I Didn’t Think World Cruises Were for Me. Holland America Changed My Mind.

That morning, after speed-drinking a large cup of coffee, I made my way up to the Sea View deck and sat on one of the plastic chairs arranged in a row at the stern of the ship. Despite the chilly gusts of wind and the shockingly early hour, I was one among hundreds of passengers to attend, many of whom were wrapped in thick blue pool towels for warmth.

As we all waited for everyone to find a seat and the ceremony to begin with the Exsultet, or Easter Proclamation, the sun rose from the calm Mediterranean Sea and colored the previously gray sky into bright orange. An audible gasp of joy and wonder spread among the crowd. We all turned to look east at nature’s magic show in silence, bound as one by the beauty of the world. The feeling of gratitude we all appeared to experience simultaneously was almost palpable. Many were quietly crying, yours truly included.

Soon after, Pastor Reid Cooke, one of the guests on the ship, took the mic and led us all through the most fun nondenominational religious event I’ve ever attended. His humor and upbeat demeanor made us all forget the weather. Listening to the choir, also made up entirely of guests, I left my tiredness behind and experienced a moment of great happiness. Neither the sermon nor the singing was perfect, but the company, the setting, and the vibe were excellent.

I’d been on the ship for about 12 hours, and I was already smitten with the idea of a world cruise. Community, friendship, fun, natural beauty, moments of celebration, exciting destinations, and coffee on tap for months on end — yeah, I wanted that, too.

Holland America’s world cruises

Every cruise line has its own terminology for world cruises. Holland America calls them Grand World Voyages (GWV).

GWVs are 120-plus-day sailings that stop at several dozen countries and cities. The 2025 GWV — which I was lucky enough to participate in a small part of — covered 32 countries and 40 ports across four continents in 124 days.

Zuiderdam did indeed go around the world in 2025, crossing the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans, as well as the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas. As is the growing trend in the world of cruising, the 2025 GWV included 10 overnight stops for more in-depth exploration and hard-to-reach destinations, including Easter Island and Pitcairn Island in the southern Pacific Ocean.

To make them even more exclusive, GWVs only happen once per year. But if you can’t commit to a four-month cruise, Holland America has options for you.

One thing you can do is book one segment of a GWV. For the 2025 GWV, there were four different segments ranging from 20 to 55 days. Segments become available a little while after bookings for a GWV open, so you need a little patience. If the segments don’t suit you, however, you can try a Grand Voyage (GV).

GVs are not the same as GWVs. While they also happen only once per year, and leave at the same time of year (in early January after the holidays), they tend to be a little shorter, and they don’t circumnavigate the globe.

Holland America’s GVs are 90-plus-day trips that focus on one region or one continent. The 2025 GV was a pole-to-pole sailing that stopped in no fewer than 68 ports in 28 countries. The cruise included a four-day scenic sailing in Antarctica and a crossing of the Arctic Circle.

Because Holland America tries to cater to every traveler, the line also organizes Legendary Voyages. Those 25- to 59-day region-focused sailings are for the travelers who want to take part in a long cruise but not one that’s going to take several months.

Who takes world cruises with Holland America?

Unsurprisingly, the people who travel on world cruises aren’t in their 20s, 30s, or even in their 40s. The reasons for that are simple: world cruises are expensive and too long for those with young children and full-time jobs. (Although, Henk Mensink, Hotel General Manager for Holland America, told me that some people do work remotely thanks to the solid internet connection on board.)

During my short time on board Zuiderdam for the 2025 GWV, most of the guests were 60-plus-year-old retirees. Although I did not notice any posh behavior and obvious signs of great wealth on board, clearly people on a tight budget don’t typically take world cruises.

Besides their age, finances, and love of travel, one thing Holland America world cruisers have in common is their love for the line. A large number of the passengers on the 2025 GWV were repeat world cruisers.

Andre and Susan L’Heureux, a retired couple from Maine, told me that they book every Holland America GWV and have done so for many years.

“We’ve already booked the 2026 and 2027 Grand World Voyage,” Andre told me. When I mentioned that the 2027 itinerary had not been announced yet, he replied, “We don’t care where it’s going.”

While they have traveled on other cruise lines, Andre and Susan don’t stray any longer.

“Holland America Grand World Voyages are the ultimate decadence,” Susan told me. When asked what made it so special, she was quick to reply that it was the crew that made all the difference. “It’s the best crew in the industry,” she explained.

Andre and Susan were on board a world cruise when the pandemic hit, and they praised Holland America’s thoughtful handling of the situation at every occasion — a tall order. During our conversation, it quickly became clear that GWVs were a major part of their lives. They even got engaged in one of the restaurants during a Holland America sailing.

Andre and Susan are far from the only repeat passengers who won’t miss the chance to praise the cruise line and its world cruises. Jo Johnston, a Texas native and die-hard Holland America cruiser, travels 10 months of the year on board the cruise line’s fleet. She’s sold her house and her car to dive headfirst into a full-time cruising lifestyle.

In 2025, after the GWV, she’ll take 10 back-to-back cruises with the line. On board, she keeps herself busy by booking excursions, taking watercolor classes, and writing her blog Writer on Deck.

“World cruises are like tattoos; one is never enough,” Andre said to me.

What makes a world cruise different from any other sailing?

Besides the obvious — i.e., the unusual length of the cruise and the unique itinerary — there’s a lot that makes a Holland America GWV a lot more special than any other sailing.

Long-term togetherness

While the large numbers of repeat customers on board GWVs is a sign of fierce loyalty for the cruise line, it also shows something I did not expect to find: a desire for community.

Because they spend months on board the same ship and participate in the same group activities at sea and on land, Holland America’s world cruisers get to know each other well, much like people living in the same neighborhood or attending the same church.

While walking around the ship on the day of my embarkation, several people asked me, “You’re new, right?” I was sticking out like a sore thumb.

Many of the guests participate in the same projects on every sailing. That’s the case of Adona Chew who, during the nine GWVs she’s taken so far, has always volunteered for the same charity. Project Linus is a nonprofit organization that provides blankets to children who are ill or otherwise in need. The Holland America chapter of Project Linus is the only one at sea and is run by repeat world cruiser Marty Gottlie every year.

When I chatted with Adona and Marty in late April, I was told passengers had knitted and crocheted well over 400 blankets during the sailing. Adona and Marty know every single one of the blanket makers — some better than others, like the woman who makes a blanket every three days or the one who brings Adona a chocolate every time she delivers a new blanket.

The same goes for people who play pickleball or bridge, sing in the choir, or take Hebrew writing lessons from the onboard rabbi: they find their group, thrive in it, and want to remain part of it year after year.

The guest-crew relationship

Upon talking with various guests, there’s one aspect of GWVs that kept coming up: the passengers’ deep appreciation for the crew. And that makes sense. When the same person serves you breakfast every day for four months, you develop a relationship. The same goes for the person who cleans your room, gives you a haircut at the spa, or teaches the fitness classes. While it remains a relationship with a power differential, it’s one filled with kindness, gratitude, and even a little bit of love — from both sides.

Passengers and crew members gossip, talk about personal matters, joke, and show affection toward each other. (I know because I’ve eavesdropped multiple times.) It helps that many of the crew members who work on GWVs do so every year, meeting the same guests time and again.

Serial world cruiser Jo Johnston even shared with me that when the ships docks in crew members’ home countries — in Indonesia, for example — guests band and plot to help them go on land and meet with their loved ones. Their tried-and-tested strategy? Putting out the “do not disturb” sign on their cabin door so that the stewards don’t need to clean their rooms and have enough time to leave the ship for a day.

But even the more senior crew members get the attention of the thoughtful guests. When I embarked on Zuiderdam, I was told that Henk Mensink, the Hotel General Manager for Grand World Voyages for many decades, was to step back from his role. Guests I talked to were genuinely saddened about his departure. During a Q&A with Holland America’s President, Beth Bodensteiner, one guest, with the support of other passengers, even tried to get him to reverse the decision. While it was meant as a joke, it was another sign that the guest-crew relationship on board is much more than transactional.

The curated events

Because guests on GWVs stay so long on board, there needs to be a constant rotation of activities, events, and food to keep them entertained and wowed. Such events include a sunrise Easter service, an Easter brunch, a green-and-red pizza party upon leaving Naples, an April Fools’ Day full of wacky announcements and jokey schedules, and formal nights to add a little class to the sailing – among many other events thought up by the very attentive staff.

My personal favorite curated event was the scheduling of multiple guest chefs during the cruise to bring some very refined and unique dining experiences on board. I was lucky enough to enjoy chef Ethan Stowell’s special menu at the onboard Pinnacle Grill restaurant, and it was certainly a highlight of my seven days on board.

A once-in-a-lifetime Holland America meetup

I spent only seven days on board Zuiderdam, not the full 124 days, but I was there at the climax of the trip. When we docked in Barcelona on April 24, we did so right behind Volendam, the ship operating the 2025 GV. This meet-up was a first in the history of GWVs and GVs and was a cause for celebration.

That day, passengers from Zuiderdam were able to visit the Volendam, and vice-versa — much like an open-door day. For the duration of our time in Barcelona, we could come and go as we pleased on both ships. I took a quick self-guided tour of the newly renovated Volendam, but I could have enjoyed a meal, taken a dip in the pool, or even participated in some of the planned activities.

This was a great opportunity for Zuiderdam passengers to see the ship that will sail GWVs in 2026 and 2027. It was also a chance for the many hardcore Holland America GWV and GV cruisers to get together with acquaintances, friends, and family members traveling on different ships. It was the case of the aforementioned Jo Johnston, whose sister was traveling on board Volendam.

But it’s that night that things really kicked off. Both ships organized DJ-led parties on their respective Sea View decks, which were facing each other in the port. Everyone let loose a little, dancing, singing, and wholeheartedly enjoying the free alcoholic drinks and Spanish snacks. Yes, world cruises mostly comprise 60-plus-year-old travelers, but they can party the night away. Actually, I’m sure most of them went to bed much later than this 30-something-year-old writer.

Each passenger got gifts by which to remember this unique event: a Delft plate by Royal Goedewaagen and a commemorative pin. It was a thoughtful touch for all the repeat cruisers, but it was not much compared to the biggest gift of all: a spectacular drone show that celebrated both ships and itineraries. Holland America went all out, and everyone, including the most blasé travelers among us, was awestruck.

What’s in store for Holland America’s next world cruise?

Holland America GWVs and GVs have been taking place since 1958 (except during the COVID-19 pandemic), and there’s no end in sight.

While a lot of factors come into play in the creation of a GWV or GV itinerary, it’s worth noting that guests’ input is valued. During each voyage, each guest on board is given a survey, and Holland America is very keen on making their requests happen, especially considering the number of repeat customers they welcome every year. Keeping guests happy is the number-one priority at Holland America.

The 2026 GWV will be a 133-day affair, i.e. nine days longer than the 2025 iteration. It will leave Fort Lauderdale on January 4 and will include stops in 24 countries, a scenic cruising of Antarctica, a day on Komodo Island, a lot of time spent in Japan, and two crossings of the Pacific Ocean. The 2026 GWV will not include Europe and will not circumnavigate the world, however. The 2026 GWV starts at $31,139 per person.

The 2026 GV will be much shorter than the 2025 version at 93 days. It will leave San Diego on January 4, and the focus will be on exploring Australia and New Zealand, with many dreamy stops in Polynesia. The 2026 GWV starts at $19,472 per person.

If you think the 2026 sailings look great, wait until you see what Holland America’s cooking up for 2027. Both the 2027 GWV and GV were announced while I was on board Zuiderdam this past April, and I have not stopped obsessing over the itineraries ever since.

The 2027 GWV will be a 129-day circumnavigation of the globe and will cover 53 ports in 28 countries, including 19 ports that are exclusive to GWV. I’m personally green with envy at the fact that passengers will get to stop at four very remote islands that very few people get to visit: Easter Island and Pitcairn Island in the Pacific and St. Helena and Ascension Island in the Atlantic. The 2027 GWV starts at $29,099 per person. I might start a GoFundMe page.

The 2027 GV will be a 70-day sailing around South America and Antarctica, with stops in 13 countries and 31 ports, including a very exciting day at the lesser-known Robinson Crusoe Island off the coast of Chile. The 2027 GV starts at $15,614 per person.