Holland America Line Welcomes the Season with Donation to San Diego Police Foundation

On October 2, 2023, Holland Cruise Line opened its 2023 – 2024 cruise season!

In honor of Holland Cruise Line’s 150th anniversary, the cruise line donated $10,000 to the local San Diego Police Foundation. Rafael Castellanos, Chairman, Port of San Diego Board of Commissioners; Harbor Police Chief Magda Fernandez; and Jeffrey Wohler, president and CEO, San Diego Harbor Police Foundation, joined Captain Ryan Whitaker to celebrate.

“We are incredibly excited to launch our annual cruise season and what better way to do it than with Holland America, which has been calling here since the 1980s. On behalf of the Port of San Diego, we are happy to welcome back cruise customers for what will be a fun and adventurous season with great benefit to our regional economy,” said Chairman Rafael Castellanos, Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners. 

A local public school adopted by the San Diego Police Foundation presented an onboard eclipse-learning presentation for sixth graders from Perkins K-8 School. A Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of California San Diego, Adam Burgasser, taught the students about eclipses and helped them build solar eclipse viewers out of household materials for the upcoming eclipse on October 14, 2023 and the total eclipse on April 8, 2024.  

Burgasser will sail as a featured lecturer on Koningsdam’s Solar Eclipse Cruise, where he will guide viewers on an eclipse at sea. 

West Coast Cruise Season 2023-2024

• Solar Eclipse Cruises: Two special Solar Eclipse cruises depart from San Diego on March 30 and April 5. Koningsdam and Volendam dock in Mexico for a total view of the eclipse. University of California San Diego Professor of Astronomy Adam Burgasser will join guests on Koningsdam to share insights on viewing the eclipse safely.
• Volendam and Koningsdam: Cruises to Hawaii are aboard Koningsdam and Volendam and operate roundtrip from San Diego, roundtrip from Vancouver, or between Vancouver and San Diego. Itineraries range from 16 to 18 days. All Mexico cruises are roundtrip from San Diego aboard Koningsdam, Volendam and Zaandam. Mexico itineraries range from seven to 12 days.
• Pacific Coastal Cruises: Itineraries are roundtrip from San Diego, roundtrip from Vancouver, or between Vancouver and San Diego. Sailings range from four to seven days and highlight the California ports of San Francisco, Monterey and Santa Barbara.
• Transits: Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Volendam and Zaandam will transit the Panama Canal between Vancouver, British Columbia; Seattle, Washington; or San Diego and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Transits range from 14 to 22 days and most include a call at Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line’s private island in the Bahamas.

Will you be sailing with Holland America Line aboard a special Solar Eclipse Cruise this season? Click here to visit Holland America Line for more details. 

By Adalyn Dugas