Holland America Line to return to Japan in the new year
James ChappleHolland America Line will return to Japan in the new year to sail its first itineraries in the region for two-and-a-half years.
HAL will deploy Westerdam to Japan early next year off the back of a stint in Australia and New Zealand; the ship will start its Asia season on 3 February after a January dry dock in Singapore.
Japan lifted its curbs on cruising last month. Westerdam will sail roundtrip from Yokohama or Singapore, or between the two destinations.
Cruises range from 11 to 14 days and can be combined to create non-repeating Collectors’ Voyages. Across five itineraries, guests will be able to visit Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia, with overnight calls in Singapore, Kobe, Osaka and Phuket.
The season will conclude with a 14-day North Pacific Crossing from Yokohama to Seattle departing 24 April when Westerdam redeploys for its Alaska season.
"We’re grateful for the work that the Japanese authorities have done to allow for a return to cruising," said HAL president Gus Antorcha.
"Holland America Line’s guests love longer voyages to unique parts of the world, and we’ll be sailing to some incredible locations as our season in Japan and the rest of Asia begins."
HAL will provide details of any specific health protocols for each departure in advance via its voyage lookup tool.
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James Chapple
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