Holland America Line to restart operations in August, sailing from Greece

With the welcome opening of International Cruise from 2 August, Holland America Line offers the perfect five star way to cruise Greece and beyond from 15 August, with a selection of itineraries onboard mid-sized Eurodam.

HAL confirmed that the voyages will be available for guests who have received the final dose of an approved Covid-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to departure. Guests will also need to show proof of vaccination to board.

Departing 15 and 29 August, the Idyllic Greek Isles itinerary will call at Kotor, Montenegro, plus the Greek isles of Kékira (Corfu), Thíra (Santorini) and Mykonos.

The Ancient Wonders voyage will depart 22 August and explore Haifa, Israel, as well as Náfplion, Mykonos and Rhodes in Greece. Both options can be combined to form a longer, back-to-back 14-day Collectors’ Voyage.

A seven-day Adriatic Allure cruise, departing 5 September, will sail from Piraeus to Venice, with calls at Mykonos, Katakolon (Olympia) and Crete (Chania), as well as Sarandë, Albania.

Prices for a seven-day itinerary including flights & transfers, drinks, one free shore excursion, speciality dining and free WI-FI, start from £1,299pp.

Eurodam will continue to offer immersive 12-night cruises from September onwards which feature long days ashore and overnight stays in Rhodes, Venice, Athens and Istanbul.

Eurodam will then return to the US to sail Caribbean cruises in mid-November.

HAL president Gus Antorcha said: “Everyone at Holland America Line has been preparing for our return to service and we are grateful to the government of Greece for allowing us to show that we can safely operate our cruises.

“The beautiful islands of Greece have been a highlight of our Mediterranean itineraries for decades and we are honoured to be able to restart out of Athens and give our guests a memorable vacation after all this time without cruise travel.”

Greek tourism minister Harry Theoharis added: “The Greek Islands have been welcoming Holland America Line ships for many years. We are proud to work together to welcome the cruise line back this summer.

“We are sure that all visitors to Greece will once again have unique experiences to our beautiful destinations and fully enjoy the rich history, culture and gastronomy of our nation.”