Holland America Line is celebrating a century of sailing the Caribbean with a limited time promotion that combines deep savings, family friendly perks and a nod to its pioneering role in warm weather cruising.

The line, which first charted a regular course through the region in 1926, has unveiled special offers on select 2026 Caribbean departures that reduce cruise fares by up to 50 percent and introduce a headline onboard credit equal to 100 dollars for a couple, along with free fares for kids on qualifying sailings.

Early morning at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas with Holland America cruise ship anchored offshore.

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Century Milestone Triggers Limited Time 2026 Promotion

The new offer marks 100 years since Holland America Line’s Veendam II departed New York in February 1926 on what was then considered an ambitious West Indies voyage. To commemorate the anniversary, the company is rolling out a promotion window from February 3 to February 9, 2026, aimed at travelers booking Caribbean cruises that depart through April 30, 2026. Within that booking period, guests can access up to half off published fares on select itineraries and receive a 50 dollar onboard credit per guest, or 100 dollars per stateroom based on double occupancy.

In addition to the fare reductions and onboard spending money, the anniversary campaign layers in a Free Fares for Kids component on select sailings. On those departures, travelers aged 18 and under who occupy the third and fourth berths in a stateroom can sail without paying a base cruise fare, though taxes, fees and port expenses still apply. The combined elements position the promotion as one of the richest short term value offerings Holland America has tied explicitly to a historical milestone in the Caribbean.

The company is framing the initiative as both a celebration and an invitation, encouraging guests to experience what it describes as a more traditional, unhurried style of Caribbean cruising. While the broader industry has increasingly focused on high capacity ships and activity heavy vessels, Holland America is emphasizing smaller ship crowd levels, quieter decks and an emphasis on culinary and destination experiences as part of this anniversary push.

Key Itineraries From Florida Anchor the 2026 Anniversary Season

The 100 year promotion is centered on a slate of Caribbean cruises sailing from South Florida, with Fort Lauderdale and Miami serving as departure gateways. Featured itineraries include seven to twelve day voyages that explore a mix of marquee ports and less visited harbors across the Western, Eastern and Southern Caribbean, as well as Holland America’s private island in the Bahamas.

Among the highlighted sailings is a ten day Caribbean itinerary branded as Greater Antilles, Belize and Mexico aboard Koningsdam, scheduled to depart Fort Lauderdale on February 25, 2026. Another key departure is a seven day Western Caribbean cruise on Eurodam, sailing March 22, 2026, roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale and visiting a blend of classic beach destinations and cultural ports. For guests seeking a longer journey, the line is promoting a twelve day Eastern Caribbean voyage to the United States and British Virgin Islands on Koningsdam, departing March 29, 2026, also from Fort Lauderdale.

Miami based departures are part of the mix as well. Zuiderdam is set to offer a ten day Southern Caribbean cruise focusing on Amber Cove and the so called ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, leaving Miami on March 25, 2026. The same ship is scheduled to operate a seven day Eastern Caribbean itinerary featuring Amber Cove and Bahamian ports, departing April 4, 2026. Together, these sailings give travelers multiple date and length options within the promotion window, while reinforcing South Florida’s long running role as Holland America’s gateway to the Caribbean.

Historic Firsts in Caribbean Cruising Shape Today’s Offers

The 2026 promotion is steeped in history. When Veendam II first sailed from New York to the Caribbean in 1926, the region was still widely referred to as the West Indies and winter cruising was in its infancy. That maiden itinerary, a 26 day voyage, visited Havana, Kingston, Colon and Cristóbal at the Panama Canal, Cartagena, San Juan and Bermuda before returning to New York. It introduced a new style of warm weather holiday to North American travelers accustomed to transatlantic crossings and seasonal migration to Europe.

In the decades that followed, Holland America Line established a series of regional firsts that underpin today’s centennial messaging. The company made early calls at Willemstad in Curaçao and St Thomas in the late 1920s, expanded to Cristóbal and Colón in Panama in the 1930s, and later helped pioneer regular cruise calls to Aruba and St Maarten as those islands developed the port infrastructure necessary to handle larger vessels. By the 1990s, the line had opened its own island retreat, Half Moon Cay, which has since become a centerpiece of many Caribbean itineraries.

That historical trajectory gives context to current offers oriented around Half Moon Cay and other established ports. Holland America is using the centennial to remind travelers that many of the routes now taken for granted grew out of experiments undertaken nearly a century ago. The 100 dollar onboard credit, tied numerically to the anniversary, is being portrayed internally as a symbolic gesture that connects contemporary perks to a legacy of long haul exploration and seasonal migration to the tropics.

Value Stack: Savings, Onboard Credit and Family Perks

The 2026 Caribbean centennial promotion sits within a broader strategy in which Holland America has been layering multiple value components into time limited sales. In recent seasons, the brand has bundled reduced deposits, balcony upgrades and free or reduced cruise fares for kids into headline offers that target the peak booking months of late fall and winter. For the 100 year Caribbean celebration, the focus shifts to combining fare discounts of up to 50 percent with the commemorative onboard credit and family friendly pricing on select sailings.

For many travelers, the most tangible benefit is the fare reduction. With up to half off select departures in the first four months of 2026, the promotion addresses price sensitivity at a time when consumers are weighing inflationary pressures against their travel ambitions. The flat 50 dollar per person onboard credit for the first two guests in a stateroom then functions as a flexible sweetener, applicable to specialty dining, spa treatments, shore excursions or bar charges once on board.

The Free Fares for Kids component is likely to be particularly compelling for multigenerational groups and families who might otherwise gravitate toward larger family focused ships operated by other cruise companies. By eliminating the base cruise fare for eligible third and fourth guests under 19 on designated sailings, Holland America narrows the price gap while continuing to position its product as quieter and more traditional than some of its competitors. The result is a value proposition that aims to shift the conversation from amusement park style attractions toward shared experiences in port and on deck.

Relaxed Caribbean Experience Centered on Half Moon Cay

Holland America is using the centennial campaign to underscore its view of the Caribbean as a place for unhurried exploration rather than sheer spectacle. Central to that message is Half Moon Cay, the company’s private island in the Bahamas, which is featured on many of the eligible 2026 voyages. The island experience is built around long beach days, water based excursions and low key amenities instead of large scale rides or highly commercialized attractions.

Marketing language attached to the 100 year offer highlights what executives describe as a refreshingly free style of Caribbean cruising, with no oversized ships crowding the docks and no mega resort ambience at sea. Instead, the pitch focuses on spacious open decks, smaller crowds and a premium onboard environment where guests can spend extended time outdoors or retreat to quieter spaces. Culinary offerings, including regionally inspired dishes and Holland America’s established partnerships with chefs, are positioned as part of the value, alongside curated shore excursions that emphasize culture and nature.

This framing aligns with a broader shift in the market, as a segment of travelers seeks calmer, more immersive alternatives to the largest newbuild vessels. The centennial promotion invites those guests to sample that approach at a reduced cost, while the limited booking window creates urgency during a key decision making period for late winter and early spring vacations.

Strategic Timing Within a Crowded Cruise Deal Calendar

The 100 year Caribbean initiative arrives amid an increasingly complex landscape of cruise promotions, including Black Friday sales, wave season offers and anniversary events tied to other milestones within the brand. In recent months, Holland America has rolled out broad based campaigns that span global itineraries and multi year seasons, offering up to 30 percent off fares, free balcony upgrades and tiered onboard credits for longer voyages.

By contrast, the centennial Caribbean promotion is narrower in both geography and timing. It lasts just one week in early February 2026 and applies only to select Caribbean departures through the end of April that same year. The focused nature of the offer allows Holland America to direct attention to a core region during what is traditionally a prime travel period for North Americans escaping winter weather, while still preserving the possibility of broader sales around other dates.

Industry analysts note that this kind of targeted promotion can complement larger, brand wide campaigns by spotlighting specific stories that resonate with particular customer segments. In this case, the narrative revolves around heritage, warmth and a return to classic sea travel, themes that may appeal strongly to loyal cruisers and first time guests looking for a mid length voyage that balances sea days with port calls.

Looking Beyond 2026: Legendary Voyages and Heritage Partnerships

While the 100 year Caribbean offer is limited to 2026 departures, Holland America is simultaneously signaling a long term commitment to historically themed travel in and around the region. The line has unveiled a series of extended Legendary Voyages for 2027 and 2028, including an expansive Pan Am 100 years itinerary that retraces several of the early flying boat routes through the Caribbean and Latin America on a 28 day voyage. That sailing, set to operate roundtrip from Florida, is being marketed as a deep dive into the golden age of travel.

The brand is also incorporating the Caribbean into its participation in larger heritage commemorations, such as programs tied to America’s 250th anniversary in 2026. These initiatives involve collaborations with legacy travel and lifestyle brands and are designed to elevate certain sailings into event voyages with additional programming, entertainment and commemorative elements. Together with the centennial Caribbean promotion, they reflect an overarching strategy to leverage history not just as a marketing hook, but as a framework for itinerary design and onboard experiences.

For travelers weighing a 2026 Caribbean cruise, the centennial offer effectively serves as both a standalone opportunity and a preview of how Holland America intends to frame its regional product in the years ahead. The emphasis on tradition, measured pacing and destination focus is likely to carry through to future seasons, even as specific promotional terms evolve.

FAQ

Q1. What exactly is Holland America Line’s 100 year Caribbean promotion for 2026?
The promotion is a limited time offer tied to the 100th anniversary of the line’s first Caribbean sailing in 1926, providing up to 50 percent off cruise fares on select 2026 Caribbean departures, a 50 dollar onboard credit per guest for the first two guests in a stateroom, and free cruise fares for eligible kids on certain itineraries.

Q2. When do I need to book to qualify for the 100 year savings and onboard credit?
To receive the anniversary benefits, guests must book during the promotional window from February 3 to February 9, 2026, on qualifying Caribbean cruises that depart through April 30, 2026.

Q3. Which sailings are included in the 2026 centennial offer?
The promotion applies to select seven to twelve day Caribbean itineraries roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale and Miami, including featured departures on Koningsdam, Eurodam and Zuiderdam between late February and early April 2026.

Q4. How does the onboard credit work and how much can I receive?
Guests who book an eligible sailing during the offer period receive a 50 dollar onboard credit per person for the first and second guests in a stateroom, totaling 100 dollars for a couple, which can be used toward onboard purchases such as specialty dining, spa services, beverages or shore excursions.

Q5. What are the details of the Free Fares for Kids perk?
On select anniversary sailings, guests aged 18 and under traveling as the third and fourth occupants in a stateroom can sail without paying a base cruise fare, although government taxes, fees and port expenses still apply and must be paid for each traveler.

Q6. Are balcony upgrades or reduced deposits part of this specific anniversary deal?
The centennial Caribbean offer focuses primarily on fare discounts, the 100 dollar per stateroom onboard credit and Free Fares for Kids, while other promotions at different times of the year may feature reduced deposits or balcony upgrade incentives on a wider range of itineraries.

Q7. Does every 2026 Caribbean cruise on Holland America qualify for the anniversary promotion?
No, only select departures are included. Travelers need to look for sailings specifically identified as part of the 100 years of Caribbean cruising offer, typically within the February through April 2026 timeframe and operating roundtrip from South Florida.

Q8. What kind of onboard experience is Holland America emphasizing with this promotion?
The line is highlighting a more relaxed style of Caribbean cruising that features mid sized ships, quieter decks, a strong culinary focus, time ashore at Half Moon Cay and a pace designed for unwinding rather than high intensity, theme park style attractions at sea.

Q9. Can I combine the 100 year Caribbean promotion with other Holland America sales?
Combinability depends on the specific terms and conditions in effect at the time of booking, and in many cases major promotions are not stackable, so guests should check whether the centennial offer can be used alongside any other deal they are considering.

Q10. Why is Holland America focusing so strongly on history in its 2026 Caribbean marketing?
The company is using the 100 year milestone to underscore its role as a pioneer in Caribbean cruising, connecting current guests with a legacy that began in 1926 and positioning its 2026 sailings as part of a long tradition of seasonal voyages to warm weather destinations.