Holland America vs. Disney Cruise: What Almost 20 Disney Cruises Taught Us About Trying Something New

When it comes to Holland America vs Disney Cruise, we’re not the impartial judges you’d expect. We are not Disney Cruise Line (DCL) skeptics. We’ve sailed with them nearly 20 times. We love the ships, we love the characters, we love the level of polish Disney brings to everything they do. We will cruise with them again.

But somewhere around our last few DCL bookings, we kept having the same conversation. We’d look at the itinerary, look at the ports, and say some version of “well, this is fine, but we wouldn’t even bother getting off the boat here.” Nassau, Cancun, and a handful of other ports we’d already done three or four times. Travel is supposed to be about seeing new places, and we felt like we’d stopped doing that.

So this year we booked our first Holland America (HAL) cruise. We liked it enough to book two more. Here’s an honest look at how the two lines actually compare, from people who have plenty of DCL loyalty and no reason to trash-talk them.

Holland America vs Disney Cruise: Where Itineraries Actually Differ

This is the biggest differentiator, and it’s not close.

Disney has never offered an Iceland itinerary. Holland America has an entire lineup of them. We sailed the Rotterdam through the North Atlantic and into Icelandic ports Disney simply doesn’t touch.

We also booked a Boston to Quebec City cruise for next year, sailing during fall foliage season and up the St. Lawrence River. Disney’s ships can’t make that trip. Coincidentally, Disney announced new cruises out of New York City the same day we booked ours. They include a stop or two in Canada, but nothing close to what we found on HAL. One DCL itinerary stops in Halifax. Another adds a single stop in New Brunswick. Holland America has a full slate of 7 to 14 day cruises working through New England and Canada, with itineraries built around the region instead of a single token stop.

If you’ve felt the same fatigue we did with Nassau and Cancun showing up on repeat, this is the section that matters most. HAL keeps adding new ports and itineraries each season, especially in Northern Europe, with fjord and Baltic routings that lean into exploration rather than repeat resort towns.

Main Dining, the Buffet, and Some Genuine Food Surprises

Disney wins the main dining room experience, and we’ll say that plainly. DCL’s rotational dining means the same servers stay with you the entire cruise. They learn what you like and adjust for it without being asked. We didn’t get that same personal touch in Holland America’s main dining room. As for the food itself in the main dining room, we’d call it roughly equal between the two lines.

Where Holland America pulls ahead is everywhere else food shows up, and it’s one of the clearest wins in the Holland America vs Disney Cruise comparison.

Disney has stopped serving dinner at the buffet. Holland America serves dinner at the buffet every night, and several of the featured main dining room items show up there too. That means you can get the good meal without getting dressed up for it.

A few extras stood out enough that we think they deserve their own mention:

• Cake Me Away Day — a free cake buffet on a sea day, with a spread that’s worth planning your afternoon around
• Afternoon Tea — offered on sea days at no upcharge, something we’ve always thought Disney should add and hasn’t
• The Dutch Cafe — available on some ships, with Dutch-inspired snacks throughout the day. The apple pie and the fries are both worth going out of your way for.

Cabins: Not Much of a Difference

We’ll keep this one short because there isn’t much to say. Disney’s cabins run a few square feet larger, but it’s not enough of a gap to factor into a decision either way.

Onboard Vibe: Families vs. Adults

The onboard vibe is another place the Holland America vs Disney Cruise comparison splits sharply. Every sailing is different, but on our HAL cruise, we were told there were only around 40 kids on board total. Kids can use the pools since there’s no adult-only pool, but with numbers that low, the presence of children was minimal.

Speaking of the pool, one of our favorite features on Holland America was the retractable roof. We’ve swum in the pool during a snowstorm in Alaska on Disney and we’ve swum in Iceland on Holland America, and the retractable roof made the Icelandic dip far more enjoyable.

Our favorite hangout on the ship was the Crow’s Nest, a large lounge space with panoramic views out the front of the ship. It’s a great spot to watch the sunset, have a cocktail, play games, or just relax. Disney has Quiet Cove, but it doesn’t compare in size or in view. If you’re weighing whether Disney still makes sense once your travel style skews more adult, our Disney for Adults post covers that side of things in more detail.

Entertainment: Different Strengths, Not a Downgrade

Disney does big Broadway-style productions, and nothing on Holland America matches that scale. But HAL is far better at live music. Expect a rotating lineup that ranges from rock cover bands to classic trios throughout the cruise.

HAL also offers informative presentations about upcoming ports, something we genuinely enjoyed and something Disney has only done occasionally, not as a regular part of the cruise.

Amenities: The Have It All Package Is a Real Value Add

The amenities are where the Holland America vs Disney Cruise gap really shows up. Many Holland America cruises include the “Have It All” package as a free add-on. It bundles a generous drink package, free wifi, crew gratuities, excursion credits, and one free specialty dining reservation. Our package allowed up to 15 alcoholic drinks a day per person. We didn’t come close to that limit, but the selection included higher-end bourbons and tequilas we didn’t expect from an included package. Non-alcoholic drinks were included as well.

The wifi kept us connected enough for social media and normal browsing, though it’s not built for streaming. Between the free wifi, the drink package, and the specialty dining credit, “Have It All” changes the math on what the cruise actually costs.

Pinnacle Grill vs. Palo: We used our specialty dining credit at the Pinnacle Grill, HAL’s steakhouse, and it stood up well against Palo, our longtime favorite on DCL. Same caliber of food, same level of service, same feeling of a special night out at sea. We also tried the Italian specialty restaurant on a different night and came away just as impressed. If Palo is one of the reasons you love Disney cruises, know that Holland America’s specialty dining isn’t a step down.

We didn’t spend time at the casino, but it’s there if that’s part of your cruise routine.

Embarkation and Disembarkation: Night and Day

Embarkation is one more place where Holland America vs Disney Cruise isn’t a close call. In Iceland, the time between our Uber dropping us off and walking onto the ship was about 15 minutes. Disney’s process tends to be more drawn out, with more waiting around.

Disembarkation in Rotterdam followed the same pattern. We scheduled our ride for an hour after we planned to leave the ship, expecting the kind of wait we’re used to with Disney. Instead, it took minutes. The whole process was organized and calm rather than chaotic.

Value: It Adds Up in More Than One Place

When you weigh Holland America vs Disney Cruise on price alone, cabin and itinerary pricing matter, but the real value shows up in what’s already included. Afternoon Tea, Cake Me Away Day, and the Have It All package all remove costs that would otherwise add up fast on a typical cruise. We’d rather point to those specifics than throw out a percentage that won’t hold up across every itinerary and cabin category.

Common Concerns, Answered Honestly

Anyone weighing Holland America vs Disney Cruise for the first time tends to land on the same handful of worries. Here’s our honest take on each.

Will the service feel like a downgrade? Not noticeably. Disney is known for exceptional service, but Holland America holds its own here.

Isn’t Holland America owned by Carnival? It is, and if that gives you pause, we understand. We wouldn’t go back to Carnival ourselves. But Holland America is a distinct product from Carnival in every way that matters onboard.

Will kids be bored? We can’t speak to the kids’ programming firsthand since we didn’t use it. You won’t see Mickey Mouse anywhere on the ship, and the restaurants and decor lean traditional rather than themed. This is not an Animator’s Palette experience.

Is Holland America too old for us? There’s a real 65+ presence onboard, and it is not a party ship. But the idea that there’s nothing to do after 8pm isn’t true. Live music, the casino, and the Crow’s Nest all stay active well into the evening.

Our Take

If you’re still deciding between Holland America vs Disney Cruise, here’s where we’ve landed. We still love Disney Cruise Line, and we’ll sail with them again. But Holland America surprised us enough that we’ve already booked two more cruises. The itineraries are the biggest reason. Once you’ve experienced ports that actually feel worth getting off the boat for, it’s hard to go back to the same handful of stops on repeat. Add in the food extras, the Have It All package, and an embarkation process that doesn’t eat half a travel day, and Holland America earns a real spot in the rotation, not just a one-time detour.