Holland America Line boldly takes on Royal Caribbean
Holland America Line is confident that not all cruise travelers, even younger ones, want the megaship Caribbean cruise experience.
Holland America Line has never really tried to deliver a cruise experience anything like what Royal Caribbean offers.
A beloved cruise line known for offering longer voyages to sought-after destinations all around the world since the early 1900s, Holland America Line is renowned for its refined and immersive cruise experience.
Related: Royal Caribbean confirms its working on new, smaller ship class
Although Holland America Line ships were cruising long before Royal Caribbean or other family cruise lines took to the seas, the cruise line is not so well known to the younger generation of travelers that Royal Caribbean woos with its flashy new megaships.
But not every type of traveler, even Millennials and Gen Z travelers, wants to cruise on a passenger-packed megaship to visit busy cruise ports and crowded beaches.
However, many younger travelers have been told that premium cruise lines that carry fewer passengers and offer more relaxed onboard experiences, like Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, are only for older cruisers.
As a Millennial myself, I can attest to this. Older cruisers have warned me that I may feel out of place on these cruise lines’ ships. But honestly, that doesn't concern me since cruising in a more relaxed, refined, and less-crowded way is something that particularly appeals to me.
And with its newest marketing campaign, Holland America Line seems to be speaking directly to cruisers like me.
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Holland America Line highlights what its Caribbean cruises don’t have
As Royal Caribbean takes on Orlando theme park vacations with its newest action-packed megaship, Star of the Seas, Holland America Line is positioning itself as a refreshing alternative to the megaship cruise experience in the Caribbean.
With its new “Refreshingly Free” campaign, the cruise line is focusing on the things its Caribbean cruise experience proudly doesn’t feature like oversized ships, amusement parks at sea, overcrowded beaches, and bland buffets.
Related: Holland America leans into luxury travel trend with culinary cruises
The campaign targets travelers of all ages who want a more relaxing, leisurely travel experience that allows them to connect to destinations and each other on board a mid-sized cruise ship.
“For more than 150 years, Holland America Line has elevated travel by sea, and now we’re excited to spotlight what makes our brand so different in the Caribbean — the elements on board and ashore that truly set us apart for guests who seek an alternative to amusement parks and overcrowded spaces,” said Kacy Cole, chief marketing officer for Holland America Line.
Not all cruisers want attractions at sea, private island amusement parks
Through research, Holland America Line’s marketing team discovered that there are many travelers who don’t want an amusement park-like cruise experience. Instead of a high-energy environment, these travelers are looking for relaxation, personalized service, and cultural enrichment.
The new marketing campaign contrasts today’s mainstream Caribbean cruise experiences with Holland America Line’s offerings that are refreshingly different. These elements range from its ships’ less-crowded pool decks and enriching activities to locally sourced cuisine and its relaxation-focused private island experience.
Related: Royal Caribbean, Holland America Line embrace popular new trend
While Royal Caribbean’s private island in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, features a water park and plenty of ways to amplify the beach day, Holland America Line’s RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay is grounded in tranquility and activities that help cruisers to soak up the natural beauty of the island.
As the cruise line launches its “Refreshingly Free” campaign, Holland America Line is also introducing a limited-time Travel By Sea promotion that features cruise fare discounts of up to 40% and a kids sail free deal designed to appeal to families and multigenerational vacationers.
