If you’ve booked a 132-day sailing, what’s one more day? Fun – that’s it. Holland America Line has rescheduled the back leg of its 2026 Grand World Voyage, which is now a day longer than originally planned – but for a happy reason.
Due to ongoing unrest in the Red Sea region, the cruise recently rescheduled the last 54 days of its popular voyage to the 1,432-passenger Volendam, which will sail round-trip from Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 4, 2026. Because it’s a cruise. has replaced the Middle East and Europe with more places in Asia and Central America, the ship will cross the International Date Line twice (instead of once, as originally planned) when crossing the Pacific Ocean.
When a ship crosses the invisible IDL — which runs from the North Pole to the South Pole — for the first time westward, it will skip a day, making the cruise shorter than expected based on its launch and departure days. Under the original itinerary, the trip was 132 days, crossing the line westward.
Then, on the way back to Fort Lauderdale to finish the cruise, the ship will head east across the line, thus repeating the day. The date is reset to the previous one when the ship crosses to the east, essentially sending the ship back in time. That means the revised itinerary will be a day longer but still set to end on May 17, 2026 — the planned end date of the trip.
The cruise, which will last 4 1/2 months, includes 51 ports in 23 countries and territories. Originally, this trip was supposed to include all seven continents, but since Africa and Europe have been removed, it will visit five of the seven.
Following these changes, booked travelers will enjoy one night in popular ports such as Nagasaki, Japan, Tokyo and Hong Kong, as well as scheduled overnight calls and overnight stays in Rio de Janeiro, Tahiti, Sydney and more. Other notable additions include a full cruise of the Panama Canal.
“We know that an immersive experience in exciting places is always a key option for those who choose a world cruise,” said Beth Bodensteiner, chief commercial officer of Holland America Line, in a statement about the changes, which will be communicated to affected passengers.
The new, modified cruise line will take guests south from Fort Lauderdale along the east coast of South America. From there, the ship will cross the equator and land in Antarctica before sailing to Easter Island and stopping at some of the South Pacific islands on its way to Australia. Next are calls to Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan, followed by a second Pacific crossing to Alaska.
Volentam will then sail from Alaska southward from Seattle and San Diego and on to ports in Central America. The trip ends with a Panama Canal cruise and a visit to Colombia before returning to Fort Lauderdale.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for the best news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG experts
Passengers can expect plenty of days at sea to relax and enjoy the ship’s entertainment, which will include exclusive Grand World Voyage offerings. It includes watercolor instruction, block groups, creative writing workshops, and ballroom and ballet dance classes, as well as regular offerings such as comedy shows, cooking demonstrations and enrichment talks. At night, the ship’s theater will host more than a dozen shows with odes to pop and rock greats such as Carole King, the Carpenters, the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac.
Guests can use the ship’s swimming pool, spa and fitness center, too.
Low-cost interior cabins start at $30,354 per person for a full cruise. The revised itineraries will be available to book through Holland America’s website starting October 30. Cruisers who don’t want to wait can book all trips immediately by calling 1-877-932-4259.
Segments are also available, with six options ranging in length from 21 to 61 days. Passengers can choose legs from Fort Lauderdale to Santiago, Chile, from Jan. 4, 2026; Fort Lauderdale to Sydney, also departing Jan. 4, 2026; Santiago, Chile, to Singapore, departing Feb. 10, 2026; Singapore to Fort Lauderdale, departing March 24, 2026; Singapore to Tokyo, and departs on March 24, 2026; or Tokyo to Fort Lauderdale, departing April 14, 2026.
Starting prices for the first three classes range from $9,074 to $15,934, per person, with interior cabin. Payments for the final three segments will be available once they are released for booking on November 13.
Through June 16, 2025, guests booking the 133-day Grand World Voyage will each receive up to $2,000 in onboard credit, a 3% full-payment discount and a basic Wi-Fi package. Cruisers who book in advance and book their flights through Holland America will receive a $500 flight credit, per person, and round-trip airport transfers to and from Fort Lauderdale Airport.
Want to learn more about Holland America? Check out these articles:
Source link
