• Historic Year-Round Deployment: Holland America Line will keep Nieuw Statendam in European waters continuously from October 2027 through March 2028, marking its first full winter season in Europe.
• Inaugural Holiday and Nature Voyages: The program debuts dedicated Christmas market cruises calling on Copenhagen, Tallinn, Stockholm, and Helsinki, alongside expanded Northern Lights and solar eclipse sailings.
• Reimagined Transatlantic Crossings: Maintaining ships overseas unlocks unconventional crossing schedules, such as historic mid-winter transatlantic voyages departing in December and February.
• Record European Port Calls: Five Holland America ships will sail European itineraries during 2028, delivering the line’s largest volume of regional port visits in nearly a decade

European ocean cruising is stepping into an exciting new era as Holland America Line expands its traditional seasonal presence into full year-round European deployments. Reporting from Travelweek aboard ms Oosterdam details how guest enthusiasm for off-peak European travel has inspired the premium cruise line to keep vessels stationed across European waters throughout the winter months of 2027 and 2028 for the first time in company history.

Presented to guests during a forward-looking fleet preview at Oosterdam‘s World Stage theater, this historic deployment begins with Nieuw Statendam remaining in Europe continuously across the autumn and winter seasons. The expanded schedule introduces an array of brand-new voyage concepts designed to showcase the continent’s distinct seasonal moods, ranging from high-demand Northern Lights and Arctic Circle itineraries to inaugural holiday sailings exploring the classic Christmas markets of Scandinavia and the Baltic. In the Mediterranean, winter routes visit cultural landmarks across Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Egypt, offering travelers pleasant sightseeing temperatures, unhurried shore excursions, and uncrowded world heritage sites.

Additionally, the year-round European footprint enables Holland America to reimagine transatlantic crossings with unique dates, including culturally immersive February and December journeys linking Barcelona with Fort Lauderdale. With five ships operating across the continent and achieving the line’s highest number of European port calls in nearly a decade, the 2028 season offers travelers unprecedented flexibility to discover Europe across every season of the year.