Holland America Previews New Group Benefits for 2025

Holland America Line is enhancing its Group Advantage Program (GAP) for travel advisors starting with bookings for summer 2025 on Alaska cruises and cruise/tours, Europe cruises, and Canada/New England sailings.

The new GAP menu features more than 25 different amenities, plus GAP packages that cater to weddings, family reunions, and more. New amenities include a meet and greet party with hot & cold hors d’oeuvres (2 GAP), a $25 or $50 shore excursion credit per person (4/8 GAP), and a $25 or $50 bonus commission per person (4/8 GAP).

“Groups are a popular niche for Holland America Line, and we want to continue to help our travel advisors grow this sector with a competitive program and enticing GAP amenities,” said Rob Coleman, Holland America’s vice president of North American sales. “We aim to maintain an open dialogue with our travel partners to develop the best program that allows us to be mutually successful in the groups arena…”

A standard group on Holland America ranges from 16 to 32 beds, but the line also has a Connections program for small affinity groups of 24 or less guests and a large group program for those comprising more than 32 beds.

With the Connections program, groups of 24 or fewer guests can receive added incentives including the addition of a tour conductor berth for every 10 berths (maximum of two), and two extra GAP points per group to be used for a variety of amenities.

For family reunion packages, when eight or more staterooms are booked the group receives special amenities instead of GAP points. These include a free within-stateroom category upgrade for the head of the family, a $25 onboard credit per person, Pinnacle Grill lunch for all family members, and a $20 photo credit per stateroom.

Wedding group packages – also eight or more staterooms – receive a free within-stateroom category upgrade for the wedding couple, a complimentary wedding cake for up to 16 guests, a Pinnacle Grill lunch per guest, and a private wine tasting per guest with wine purchased from HAL’s wine center, all instead of receiving GAP points.

Culinary and wine groups of 15 or more guests receive one wine tasting event on seven-day voyages and two wine tastings on cruises of 10 days or longer. The group can enjoy wine purchased from HAL’s wine cellar or bring their own without a corkage fee during the event.