Image: Holland America Line
Passengers booked on Holland America Line’s upcoming 35-night Hawaii, Tahiti & Marquesas cruise will miss one of the more unusual destinations on the itinerary after the cruise line announced changes related to Zaandam’s planned operating speed.
The voyage is scheduled to depart San Diego on 15 October 2026 and return on 19 November.
Fanning Island, also known as Tabuaeran, in Kiribati has now been removed from the itinerary entirely, while several other port times have been adjusted.
Holland America has told guests the changes are necessary due to “adjustments to the ship’s planned operating speed” during portions of the voyage.
The cruise line has not publicly explained what is behind those adjustments.
Fanning Island removed from the itinerary
Zaandam was scheduled to visit Fanning Island on 30 October as part of the 35-night round-trip voyage from San Diego.
That visit has now been cancelled.
It is a particularly notable loss because Fanning Island was Zaandam’s only scheduled call in Kiribati, meaning passengers will no longer visit the country at all during the cruise.
The remote atoll sits in the central Pacific and is a relatively uncommon cruise destination, particularly compared with the better-known Hawaiian and French Polynesian ports also included on the itinerary.
For passengers who specifically chose the longer voyage for its more unusual destinations, it's likely to be one of the more disappointing changes.
Other ports are changing too
Fanning Island isn't the only adjustment being made to the cruise.
The order of Zaandam’s calls at Raiatea and Bora Bora has been reversed. Holland America says the change means Zaandam will be the only ship in each port during its visit.
There are also several changes to the amount of time passengers will have ashore.
The Bora Bora visit will now end at approximately 6pm rather than 11pm, cutting around five hours from the original schedule.
On the upside, passengers will receive approximately two additional hours in both Kahului, Maui and Moorea, French Polynesia.
Passengers receiving onboard credit
Holland America is providing each stateroom with US$100 in non-refundable onboard credit as a result of the changes.
While some of the affected port times have simply been rearranged or extended, the removal of Fanning Island represents the loss of an entire destination from the 35-night itinerary.
The cruise line has attributed the changes to the operating-speed adjustments but has not provided further detail about why those adjustments are required.
Zaandam experienced propulsion problems earlier this year
The wording is likely to attract attention because Zaandam experienced a confirmed propulsion problem during its Alaska season earlier this year.
In June, the ship developed a propulsion issue that required emergency repairs in Juneau.
The problem resulted in significant disruption, including the cancellation of scheduled visits to Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan, while the following cruise was also delayed as repairs continued.
However, Holland America has not said the operating-speed adjustments for the October cruise are related to that earlier propulsion issue.
At this stage, any connection between the two would be speculation.
That distinction is important, particularly as the cruise line has not described Zaandam as experiencing a current mechanical or propulsion problem.
Zaandam's 35-night cruise still includes Hawaii and French Polynesia
Despite the changes, the lengthy voyage will still take passengers through Hawaii and French Polynesia before returning to California.
The itinerary includes destinations such as Honolulu, Kahului, Hilo, Moorea, Raiatea, Bora Bora and Papeete, along with plenty of sea days as Zaandam crosses the Pacific.
The revised schedule also leaves the cruise at its original 35-night duration, with departure and return dates unchanged.
Pearl Harbour Aviation Museum of HawaiiWhy cruise itineraries can change before departure
Cruise lines retain considerable flexibility to alter itineraries when operational circumstances require it.
Changes can be made for weather, port availability, mechanical considerations, scheduling requirements and a range of other operational reasons.
In this case, Holland America has specifically pointed to adjustments to Zaandam’s planned operating speed, rather than weather or port availability, as the reason behind the revised itinerary.
Exactly what has prompted those speed adjustments remains unclear.
For now, passengers will still get their lengthy journey across the Pacific, along with additional time in a couple of ports and US$100 to spend onboard.
But while losing a port is never particularly welcome, losing the only port in an entire country is probably going to sting a little more than most.
