The cruise ship MS Rotterdam of Holland America Line in the Lemaire Channel in the Antarctic … [+]
Holland America Line has seen record-breaking Black Friday bookings for the second year in a row in the United States. The cruise line saw a reported 20% more Black Friday bookings than last year and 23% higher for the period from Black Friday through to Cyber Monday.
“While some see Black Friday as a sign that winter is coming, our guests were dreaming about exploring summer destinations like Alaska, Iceland and Greece,” Gus Antorcha, president, Holland America Line, said in a press release earlier this week.
“Breaking Black Friday records two years in a row tells us that not only are guests excited to plan ahead for travel, but that they value Holland America Line’s award-winning service and carefully crafted itineraries that visit more than 100 countries.”
The trend was notably higher with guests who were looking toward to summer vacations in 2024. Bookings for Alaska, Europe, and Canada/New England specifically surpassed volumes from last year’s Black Friday sales.
The summer cruise itineraries include a total of six ships in Alaska — offering the most Glacier Bay permits in the whole cruise industry — as well as several itineraries that head to Iceland and Greenland and itineraries that cruise in the Canada/New England region.
This record-breaking news comes just a month after Holland America Line announced its new global fresh fish program; a unique partnership with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto that highlights fresh and local seafood on the sea. The cruise line will also be launching a pop-up restaurant, Morimoto By Sea, on the Nieuw Amsterdam launching in mid-December with a roll-out on the remaining fleet by next spring.