ZUIDERDAM
March 26, 2026 | Day 2 — Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
Zuiderdam called at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, on March 26, 2026, during Day 2 of our 10-night Caribbean cruise roundtrip from Miami. The private island was our first port after embarkation, with Grand Turk, Amber Cove and the ABC islands ahead before returning to Miami on April 4.
Zuiderdam was photographed at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, on March 26, 2026, during Day 2 of our 10-night Caribbean cruise roundtrip from Miami. We had embarked the previous day, beginning a cruise that combined the Bahamas with Grand Turk, Amber Cove and the ABC islands of Bonaire, Curaçao and Aruba. Half Moon Cay was our first port, introducing the island portion of the itinerary before the cruise continued farther south.
Built by Fincantieri in Italy and delivered in November 2002, Zuiderdam introduced Holland America Line’s Vista class. Her design placed greater emphasis on natural light, outside accommodation and private balconies while retaining the public rooms and passenger-ship traditions associated with the company. More than twenty-three years after entering service, she remained an active member of a four-ship family completed by Oosterdam, Westerdam and Noordam.
Half Moon Cay is the cruise destination name for Little San Salvador, an island between Eleuthera and Cat Island in the Bahamas. Opened to Holland America cruise passengers in 1997, it developed around a crescent-shaped beach and a protected arrival area for tenders. Its setting differs from a conventional town or commercial harbor, with the ship remaining offshore while smaller passenger boats connect the anchorage with the island.
Information List
Name: Zuiderdam
Operator: Holland America Line
Type: Cruise ship
Class: Vista class
Builder: Fincantieri, Marghera, Italy
Delivered: November 2002
Entered Service: December 2002
Naming Location: Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Godmother: Joan Lunden
Gross Tonnage: About 82,000 GT
Length Overall: 936 feet / 285.23 meters
Moulded Beam: About 106 feet / 32.25 meters
Passenger Capacity: 1,964 at double occupancy
Sister Ships: Oosterdam, Westerdam and Noordam
Cruise Dates: March 25–April 4, 2026
Cruise Length: 10 nights
Cruise Day: Day 2
Gallery Date: March 26, 2026
Gallery Location: Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
Island Name: Little San Salvador
History and Features
Construction and the First Vista-Class Ship:
Zuiderdam was built at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy and delivered in November 2002.
She was the first of Holland America Line’s four Vista-class ships, establishing the design followed by her three sisters.
Oosterdam followed in 2003, Westerdam in 2004 and Noordam in 2006.
The series introduced a larger generation of Holland America ships, with extensive outside accommodation and exterior glass elevators among its recognizable features.
Naming and Entry Into Service:
Zuiderdam entered service in December 2002, becoming the largest ship Holland America Line had operated at that time.
Her naming ceremony took place at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, connecting her introduction with the company’s North American cruise market.
Broadcaster Joan Lunden, longtime co-host of Good Morning America, served as godmother.
The ship’s arrival marked an important stage in Holland America’s development from its earlier cruise-ship designs toward a fleet with more verandah accommodation.
The Vista Class and Dutch Naming Tradition:
The four Vista-class ships take their names from the compass directions in Dutch.
The “zuider” element of Zuiderdam refers to south, while Oosterdam, Westerdam and Noordam represent east, west and north.
The shared “dam” suffix continues a naming convention associated with Holland America Line’s passenger ships.
Together, the names connect a modern class of cruise ships with the company’s Dutch origins and maritime heritage.
Design and Accommodation:
Zuiderdam measures about 936 feet long, with accommodation for 1,964 guests at double occupancy.
The Vista-class arrangement places a high proportion of staterooms along the outside of the ship, many with private verandahs.
Glass elevators on both sides of the ship provide a distinctive exterior feature as well as views during movement between decks.
Her size combines substantial public spaces with a passenger capacity below that of Holland America Line’s later Pinnacle-class ships.
A Varied Cruising Career:
Caribbean cruising forms one part of a career that has also included Alaska, Europe and longer international voyages.
The ship has operated in regions ranging from Northern Europe and the Mediterranean to South America and the Pacific.
Grand World Voyages have extended her operating history beyond seasonal regional cruising.
Our March 2026 cruise placed Zuiderdam within Holland America’s Caribbean program, sailing roundtrip from Miami rather than beginning or ending overseas.
Little San Salvador and Half Moon Cay:
The island is geographically known as Little San Salvador and lies between Eleuthera and Cat Island.
Holland America Line introduced Half Moon Cay as a cruise destination in 1997, with Ryndam making the first call.
The name connects with Henry Hudson’s ship Halve Maen, meaning “Half Moon,” which appeared in an earlier Holland America Line logo.
The crescent-shaped beach also reflects the destination’s name, while the island’s limestone landscape includes coastal vegetation, lagoons and mangroves.
The Tender-Port Setting:
Half Moon Cay’s established Holland America arrival area was developed around a marina designed to receive passenger tenders.
Cruise ships remain offshore for the tender operation, with smaller boats carrying passengers between ship and island.
The original development required supporting infrastructure, including electricity generation, water treatment and facilities for arriving cruise passengers.
This arrangement gives ship photography a different setting from a conventional pier, placing the vessel offshore from the island’s beach and low coastline.
March 26, 2026 — Day 2 at Half Moon Cay:
Half Moon Cay was the first port on our 10-night cruise aboard Zuiderdam, following embarkation in Miami on March 25.
The published itinerary scheduled the call from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Grand Turk followed on March 27, ahead of Amber Cove and the later calls at Bonaire, Curaçao and Aruba.
These photographs feature Zuiderdam during the opening island call of our cruise, before the itinerary continued into the southern Caribbean.
OLP Social: Half Moon Cay was the first port on our ten night Caribbean cruise from Miami, bringing a day in the Bahamas before Grand Turk and the islands farther south.
OLP Social 2: Built by Fincantieri in Italy, she entered service in 2002 as Holland America’s first Vista class ship, introducing a design followed by three sisters.
OLP Social 3: At 936 feet long and around 82,000 gross tons, she carries 1,964 guests at double occupancy, combining ocean view cabins with extensive verandah accommodation.
OLP Social 4: Known as Little San Salvador, the island opened to Holland America cruise passengers in 1997, nearly three decades before our call on this Caribbean cruise.
