I was delighted to be invited to join the prestigious Holland America Line on a 7-Night Mediterranean Cruise to explore the food on-board the MS Nieuw Amsterdam and around the region. This contains all my articles, audio podcasts and videos about Holland America and the trip.

On this page you can find out all about the experience of cruising with them as well as a number of exclusive behind-the-scenes insights into the culinary operation, the crew and what goes into satisfying the passengers.

This is the route:

Holland America 7 Night Mediterranean Adventure Route

Before

• The countdown to the 7-night Holland America Mediterranean Adventure begins. An Update
• Excursions: Tips and recommendations when deciding on what and how many excursions to book on a cruise. How these factors influenced what trips I signed up for an booked on the cruise

During

• Embarkation day and initial impressions in images of the Nieuw Amsterdam
• The importance of community in cruising. The Cruise Critic meet-up on Nieuw Amsterdam
• The remarkable behind-the-scenes activities behind the culinary experience on board – a look at the galley and stores
• Hear insider tips about Holland America line – direct from the Hotel Director
• Revealing the fascinating story behind the crew on Holland America
• Video tour and commentary of the Nieuw Amsterdam
• Video tour and review of a Verandah Suite & Inside Cabin on Holland America Line’s Niew Amsterdam
• How Holland America overcame my skepticism about towel creation animals
• The On Location program and an amazing “Mediterranean Barbeque” (Article I did for the Holland America blog)
• See all my Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam photos (Flickr album)

After

• My 11 essential tips and tricks for getting the most out of cruising with Holland America

Video tours

Full ship video tour with commentary and thoughts:

Verandah stateroom (8021) that I stayed in:

Video of an inside cabin

Audio Podcasts

Listen to my interview with Marco Van Belleghem, the Hotel Director on the Nieuw Amsterdam. He talks about his photography, what makes Holland America Line unique and different, what type of passengers the line is best suited for and finally his favourite ports in the world and why. You can listen online using the player below or iTunes.

Top Tips and Tricks for making the most of cruising with Holland America Line. I share my thoughts on the 11 best ways to get the most from cruising on this famous cruise line:

Declaration

I travelled as a guest of Holland America Cruises on their MS Nieuw Amsterdam ship on a 7 Night Mediterranean Cruise from Barcelona visiting Naples, Palermo, Civitavecchia (Rome), Livorno (Florence/ Pisa), and Toulon. Holland America are a Premium Cruise line with Dutch origins dating back to 1873.