It’s been a few months since cruise line Holland America announced the appointment of Beth Bodensteiner as president. Bodensteiner isn’t exactly a stranger to the brand; prior to her promotion in December 2024, she was the cruise line’s senior vice president and chief commercial officer. At the time, Bodensteiner spoke of Holland America’s existing history of “expertly crafted itineraries, extraordinary service and genuine connections to each destination” in a statement.
What does building on that translate to in practice? In an interview with Laura Motta at The Points Guy, Bodensteiner offered a few more specifics on what was and was not likely to change. Overall, Bodensteiner emphasized consistency and continuity with the past, which isn’t surprising.
One of the running themes of the interview reflected an emphasis on refining the local aspects of specific cruises. This came up in a few ways, including what Motta described as “sailaway celebrations that reflect the ship’s itinerary,” as well as Bodensteiner touting the cruise line’s Global Fresh Fish program. That involves more locally-caught fish specific to an ininerary; for instance, a New England cruise might have haddock on the menu while a cruise through Asia could feature more perch.
“[T]his supports our local ports, which is tremendously important to me, as well as to our folks in food and beverage,” Bodenheimer told The Points Guy.
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Though it is not immediately clear why you would want toBased on Bodenheimer’s comments from the interview, it also sounds like Holland America will be making more specific adjustments based on the route. “There’s some changes coming to the way we deliver the Caribbean that are totally different than what we’ve done in other regions,” she said — and went on to discuss guests’ preference for “a more relaxing experience.” What that might translate to in concrete policies should be clearer in the months to come.
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