Key Aspects:
- A classical music production called Vivace has already rolled out on several ships.
- Local music tied to the destinations the ships are visiting will be added to onboard entertainment.
- Staff is being expanded to include travel guides who are destination experts.
Surprise cabaret performances. New World Stage productions. Classical music interludes. These are among the new experiences that Holland America Line is rolling out across its fleet now and in the coming months.
If it sounds like a lot to keep track of, the cruise line has that covered, with a “Welcome Aboard” show at the start of each voyage that clues guests into all the entertainment experiences coming their way.
Additionally, the cruise line is overhauling its entertainment employee structure by expanding the team that organizes and leads the various performances.
There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s take a closer look at the biggest changes.
Five ships — Nieuw Statendam, Zaandam, Zuiderdam, Volendam, and Nieuw Amsterdam, have already added Vivace, a string duo or trio performing classical music, and the experience will be added to other vessels.
World Stage shows will entertain guests with multiple Broadway-style productions on certain ships including “Dance!,” a choreographed show featuring the tango, Charleston, rumba and cha-cha; “Solid Gold,” a musical trip back to the 1970s; “Crossroads,” featuring country and folk music; and “Rock Britannia,” celebrating British rock.
Cabaret performances will be offered in venues such as the Crow’s Nest, Lido Pool, and Ocean Bar, while a soloist program will add local cultural experiences to voyages.
It will, for example, feature a steel pan band in the Caribbean, mariachi music in Mexico, a folk guitarist in Alaska, and a Celtic band, called Breton Thunder, on Canada/New England voyages.
(I’ve seen Breton Thunder onboard Zuiderdam on one of her Eastern Canada cruises in 2024 — it definitely delivers on lively, local culture while the ship calls at Nova Scotia ports.)
The new musical offerings will be introduced on the Holland America Line fleet through 2025.
Guests sailing on Eurodam earlier this summer were the first to experience the new show called “Welcome Aboard.” Held on the first night of the voyage, the show introduces passengers to the wide array of entertainment they can enjoy during their sailing.
Described as a high-energy preview, the welcome event will be helpful to guests as they decide which performances and productions they’d like to see during their vacation. “Welcome Aboard” will expand to more ships in 2025 and to all vessels by summer 2026.
In addition to World Stage, classical, and local culture entertainment, Holland America Line ships continue to provide live music nightly at their popular venues Billboard Onboard and Rolling Stone Lounge, plus the B.B. King’s Blues Club on Pinnacle Class ships.
Other onboard enrichment includes the line’s Up Close sessions, port call introductions, and experts such as National Park Service rangers, who provide commentary on ships that sail through Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park.
Meet the Cruise Line’s New Entertainment Team
Most of Holland America Line’s ships are rolling out new responsibilities for their cruise directors that are geared to make them more visible to guests.
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Serving as the host of each voyage, the cruise director will have an assistant cruise director and an entertainment staff. He or she will be tasked with creating a more lively onboard ambiance.
The change will be evident on about half of the fleet by early August 2025, and the new entertainment team will be on hand aboard all ships by the end of the year.
The final additions to the staff will be a group of Travel Guides, who will provide destination lectures and personal insights into the ports of call, and an Activities Crew, which will host cooking demonstrations and tastings, and organize and lead trivia games.
Holland America Rolls Out Major Entertainment Overhaul: Here’s What’s New
