Holland America Line cruise guests will now be enjoying three new dishes on a menu showcasing wild sustainable Alaska seafood. The cuisine was created by Chef Ethan Stowell.

“We’ve been sharing the thrill of Alaska with guests for 75 years, longer than any other cruise line,” Dan Rough, Holland America Line vice president of revenue management, said in a news release. “Protecting and enhancing that heritage is a matter of commitment and pride.” Read more...

What a long strange trip it’s been. After the industry-wide pause in cruising because of COVID-19, Holland America Line is celebrating its one year back to sailing the world’s waters.

“The emotions and excitement from a year ago still resonate today as destinations around the world open and we persist in fully getting back to cruising,” Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line, said in a July news release. Read more...

The city of Rotterdam has extended its charter agreement for Holland America Line’s Volendam to house Ukrainian refugees through Sept. 14.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience this will cause to guests booked on Volendam through the summer,” Beth Bodensteiner, chief commercial officer of Holland American Line, said in a news release. “We appreciate their continued understanding as we work with the city of Rotterdam on this important mission.” Read more...

Holland America cruise line’s new Rotterdam is carrying on a tradition that began in the 1920s. The Rotterdam’s godmother will be Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands.

“We are deeply grateful that Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet will once again act as godmother to a Holland America Line ship, carrying on a long tradition with the Royal Family that continues to honor our Dutch roots,” Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America line, said in a news release. Read more...

Looking for a fun food day to celebrate? Mark your 2022 calendar for April 6^th as National Food Faces Day.

Appropriately, the celebration falls on the same day as the birthday for Rudi Sodamin, the Holland America Line master chef, who has been playing with food for years. In fact, the holiday honors Sodamin’s expertise and was created by Holland America Line which will be celebrating its 150 years as a cruise line in 2022. Read more...

COURTESY Holland America Line: Seattle, Wash., May 5, 2021 — Working in close coordination with the government of Greece, Holland America Line has received approval to restart cruising from Piraeus (Athens) in August with four departures aboard Eurodam. Bookings for these cruises will open May 6. Read more...

For those planning a cruise, Crown Cruise Vacations President Ross Spalding and his team of travel and cruise specialists are experts at booking families, friends and individuals on their dream cruise vacations. A great place for inspiration and insight when booking a cruise vacation is the Crown Cruise Vacations blog. Read more...

Holland America Line’s new flagship pays homage to an historic vessel. The new cruise ship will be named the Rotterdam and will be the new flagship for the Holland America fleet.

The Rotterdam is expected to be delivered from Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy on July 30, 2021. The ship will spend the summer exploring Northern Europe and the Baltic on roundtrip cruises from Amsterdam. Read more...

“’Food Faces’ has a universal appeal that crosses all ages, languages, art, cultures and food groups,” Sodamin said. “Food is an international language, understood by all, and everyone in the world, regardless of race, gender, experience or social status, can communicate and connect through food.”

As master chef for Holland America Line, Sodamin has delighted passengers for years with his delicious food and artistic food faces. Now the popular chef has a book showcasing his Food Faces talents. “Food Faces” is sold in bookstores nationwide.

“Rudi is an icon in the cruise industry for his culinary talent and creativity in the kitchen and is regarded as the hospitality industry’s most innovative chef, but today we congratulate him for his innovation as an artist with his beautiful new book,”  said Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president.

“Rudi is esteemed throughout the world for his passion for his craft and his ability to translate that creative energy into serving thousands of guests each day on our ships. ’Food Faces’ allows people to be inspired by Rudi’s work every day in their homes.”

In the forward to “Food Faces,” Thomas Keller, chef, restaurateur and cookbook author, writes: “Rudi has a keen eye, playful sensibility and a willingness to let inspiration take him where it will. Rudi puts happiness front and center.”

On board Holland America Line ships, guests who dine in Rudi’s Sel de Mer pop-up restaurant can enjoy his dynamic Food Faces on exclusive limited-edition plates made by Bernardaud, the leading French manufacturer of Limoges porcelain. Each plate charger features a different image from the “Food Faces” book, creating an unusual and and fun table setting.

Story by Jackie Sheckler Finch

Photos courtesy of Holland American Line

I’ve made bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches ever since I was a preschooler. But mine were pretty basic – bacon, lettuce, tomato (from my Dad’s garden), white bread and Miracle Whip.

Delicious with a cold glass of milk.

But Justin Chapple, the senior test kitchen editor at Food & Wine Magazine, shared a different recipe on a Holland America cruise aboard ms Zuiderdam. The ship features cuisine presentations for guests in its Culinary Arts Center.

Justin’s recipe is for a California BLT. Definitely worth trying and a step up from one of my childhood favorites.

Here is the recipe if you’d like to make it:

                                                         CALIFORNIA BLT
Ingredients:
24 thin bacon slices
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. finely chopped tarragon
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and pepper
8 slices multigrain sandwich bread, lightly toasted
1 Hass avocado
2 Persian cucumbers
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
4 small bibb lettuce leaves
1/2 cup mixed sprouts, like radish, sunflower and alfalfa

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Weave 6 strips of bacon into a lattice on the baking sheet, leaving enough space for 3 more lattices. Repeat with the remaining bacon strips.

Read more...