Holland America Line Celebrates Passover and Easter Across Fleet

Holland America Line is known for exceptional cuisine that brings the flavors of its destinations on board. That same culinary creativity extends to holiday celebrations. While winter holidays highlight sugar and spice, spring sailings bring the sweet and savory flavors of Easter and Passover, with festive menus and meaningful traditions across the fleet.

Celebrating Passover with a Seder

Passover begins April 1, 2026, at sundown, and each ship will offer a guest-led Seder, while Volendam will have a rabbi on board the Grand World Voyage to conduct the ritual. A traditional Seder plate will be displayed featuring symbolic foods including a roasted egg, roasted shank bone, parsley, horseradish, romaine lettuce and charoset.

The multi-course Seder dinner will feature classic Passover dishes such as gefilte fish with beet-horseradish sauce; chicken matzah ball soup; tomato and cucumber salad; empire chicken with carrot, sweet potato and prune tzimmes, asparagus, lemon and potato kugel; fruit salad with cinnamon-sugar sauce; and hazelnut macaroons.

Easter at Sea: Sunrise Services, Sweet Traditions and Family Festivities

For Easter, the culinary celebration begins Good Friday with freshly baked Hot Cross Buns served throughout the fleet—from the Grand Dutch Café and Lido Market to the Dining Room and Pinnacle Grill.

On Easter Sunday, April 5, guests are invited to gather on deck at dawn for a Sunrise Interdenominational Service, led by a priest and minister who will be sailing aboard each ship. This observance provides a serene moment of reflection as the sun rises over the ocean.

Easter morning brings seasonal favorites across dining venues, including Easter Nest Bread and chocolate brioche, along with a festive brunch in Pinnacle Grill featuring caramelized banana pancakes, red velvet French toast and spiced waffles.

At Lido Market for lunch, guests will find a traditional Easter spread with glazed ham, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green beans and mac & cheese, alongside a playful lineup of sweets including Easter cupcakes, Easter cake in a jar and themed sheet pan cakes.Special Easter dinner menus in both Lido Market and the Dining Room round out the day’s celebrations.

Beyond the table, Easter weekend brings family-friendly fun at sea. A Family Bunny Scavenger Hunt sends guests searching for 12 hidden bunnies throughout the ship, while younger cruisers can take part in a festive Easter Egg Hunt and games in Kids Club.

From the ritual of a traditional Seder to Easter sunrise at sea and tables filled with seasonal favorites, spring holidays aboard Holland America Line blend culinary tradition with memorable moments. The result is a celebration where guests can savor familiar holiday flavors while enjoying the unique experience of marking the season while away from home.