Holland America is out with another truly epic cruise

23.01.2024 - 13:11 / thepointsguy.com

Holland America is taking inspiration from the 1920s again for its latest over-the-top Mediterranean cruise.

The Seattle-based line revealed plans Tuesday for an epic, 45-day sailing from North America to the Mediterranean and back that mimics an ambitious voyage the line offered in 1925.

Scheduled to depart Oct. 7, 2025, the Ultimate Mediterranean & Atlantic Passage itinerary, as it's being called, will offer North American travelers a chance to experience a grand tour of the Mediterranean without ever getting on a transatlantic flight — just like in the 1920s.

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It's the second such voyage the line has put on its schedule in the past year, joining a 42-night sailing from the U.S. to the Mediterranean and back that is already on Holland America's schedule for November.

One notable difference between the newly announced sailing and the one taking place later this year: The first voyage begins and ends in Fort Lauderdale, while the new sailing begins and ends in New York City.

Like the previously announced sailing, the new voyage takes place on Holland America's 1,432-passenger Volendam. It'll bring calls at 18 ports across eight countries, including multiple stops in Greece for visits to such historic sites as the Parthenon in Athens and Knossos Palace on the island of Crete.

Other stops include Ponta Delgada in the Azores archipelago of Portugal as the ship crosses the Atlantic eastward from New York, followed by a call in Portugal's capital, Lisbon.

There will also be overnight visits to Civitavecchia, Italy (the gateway port for Rome); Alexandria, Egypt (the gateway port for Cairo and its pyramids); and Istanbul — all known for their historic sites dating to ancient times.

Barcelona is also on the schedule, as is La Goulette, Tunisia (the port for Tunis, where cruisers can tour the ruins of the ancient city of Carthage); Gibraltar; Cadiz and Cartagena in Spain; and Kusadasi, Turkey. Kusadasi is a gateway port to visit the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus.

Two more calls are Livorno, Italy (the gateway port for Pisa and Florence), and Naples, Italy, a jumping-off point for visits to the ancient ruins of Pompeii.

The cruise concludes Nov. 21, 2025 in New York after a return trip across the Atlantic.

The 1925 version of the itinerary was relatively similar, also beginning and ending in New York and including stops at ports near many of the Mediterranean's most famous historic sites. That trip took place on the fourth version of Holland America's Rotterdam (the line has had seven ships called Rotterdam over the years, including one currently sailing).

Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Holland America