Holland America Opens Rotterdam’s 2027 Mediterranean Program
The schedule includes overnight stays in Istanbul and Haifa, plus scenic cruising through the Strait of Messina and past Stromboli on the final Athens departure.
Holland America Line has opened bookings for five autumn 2027 Mediterranean cruises on Rotterdam, the 99,800-gt flagship's first extended program in the region. The deployment runs from Oct. 17 to Dec. 8, 2027, with 10- and 11-day sailings across the western and eastern Mediterranean before a 14-day Barcelona-to-Fort Lauderdale transatlantic.
The schedule adds Rotterdam to Holland America's 2027-28 Europe program alongside Nieuw Statendam, Oosterdam and Zuiderdam, giving the line more than 20 Mediterranean sailings through autumn and winter. Holland America cited demand for both Rotterdam and the region, and said the ship will make inaugural calls at several Mediterranean ports during the deployment.
Five Mediterranean sailings precede the Atlantic crossing
The opening voyage, Around the Iberian Peninsula: Spain & Portugal, departs Oct. 17, 2027, on a 10-day cruise from Rotterdam to Barcelona. The itinerary calls at Portsmouth, Le Verdon-sur-Mer, Bilbao, Cartagena, Valencia and Lisbon.
Rotterdam then sails the 11-day Mediterranean Splendor: Spain, Italy & Greece itinerary from Barcelona to Athens on Oct. 27. Scheduled calls include Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples, Corfu and Kotor.
The ship remains in the eastern Mediterranean for a 10-day Athens roundtrip, Greek Isles: Istanbul Overnight with Mykonos & Rhodes, departing Nov. 7. That itinerary includes Mykonos, Rhodes, Kusadasi and an overnight stay in Istanbul.
A second Athens roundtrip follows Nov. 17 with the 11-day Greek Isles: Egypt & The Holy Land voyage. Ports include Alexandria, Limassol, Antalya, Kusadasi and Rhodes, along with an overnight call in Haifa.
The final Mediterranean cruise departs Athens on Nov. 28 under the Mediterranean Splendor: Italy with Rome Evening Stay itinerary. The sailing calls at Kotor, Valletta, Messina, Naples, Civitavecchia and Livorno, with scenic cruising through the Strait of Messina and past Stromboli.
Rotterdam's Europe season closes with the 14-day Cultural Crossing with Spain and Morocco, departing Barcelona on Dec. 8, 2027. The transatlantic itinerary visits Valencia, Alicante, Malaga and Tangier before arriving in Fort Lauderdale.
Rotterdam's autumn Mediterranean program
Rotterdam is a Pinnacle-class ship built by Fincantieri and launched in 2021, with standard capacity for 2,668 passengers and 1,025 crew. The vessel has 1,340 cabins and 13 passenger decks.
The itineraries include access to several major shore excursion gateways, including Ephesus from Kusadasi, Pompeii from Naples and Kotor's medieval old town. Holland America said the program is designed to combine guided sightseeing with destination-focused experiences and longer time in port.
Guests can combine consecutive sailings to create longer Mediterranean trips before the ship crosses to North America. The announcement did not include starting fares or a named executive comment.
See current Rotterdam fares and itineraries on Cruise Lookup.
