and nationality.
• Non-U.S. Citizens: Passport, visa, residency, and re-entry requirements vary by citizenship, residency status, itinerary, and ports of call. Verify requirements well before sailing.
• Name Matching: The name on your reservation should match your government-issued travel identification. Carry supporting documentation when a legal name change could create a discrepancy.
• Travel Insurance: Travel insurance is strongly recommended, particularly for international cruises. Compare medical, cancellation, baggage, trip interruption, and emergency transportation coverage before purchasing.
• Research Your Ship: Holland America ships emphasize destination-focused spaces, dining, enrichment, live entertainment, pools, and observation areas. Review your ship's deck plan and venue lineup before sailing because offerings vary across the fleet.
• Book Popular Experiences Early: Shore excursions, specialty dining, spa appointments, Wi-Fi upgrades, and other experiences may be reserved before sailing. Popular times and excursions can sell out.
• Luggage Tags: Print your Holland America luggage tags before leaving home and attach them securely when appropriate for your trip to the terminal.
• Carry-On Essentials: Keep medications, passports, valuables, electronics, swimwear, and a change of clothes in your carry-on because checked luggage may not reach your stateroom until later in the day.

Mariner Society

• Holland America's Loyalty Program: Mariner Society is Holland America's loyalty program. Guests earn Cruise Day credits through eligible cruise days, qualifying onboard spending, and certain suite bonuses.
• Membership Levels: One-Star Mariner status follows one completed qualifying cruise. Two-Star requires 30 Cruise Day credits, Three-Star 75, Four-Star 200, and Five-Star 500.
• Onboard Spending Credits: Eligible onboard purchases can generate additional Cruise Day credits, generally one bonus credit for each $300 in qualifying onboard spending, subject to program terms.
• Suite Bonus: Guests paying an eligible published fare for qualifying suites or penthouses may earn bonus Cruise Day credits under current program rules.
• Benefits Increase by Tier: Higher levels can include discounts on select specialty dining, beverages and other purchases, priority services, laundry benefits, and additional perks. Check your current Mariner profile before sailing because benefits vary by tier.
• Early Booking Benefit: Holland America currently offers Mariner Society members up to $400 onboard credit per stateroom on qualifying new-season bookings made within the applicable early-booking window.

Holland America Navigator App

• Your Cruise Companion: Download the Holland America Navigator App before sailing and sign in with your Holland America account so your cruise information is ready when you arrive.
• Daily Planning: Once onboard, Navigator functions as a pocket daily program with activities, entertainment, dining information, port planning, and daily highlights.
• Dining & Excursions: Browse menus, make eligible dining reservations, review and book shore excursions, and add activities to your itinerary.
• Onboard Account: Use the app to review your onboard statement and account details during the cruise.
• Onboard Chat: Navigator includes onboard messaging so you can communicate with travel companions and other guests using the ship's Wi-Fi network.
• No Internet Package Required: Holland America states that using Navigator's onboard features does not require purchasing a cruise internet plan.

Tipping / Gratuities

• Crew Appreciation: Holland America's current daily Crew Appreciation is $18.00 per guest, per day for non-suite staterooms and $20.00 per guest, per day for suites.
• How It's Charged: Crew Appreciation is automatically added to your onboard account and pooled among team members who contribute to the guest experience. It may be adjusted onboard before your account is settled.
• 20% Service Charge: A 20% service charge is automatically applied to beverage purchases, bar retail items, specialty restaurant cover charges, and for-purchase à la carte food items.
• Spa & Salon: Spa and salon services carry a separate 18% service charge, not the 20% rate applied to the purchases listed above.
• Exceptional Service: Additional gratuities for exemplary personal service are discretionary.

Embarking

• Online Check-In: Complete Holland America's online check-in requirements before arriving at the terminal and have your boarding and travel documents ready.
• Arrival Time: Follow the arrival information assigned for your sailing. Eligible suite, Club Orange, and loyalty guests may receive priority services where offered.
• Wine & Champagne: Guests may bring permitted wine or champagne bottles of 750ml or less, but Holland America currently applies a $20 corkage fee to each permitted bottle regardless of where it is consumed. Quantity limits apply.
• Water Allowance: Holland America permits up to six liters of water per stateroom in approved cans or cartons: up to twelve containers of 500ml or less, or six containers of one liter or less. Plastic water bottles are prohibited.
• Other Outside Beverages: Sodas, energy drinks, and other non-alcoholic beverages are generally prohibited from being brought aboard outside Holland America's limited exceptions.
• Carry-On Essentials: Keep medications, travel documents, valuables, electronics, swimwear, and a change of clothes with you until checked luggage reaches your stateroom.
• Embarkation Day Dining: Lido Market can be especially busy immediately after boarding. Check Navigator for other dining venues and operating hours available on your ship.
• Explore The Ship: Use the first afternoon to locate dining venues, entertainment spaces, pools, the spa and fitness center, and other areas you expect to use.
• Airplane Mode: Before sailing away, place cellular devices in Airplane Mode and enable Wi-Fi separately when needed to avoid unintended maritime roaming charges.

Wi-Fi / Internet Access

• Starlink Fleetwide: Holland America uses Starlink connectivity across its fleet, although actual performance still varies with location, weather, network demand, and other maritime conditions.
• Surf: Surf supports web browsing, email, news, social media, and messaging. Audio/video messaging features are not supported at this tier. Surf is the Wi-Fi plan included with standard Have It All.
• Premium: Premium adds capabilities such as audio/video messaging and file transfers but does not include entertainment streaming services. Current pricing starts around $26 per day based on a seven-day package and is subject to change.
• Stream: Stream adds entertainment streaming services and the broader capabilities of the lower tiers. Current pricing starts around $38 per day based on a seven-day package and is subject to change.
• Have It All: Each eligible guest on a Have It All booking receives the included Surf benefit for one simultaneously connected device and may upgrade to Premium, Stream, or eligible multi-device service.
• Airplane Mode: Keep cellular devices in Airplane Mode while at sea and connect through ship Wi-Fi to avoid maritime cellular roaming charges.

Cabin

• Stateroom Amenities: Holland America staterooms generally include a private bathroom, climate controls, television, storage, hair dryer, and in-room safe, with amenities varying by ship and category.
• Stateroom Steward: Your room attendant services the cabin and can assist with routine requests such as towels, pillows, blankets, and ice.
• Room Service: Holland America offers extensive in-room dining, including complimentary and à la carte selections. Check the current menu in your stateroom or Navigator because charges vary by item.
• Storage Space: Unpack and place suitcases under the bed when possible to maximize usable cabin space, particularly on longer itineraries.
• Balcony Cabins: Keep balcony doors closed when not actively using the balcony, particularly when the cabin climate-control system is operating.
• Club Orange: Club Orange is included with eligible Neptune and Pinnacle Suites and may be purchased by other qualifying guests subject to availability. Benefits can include priority access, upgraded dining benefits, and other services that vary by ship.

On Deck

• Pools & Relaxation: Holland America ships feature pools, hot tubs, open deck areas, and comfortable outdoor seating. Exact facilities vary by ship.
• Lido Pool: On many ships the central Lido Pool has a retractable roof, making the area useful in a wider range of weather conditions.
• Sea View Pool: Many ships feature an aft Sea View Pool area; on applicable ships it provides an adults-focused outdoor relaxation space with panoramic views.
• Retreat Cabanas: Select ships offer private Retreat cabanas for an additional charge, providing a quieter reserved relaxation area and dedicated service.
• Crow's Nest: The Crow's Nest observation lounge is a popular indoor location for panoramic views and scenic cruising on ships where it is offered.
• Pickleball & Recreation: Holland America offers dedicated pickleball courts fleetwide along with ship-specific sports and recreation such as basketball, ping pong, shuffleboard, cornhole, and organized activities.
• Chair Etiquette: Avoid leaving loungers unattended for extended periods during busy times so deck seating remains available to other guests.

Dining

• The Dining Room: Holland America's flagship dining room serves multicourse dinners and is also available for breakfast and lunch at scheduled times. Check Navigator for your sailing's operating hours and dining format.
• Lido Market: Lido Market provides casual breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night selections with a broad variety of choices.
• Casual Dining: Ship-specific complimentary options can include Dive-In, New York Pizza, Grand Dutch Café, and other venues.
• Specialty Dining: Depending on your ship, specialty restaurants may include Pinnacle Grill, Canaletto, Tamarind, Sel de Mer, Morimoto By Sea, and other ship-specific concepts for an additional charge or qualifying package credit.
• Club Orange Dining: Club Orange guests receive enhanced dining benefits, including an exclusive venue on some ships or priority/dedicated dining arrangements and additional menu selections where applicable.
• Dietary Requests: Holland America can accommodate many dietary needs. Submit important requests before sailing when possible and confirm them with the dining team onboard.
• Reservations: Specialty restaurants and popular times can fill before departure. Reserve early when a particular venue or dining time is important to you.

Food & Beverage

• Included Beverages: Complimentary beverage selections are available in dining and buffet areas and generally include basic coffee, tea, water, and select other beverages depending on venue and meal period.
• Specialty Coffee: Premium espresso drinks, specialty coffees, and other beverages are available at participating cafés and may be covered by eligible beverage packages.
• Package Rules: Beverage-package benefits, daily limits, drink-value caps, and exclusions vary by package. Packages cannot be shared, and all eligible adults in the same stateroom generally must purchase the applicable package when required by current terms.
• RelaxAway Exclusion: Holland America's onboard beverage packages are not honored for beverage purchases on RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay.

Have It All Package Upcoming

• Four Core Benefits: Standard Have It All combines Shore Excursion Credit, the Signature Beverage Package, specialty dining, and Surf Wi-Fi.
• Current Price: For cruises departing before summer 2027, standard Have It All currently costs $60 per person, per day when purchased pre-cruise.
• Summer 2027 Price Change: For cruises departing in summer 2027 and later, the pre-cruise price increases from $60 to $65 per person, per day.
• Shore Excursion Credit: Current standard benefits provide up to $100 per person on 4–9 night cruises, up to $200 on 10–20 night cruises, and up to $300 on cruises of 21 nights or longer, excluding Grand Voyages.
• Specialty Dining: Standard Have It All currently provides one specialty-dining night on 4–9 night cruises, two on 10–20 night cruises, and three on cruises of 21 nights or longer, excluding Grand Voyages.
• Early Booking Bonus: Qualifying early-booking promotions can add prepaid Crew Appreciation and upgrade the standard Signature Beverage Package to Elite and Surf Wi-Fi to Premium. These promotional benefits are not automatically part of every Have It All booking.

Signature Beverage Package

• What's Included: Signature covers eligible cocktails, wine, beer, spirits, specialty coffee, mocktails, sodas, and other qualifying drinks priced at $12 or less.
• Daily Limit: The Signature Beverage Package currently has a 15-drink daily limit covering alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
• Current Pre-Cruise Price: Holland America currently lists Signature at $50.95 per guest, per day before applicable charges; prices are subject to change.
• Where It's Accepted: The package is honored at participating onboard bars, lounges, cafés, The Dining Room, and specialty restaurants, but excludes in-room dining, mini-bars, and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay.

Other Beverage Packages

• Elite: Elite expands beverage coverage to qualifying drinks priced at $16 or less and currently limits alcoholic beverages to 15 per day while allowing unlimited qualifying non-alcoholic beverages.
• Quench: Quench is a non-alcoholic package covering up to 15 qualifying beverages per day, including specialty coffees, juices, Coca-Cola products, mocktails, and other eligible selections.
• Coca-Cola: Holland America also offers a Coca-Cola beverage option. Availability and dispensing options can vary by ship.

Onboard Entertainment Updated

• World Stage: World Stage is Holland America's primary theater venue, presenting ship-specific production shows, music, dance, comedy, guest entertainers, and other performances.
• 2026 Entertainment Refresh: Holland America introduced four new World Stage productions aboard Oosterdam in July 2026, including Holland America Line and Rolling Stone Present, All Access: The Songs That Shaped Us, Fosse and Verdon, The Duet That Changed Broadway, Decadence, and Disco Fever.
• Live Music: Live music remains a major part of the Holland America experience, with ship-specific venues and performers that can include Rolling Stone Lounge, Billboard Onboard, and other lounges and stages.
• Enrichment: Destination-focused Up Close presentations, cultural programs, arts and crafts, cooking-related programming, trivia, game shows, and other activities complement evening entertainment.
• Check Your Ship: Entertainment venues and branded music concepts vary considerably across the fleet, so use Navigator and your ship's current venue list rather than assuming every program is available on every vessel.

Casino

• Casino Gaming: Holland America casinos offer ship-specific selections of slot machines and table games such as blackjack, roulette, poker, and other casino games.
• Operating Hours: Casino gaming generally operates when permitted by maritime and local regulations and is commonly closed while ships are in port.
• Lessons & Events: Depending on the sailing, casinos may offer complimentary gaming lessons, tournaments, drawings, and other promotional events.
• Cash: Unlike most onboard purchases, cash is accepted in the casino. Account advances and other transaction methods may carry fees or restrictions.
• Casino Offers: Qualifying play may generate casino offers or benefits for future cruises; offers vary by guest activity and program terms.

Wellness & Fitness

• Spa & Salon: Holland America's full-service Spa & Salon offers massages, facials, body treatments, salon services, acupuncture, and other wellness services, with specific offerings varying by ship.
• Thermal Suite: Select ships feature a Thermal Suite with heated ceramic loungers, steam or sauna experiences, and a warm seawater hydrotherapy pool. Access generally requires a pass or qualifying benefit.
• Fitness Center: Fitness centers include cardio and strength equipment, free weights, and ship-specific instructor-led classes such as cycling and Pilates.
• Book Early: Spa appointments can be especially popular on sea days and Dressy Nights. Reserving before sailing or early in the cruise provides the greatest choice of times.
• Spa Service Charge: Holland America currently adds an 18% service charge to spa and salon services.

Families & Kids

• Kids Club: Holland America's supervised youth program serves eligible guests ages 3–17 with arts and crafts, games, sports, scavenger hunts, video games, themed activities, and other programming.
• Age Groups: Current standard groups are ages 3–6, ages 7–11, and teens ages 12–17.
• Registration: Children in the younger groups must be registered and follow applicable sign-in/sign-out procedures. Children must be fully toilet trained and pull-up free to participate.
• Teen Independence: Teen programming is structured with greater independence and does not use the same routine sign-in/sign-out process as the younger groups.
• Long Voyages: Kids Club is not offered as the standard supervised program on cruises of 25 days or longer, including Legendary and Grand Voyages, although selected children's activities may still be scheduled.
• No Babysitting: Holland America does not currently offer onboard babysitting or daycare service.
• Family Activities: Families can also enjoy pools, sports, trivia, shows, destination programming, games, and other ship-specific activities together.

Private Destinations Updated

Holland America's primary private-island experience is RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay in The Bahamas. The destination is shared within Carnival Corporation and is undergoing significant enhancements while retaining its beach-focused character.

RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay

• Beach Destination: RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay is known for its long white-sand beach and clear water, with swimming, beach time, water activities, horseback riding, excursions, cabanas, villas, and other experiences available depending on the visit.
• 2026 Enhancements: Holland America is highlighting major enhancements including a new beach club, expanded food and beverage choices, pickleball courts, additional shopping, enhanced beach facilities, and upgraded cabanas and villas.
• New Beach Club: The new beach club is designed to provide waiter service, priority tendering, an exclusive food and beverage menu, upgraded loungers and hammocks, and indoor and outdoor seating with ship views.
• Food & Beverage: Enhancements include food trucks, a refreshed Lobster Shack, island-exclusive menu items, and new beverage experiences. Complimentary food options remain available during typical calls, with additional paid choices depending on venue.
• Beverage Packages: Holland America's onboard beverage packages are specifically excluded from beverage purchases on RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, so plan for island beverage purchases separately.
• Tendering: Holland America visits generally require tender transportation between the ship and island. Allow extra time when returning and follow the published last-tender schedule.
• Beach Towels: Follow your ship's current instructions for taking and returning towels ashore.

Ports / Shore Excursions

• Holland America Shore Excursions: Cruise-line-sponsored excursions provide coordinated transportation and additional assistance if an excursion is delayed through no fault of the guest.
• Have It All Credit: Standard Have It All includes shore-excursion credit, with the amount based on voyage length. Review the terms for your specific booking before reserving tours.
• Independent Tours: Independent operators can provide smaller groups or different experiences, but you are responsible for returning to the ship before all-aboard time.
• Ship Time vs. Local Time: Always verify the time standard being used onboard before leaving the ship independently.
• Return Early: Build a substantial buffer into independent port plans rather than aiming to return at the published all-aboard deadline.
• Destination Focus: Holland America is especially known for destination-rich itineraries including Alaska, Europe, Canada & New England, South America, Australia/New Zealand, Asia, longer Legendary Voyages, and Grand Voyages.

Complimentary Extras

• Up Close Presentations: Holland America's destination-focused talks spotlight the culture, traditions, history, nature, and stories of the places visited, with programming varying by itinerary.
• Live Entertainment: World Stage shows, live music, game shows, trivia, and many scheduled entertainment activities are included unless specifically identified as an additional-charge experience.
• Arts & Crafts: Shipboard schedules may include complimentary instructor-led creative activities such as painting, coloring, origami, lettering, knitting, and other crafts.
• Pickleball: Holland America provides dedicated pickleball courts fleetwide and offers complimentary instruction and organized play on many sailings.
• Fitness Center: Standard use of fitness-center cardio and strength equipment is generally included, while specialty classes and personal training may carry additional charges.
• Pools & Observation Spaces: Pools, hot tubs, outdoor decks, libraries, and observation lounges provide plenty of included ways to relax between scheduled activities.

Disembarking

• Express Walk-Off: Guests able to carry all of their own luggage may be able to use an earlier self-assist departure option where offered.
• Standard Departure: Guests using ship-handled luggage receive departure instructions and tags and should follow the assigned disembarkation process.
• Final Morning: Staterooms are vacated early on disembarkation morning. Check Navigator and the final-day instructions for breakfast and departure timing.
• Customs & Immigration: Processing procedures vary by terminal, itinerary, citizenship, and documentation. Keep required travel documents readily accessible.
• Porters: Porters are available at many cruise terminals to assist with luggage. Follow local tipping customs where applicable.
• Ground Transportation: Review transfer, taxi, ride-share, rental-car, parking, or airport plans before leaving the terminal.
• Before You Leave: Check the safe, closets, drawers, charging outlets, bathroom, and under the bed before leaving your stateroom for the final time.