A global cruise scheduled for 2026 has been announced by Holland America Line.
There are 47 ports spread over 39 nations on all seven continents on the 132-day schedule.
By 2026, you’ll just need to take one trip from your house to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to see 39 nations in less than six months.
The drawback? From there, a 25-year-old ship can take you across the globe.
If this idea seems familiar, it’s likely because of one of TikTok’s first obsessions in 2024—the nine-month Ultimate World Cruise offered by Royal Caribbean.
Royal Caribbean’s global sailing is a regular occurrence. On the contrary, lengthier cruises are becoming more and more popular.
And businesses have noticed this change, including Holland America. This time last year, the cruise company unveiled a selection of itineraries that ranged in length from 25 to 59 days, hoping to satiate passengers’ desire for longer sailings. Most are scheduled to sail to or from North America in a round-trip fashion.
However, the cruise line’s upcoming 2026 “Grand World Voyage,” a massive 4 ½-month voyage to all seven continents, is much superior to any of current one- to two-month voyages.
According to Holland America, the 1,432-passenger Volendam ship would depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in January 2026 and travel an “east-to-west route” stopping at 47 ports across 39 nations on all seven continents.
The ship will go across eastern South America before descending to frigid Antarctica from warm Florida.
Volendam is expected to go around Antarctica for four days. I wish you luck across the dreaded Drake Passage.
Most trips throughout the globe don’t often include the icy destination. However, the cruise line is biased toward it in January 2025, Holland America will embark on a 133-day “pole-to-pole” trip that will visit Antarctica and the Arctic Circle.
The ship will go back north to the South Pacific Islands, which include Easter Island, New Zealand, and Australia, from the southernmost point on the route.
After there, it will travel to Egypt, the Maldives, Southeast and South Asia, and northern Europe for a few more stops.
The 132-day plan mostly omits the Middle East and Africa, with the exception of two ports in Egypt.
The trip will end back in Fort Lauderdale after about 4 ½ months and 39 nations.
This ship is small, hence the route is lengthy: One of Holland America’s smallest and oldest ships is the 781-foot-long Volendam.
The Rotterdam, the newest ship from Holland America, is about 200 feet longer and has room for 1,236 more passengers than her elder predecessor. On the other hand, the cruise company used a vessel the size of the Volendam to provide passengers with a more “intimate experience.”
Holland The preferred ship for America is bigger than the ones being utilized by more opulent cruise lines, such as Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, and Silversea’s 2024 globe trips, all of which can accommodate less than 700 guests.
However, the Volendam is still much smaller than Serenade of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s preferred Ultimate World Cruise ship, which is 2,476 passengers long and 965 feet long.
Additionally, the Volendam lacks crazy attractions and waterslides, in contrast to Royal Caribbean’s latest mega-ships. Rather, the ten-story ship has two swimming pools, five bars, six restaurants (including a café), and pickleball courts.
The 47-port globe cruise from Holland America may seem light in comparison to other international itineraries.
At least 65 ports are visited on the current 4-and-a-half-month world trips offered by Silversea and Regent Seven Seas.
The president of Holland America, Gus Antorcha, said in a press release that by forgoing other stops, passengers would have more time to spend at the planned ports. (The ship is slated to spend the night in nine well-known locations, such as Papeete, Tahiti, and Bali, Indonesia.)
