Cruise lovers are sure to appreciate Holland America's exciting new direction.

Prepare for extended adventures with Holland America in the Mediterranean.

On Wednesday, the Seattle-based cruise line unveiled a major revamp of its Mediterranean itineraries, set to begin in 2026, featuring more extended sailing options.

Historically, Holland America has offered numerous 10- and 11-night Mediterranean cruises during the summer. However, beginning in 2026, the focus will shift to more seven-night cruises, creatively allowing for a broader selection of longer journeys.

Unlike the typical shorter voyages in Europe, the new seven-night itineraries will feature varied routes each week, enabling Holland America enthusiasts to combine three consecutive cruises on the same ship without visiting any port twice.

Holland America introduces a new selection of sailings that allows travelers to embark on extended "collector's voyages," lasting up to 21 nights without port repetitions. For an even more adventurous experience, guests can create journeys of up to 27 nights with minimal port overlaps.

"This offers greater flexibility in combining sailings," shared Paul Grigsby, Holland America's vice president for revenue planning and deployment, in an exclusive TPG interview before the announcement. "Guests can tailor their own cruise experience and vacation that way."

All sailings will be conducted on Holland America's 1,964-passenger Oosterdam, which will be the sole ship operating in the Mediterranean for the summer of 2026.

Among the typical seven-night itineraries available for combination, one will commence from Barcelona to Piraeus, Greece (the gateway to Athens) on July 12, 2026. This will be followed by another week-long journey from Piraeus to Civitavecchia, Italy (the access point for Rome) starting July 19, 2026, and a final seven-night trip from Civitavecchia back to Barcelona commencing July 26, 2026.

The initial sailing will feature stops at the picturesque islands of Malta, Crete, and Santorini, along with Kusadasi, Turkey (home to the renowned Ephesus ruins). The second journey will include visits to Montenegro, the island of Corfu, Messina in Sicily, and Naples, Italy. The concluding sailing will take guests to Livorno, Italy (for excursions to Pisa or Florence), Portofino, Italy, Marseille, France, and Gibraltar.

When combined, these three sailings offer a remarkable 21-night adventure with destinations across the entire Mediterranean, allowing travelers to experience eight countries without any port repeats.

"Guests appreciate the opportunity to explore the entirety of the Mediterranean, beginning in Barcelona and journeying all the way to Trieste [in Italy] or Athens," Grigsby noted. "This arrangement makes that possible."

To facilitate these extended itineraries, Oosterdam will operate from an unusually high number of home ports in the Mediterranean—five in total. These include Lisbon, Piraeus, Barcelona, Civitavecchia, and Trieste.

The newly introduced shorter itineraries are not only meant to be combined into longer journeys but are also expected to attract Europeans, especially families seeking brief vacation options, as noted by Grigsby.

Grigsby highlighted that Holland America frequently attracts travelers from the Netherlands, its country of origin, as well as from Belgium, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom, among other European nations.

He mentioned that a European traveler "might opt for a seven-day cruise in Europe, similar to how we in North America choose a seven-night Caribbean or a seven-day Alaskan cruise."

Grigsby stated that the brand plans to offer seven-night voyages to the stunning Norwegian fjords departing from Rotterdam, Netherlands, in 2026, partly to meet local demand for shorter sailings in their vicinity.

Alongside the Oosterdam in the Mediterranean, Holland America will feature two ships operating regularly in Northern Europe in 2026: the 2,666-passenger Nieuw Statendam and the 2,668-passenger Rotterdam.

Both vessels will be based in Rotterdam, with Nieuw Statendam also offering select voyages departing from Dover, England.

Planned for 2026 are an increased number of seven-day cruises to Norway's picturesque fjords, along with seven-day open-jaw itineraries between Reykjavik and Rotterdam.

Noteworthy new voyages include a 14-day cruise through the Baltic and Scandinavian Capitals, featuring consecutive stops in Germany at Kiel and Warnemunde. This journey will also include an overnight stay in Oslo, two stops in Denmark, and visits to Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania.

The Northern Europe itineraries will introduce four new ports for Holland America: Aberdeen, Scotland; Kalundborg, Denmark; and Odda, Norway, on the Rotterdam; and Portsmouth, England, on the Nieuw Statendam.

Prices for the new European sailings begin at $1,214 per person for a seven-night journey. Additional details can be found on the line's website.