Record Day: 10 Cruise Ships in Miami

Record Day: 10 Cruise Ships in Miami

According to a press release, PortMiami welcomed a record-breaking 10 cruise ships on Feb. 8.

They were the Carnival Magic, Carnival Sunrise, Zaandam, MSC Seascape, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Gem, Sirena, Icon of the Seas, Independence of the Seas and the Scarlet Lady.

Close to 68,000 passengers were expected during the day, the port said.

“It is no surprise PortMiami and the cruise industry continue to break records,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “PortMiami is the departure choice for all major cruise lines. As a destination, Miami-Dade is undoubtedly the centre of world cruise tourism with incredible weather, culture and unlimited options for exciting experiences.”

The 2025 season is filled with new cruise ships. Among the lineup of ships are Cunard Queen Anne (January 2025), MSC Cruises MSC World America (April 2025), Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Aqua (April 2025), Royal Caribbean International Wonder of the Seas (August 2025), Cunard Queen Elizabeth (October 2025), Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady (October 2025), and Oceania Cruises Allura (November 2025).

Holland America’s Zaandam Enters Drydock in Freeport

Holland America’s Zaandam Enters Drydock in Freeport

Holland America Line’s Zaandam recently arrived in Freeport to undergo routine maintenance at the Grand Bahama Shipyard.

After concluding a cruise in Fort Lauderdale, the ship entered one of the drydocks of the facility on Jan. 25, 2025.

As part of its two-week shipyard stay, the Zaandam is now undergoing a series of technical overhauls, as well as class work and general maintenance.

Upon completion of the drydock, the vessel is scheduled to welcome guests back in Florida on Feb. 8, 2025.

The 2000-built ship will then kick off a month-long cruise to the Caribbean, South America and the Amazon.

Sailing roundtrip from Miami, the “Amazon Explorer” itinerary is part of Holland America’s Legendary Voyages program and features visits to 13 destinations.

The sailing is highlighted by an overnight stay in Manaus, as well as scenic cruising on the Amazon River.

After the cruise, the Zaandam is scheduled to offer a Panama Canal cruise before kicking off a series of cruises to the Mexican Riviera.

The seven- to ten-night itineraries from San Diego will be followed by a summer deployment in Alaska and Canada.

In September, the 1,440-guest ship is also scheduled to offer a 56-night cruise to the South Pacific and Hawaii.

The vessel continues to sail in the Pacific during the 2025-26 winter, with itineraries to the Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia and more.

Extensively refurbished over the years, the Zaandam underwent a major refit in 2018 as part of a $300-million fleet upgrade program.

At the time, the vessel saw significant suite and stateroom enhancements and updates to its public areas.

New additions included USB outlets to the bedside headboards, as well as LED lights to facilitate late-night reading and upgraded electrical outlets. A fully new interactive television system was also installed in all cabins.

Holland America Line 2024 Cruise Capacity Breakdown

Holland America Line 2024 Cruise Capacity Breakdown

HAL Westerdam in Glacia Bay Alaska photo credit Spacejunkie2 flickr images

According to the 2024 Cruise Industry News Annual Report, Holland America Line is offering a balanced deployment mix in 2024 across its 11-ship fleet.

Alaska continues to concentrate most of the company’s offerings, with a total of six ships sailing in the region this summer.

Offering seven-night cruises from Vancouver, the Koningsdam is Holland America’s largest vessel in Alaska this year.

Other ships sailing in the region include the Nieuw Amsterdam, the Eurodam, the Noordam, the Westerdam and the Zaandam.

Holland America Line is also building up its Caribbean offering in 2024, with roughly a 15 per cent increase in capacity compared to 2023.

Mostly sailing from Port Everglades, seven ships are set to offer week-long or longer cruises in the region this year.

The Caribbean deployment is highlighted by a 21-night cruise that sails roundtrip from the Port of Boston.

Scheduled for October, the unique itinerary sails onboard the Zuiderdam and features visits to destinations in the Southern and Eastern Caribbean, as well as the Bahamas and Bermuda.

After seeing a significant capacity increase in 2023,  Northern Europe completes the brand’s top three cruise capacity regions.

Other regions with significant cruise capacity from Holland America Line include the West Coast, the Mediterranean and Canada/New England.

With summer and fall programs onboard the Volendam and the Zuiderdam, the latter is seeing an 18 per cent capacity spike in 2024.

The Holland America fleet is also offering itineraries to South America, Australia, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, the Canaries, and the Asia/Pacific region, as well as a full world cruise and repositioning trans-Atlantic sailings.

Holland America's Noordam Resumes Service After Two Years

Holland America's Noordam Resumes Service After Two Years

The Noordam is reentering service for Holland America Line today in Florida.

After a 25-month hiatus, the 2006-built cruise ship is resuming commercial service with two repositioning cruises ahead of a summer program in Alaska.

First, the vessel is offering first a Panama Canal cruise. The 17-night voyage sails from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego and features visits to eight ports in Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico.

Once on the West Coast, the Noordam embarks on a four-night Pacific Coastal itinerary that links San Diego and Vancouver, with a stop in Victoria.

The vessel then starts its summer season in the Last Frontier, offering open-jaw cruises between Vancouver and Whittier.

Called “Glacier Discovery," the vessel’s regular itinerary includes calls in Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, in addition to cruising at the Glacier Bay and the Hubbard Glacier.

Concluding its Alaska program, the Noordam departs on a special 34-night repositioning voyage to the South Pacific in October.

The itinerary sails to Sydney and features calls in Hawaii, Kiribati, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Tonga and Australia – where the ship is poised to spend the next winter season.

The Noordam originally entered service in 2006 as the fourth ship in a series of four 82,000-ton cruise ships known as the Vista Class.

In 2019, the 1,900-guest vessel was subjected to a major refurbishment that included several upgrades to its cabins and public areas.

Additions comprise the Billboard Onboard to the Music Walk area, the Microsoft Studio in the Explorations Café and Fujifilm Wonder PhotoShop.

Suites were also refreshed with new soft goods, furniture and bathrooms and other areas such as the Pinnacle Grill, the Pinnacle Bar, the Greenhouse Spa and Salon, the Dining Room and Lido Market received extensive enhancements.

In addition to the Noordam, six cruise ships are currently sailing with guests for Holland America Line.

While the entire fleet is set to be in service by July, two additional vessels – the Oosterdam and the Zaandam – are returning in May.

Technical Call for Holland America Line's Zaandam in Gibraltar

The Gibraltar Port Authority announced the Zaandam called for medical disembarkation.

The Holland America Line ship docked to disembark a crew member who is suffering from appendicitis, according to the port authority, which added: "It must be pointed out that this is not a cruise call, the vessel doesn’t have any passengers on board, and it will be berthing exclusively to disembark the sick crew member."

Holland America Ships Meet Up for Supply, Pax Exchange

Holland America has said the Zaandam is currently off the coast of Panama and rendezvoused with the Rotterdam at 7:30 p.m. local time yesterday, March 26.

"We received approval from Panamanian authorities to conduct ship-to-ship operations at anchor between the two vessels. Medical supplies and additional medical staff were transferred to Zaandam," the company said.

The company is also transferring groups of healthy Zaandam guests to the Rotterdam, with strict protocols for this process developed in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to a press release.

Only those who have not been ill will be moved, and health screenings will be conducted before transferring. Priority for the first guests to transfer will be given to those on the Zaandam with inside staterooms and who are over 70. Once aboard the Rotterdam, all guests will continue to remain in their staterooms until disembarkation. Any guests who are currently ill, or in isolation as close contact, and all crew will remain on the Zaandam.

While the onward plan for both ships is still being finalized, the company said it will continue to work with the Panamanian authorities on approval to transit the Panama Canal for sailing to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Yesterday a number of patients with respiratory symptoms were tested for COVID-19 and two individuals tested positive. Out of an abundance of caution, on March 22 when the Zaandam first saw a number of guests reporting to the medical centre with influenza-like illness symptoms, the line took immediate protective measures, including asking all guests to self-isolate in their staterooms and implementing all other appropriate precautions that have been developed in coordination with the CDC. All guests and crew received face masks yesterday and were provided with instructions on when and how to wear them.

Currently, 53 guests (4%) and 85 crew (14%) have reported to the Zaandam’s medical centre with influenza-like illness symptoms. There are 1,243 guests and 586 crew on board. On Zaandam, there are four doctors and four nurses. On Rotterdam, there are two doctors and four nurses.

The company also said that four older guests have passed away on the Zaandam.

Zaandam passengers have been aboard a long time, and their trip is far from over

Holland America Line said that the Zaandam, currently sailing off the west coast of South America, will rendezvous with the Rotterdam ship in two days to get extra supplies, additional staff and Covid-19 test kits.

The Zaandam needs the provisions because people onboard have flu-like symptoms and no ports in South America will allow the ship to disembark. 

Holland America said no ports are open to the ship between Chile and Fort Lauderdale. The Florida city’s Port Everglades is now tentatively the Zaandam’s final destination. A March 30 arrival is anticipated, but plans are still being finalized and “alternative options” are being explored. Holland America is trying to get permission to transit the Panama Canal.

No passengers have disembarked the Zaandam since March 14 in Punta Arenas, Chile. The ship had been sailing a South America voyage that departed Buenos Aires on March 7 and was originally scheduled to end in San Antonio, Chile, on March 21. 

Holland America said that 13 passengers and 29 crew on the Zaandam have reported to the ship’s medical centre with influenza-like symptoms. There are 1,243 passengers and 586 crew on board, and all passengers have been instructed to stay in their cabins.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have now asked all guests to remain in their staterooms until we have more information,” the cruise line said. Holland America added that because Covid-19 testing is not available onboard, “it is difficult to determine the cause of these elevated cases at this time.”

HAL Zaandam

Starting March 24, the ship is providing meals by room service until further notice and all public areas are closed. 

The Rotterdam has 611 crew and no passengers on board. It departed Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, at 3 p.m. local time on March 22. Holland America expects the two ships to meet on March 26 off the coast of Panama.

Port Everglades officials said on Tuesday that they are monitoring the Zaandam’s progress and that Broward County will determine whether to allow the ship to enter the port “as more information is available.” The port said it is consulting with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Florida Department of Health in Broward County and other entities. 

Chilean ports Punta Arenas and Valparaiso, as well as ports in Peru, did not allow the ship to disembark. The ship was able to refuel in Valparaiso and take on provisions before sailing north.

Ships still at sea are on cruises to nowhere

Norwegian Jewel.

It’s been five days since CLIA member lines declared a suspension of cruise operations due to the Covid-19 crisis, but several cruise ships are still at sea with passengers, and some are having trouble finding ports to disembark.

CLIA said that as of March 17, about 20% of ships were completing final itineraries.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jewel, currently on a 23-day Australia and French Polynesia itinerary, was supposed to disembark in Auckland, New Zealand, on March 20. Due to multiple port closures in the area, the ship is now scheduled to disembark in Honolulu on March 22.

Holland America Line’s Maasdam this week had to forego plans to dock at Hawaii Island because it has closed to cruise ship calls. The Maasdam does not have any known or suspected cases of coronavirus and now plans to disembark in Honolulu on March 20.

Holland America said the Zaandam had not been allowed to disembark in Punta Arenas, Chile, on March 16, so it left the port and headed for San Antonio, Chile, to pick up fuel and other supplies. The ship is not in quarantine and has no known or suspected cases of Covid-19, the company said. The ship had been on a 14-day sailing in South America scheduled to end March 21. Holland America said it does not currently know where it will disembark. 

Holland American Zaandam

The Amsterdam, currently sailing an around-the-world cruise that started on Jan. 4, was originally scheduled to end the sailing in Fort Lauderdale on May 12. It will now disembark in Fremantle, Australia, on March 21.

The fate of two Silversea ships is up in the air after passengers on both tested positive for Covid-19 on March 14.

Two guests on the Silver Shadow departed the ship for medical reasons in Recife, Brazil, one that subsequently tested positive for the virus; the other was negative, the company said in a statement.

Several guests onboard the Silver Explorer left the ship for medical reasons in Tortel and Castro, Chile, and later tested positive for Covid-19. Parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. declined to say how many passengers had tested positive.

“We are in continuous contact with the various government authorities relating to transport. This work continues,” the company said in a statement.

The cruise line said it has asked guests on both ships “to temporarily remain in their cabins in accordance with our medical isolation protocols.”

“On behalf of our guests, we are in close coordination with the governments and local health authorities to determine next best steps,” the company said.

ASTA CEO Zane Kerby criticized ports for turning away cruise ships.

“Over the course of the past few weeks, a disturbing and anti-humanitarian trend has emerged,” he said in a written statement. “Multiple cruise ships at sea have been denied entry to various ports around the world for fear that some aboard might have or spread the Covid-19 virus.”

The items in blue show where the cruise ships have anchored or on the way.

“While local governments have a responsibility to keep their citizens safe, human decency and common-sense solutions should take precedence during these times of crisis,” he said.

The British ship Braemar, operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has also had a harrowing journey over the last several days.

On March 10, one guest and four crew members tested positive for the virus. Later, one more guest who had originally gotten an inconclusive result was confirmed to be positive. As a result, the Braemar did not get clearance to disembark gusts in Barbados on March 12.

The ship spent three days in the Bahamas with 682 guests before Cuban authorities granted it permission to disembark in Havana and fly back to the United Kingdom.

The Braemar docked in Havana on Wednesday. Three flights were chartered from British Airways to fly guests to London Heathrow in the evening. 

Those who have coronavirus or have displayed flu-like symptoms along with their companions will return on a separate flight arriving at MoD Boscombe, an air force base in Wiltshire, England. Any guests not considered well enough to fly will receive medical treatment in Cuba. 

Fred. Olsen managing director Peter Deer thanked the Cuban government for allowing the ship to dock.

“Other countries would not allow Braemar to dock once we had confirmed cases of coronavirus onboard,” he said.