Holland America Line reroutes 2025 World Cruise around Red Sea

Holland America Line has amended the planned itinerary for its 2025 Grand World Voyage aboard Zuiderdam to avoid the ongoing securiy crisis in the Red Sea.

Zuiderdam was meant to sail through the Indian Ocean after calling in South Africa, with port calls in Dubai and other Middle Eastern ports before heading through the Suez Canal for the Mediterranean.

The ship will instead now sail the coast of West Africa after her previously scheduled port call in Cape Town, South Africa, calling in new ports such as Walvis Bay, Namibia and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The changes will affect the last 43 days of the 124-day world cruise, with the updated itinerary now visiting one more port than originally planned, calling at 49 ports in 34 countries and territories, across six continents. 

The cruise will still end on May 9th, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as originally planned.

 “The safety of our guests and crew is of the utmost importance, and we have made the decision to avoid the Red Sea after close consultation with global security experts and government authorities,” said Beth Bodensteiner, Chief Commercial Officer for Holland America Line. 

“Making this change now allows us to provide certainty for our guests in preparing for this 124-day trip around the world.,” she added. “The new itinerary was built with guest experience top of mind and maintains exciting European and African destinations with even more ports to explore in the Mediterranean.” 

Following the originally planned visit to Cape Town, South Africa, the new itinerary now includes a visit to Walvis Bay, Namibia, before heading north toward Praia, Ilha de Santiago, Cape Verde. 

Zuiderdam will then explore the Mediterranean, calling at originally scheduled ports in Gibraltar, Gibraltar; Alexandria, Egypt; Athens, Greece; Rome and Naples, Italy; Lisbon, Portugal; and Barcelona, Spain. 

Additional newly added ports include Valletta, Malta; Tangier, Morocco; Arrecife, Alicante, Cartagena and Tenerife, Spain; Olbia and Sardinia, Italy; as well as Kusadasi, Turkey, pending final confirmation from relevant ports. 

“Guests joining us for our 2025 Grand World Voyage will be able to immerse themselves in exciting destinations across the globe,” said Bodensteiner. 

“Not only will added calls to destinations like Kusadasi grant access to the wonders of Ephesus, but originally scheduled destinations such as Alexandria will allow guests to take in the sights of both the Pyramids of Giza and Sakkara, as well as give them a chance to answer the riddle of the Sphinx.”