Holland America Line is adding a unique itinerary to its offerings of Legendary Voyages. The “42-day Ultimate Mediterranean & Atlantic Passage” mimics a voyage the cruise line operated nearly 100 years ago in February 1925.
The roundtrip voyage aboard Volendam departs November 9, 2024 from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Guests will cruise the Atlantic and experience 16 ports throughout nine countries before returning to Port Everglades on December 21, 2024.
In talking about the new itinerary, Chief Commercial Officer Beth Bodensteiner said, “We’re excited to add a longer voyage that makes it easy to explore the Med in depth without a long-haul flight.”
“The original voyage that provided the vision for the “42-day Ultimate Mediterranean & Atlantic Passage” departed New York City Feb. 4, 1925, aboard Rotterdam IV and carried just 550 guests across the Atlantic Ocean to explore many of the same ports. The 2024 cruise follows in the footsteps of the 1925 journey, visiting Portugal, Morocco, Italy, Greece, Israel, Egypt, Tunisia, Gibraltar (United Kingdom) and Spain.”
“Holland America Line was one of the first companies to feature cruise vacations that went beyond a transatlantic crossing, and today we’re continuing to innovate our itineraries by offering memorable voyages like this ultimate Mediterranean and Atlantic passage sailing.”
After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the “42-day Ultimate Mediterranean & Atlantic Passage” calls on Horta and Ponta Delgada in the Azores. That is followed by a call at Tangier, Moroccos before overnight stays in both Livorno and Civitavecchia, Italy.
These overnight stays provide greater opportunity for guests to explore Florence or Pisa from Livorno and Rome while in Civitavecchia. Volendam will then call on Naples, Italy, and Catania, Sicily then make her way to Athens, Greece.
Guests will have the opportunity to explore the Holy Land at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel. Volendam will call on Port Said and Alexandria in Egypt along with the final ports of La Goulette, Tunisia; Gibraltar; Cadiz, Spain: and Casablanca, Morocco.
In total, the voyage includes 20 days at sea, which features both the eastern and western transatlantic crossing, and a scenic cruise through the Strait of Gibraltar. These days at sea also allow guests to enjoy all that Volendam has to offer.
Holland America Line offers a variety of “Legendary Voyages.” These roundtrip voyages sail mostly from North America, range from 25 to 59 days and focus on a specific region. They offer guests an in-depth look at some of the most unique ports along with special onboard programming that features the history and culture of the visited destinations. All with a domestic flight and easy embarkation.