Latest news with #Volendam
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Micky van de Ven: The centre-back of the future who Tottenham can't live without
It was April 2019 and Wim Jonk was preparing to come home. The former Ajax and Holland midfield legend was about to take over at Volendam, his home-town club and the team where he launched his career. Jonk and his staff had previously worked at Ajax with Johan Cruyff, overhauling the academy in line with Cruyff's specific vision. Now he needed to know the young players he would be working with. So he went to watch Volendam's youngsters play in the Under-19 Division 2. Jonk was not impressed with the level of the players — Volendam were bottom of their league — except for one boy, just 18, who caught his eye. Jonk called Jasper van Leeuwen, his incoming technical director, to come and watch their next game. Advertisement By half-time in Volendam Under-19s' next match, Jonk and Van Leeuwen had made up their minds — the boy needed a contract. The old club leadership had not rated Micky van de Ven and saw him as fourth choice. He had already been told to start looking for a different club for the 2019-20 season. When one local agent cornered Jonk and Van Leeuwen during the game he demanded to know which of the Volendam Under-19s would be getting new deals. He rolled off a long list of Volendam players asking if they would be retained. When Van Leeuwen told him that Van de Ven would be kept on, the agent's jaw hit the floor. This was the week when Van de Ven's life changed forever. Within days he was sat down in the Volendam boardroom with Jonk, a local hero, agreeing his new deal at the club. 'After that,' says Van Leeuwen, 'a whole new dynamic started.' Six years on, Van de Ven is now one of the most exciting and distinctive young centre-backs in European football. He is coming to the end of his second year at Tottenham Hotspur, where from his first game he has become arguably Spurs' indispensable player, the man who makes their ultra-aggressive style work on the pitch. At his best, he looks like a defender from the future. The story of the last two years at Spurs has largely been the story of whether or not Van de Ven is fit. And, while his long spells out this season with two different hamstring injuries effectively capsized Spurs' Premier League campaign, his return from injury has been integral to Spurs' progress to the Europa League final. He has started their last five European games, playing the full 90 minutes in four of them. Without him, Spurs would be watching Wednesday's final at home on TV. Now they are one game from a historic achievement. None of what Van de Ven has achieved would have been possible, at least not in the same way, without that crucial week in 2019. But the story goes further back. Like so much of the top end of modern football, all roads lead back to Cruyff. You have to go back to 2010, when Van de Ven was just a boy whose dad would take him to Ajax games. This was when Cruyff returned to Ajax, the club where he made history as a player. His goal was to bring the whole club back into line with his principles, to reassert the identity that had been lost. And his particular focus was the academy. He worked with his former players Jonk and Dennis Bergkamp, as well as Van Leeuwen and Ruben Jongkind, all trying to implement his radical vision. Advertisement At the heart of it was a sense of what academies were actually for. Cruyff never saw the point in building dominant youth teams that could routinely beat their peers. The real challenge — and the real reward — was in developing the individual players themselves. This was what he had done to the academies of Ajax and Barcelona in the past. And now he wanted to do it again. 'We were in the lucky situation to be working with Johan Cruyff at Ajax,' explains Jongkind. 'Not focusing on the results of the teams, but more on the development of the individual players. We basically were the first ones in the Netherlands to really have a focus on individual development with a club. And our vision when we watch matches, we put on our glasses to really look at individuals.' The other part of the plan was to look at the upsides of young players, the special skills they had that they could use on the pitch, rather than worrying about the things they could not do or whether they fitted any particular mould. 'The most important thing is to look at what players could be able to do in the future,' Jongkind says. 'The other thing is to look at the weapons of players, the things that really stand out, that are peculiar or striking. Those are the things, the talents you can build on. Can we develop and help this player to make his talent world-class?' This policy had flourished when Jonk, Van Leeuwen and Jongkind had worked together at Ajax. After a poor few years of youth development, their reforms led to a flowering of young talent in the mid-2010s: Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong, Donny van de Beek, Justin Kluivert, Noussair Mazraoui, Ryan Gravenberch and Sergino Dest — players who helped Ajax to the 2017 Europa League final, the semi-finals of the 2019 Champions League and who all went on to earn the club hundreds of millions in transfer fees. 'It's a system that is a little bit diametrical to the normal system of development,' Jongkind says. 'People look at the teams — under-19s, under-17s — and put the players in. But we approached all 200 players in the academy as individual potential diamonds. Stones that we have to make into diamonds.' When Jonk, Van Leeuwen and Jongkind showed up at Volendam, stones that could become diamonds was exactly what they were looking for. Find a few of them, develop them in the right way, raise the value of the squad, and Volendam would be back on the right track. And so when they first saw Van de Ven with the under-19s, it was a revelation. If you are looking for strengths — or as Jongkind calls them 'weapons' — then what could possibly be better than a teenage centre-back with Van de Ven's unique athleticism? 'His physical ability was so high,' says Jonk. 'So that's the starting point.' 'It was exceptional what we saw,' says Van Leeuwen. 'Not everything exceptional, but some exceptional things. And other things were quite poor, and really had to improve.' Advertisement Even Van de Ven's weapon — his athleticism — had to be worked on and developed. Being fast is one thing, but being able to use it on the pitch time after time is something else. His only experience at this point was in the second tier of under-19 football. The physical demands of the senior game at the top level are very different. Especially when you have to play 50 or 60 games every year. 'He was a tall, skinny boy, super-fast, but his movement — the mobility, the agility — was really poor,' Van Leeuwen explains. 'So he had to really be rebuilt.' 'We basically took him apart and re-assembled him,' says Jongkind. 'With the ideas we already had a lot of experience with from Ajax. With specialists, people who understand the body, who came from athletics and American football.' Once the fundamentals of Van de Ven's running mechanics were changed, he was ready for more power. With training and nutrition changes, he added almost 10kg in his second season there. The key was to add strength without compromising his speed. And as Tottenham have found this season, perfecting the mechanics of a unique athlete remains a work in progress. Of course, football is not just about athleticism alone. 'We basically treated him as a youth player of 12 years old,' Jongkind says. He had so much 'over-capacity' athletically but he needed more to his game. So they gave him a tailored approach, working hard on his first touch and technical skills. Jonk took him aside and worked on his defending and game intelligence. He had played on the wing as a boy and needed more specific instruction. They made him a captain to improve his leadership skills, and to make him an example for the rest of his cohort to follow. Jonk always told him he was good enough to win 80 caps for Holland and that should be his goal. By October 2019, Van de Ven was in the first team. It was a new era for Volendam and Van de Ven was at the heart of it, this new young team rebuilt around the principles of Cruyff himself. 'At Volendam, we were by far the youngest team, even one of the youngest in Europe,' says Jongkind. 'Because we approached it from a development side. This is how we create value with our approach. Inspired by Cruyff's vision of football and talent development.' The influence of Cruyff was not just limited to the development coaching. It was also true of how Volendam played on the pitch. Jonk wanted Volendam to play in the way that Cruyff taught him back at Ajax: attacking, proactive, dominant football. Their meagre resources were to be no restriction from playing the way he wanted. Right from the start Jonk showed his players footage of Barcelona and Manchester City and told them what they could learn. Advertisement So Jonk would always encourage Van de Ven to take the initiative — to drive forward with the ball, to become the extra man in midfield, to use his pace to catch the opposition off guard. 'You can go!' Vonk would shout from the sidelines. 'Make an extra man in midfield! Do it!' By the start of his second season at Volendam, Van de Ven was already attracting attention. Even to analysts looking at his data alone, who did not necessarily know how fast he was, his remarkable numbers for passes, shots and duel success stood out. By the end of his second season, he was on his way from the Dutch second tier to Wolfsburg, with a legal dispute over the fee Volendam were due. After two years in Germany, he came to Spurs in summer 2023 and found a new manager in Ange Postecoglou who wanted to play his own brand of aggressive, front-foot football, playing out from the back and defending high up the pitch. Postecoglou's football is as Cruyffian anything in the world game right now: constantly on the front foot. And it only works when Van de Ven is there at centre-back. Van de Ven may in fact be less brave in possession now than he was at Volendam. 'He took more risk (with us) than he does these days,' Jonk says. 'Now I see short passes, not long passes or through passes. He is playing a little bit conservative.' Even if he does not take as many chances in possession as his team-mate Cristian Romero, there is still something distinctly Cruyffian about Van de Ven. 'His drive to take the initiative is definitely Cruyffian,' says Van Leeuwen. 'Also his dribbling is. Personally, I think taking more risks with passing would make him a really Cruyffian defender, that part is still missing a bit. But nobody is perfect.' Jonk is an assistant coach for the Dutch national team and even now, four years after Van de Ven left Volendam, he is still working hard to develop his game. Only a few weeks ago, he sent Van de Ven some clips on how he can keep improving. 'The through passes, and defending forwards, because that is his strength,' Jonk says. 'He can defend half the pitch, because he is so pacy. And then you have a smaller area to play in. And that is really Cruyffian. Because you want to play in the other half of the pitch rather than in your own half.' This remains Van de Ven's greatest weapon. If Cruyffian football demands pushing your defence up to the halfway line, it means defending the largest space possible. It is impossible to do that without defenders quick enough to cover it. And no centre-back in world football does this better than Van de Ven. Advertisement Of course, Cruyff himself was happy to have Ronald Koeman and Pep Guardiola at centre-back for Barcelona, both selected for their skill rather than their speed. But that was 30 years ago, and in the sped-up football of the 2020s, pace is indispensable. So many of Europe's best teams — Manchester City, Barcelona, Bayern Munich — want to defend high up the pitch. It is so much harder to do that without a player like Van de Ven. When Van Leeuwen watches Hansi Flick's Barcelona, he knows how valuable Van de Ven is. 'They are very high up the pitch, they are being killed all the time with these counter-attacks,' he says. 'I was constantly thinking that top teams, to play high-pressure football, are going to need guys like this.' There is something futuristic about Van de Ven at his best; implausibly fast, technically smooth, transforming not only how the team plays but also where they play, allowing them to set up camp in the opposition half. He is the missing piece that allows Tottenham to function. Take him out and the whole thing falls apart. But put him in and they can play Postecoglou's Cruyffian game. Lifting the Europa League on Wednesday would not just underline Van de Ven's current excellence but offer a glimpse of the football future inherent in him. Top photo:
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Micky van de Ven ready to prove doubters wrong as he makes Europa final vow
The Premier League's fastest ever player Micky van de Ven is used to silencing critics having been told as a teenager that he was too slow to become a professional footballer When Micky van de Ven was coming through at Volendam, the Dutch club's coach said he was too slow to become a pro. Then he became the fastest Premier League player on record. When Van de Ven joined Spurs in the summer of 2023 he was told to wave goodbye to dreams of winning silverware. Now he is one step from delivering the club's first trophy since 2008 – and again proving the naysayers wrong. Doubts and criticism have been fueling the Netherlands international's turbo engine since his mid-teens and he admits: 'I still use them now. At Volendam there were people who didn't have the trust in me and now I am standing here. I think I proved them wrong. 'But to be honest it was my dad, my mum and my sister who were the ones who kept pushing me.' Dad Marcel was an undercover agent for a serious crimes unit who has more recently appeared on a reality TV show, Hunted, in which he tracks down contestants who have gone on the run. And the calm, analytical mind required to crack cases have been passed down a generation. Being unflustered is imperative in Ange Postecoglou's daring system and Van de Ven has built a relationship with Cristian Romero that he describes as 'an unbelievable connection.' He adds: 'We just feel each other in the game. If he does something, I know how I need to cover him, how I can help him. On the other side it's the same — when I have the ball, he knows how to cover me. He knows how to help in every situation. "That is just the feeling we have grown into each other.' An Ajax fan, Van de Ven was in the Amsterdam crowd that saw Spurs stage the most dramatic of comebacks to reach the 2019 Champions League final – only for Liverpool to win another all-English decider. He understands how Tottenham 's history looms large but is utterly convinced that this group can change the culture and direction – in spite of the barbs from 'banter people' and social media drones. 'Everybody knows that when you join Tottenham, you get the words of 'Ah, you're not going to win a trophy', that you will be trophyless the rest of your career,' he adds. 'But all the guys that came up here were like, 'We're going to change something about this club.' 'It was the gaffer and it was the whole squad who said, 'We're going to come here and change something.' For us, it's the job now to make this happen in Bilbao. We all know we play for a big club. This club deserves trophies. That's the truth. 'If you look at the quality in the squad, we deserve a trophy. It has been a tough season but we can end this perfectly by winning a prize.'
Scottish Sun
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
My dad is a former undercover agent and TV star who'll be cheering me on in Europa League final, says Tottenham star
YOU'RE MICKED My dad is a former undercover agent and TV star who'll be cheering me on in Europa League final, says Tottenham star Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MICKY VAN DE VEN is out to crack the case of Tottenham's trophy drought — with the support of his detective dad. The Dutch defender will have his old man watching him in Bilbao as Spurs look to end 17 years without silverware by beating Manchester United in tomorrow's Europa League final. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Micky van de Ven is out to end Tottenham's trophy drought Credit: PA 4 Van De Ven's dad Marcel is former detective and TV star in the Netherlands Credit: Twitter @ESPNUK 4 The Dutchman was written off as a teenager at Volendam Credit: Getty Marcel van de Ven is a former undercover agent who later became famous on the Dutch version of TV show Hunted. Despite Van de Ven Sr's busy schedule fighting crime, somehow he still had time to go to all of his son's matches right from youth level. Micky, 24, said: "Every game he was there, even when I was younger. You have to ask him how he managed that! "Midweek, most of the time he was gone because he had a job to do and couldn't tell us everything about it. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL GAME OF THROW-INS How Gary's BBC exit will spark rivalry between MOTD hosts for World Cup "But at the weekend when we had to play, the most important part, he was always there. "Literally until today, he's everywhere. Every home game, every away game, he wants to be everywhere. He always tries to be there. "It was my dad, my mum and my sister who were the ones who kept pushing me. "Because even when you're younger, every year you get a new gaffer. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK "Then the people around you are the ones you are close with. "Even now, these days after a game they help me. They're like, 'You could do this better or that better', they are still the people who help me." How Europa League final will be decided - four key Man Utd vs Tottenham tactical battles Marcel may have always backed his son's foray into football but Micky was not always so well supported by the professionals overseeing his development. In fact, there was a feeling at his first club Volendam that a teenage Van de Ven did not have the ability to make it as a footballer. It was only when former Sheffield Wednesday star Wim Jonk became his manager at the second-tier Dutch club that the young defender got his big break, which led him to Wolfsburg in 2021 then on to Spurs in the summer of 2023. And Van de Ven, also a Netherlands international, still uses being written off in his teens as motivation to succeed today. On those that believed he would not make the grade, he added: "That's crazy. "At Volendam there were people who didn't have the trust in me and now I am standing here. I proved them wrong." We have all been standing behind Ange since day one, since he joined here. Micky van de Ven Van de Ven's Spurs defensive partner Cristian Romero also once revealed he was so miserable at his own first club Belgrano back in Argentina that he considered quitting the game. Romero, nicknamed Cuti, went on to win the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 alongside the iconic Lionel Messi. Tottenham ace Van de Ven continued: "There are a lot of players in their careers who get doubts from multiple people. "It depends a bit on how late in your career you are getting doubts, of course. "I was getting doubts when I was 17, 18 years old. "Then you might have to think about something different. Then it's all down to yourself and the people around you to keep pushing. "That's what Cuti probably did and that's what I did, and now we are both standing here. "And Cuti won a World Cup. I am now in a European final. It's a beautiful thing." 4 Coaches at Volendam told van de Ven he wouldn't make the grade Credit: Getty Now Van de Ven is determined to change Tottenham's trophyless 'Spursy' tag with victory over the Red Devils. He said: "It would be a big thing, of course. "Everybody knows that when you join Tottenham you get, 'Ah, you're not going to win a trophy', people saying you will be trophyless for the rest of your career. "All the guys that came up here were like, 'We're going to change something about this club'. "It was the gaffer and it was the whole squad who said, 'We're going to come here and change something'. "For us, it's the job now to make this happen in Bilbao." Van de Ven could come up against his compatriot Matthijs De Ligt, 25, in Bilbao — provided the United centre-back is fit to play. De Ligt may only be a year older yet he is a hero to Van de Ven, who used to watch him play for Ajax as a supporter in the stands when both were teenagers. Ironically, it was Tottenham's unforgettable comeback win against Ajax in the 2019 Champions League semi-final — when Lucas Moura scored a second-half hat-trick and Spurs won on away goals — that stands out most in his memory. Van de Ven explained: "The first thing that pops up in my head is the game against Tottenham. "I was in the stadium. He was playing that game. "These games I can remember are more from the Champions League when Ajax went to the semi-final. He was playing unbelievable. "When you're a young kid, you're looking up at him — captain at 18 years old, doing an unbelievable job. Then you think, 'I want to be like him'." Spurs have had an awful league campaign, with a record 21 defeats. Even if they beat United, boss Ange Postecoglou is expected to leave the club. Yet Van de Ven reckons the Aussie has proved his worth by taking the club to just its second European final in 41 years. He added: "We have all been standing behind the gaffer since day one, since he joined here. "He showed his quality, he brought us to a European final. "Of course, he's getting a lot of doubt from the media and we see these things. "But I think he proved all you guys wrong and we're standing in a European final, so hopefully we can lift the trophy. Not only for us but also for him."
Globe and Mail
14-05-2025
- Globe and Mail
Holland America Line's Epic 2027 Grand Voyages Officially Open for Booking
Overnight stays, rare ports and new overland tours highlight 129-day world cruise and 70-day exploration of South America and Antarctica SEATTLE , May 14, 2025 /CNW/ -- Today, following a successful pre-sale period, Holland America Line officially opened bookings for its two 2027 Grand Voyages. Both the 2027 Grand World Voyage and the 2027 Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage, departing in January 2027 , will provide guests access to rare ports of call and the opportunity to connect with sought-after destinations through ample overnight and extended calls, all while enjoying the elevated onboard experience for which Grand Voyages are known. "We know cruisers who book Grand Voyages are looking for unique experiences — and the strong interest we've seen in the pre-sale period shows us our guests are excited about what we've designed for them in 2027," said Paul Grigsby , vice president of deployment and revenue planning for Holland America Line. "For example, we built in overnight stays in destinations like Bordeaux — with the city center only accessible via smaller ships like Volendam — as well as multi-night stays in vibrant cities like Cape Town and Buenos Aires ." Guests sailing on the 2027 Grand World Voyage aboard Volendam will enjoy overnight or multi-night calls in seven destinations, including European gems Bordeaux, France , and Copenhagen, Denmark . The cruise also features several late-night calls, including a visit to Malé, the capital of the Maldives . Those sailing on the 2027 Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage aboard Zaandam can look forward to overnight or multi-night calls in five destinations, including Callao ( Lima ), Peru — the gateway to Machu Picchu — as well as cities like Montevideo, Uruguay , and Rio De Janeiro, Brazil . Overland Adventures Offer Memorable Experiences For travelers looking to check off even more bucket-list items, guests on 2027 Grand Voyages can select from a wide range of multi-day overland tours to more authentically connect with a destination. One option on the 2027 Grand World Voyage is a seven-day tour departing from Phuket, Thailand , that heads to India , taking travelers up close to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World — the Taj Mahal — before rejoining the ship in Malé. Guests on both the 2027 Grand World Voyage and Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage can opt to immerse themselves in nature and venture onto a four-day Galapagos Islands overland tour, taking in pristine scenery and unparalleled wildlife, like iconic giant tortoises, as well as blue-footed boobies, Sally Lightfoot crabs, marine iguanas, frigatebirds and more. 2027 Grand World Voyage Highlights — Volendam 129-day voyage; sails roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida , departing Jan. 5, 2027 . Heads south along the west coast of South America , crossing the equator and sailing to Easter Island before traversing the islands of the South Pacific en route to Australia . Explores Indonesia , Singapore , Malaysia , Thailand and Sri Lanka before sailing south around the Cape of Good Hope and north to St. Helena and Ascension Island, as well as up the west coast of Africa . Meanders through Europe , including overnight calls at Bordeaux and Copenhagen before an Atlantic Ocean crossing. 53 total ports in 28 countries across six continents. Seven overnight stays: Copenhagen ; Bordeaux ; Cape Town, South Africa ; Bali, Indonesia ; Sydney, Australia ; Papeete, French Polynesia ; and Callao ( Lima ). Access to 81 UNESCO sites including the Taj Mahal, Westminster Abbey, Mont-Saint-Michel and the Great Barrier Reef. Memorable Moments: Chances to explore historic and remote Jamestown , St. Helena , and Georgetown , Ascension Island; a stop in Bora Bora — often called the "Pearl of the South Pacific"; and an overnight at Bordeaux paired with scenic cruising of the Gironde estuary. 2027 Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage Highlights — Zaandam 70-day voyage; sails roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale , departing Jan. 3, 2027. Heads south to transit the Panama Canal before crossing the equator, then sails along South America's west coast. Calls at ports in the Cayman Islands , Ecuador , Peru , Chile and Argentina and includes several days of scenic cruising through Chile's majestic fjords and glaciers. Crosses the Drake Passage before a four-day scenic cruising Antarctic Experience, then sails north, calling at ports in the Falklands, Argentina , Uruguay , Brazil and French Guinea along South America's east coast before a Caribbean sojourn en route back to Fort Lauderdale . 31 total ports in 13 countries across two continents. Five overnight stays: Fuerte Amador ( Panama City ), Panama ; Callao ( Lima ); Montevideo ; Buenos Aires, Argentina ; and Rio de Janeiro . Access to 28 UNESCO sites including Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands. Memorable Moments: Enjoy an overnight call at Montevideo , the capital of Uruguay ; spend time at fabled Isla Robinson Crusoe ; enjoy other-worldly scenic cruising in 10 destinations, including the Pio XI Glacier and the Beagle Channel. Early Booking Bonus Benefits For a limited time, guests who book the 129-day Grand World Voyage and 70-day Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage receive up to $2,000 USD in onboard credit per guest, a 3% pay-in-full discount, a free Wi-Fi Surf package and more. Additional perks for all guests who book early include a $500 USD air credit per person if booked through Flight Ease and complimentary roundtrip airport transfers to and from the Fort Lauderdale airport. Additional extras can include complimentary luggage delivery service to and from the Fort Lauderdale airport, prepaid crew appreciation and laundry and drycleaning service when booking certain stateroom categories. Terms and conditions apply. A Grand Onboard Experience On each Grand Voyage, Holland America Line provides gracious service, superior amenities and unexpected experiences. Guests can relax during leisurely days at sea, taking advantage of the extra time to participate in shipboard activities. Shipboard entertainment shines in the evening with local cultural performers and special guest headliners. Festive gala balls and dressy nights create memorable moments, along with a Captain's Grand Voyage Dinner. Dining is elevated to a new level on each Grand Voyage with menus that change daily and are seldom repeated, featuring local ingredients and regional cuisine. For more information about other Holland America Line voyages, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit Find Holland America Line on Facebook, Instagram and the Holland America Blog. You can also access all social media outlets via the home page at About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)] Holland America Line has been exploring the world for more than 150 years with expertly crafted itineraries, extraordinary service and genuine connections to the destinations. Offering a perfectly-sized ship experience, its fleet of 11 vessels visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world and has shared the thrill of Alaska for more than 75 years — longer than any other cruise line. Savour the Journey isn't just a tagline, it's a reinforcement that the cruise line provides experiences too good to hurry through, connecting travelers to the world and each other. Award-winning enrichment programming, entertainment and cuisine that brings each locale on board, including a revolutionary Global Fresh Fish Program, put Holland America Line at the forefront of premium cruising. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Holland America Line
Cision Canada
14-05-2025
- Cision Canada
Holland America Line's Epic 2027 Grand Voyages Officially Open for Booking
Overnight stays, rare ports and new overland tours highlight 129-day world cruise and 70-day exploration of South America and Antarctica SEATTLE, May 14, 2025 /CNW/ -- Today, following a successful pre-sale period, Holland America Line officially opened bookings for its two 2027 Grand Voyages. Both the 2027 Grand World Voyage and the 2027 Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage, departing in January 2027, will provide guests access to rare ports of call and the opportunity to connect with sought-after destinations through ample overnight and extended calls, all while enjoying the elevated onboard experience for which Grand Voyages are known. "We know cruisers who book Grand Voyages are looking for unique experiences — and the strong interest we've seen in the pre-sale period shows us our guests are excited about what we've designed for them in 2027," said Paul Grigsby, vice president of deployment and revenue planning for Holland America Line. "For example, we built in overnight stays in destinations like Bordeaux — with the city center only accessible via smaller ships like Volendam — as well as multi-night stays in vibrant cities like Cape Town and Buenos Aires." Guests sailing on the 2027 Grand World Voyage aboard Volendam will enjoy overnight or multi-night calls in seven destinations, including European gems Bordeaux, France, and Copenhagen, Denmark. The cruise also features several late-night calls, including a visit to Malé, the capital of the Maldives. Those sailing on the 2027 Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage aboard Zaandam can look forward to overnight or multi-night calls in five destinations, including Callao (Lima), Peru — the gateway to Machu Picchu — as well as cities like Montevideo, Uruguay, and Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Overland Adventures Offer Memorable Experiences For travelers looking to check off even more bucket-list items, guests on 2027 Grand Voyages can select from a wide range of multi-day overland tours to more authentically connect with a destination. One option on the 2027 Grand World Voyage is a seven-day tour departing from Phuket, Thailand, that heads to India, taking travelers up close to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World — the Taj Mahal — before rejoining the ship in Malé. Guests on both the 2027 Grand World Voyage and Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage can opt to immerse themselves in nature and venture onto a four-day Galapagos Islands overland tour, taking in pristine scenery and unparalleled wildlife, like iconic giant tortoises, as well as blue-footed boobies, Sally Lightfoot crabs, marine iguanas, frigatebirds and more. 2027 Grand World Voyage Highlights — Volendam 129-day voyage; sails roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, departing Jan. 5, 2027. Heads south along the west coast of South America, crossing the equator and sailing to Easter Island before traversing the islands of the South Pacific en route to Australia. Explores Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka before sailing south around the Cape of Good Hope and north to St. Helena and Ascension Island, as well as up the west coast of Africa. Meanders through Europe, including overnight calls at Bordeaux and Copenhagen before an Atlantic Ocean crossing. 53 total ports in 28 countries across six continents. Seven overnight stays: Copenhagen; Bordeaux; Cape Town, South Africa; Bali, Indonesia; Sydney, Australia; Papeete, French Polynesia; and Callao (Lima). Access to 81 UNESCO sites including the Taj Mahal, Westminster Abbey, Mont-Saint-Michel and the Great Barrier Reef. Memorable Moments: Chances to explore historic and remote Jamestown, St. Helena, and Georgetown, Ascension Island; a stop in Bora Bora — often called the "Pearl of the South Pacific"; and an overnight at Bordeaux paired with scenic cruising of the Gironde estuary. 2027 Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage Highlights — Zaandam 70-day voyage; sails roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, departing Jan. 3, 2027. Heads south to transit the Panama Canal before crossing the equator, then sails along South America's west coast. Calls at ports in the Cayman Islands, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina and includes several days of scenic cruising through Chile's majestic fjords and glaciers. Crosses the Drake Passage before a four-day scenic cruising Antarctic Experience, then sails north, calling at ports in the Falklands, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and French Guinea along South America's east coast before a Caribbean sojourn en route back to Fort Lauderdale. 31 total ports in 13 countries across two continents. Five overnight stays: Fuerte Amador (Panama City), Panama; Callao (Lima); Montevideo; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Rio de Janeiro. Access to 28 UNESCO sites including Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands. Memorable Moments: Enjoy an overnight call at Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay; spend time at fabled Isla Robinson Crusoe; enjoy other-worldly scenic cruising in 10 destinations, including the Pio XI Glacier and the Beagle Channel. Early Booking Bonus Benefits For a limited time, guests who book the 129-day Grand World Voyage and 70-day Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage receive up to $2,000 USD in onboard credit per guest, a 3% pay-in-full discount, a free Wi-Fi Surf package and more. Additional perks for all guests who book early include a $500 USD air credit per person if booked through Flight Ease and complimentary roundtrip airport transfers to and from the Fort Lauderdale airport. Additional extras can include complimentary luggage delivery service to and from the Fort Lauderdale airport, prepaid crew appreciation and laundry and drycleaning service when booking certain stateroom categories. Terms and conditions apply. A Grand Onboard Experience On each Grand Voyage, Holland America Line provides gracious service, superior amenities and unexpected experiences. Guests can relax during leisurely days at sea, taking advantage of the extra time to participate in shipboard activities. Shipboard entertainment shines in the evening with local cultural performers and special guest headliners. Festive gala balls and dressy nights create memorable moments, along with a Captain's Grand Voyage Dinner. Dining is elevated to a new level on each Grand Voyage with menus that change daily and are seldom repeated, featuring local ingredients and regional cuisine. For more information about other Holland America Line voyages, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit Holland America Line has been exploring the world for more than 150 years with expertly crafted itineraries, extraordinary service and genuine connections to the destinations. Offering a perfectly-sized ship experience, its fleet of 11 vessels visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world and has shared the thrill of Alaska for more than 75 years — longer than any other cruise line. Savour the Journey isn't just a tagline, it's a reinforcement that the cruise line provides experiences too good to hurry through, connecting travelers to the world and each other. Award-winning enrichment programming, entertainment and cuisine that brings each locale on board, including a revolutionary Global Fresh Fish Program, put Holland America Line at the forefront of premium cruising.
