Zaandam

Alaska from Vancouver, the Pacific and Mexico from San Diego

Zaandam spends the summer months in Alaska and the rest of her year on the Pacific coast of the Americas. In April and September she runs 18-night round-trips from Vancouver, an unhurried length for Alaska. Stops change between departures, but Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak and Valdez are among the ports you might see, and our cruises from Vancouver to Alaska show the dates she sails.

In October and November she turns to Polynesia, with round-trips of 30 and 35 nights from San Diego. Typical calls include Honolulu, Hilo and Maui in Hawaii and Papeete in Tahiti. The Mexican Riviera gets 12- and 13-night round-trips from San Diego in April and December; ports vary, and Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and La Paz are among them. Between January and March she also sails a 14-night one-way from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego, which can take in the Panama Canal and calls such as Cartagena and Huatulco.

Wherever she sails from, we book the flights from the UK, the hotel either side and the transfers as one holiday with the cruise. Zaandam belongs to Holland America Line’s R Class, which includes Volendam, and the rest of the fleet is on our Holland America Line page.

Live Music, the World Stage and the Crow’s Nest

Zaandam’s evenings centre on live music and the World Stage, her largest theatre, where performances from names such as Step One Dance Company and Cantaré play beneath two-storey panoramic LED screens, included in the fare. By day the same theatre hosts talks from local experts, a good way to spend the sea days on her longer voyages.

After the show, the Piano Bar is where guests sing along to live piano, and the Crow’s Nest is the quieter choice, with its panoramic outlook over the sea. Drinks are charged separately unless you have a drinks package; the Have It All Package fare includes the Signature Beverage Package alongside an internet package and prepaid gratuities. For families, her Kids Club runs supervised activities for children aged 3 to 17 at no extra charge, though not on every sailing.

Dining on Zaandam, from the Lido Market to Canaletto

Most of Zaandam’s meals are included in the fare. The Lido Market serves comfort food and international dishes in a market-style setting with no fixed mealtimes, and room service runs around the clock, from breakfast to late-night bites, at no extra charge.

Canaletto is her Italian restaurant, serving hearty classics at à la carte prices, while the Library Café pairs speciality coffee and fresh pastries, charged separately, with books, comfortable seating and work desks, a peaceful corner away from the busier parts of the ship.

Zaandam Cabins and Deck Plans

Zaandam carries a family of suites, a choice worth weighing on a voyage of 18 nights or more. Her cabins and deck plans show where those suites sit on her decks.

At Cruise1st, real cruise experts are on the phone before you book, to help you decide which Alaska month or Pacific voyage suits you. Read our Zaandam guest reviews, then find her sailings among our Alaska cruises for 2027.