What makes the grand world sailing of the Netherlands and the United States so special?
Most people can cruise up to one week or two. But there are more and more travelers going out to sea and stay there, sometimes for more than three months at a time.
The Netherlands United States is one of the cruise lines offering a “world cruise” that is an extended, in-depth itinerary that reaches parts of the world that most week cruisers (even most travelers) have never experienced.
This year, the Netherlands and the United States’ large voyage consists of 133 days, pole to pole, and cruise ships from 28 countries, sailing to Greenland, Antarctica, the West Coast of Africa, and many ports in South America.
Its name is similar but longer Grand World Sailing – the Dutch crown jewels that attract the most loyal customers spanned 124 days and 34 countries. Destinations include Easter Island, Cape Town and Sardinia, to name just a few.
I boarded the Zuiderdam ship on this line in the Mediterranean as the grand voyage of this year is coming to an end to see how these unique expansive cruises work.
What to expect during the Netherlands-US World Tour
The long-term cruise definitely feels different from the Caribbean or Mediterranean that was the previous week. From the moment you arrive, you will feel this – the guest has settled and felt uncomfortable.
There is no rush to sightsee or stuffed with a lot of stuff every day. Many guests who sail on the Great World have extensive travel experience and may not require repeated visits to Rome or Barcelona, so sometimes they stay on board or near the port. There is no crush on mealtime, and when the boat enters the harbor, there is no crowded corridor. The pace can be engaged but relaxed, and it is built for travelers who have the time and means to fit all into it.
Grand World Voyages is designed to cater to experienced customers, including many repeat guests on previous large voyages. For example, the recently announced 2027 itinerary partly follows Captain James Cook’s second voyage route, including stops and ascension on the remote Atlantic island of St. Helena. This ambitious plan is impossible on a short journey.
This doesn’t mean there are no surprises or those on board are not suitable for changes. The mid-term changes made during this year’s grand voyage mean that the ship will jump over the Red Sea in favor of additional docking stations in Africa and the Mediterranean. However, when talking to passengers on board, it seems that there is not much disappointment or concern about the changes. One guest said the initial planned stop in Türkiye was her favorite on her voyage.
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It’s all about relationships
People make friends on short cruisings. But when you’re with the same group for weeks or months, your travelers become more like family. Guest Joe Johnston said repeat cruiser booking trips on a large Dutch U.S. voyage so that they can sail together, and they visit each other between trips. She fell in love with the long cruise in 2017 and has been sailing on every grand world voyage since 2023.
“I never worry about finding someone to have a meal with me or exploring the port with me,” she said. “My friends on board have become my best friends. They come from all over the world. We share the love of travel, but otherwise I would bring different interests, life experiences and opinions that I find refreshing.”
This familiarity also extends to the crew on board, who remembered the passengers on the previous cruise and got to know them well. They keep specific cruiser daily drink orders, dietary restrictions and cabin preferences consistent; they remember their children’s names and birthdays. This feeling is mutual. Guests remember the names of their favorite crew members, and many say they look forward to seeing them year after year.
Although many crew and employee leaders come back every year, where feasible, the Dutch United States stresses that it strives to provide consistently high-level service across all its cruises, which is something guests appreciate.
To give you an idea of the close relationships of the community on Zuiderdam, consider what I experienced on the second day of the Grand World Sail. I was walking through one of a common areas on the boat and a guest approached me and said, “Are you boarding in Athens?” I have, and I received this question several times when I got on the boat, usually a warm welcome. Guests are perfect for whom they come to board the boat, and even on the Zuiderdam boat, new immigrants are obvious. It can carry more than 2,200 passengers. Within 48 hours after boarding, the passenger greeted me in the elevator with his name and asked me about my future travel plans.
There are always celebrations
It takes a lot of time to impress travelers who have been to dozens of countries and have spent weeks browsing world masterpieces of art, nature and architecture. For example, the ship’s activities would not compete with Peterla’s ancient city, but the ship’s products still try to satisfy this moment.
The answer from the Netherlands-US is made at boarding events (party, happy hours, food pop-up menus, special menus) that guests can enjoy throughout the grand voyage. And the product range is very wide.
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While I was on board, the boat hosted a special Easter brunch with morning religious services. In the more interesting finale of the festival range, crew and passengers on board are still talking about April April Fools antics, which include daily communications, full of fake events and ridiculous announcements of the PA system on board.
At any given moment, many activities are tailored to reflect the ship’s destination.
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“This year seems like there’s a special party, theme night or other event almost every day,” Johnston said. “Some of my favorites are the food truck nights around Lido Pool, with several radio stations offering local food from French Polynesia, South Africa, Turkey, Italy and other destinations.”
As we left Naples, a pool party was held, which included a personal pizza (given by Seattle chef Ethan Stowell) served on a red checked tablecloth. We also sailed to Rome with a playlist of Italian pop songs as accompaniment.
Bringing daily life on board
Each ship has on-board activities such as craft classes and card games. But as the same group of people boarded for a long time, the approach to the large voyage was even more nuanced.
During these voyages, the Netherlands and the United States let guests decide on their downtime activities and provide facilities and support as needed. Kimchi and the Bridge are spares – the team has been around for a long time and the competition is fierce.
But there are book clubs and religious research groups. The less structured activities included a travel diary meeting I joined on board, where the crew would facilitate and provide supplies. The more formal art lesson is a progressive series, just like on land – not possible on shorter cruises. The evidence lies in the quality of the work, which is shown in a special gallery on the boat.
One of the most famous activities of the magnificent world sailing is its weaving group, which is the Linus Project Project Blankets (a charity) that benefits children in need. Guests Marty and Gail Gotlieb led the blanket making efforts on six grand world voyages; this included purchasing and organizing nearly a million yards of yarn, which they provided for on-board weavers for free. Some magnificent world sailings resulted in the donation of more than 1,000 blankets.
When it comes to the goals of the project, Marty is simple. “It’s not about making a project yourself,” he said, while showing how some newbies can create their first stitches. “This all applies to the Linus project.”
In addition to Marty’s yarn and improvisation classes, the group also offers thick adhesives for patterns and sample samples created by past guests.
The future of the grand voyage in the Netherlands and the United States
New Netherlands President Beth Bodensteiner frankly said whether the guest experience of this line would change her watch. Won’t.
She reiterated this during her boarding meeting with guests during this year’s Grand World Sail, another exclusive bonus to booking this tour. She also made it clear that the large voyage plan is important to the line, while small enhancements (different programs, new presentations) are directed by guest feedback.
In 2027, after another year of skipping the Red Sea, the Netherlands and the United States will return to the world to sail around the world. reason? Guests ask for it, so it is happening.
