Although Holland America Line is owned by Carnival Corporation, sailing on their ships is nothing like sailing on a Carnival Cruise Line ship. The atmosphere on is much more relaxed on Holland America. This could be due to the fact that this cruise line is known for having an older crowd. Their ships are mid size ships. The largest and newest ship in their fleet holds 2650 passengers.
We have sailed on Holland twice now. We were impressed with the majority of the cruise both times. Holland provides a few little things that will make a difference to some. For example; the flowers on the tables in the dining room and the buffet are real, they have cloth hand towels in the public bathrooms and the shampoo, conditioner and body wash in the showers are Elemis (the brand used in their spa). The biggest difference is that the food in the buffet is actually served to you and it is some of the best on the seas. We had a table for two in the dining room for 25 nights! The crew is efficient and friendly. The pool was never very crowded. Some of their ships have the B. B. King All Stars. If you like blues and golden oldies and like to dance or watch others dance, be sure to check them out. We went to the various shows, but usually ended up in the lounge with the All Stars. The shows just weren’t to our liking. Friends had gone on one of the cruises with us. They had a great time and booked another Holland cruise. The ship didn’t have the B. B. King All Stars. They said they didn’t have as much fun. They had trouble finding things to do. They did eventually find the piano bar which they frequented from that point on.
If you are young and looking to make a connection on the cruise or you like the pool games and the party atmosphere, then Holland is definitely not for you. If you are middle aged or a senior or you don’t like the bigger ships or the hustle bustle then you should definitely give Holland America a try!