The Holland America cruise brand is one of the oldest in the world, but the Volendam is an eloquent mix of this tradition and the luxuries and comforts of modern cruise ships. The Volendam cruise ship is one of four in her class, the R Class, and was the second to join this group after the Rotterdam.

Harking back to the company's origins and her city namesake in north Holland, the theme of the ship is flowers, which is evident throughout the vessel in everything from the soft furnishings to the blooming arrangements in vases on board.

After a refurbishment in 2006 to bring her in line with Holland America's 'Signature of Excellence' upgrades, and another in 2011 for more contemporary upgrades, the Volendam interior is a beautifully furnished, traditional yet modern vessel in which to enjoy a holiday at sea. 

Volendam specs

Originally launched in 1999, the Volendam is more than 15 years old, but remains up to date with regular refurbishments. When she was built, she had the largest passenger capacity of any Holland America ship with space for 1,432 guests and 615 crew members. She weighs 61,214 tonnes, can travel up to 23 knots and measures 781 feet in length.

Volendam itinerary and shore excursions

The Volendam crosses the pacific regularly, stopping at ports all over Australia and throughout the Asia Pacific region such as Bali, Singapore, Fiji, and New Zealand before heading back to ports around Canada's west coast such as Vancouver, and up to Alaska. You'll never spend a dull day on land with Volendam excursions such as central city tours, wine tastings, farmers' markets, night-time safaris, riverboat rides and more.

Inside Volendam

Flowers remain the principal theme of the Volendam cruise ship, with a beautiful recurring floral motif in each of the staterooms and public rooms. With each port stop, crew refresh the vases of tropical bouquets for fresh arrangements throughout the voyage.

Another of Holland America's specialities is its dedication to fine art. Put together, the entire fleet's collection of exquisite artworks is valued at tens of millions of dollars. Public areas onboard the Volendam are decorated with these works, with a medley of styles, eras, and artists. A standout piece is a tulip painting by Tim Maguire, and you'll also find pre-Colombian works such as an earthenware female figure that dates back to approximately 100 BC. You can enjoy all of these works on a self-guided art tour. Download the tour to your iPod or MP3, and follow the directions to each piece as you listen to a history of the work with interviews with the artists and more interesting facts and information.

Volendam restaurants and bars

The Volendam food and drinks are similar in quality to anything you would find in a leading restaurant on land. The main eating area is the Rotterdam Dining Room, which is a beautiful two-storey venue with twinkling lights like stars in up above. The room is open seating for breakfast and lunch, and offers both traditional set times and set seats for scheduled meals, and 'As You Wish' dining for people who prefer to sit anywhere they like and dine at any time they like.

Aside from the Rotterdam, there is also the Pinnacle Grill, the Lido buffet restaurant, Canaletto, and the one night only per cruise Le Cirque.

Volendam bars are known for their delicious cocktails and evening entertainment, so you'll be spoilt for choice with the Piano Bar, Explorer's Lounge, and Crow's Nest Lounge.

Cabins on board the Volendam cruise ship

Holland America's cabins are known for their spacious interiors and some of the nicest bathrooms at sea.

The interior Volendam rooms are the most affordable and offer luxuries such as Euro-Top mattresses, 100 percent Egyptian cotton towels, a flat-panel TV with DVD player, deluxe bathrobes and complimentary fresh fruit on request. The ocean view rooms offer all these same features, but with a window so you can watch the world go by.

The next cabin category up is the Lanai Rooms, which are largely similar to the interior and ocean view rooms, but have a sliding door with access to the lower promenade deck, so you get both a view out the window and direct access for walking in the fresh air.

Some of the more luxurious of the Volendam rooms are the Vista Suites, which offer a separate sitting area, a private verandah, a mini-bar and refrigerator, a whirlpool bathtub, floor-to-ceiling windows, fresh flowers, personalised stationery and access to a complimentary DVD library.

The most luxurious Volendam suite is the Neptune Suite. It has all the features of the Vista Suites, plus your own dressing room, endless complimentary services such as laundry, bottled water, and sparkling wine in the Neptune Lounge on embarkation. You will also enjoy priority dining, seating and boarding, a high tea service on request, a cocktail party with the ship's officers and a personal concierge service.

Volendam Food and Dining

Whether you prefer casual dining, exotic menus, or hearty home-style meals, you'll find what you're after in the extensive range of food options on board the Volendam.

Complimentary meals as part of your Volendam tickets are available at:

• Lido Restaurant: Buffet-style meals option for breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Rotterdam Dining Room: Breakfasts, lunches and dinners with traditional or walk-in dinner options
• Afternoon tea and room service
• Explorations café: Sandwiches, cookies, pastries, and fruit

Specialty dining (meals not included in your fare)

• Canaletto Restaurant: Italian eatery for a small fee
• The Pinnacle Grill: Fine seafood, beef and lamb meals with fantastic dessert options
• Le Cirque: Fine dining eatery open one just night in the Pinnacle Grill during the voyage

Entertainment on board the Volendam

The Volendam schedule is packed full of events and activities so you'll be just as busy on board as you are on the shore – unless, of course, you prefer to spend the entire time relaxing by the Volendam's pools.

What to do on the Volendam during the day

Your Volendam photos will be full of snapshots from each day's activities. You can spend time in the pool or whirlpool, in the fitness centre, on the tennis or basketball courts on the sports deck, in the sauna or aerobics area, relaxing in the Greenhouse Spa and Salon, in the beauty salon or even on a massage table.

You can take a course at the Microsoft Digital Program to learn about using computers to create blogs, enhance photos, put videos on DVDs and more. There are shops to peruse, art tours to admire, and hours to be spent strolling the promenades.

What to do on the Volendam at night

By night, Volendam shows and activities offer as many engagements as any city.

The Wajang Theatre screens movies and the two-tiered Frans Hals Lounge hosts regular shows as well as the line's Dancing with the Stars: At Sea program, which teaches passengers dances before a grand performance on the final evening of the cruise.

An onboard casino lets you chance the roll of the die, and the Volendam bars such as the Piano Bar and Explorer Lounge add a touch of live music to the evening's entertainment.

Looking after the kids on the Volendam

Families with children are always welcome on board the Volendam, but please note that babies must be at least 6 months of age to travel, and any voyage that crosses the Pacific or Atlantic cannot have babies younger than 12 months on board.

Babysitting is available for children over the age of three, and there are a number of kids clubs designed for the young ones. The Loft is set out for 13-17 year olds, and there are separate clubs for those aged 8-12 and 3-7. 

Written By: Sarah Glover, Content Editor at Cruise Sale Finder

I have enjoyed visiting as much of the world as possible over the years. Europe and the Mediterranean are personal favourites, but there is so much to see very close to our little Australasian corner of the globe- one of my top travel experiences was snorkeling with tropical fish and turtles in New Caledonia! Cruising is a fantastic way to see it all, and we hope to make booking a cruise easier for both first-timers and old salts. From ship tips to destination news and views, we will keep you up-to-date. Happy cruising!

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Other Holland America Line cruise ships

• Maasdam
• Noordam
• Amsterdam
• Eurodam
• Koningsdam
• Nieuw Amsterdam
• Oosterdam
• Prinsendam
• Rotterdam
• Veendam
• Volendam
• Westerdam
• Zaandam
• Zuiderdam

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• Vancouver - Day 8

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