A Taste of the Tropics: Sampling Holland America Line’s New Caribbean Menu

This winter season, Holland America Line is enhancing its Caribbean sailings with regionally inspired dishes and specialty cocktails.

From rum tastings and island-themed cocktails to seafood boils and local dishes, the cruise line’s expanded culinary program aims to give guests a deeper taste of the destinations they’re visiting. The enhanced food and beverage program is available on all six HAL ships with Caribbean sailings from October 2025 to April 2026.

Travel Market Report had the opportunity to sample the new Caribbean menu firsthand aboard Eurodam this past November, offering an inside look at how Holland America Line is bringing a taste of the tropics to its cruises.

The New Caribbean Menu Items on Holland America Line’s Eurodam

Guests have the option to enjoy Caribbean flavours by paying a supplement or as part of the included offerings in the main dining room and Lido Market (buffet) menu.

On the paid side, guests have the option of a Caribbean seafood boil night in Lido Market for a $35 supplement, as well as three new dishes for the MDR that were created by Global Fish Ambassador, Chef Morimoto, available for a $25 supplement. These include: crispy fried market whole fresh fish with sweet tamarind chili sauce and pickled vegetables; yuzu butter grilled lobster tails with seasonal Asian greens; and fresh catch grouper with braised, soy ginger reduction, steamed baby bok choy, and baby carrots.

A note for travelers: During our sailing, the MDR generally offered two of the three Morimoto dishes at a time, so if there is a particular dish they want to try, they might have to visit more than once.

In our experience, the seafood boil was a highlight of the sailing. The menu includes a Caribbean seafood chowder as the appetizer (see below), followed by a boil featuring lobster, blackened fresh snapper, clams, mussels, shrimp, and Dungeness crab in a flavorful broth with potatoes and corn on the cob. On the side, guests get warm cornbread and melted butter for dipping. The meal concludes with a warm rum cake, served with a crumble and dollop of vanilla ice cream.

The chowder was the surprise star of the meal. With a coconut base, citrus notes and some heat from ginger, it was a sweet and light alternative to the typical heavy, cream-based chowders. The boil itself was good (you can’t go wrong with lobster)—yet, surprisingly, the blackened snapper was the standout. HAL should consider adding it to the MDR for guests who aren’t interested in the whole boil experience.

The boil was held once during our seven-day sailing. A section of the seating area in the Lido Market was roped off for the dining event, with the tables covered in a rustic paper covering. When it’s time for the main event (the boil), servers bring guests a bib and chant a little song while unveiling the steaming pot of delicious seafood. It was fun without being obnoxious or embarrassing.

Bringing the Destination on Board

According to Rick Kolvoort, the food and beverage director on Eurodam, the expanded regional menu is part of a greater effort to elevate the cruising experience for guests.

“They’re not only here for the destination—we try to bring the destination on board a little bit,” he told TMR. “One item doesn’t make a theme. You really need to put a whole scale of events together.”

Guests don’t have to pay extra to benefit from the new program. Caribbean dishes are also available throughout the sailing in both the main dining room and the Lido Market buffet. TMR tried various port to plate offerings during meal services at both, including a corn and salt fish fritter, roasted grouper with chickpea and chorizo stew (pictured above), and stewed oxtail.

During the Caribbean-themed dinner in Lido Market, guests could enjoy a live steel drum performance at the nearby Lido pool, while the buffet served various regional dishes such as a Caribbean-themed paella, various island-inspired ceviche options, and Jamaican patties. Throughout the sailing, TMR also spotted regional desserts like rum cake and bread pudding in the Lido Market.

Holland America Line’s New Caribbean Cocktails

There are Caribbean flavors woven throughout Holland America Line’s beverage program as well.

The Rum Ambassador program is being expanded to feature more than 35 distinct rums on Caribbean cruises, and many of the cocktails are built around specific rum brands.

“We have a rum ambassador program—this is the second year—where selected team members are trained by a distillery here in the islands,” explained Kolvoort. “We do a rum tasting once a week where our rum ambassador explains five different rums—similar to a wine tasting or mixology class.”

There are also several cocktails available with a regional flavor. The most exciting is the 18th century pirate’s punch (pictured above), which draws attention thanks to the fishbowl-sized conch shell it’s served in. Inspired by the tradition of communal rum punch bowls, the drink serves two and is a blend of rum, Grand Marnier, citrus, and grated nutmeg. At $19, it’s one of the pricier drinks on board, but well worth it for the photos alone (it was also surprisingly refreshing).

During our sailing, we tried the gin-based green swizzle, the El Presidente (described as a “1910s Havana take on the Manhattan), the Myrtle Bank rum punch, Pusser’s painkiller (Pusser’s rum with pineapple juice and coconut) and a Trader Vic’s mai tai.

“Our Net Promoter Scores Are Through the Roof”

Kolvoort told TMR that Holland America Line has been experimenting with regionally inspired menus over the last year, rolling out new items in the Caribbean during the winter and in Alaska over the summer. So far, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Our Net Promoter Scores are through the roof,” Kolvoort told TMR, stating that he’s seeing record seasons for positive feedback.

“We read every single survey—not only shoreside, but on board. We look for improvements voyage to voyage,” he added.

The food and beverage director was quick to credit the cruise line’s efforts to improve both the quality of fish and the quality in the Lido Market buffet.

“We see a lot of fresh fish from the region—that’s something we’re really proud of, our fresh fish program,” he said.

Kolvoort explained that through the program, fish are delivered to the ship within 48 hours after being caught. He argues the quick turnaround results in fresher—and tastier—fish for guests.

What’s more, guests don’t have to pay more at the specialty restaurants or a supplement in the main dining room to benefit from the program. In fact, Kolvoort believes the cruise line has come a long way in improving the buffet experience on its ships so that guests can enjoy the same quality of food in the dining room but in a more casual setting.

“Back in the day, if you wanted the expensive proteins, you had to go to the main dining room—the Lido has seen a tremendous upgrade,” he explained. “If you sailed with us 10 years ago and sail with us now, the Lido has seen a very large improvement.”