Culinary Cruising: Holland America Review

If you’re looking for a delicious food-focused ocean cruise, Holland America is known for culinary experiences. From their on board restaurants, to culinary focused excursions, the Global Fresh Fish Program with ambassador Chef Morimoto, and the new partnership with The Spice House, Holland America cruises are made for the epicurean!

We had such a delicious time on our summer European cruise. Read our review of Holland America’s Oosterdam below!

5 Things Loved About Holland America

First, here are 5 things we loved about cruising with Holland America, including the ship’s restaurants and food-focused shore excursions. 

1 – On-Board Dining

One of the standout features of Holland America cruises is their emphasis on culinary excellence. The cruise line is renowned for its dining options, which include a variety of restaurants and cuisines.

During our cruise, we learned from the Hotel Director that Holland America has its own culinary school where the crew trains. It explains why there is such great attention to detail when it comes to food aboard the ship. Menus are even catered to the destinations visited during the cruise, with local ingredients picked up at the ports.

And one fun fact was that the on-board bakery operates 24 hours a day with 5 bakers on rotation making and proofing all the dough, German bread, French bread, sandwich buns, and even pizza dough. Everything is baked fresh daily!

Of course, Holland America has the main dining room and market-style buffet that most cruises offer. But the specialty restaurants were definitely a more intimate and upscale dining experience. More on those below.

2 – Restaurants

Canaletto: This on-board Italian restaurant offers a menu of truly authentic Italian dishes that included house made gnocchi and lemon ricotta cheesecake. (Seriously, order the cheesecake!) We actually ordered from Canaletto for room service one night as we had an exhausting day on shore and just wanted to relax. And is there anything more comforting than Italian food? Even with room service, the meal came with all the same little touches as you’d get in the restaurant including a basket of fresh baked bread and little jars of olive oil and vinegar. 

The Pinnacle Grill: As Holland America’s signature steakhouse, The Pinnacle Grill known for its premium cuts of beef, fresh seafood, and extensive wine list. It’s an ideal choice if you’re seeking an upscale dining experience with top-notch service. While the steaks here were amazing, our most memorable dish was the Clothesline Candied Bacon.

Dive-In: When it came to getting a quick bite for lunch, Dive-In,  Holland America’s poolside grill, was our favorite for fast fresh sandwiches. The Back Flip grilled chicken breast sandwich with avocado became our go-to favorite. 

3 – Culinary Focused Excursions: 

Some Holland America itineraries will have cooking demos or cocktail classes planned on board the ship. We took a gin class that was really entertaining and fun. Did you know that Holland America makes there own gin? In addition, there are rotating partnerships America’s Test Kitchen and Food and Wine Magazine, so there’s always something delicious planned.

During our cruise, we signed up for several culinary excursions including a cooking class in Santorini and a lunch in Sirince Village (Ephesus) in partnership with Food & Wine Magazine.

 

4 – Relaxed Vacation Atmosphere

The laid back atmosphere was a relaxing contrast to the high-energy cruises we’ve experienced in the Caribbean. Instead of being like most large ocean cruisers, which is to say a floating theme park with roller coasters and rock climbing walls, this is more of an elegant way of cruising. It is perfect for travelers looking for a bit of peace and relaxation. We loved being able to grab an iced coffee or cocktail and find a cozy nook to chat or read a book while listening to the waves splash against the ship.

Also, because the Oosterdam was just the right sized ship, we were able to visit a smaller port in Croatia, the island of Korcula. It was the kind of port where you could tender off the ship and stroll for the day under shaded streets with an ocean view. It’s a great spot for swimming and grabbing lunch on shore. 

5 –  Walking A 5K At Sea

During our day at sea, Holland America offered a “On Deck for a Cause” 5K walk along the promenade deck. It was a fun way to get in some steps and exercise (especially before an amazing brunch!) This event supports various charitable causes and our day at sea 5K was raising funds for Ukraine refugees. It’s a great way to stay active on a sea day and contribute to a worthy cause too. 

Holland America Destinations We Visited

Did you know Holland America has the most port destinations available? Itineraries are typically planned two years in advance, and no two are truly alike! Here’s an overview of the ports we visited during our summer cruise in Europe aboard the Holland America Oosterdam below. But you might find different (yet delicious!) itineraries offered.

Venice, Italy

We started our cruise adventure in the romantic city of Venice. Now, Venice doesn’t actually allow cruise ships in port anymore. So this was an extension at the start of our cruise where Holland America booked us transportation and a hotel to explore the city as the actual ship was about a 3 hour drive away. But it was splendid! We took an antique wooden boat from the airport to the hotel, which was posh and hosted an amazing breakfast. With our extra days there we had time to visit iconic landmarks like St. Mark’s Basilica, and indulge in some cicchetti and Aperol spritz along the canals.

Split, Croatia

This was my second time in Split, and Pete’s first, so we signed up for a tour of the city. Split is known for its stunning Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site. And it was also the location for several scenes on the show, Game of Thrones. The day we arrived in Split was a hot one for summertime, so after our history tour we leisurely wandered through the narrow streets while indulging in some gelato.

Korčula, Croatia

Korčula is a gorgeous island that seamlessly blends history, nature, and culinary delights. I think it was our favorite port during this cruise. The medieval Old Town, characterized by a fishbone pattern of narrow streets, is steeped in tales of the legendary explorer Marco Polo, believed to be born within its walls. The island is also renowned for its exquisite wines—particularly the indigenous Posip grape variety—and high-quality olive oil. We took a tour to see the main sites of the old town, enjoying the natural “air conditioning” provided by the seabreeze meandering through the well planned street patterns and ancient walls. The sun-soaked rocky beaches and jewel-toned water were so gorgeous and inviting. My only regret on this excursion was not packing a towel so we could go for a swim.

Santorini, Greece

Santorini is that famous postcard picture-perfect island with white-washed buildings and blue-domed churches. We briefly visited the village of Oia for some iconic photos. But in summertime (and especially on a cruise) it can get crowded and hot really quickly. Which is why I was so thankful for our private Santorini cooking class at Aeolos Taverna. We were greeted with a refreshing glass of glass of ouzo (traditional aniseed flavored liqueur). Ms Lista (the taverna’s owner) demonstrated several Greek specialties and dishes, feeding us the whole time. We were so stuffed and happy at the end of the day. And we even took home several recipes, including one for dakos salad.

Rhodes, Greece

Rhodes is a blend of medieval charm and beautiful beaches. In full disclosure, I didn’t feel well that day in port. Instead of going on the full day excursion we had planned, we instead walked off the ship and leisurely explored the medieval Old Town at our own pace, which was beautiful and so photogenic. I definitely want to visit Rhodes again.

Turkey (Kusadasi)

In Turkey, we booked a second culinary excursion that was paired with seeing the ancient city of Ephesus. I was actually really bummed to not feel well that day, so Pete explored Turkey solo while I quarantined on the ship, grateful for Holland America’s excellent room service.

Pete loved visiting Ephesus, seeing in-person the temple of Hadrian and the Celsus Library as well as walking down the Arcadian Way, where Mark Anthony and Cleopatra once rode in procession. 

Afterwards, he traveled with the group to the town of Sirince, surrounded by vine-covered fields and old farmhouses, to the Gullu Konak Inn. There, they indulged in lunch that was co-branded with Food and Wine Magazine that included lamb, free-range chicken, olives and quince. All were are locally sourced and delicious (so Pete says!)

Opportunities For Improvement

As with every review, we like to be up front with our readers about what we liked and what we didn’t. These are not necessarily criticisms, but more our own personal preferences. And none of these would stop us from booking a cruise with Holland America again. 

Formal Dining

While I love getting dressed up for dinner, sometimes I just want to be in relaxed resortwear and still enjoy a good meal. Holland America still keeps that cruising tradition of more formal dress for dinners in the main dining room. One thing I will say, though, is it was nice to have the option to order room service from the on board restaurants like Canaletto. So we could just watch a movie and enjoy some great food in our pajamas at the end of a long day on shore. So there is technically a way around formal dining.

Formal Atmosphere

Holland America has newer ships, but Oosterdam is not one of them. While it was an older vessel, it was definitely meticulously maintained and updated. We noticed the crew painting and polishing something almost daily. Older ships have a more formal design, so there were not many new modern areas to sit and relax or explore. Just something to keep in mind if you’re an avid cruiser.

Drinks Program

For me, my only criticism of the on-board food experience is the drink program. I can completely understand buying a drink package for cocktails, wine, and premium spirits. But it feels a little antiquated having to purchase a package for water. And anytime we wanted water, we’d have to go to one of the bars to request it. It felt a little like getting nickel and dimed. I hope they soon install water bottle filling stations as the Hotel Manager on board did say they were looking into it.  

Overall, though, we loved exploring Europe aboard Holland America. Especially with the focus on locally sourced foods and fun culinary excursions. We’d sail again in a heartbeat! What part of this itinerary would you love?