Holland America Line is moving Oosterdam’s major Evolution transformation up by five weeks, giving cruisers an earlier chance to sail aboard the newly reimagined ship.
The ship will now return to service on October 31, 2027, following its refurbishment in Marseille, France. Holland America says “strong guest demand” for the transformed Oosterdam prompted the schedule change.
Moving the dry dock earlier does come with a downside. Several previously scheduled voyages between September 11 and December 9, 2027, are being canceled, and Holland America says affected guests and travel advisors are being contacted directly with rebooking options.
The revised schedule allows Holland America to add five cruises aboard the post-Evolution Oosterdam before the ship moves into its previously planned schedule.
The first will be a 10-day Mediterranean sailing from Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, to Trieste on October 31, 2027. That will be followed by an 11-day cruise from Trieste to Piraeus on November 10, a seven-day Piraeus-to-Barcelona sailing on November 21, a 13-day transatlantic from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale on November 28, and an 11-day Caribbean cruise roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale on December 11.
The new voyages are expected to open for booking in early October.
We’ve been following the Holland America Evolution project since it was first announced, and Oosterdam will be the first ship to undergo the transformation followed by Zuiderdam.
Evolution is part of a more than $500 million investment across six Holland America ships, including the four Vista Class vessels Oosterdam, Zuiderdam, Westerdam and Noordam, along with Signature Class ships Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam.
This is also much more than a routine dry dock. Oosterdam is getting new stateroom and suite categories, Grand Dutch Café, a redesigned Ocean Bar and significant changes to several areas of the ship.
As we covered when Holland America released the post-refurbishment deck plans, some sections of Oosterdam are being substantially reworked to make room for new accommodations, including new suites and solo verandah cabins.
If your Oosterdam cruise falls between September 11 and December 9, check your reservation and watch for communication from Holland America before making any additional travel arrangements.
For everyone else curious about what the “new” Oosterdam will look like, the wait just got five weeks shorter!
