5 Holland America dining experiences worth planning your cruise around
Holland America Line has quietly built one of the most distinctive food and beverage programs at sea with a variety of standout experiences that extend well beyond the buffet.
For many cruise travelers - my family included - the buffet is a beloved comfort zone, but as cruise lines have elevated their dining programs over the last several years, I find myself more and more compelled to skip it.
As I looked over menus before boarding Holland America Line's Eurodam this May for a seven-day voyage to Alaska, I knew my taste buds would be in for just as much adventure at sea as my feet expected on land.
From a destination-inspired brunch and a Dutch tea tradition to a Michelin-starred Iron Chef's pop-up specialty dinner, these five Holland America dining experiences are worth planning your sea days around.
Want the latest cruise news and deals? Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter.
1. Holland America's destination-inspired brunch
Sea days are perfect for sleeping in, but don't sleep on the sea day brunch offered in the main dining room. Featuring a menu inspired by the region where your ship is sailing, this brunch offers a way to connect with your destination's flavors and culinary traditions before you even arrive.
With options like biscuits with gravy and reindeer sausage, Alaskan blueberry pancakes, crab and hot smoked salmon cakes, and a home smoked Gulf of Alaska cod Benny, the Alaska brunch invites you to taste Alaska with traditional flavors and fresh ingredients sourced right from local ports.
Although I set sail for Alaska with plans to eat fresh salmon at most every meal, the opportunity to try reindeer sausage for the first time was something I couldn't pass up at brunch. And for my teenage son with a less-adventurous palate, the menu also offered scrumptious bananas Foster pancakes in addition to the Alaskan blueberry option.
2. Holland America's Dutch Dinner and Royal Dutch Tea
No matter where in the world you're sailing - from Alaska to Asia, Europe, or the Caribbean - most every Holland America cruise offers the unique opportunity to experience a taste of the Netherlands. Dutch Day is a highlight of each voyage, offering passengers a chance to try traditional Dutch dishes and treats throughout the day to celebrate the cruise line's Dutch heritage.
In the afternoon, there's Royal Dutch Tea offered in the dining room at no extra charge. It features loose-leaf teas - including a custom Dutch Tea Time blend created with Art of Tea that's infused with rose hips, marigold, orange, rose petals, and bergamot as a nod to Dutch culture and the Royal House of Orange-Nassau. Tea is served alongside sweet and savory bites inspired by traditional Dutch recipes.
Related: Holland America Line delivers a more relaxing way to cruise with kids
In the evening, a themed Dutch Dinner menu in the main dining room highlights hearty, old-world dishes like a chicken, sweetbreads, and mushroom cream puff pastry and pork cordon bleu - a meal that brought me warm, cozy satisfaction after a cold day of glacier viewing on deck.
After dinner, Dutch Day culminates with Holland America's festive Orange Party and mini stroopwafels in your stateroom for a sweet bedtime treat.
3. Morimoto by Sea specialty dinner
This is the Holland America Line dining experience food enthusiasts book their whole cruise around. Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto serves as Holland America's Global Fresh Fish Ambassador, and his Morimoto by Sea pop-up restaurant takes over Tamarind or Pinnacle Grill (depending on the ship) at least once per cruise. On Nieuw Amsterdam, the experience is available nightly in a dedicated Morimoto by Sea Restaurant.
For a cover charge of $55 per person, guests get a multi-course meal showcasing both Chef Morimoto's creativity and the line's Global Fresh Fish Program. The experience begins with signature dishes like fresh tuna pizza and a sushi plate, followed by favorites like Angry Lobster Pad Thai and Ishiyaki Buri Bop - fresh Pacific yellowtail cooked tableside in a hot stone bowl.
Set inside intimate, tranquil Tamarind - perched on the uppermost deck of Eurodam - Morimoto by Sea was a perfect date night for me and my seafood-loving husband. The modern fusion of Asian flavors was an exceptionally flavorful complement to all the Alaska seafood we savored throughout our voyage.
4. Pinnacle Grill specialty steakhouse
Holland America's signature steakhouse is a crowd-pleasing vacation splurge, perfect for celebrating special occasions at sea with family and friends. For a dinner cover charge of $52 per person, Pinnacle Grill offers classic, high-end chophouse fare - prime cuts, fresh seafood, and a wine list built to match - served in one of the most upscale specialty restaurants on any ship in the fleet. It's also the venue that hosts Morimoto by Sea on some ships.
Along with steaks, grilled lamb chops were a favorite during our family's Pinnacle Grill meal on Eurodam, but what really surprised us in the best way were the desserts. The warm chocolate stroopwafel cobbler was probably the best dessert I've ever eaten on a cruise ship - it's decadent but not overly rich like Morimoto at Sea's Instagram-worthy melting dark chocolate sphere - and it's something you'll only find on Holland America Line.
5. Cake Me Away in the Lido Market buffet
You don't have to splurge on specialty dining to get delicious desserts on Holland America Line, and if you have sweet tooth, you won't want to miss Cake Me Away in the Lido Market buffet.
Held in the afternoon on the final sea day of each cruise, this full-blown dessert celebration hosted by the talented onboard pastry team features five-layer cakes in 16 different flavors - from Almond Roca, red velvet, s'mores, salted caramel, and strawberry shortcake to gluten-free Sans Rival and no-sugar-added Neapolitan.
Related: A wildlife lover's guide to seeing whales on an Alaska cruise
In 20 years of cruising, I've never seen a cruise line put as much care into dessert as Holland America Line. One look at the cakes at Cake Me Away and I guarantee you won't be able to choose just one slice - my kids and I sure weren't - and luckily, you're welcome to indulge in as many as you want.
As a complement to the Cake Me Away celebration, guests can also enjoy Holland America's traditional Farewell Dinner, which recently made its return to the main dining room on the last night of each cruise. It features a special menu of favorite dishes that have defined Holland America cruises for more than a century like beef Wellington and baked Alaska, and celebrates the connections forged between guests and crew during the voyage.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published July 5, 2026 at 8:38 AM.