Holland America

My December 2023 Holland Ameria Cruise is one of the many I got free from doing a Casino status match. My friend Mary lives in Ft Lauderdale and is the one who got me into cruising. When I saw I could get a free Holland America cruise I knew she had to go with me.

My offer from Holland America was as follows:

Complimentary interior cabin + 100 freeplay with drinks for 2 in the casino. We had to pay the taxes and fees for the cruise. (This is pretty standard on these type deals). We picked a 7 day cruise out of Ft Lauderdale that went to Half Moon Cay, Jamaica, Cayman Island and Cozumel. I am claustrophobic so Mary and I did pay to upgrade to an obstructed ocean view for a minimum upcharge. When it said obstructed it wasn’t joking but the little sunlight that came in our room was much appreciated. Our total for both of us with the upgrade was around $300 each.

I flew to Ft Lauderdale on Southwest Points; my out-of-pocket was $11.20 for that. I then crashed at Mary’s house so I didn’t have to get a hotel room but there are many Hyatt’s down there so I could have stayed for free on points if she wasn’t such a fabulous host.

Mary and I had heard from numerous people that Holland America was a old person’s cruise line. I started getting nervous that it wouldn’t be for us. However, with such a small investment I thought we would definitely get our money’s worth so I tried not to stress so much about this aspect. Thankfully, everyone who told me it was a nursing home at sea was WRONG! Yes, it is an older crowd but one of my favorite people I met on the boat was a 93-year-old woman who had bloody mary’s for lunch every day. Also with the older crowd, the boat was maintained beautifully. We met so many fun people on this ship! We even got a cannonball contest going in one of the pools.

Mary and I loved the Holland America cruise. We have been actively trying to find a deal to go back on another one. This has already been booked thanks to a great deal we found! Even though I am a travel advisor I book almost all my cruises with Mary. She is the expert! She also insists on getting the best deal possible. I think she called Holland America at least 3 x’s when booking this to get us an additional onboard credit. Feel free to contact her at marymkennedy@att.net if you want her help planning a cruise!