Thrillist – 22 April, 2023
Wake up with penguins, go to sleep with polar bears—sort of. Holland America Line just announced what it described as the first-ever “pole to pole” roundtrip voyage from the US, and it is taking place in 2025.
The incredible cruise trip, which is 133 days long, visits five continents from south to north, and allows passengers to experience the beauty of 28 countries while aboard the Volendam ship.
It’s truly one adventure to remember. Departing on January 25, 2025 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the cruise ship will sail on a south-north-south route through the Panama Canal, and after passing the west coast of South America, it will reach Antarctica (hello, penguins!). After that, the northbound part of the trip will begin, and passengers will sail along Argentina and Brazil until reaching the Amazon River. Prepare to cross the Atlantic Ocean, too, and head over to Africa, after which you’ll be heading north to Europe and the North Cape before sailing west to Iceland and Greenland. Then, 133 days later, you’ll be back in North America where you started.
All together, passengers aboard the cruise’s Pole-to-Pole voyage will visit 68 different ports during their journey, and they’ll be treasuring some of the most memorable travel moments, including seeing the Falkland Islands and the Norwegian fjords and marveling at both the landscapes of the North Cape and Antarctica.
If you’re sold on the cruise, you can already save your spot in advance. By calling Holland America Line’s reservations desk or a travel advisor, you can make a deposited future cruise request, which will grant you priority booking confirmation before the actual opening to the public on May 24, 2023.
Together with the Pole-to-Pole voyage, Holland America Line is also hosting another massive world trip in 2025, dubbed the Grand World Voyage. Aboard the Zuiderdam ship, passengers will sail for 124 days starting from January 4, 2025, and they will see the world east to west rather than south to north. Among the many highlights, travelers will discover the beauty of Easter Island and see the Great Barrier Reef while en route to Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Seychelles, Cape Town, and South Africa are also on the list and, in total, guests will visit 32 countries across six continents.
Now the only thing there’s left to do is booking the trip. If you decide to book the full 133-day Grand Voyage: Pole-to-Pole or 124-day Grand World Voyage by June 3, 2024, you will receive onboard spending credits and amenities valued at up to $8,800 or $8,500 respectively, per person.
For more information and to reserve your spot, you can visit Holland Cruise Line’s website or the Grand Voyage page.
Photo courtesy of Holland America Line