Busy Italian Ports; Breaking News of 2027 World Cruise Itinerary

Days 108-109, 2025 Grand World Voyage

Tuesday and Wednesday, April 22-23, 2025; Civitavecchia/Rome and Olbia, Sardinia, Italy.

The news of the death of Pope Francis on Monday left an air of uncertainty on the Zuiderdam, as we arrived in Civitavecchia early Tuesday morning. This is the port for Rome, which is at least an hour away depending on traffic. Many passengers went into Rome, either on a ship or private excursion or by train on their own. No one knew whether the Vatican as a whole, or individually St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican Museums and specifically the Sistine Chapel, would be closed. Even the tour guides did not have early information.

It ended up being a “let’s go and find out” kind of day for many. And they were pleasantly surprised to find virtually everything open as planned. A day later and that might not have been the case as the crowds grew and funeral preparations began.

Having been to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel last fall, I had planned a day on my own in Civitavecchia.

It was a nice day for walking around this port town. This early in the season the long pier wasn’t packed with ships as it will be in the summer. After taking the shuttle bus out of the port complex, I spent several hours walking the city streets, sitting on the promenade at the beach, ducking in and out of shops and in general enjoying a sunny warm day. Already flags were at half staff.

I had planned to eat at a recommended pizza shop near the shuttle stop, but by 2 p.m. it was closed. Many restaurants here that open for lunch close down for the afternoon, as does the city market. By the time I arrived there, merchants had packed up and were doing their final cleaning. Frankly, I think it made for more interesting photographs.

The ship departed late in the evening (allowing longer tours to Rome), but I was glad to be aboard for the Solo Italiano Street Food and Wine Market on the Lido Deck. The food stations offered some of the best food of the cruise. Guest Chef Ethan Stowell and Pinnacle Grill Chef Maria manned the pasta station while Chef Tiffany was steaming fish. Of course, the dessert area had tiramisu.

Wine and beer carts stayed busy with $5 specials. I closed the night with a rowdy group of friends ordering limoncello shots.

Today’s port of Olbia, Sardinia, was new for me (my previous stops in Sardinia were in Cagliari). It’s on the rugged north coast of this island, where many visitors are the rich and famous. In 1962 Prince Karim Aga Khan spearheaded the purchase and development of more than 50 miles of coastline, and today villas are dotted along the granite hills overlooking resort towns including Porto Cervo.

During our stop there, our guide pointed out villas owned by celebrities such as Denzel Washington and Bill Gates (whose villa was later sold to former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and now may be owned by the family of Vladimir Putin). A bit of online research makes me doubt the veracity of that direct connection, but the area has been a favorite of Russian oligarchs. It also is where Princess Diana vacationed on a mega yacht with Dodi Fayed just before their deaths.

After wandering through the plaza surrounded by high end shops, we headed to Baja Sardinia, another coastal village that isn’t part of the official Costa Smeralda (Emerald coast) of the Aga Khan, but still exudes the vibes of an upscale resort.

A highlight of the Grand World Voyage is the visit by Holland America’s president. Beth Bodensteiner has been in the job for a few months, so her presentation was highly anticipated. She outlined highlights of the cruise line’s recent announcements, honored the soon retiring and always beloved Hotel General Manager Henk Mensick and his wife Christel, and answered questions from the audience.

But what we all came to hear was the announcement of the 2027 Grand World Voyage itinerary.

It will circle the globe, closely following much of this year’s voyage — from Florida through the Panama Canal to Peru, west to Easter Island, across to Australia, north to Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, south through the Indian Ocean to Cape Town, north through the Atlantic to northern Europe and then back to Florida. Even though the route is familiar, it has a number of new ports, including Bora Bora, St. Helena and Bordeaux. Who knows when cruise ships will again go safely through the Red Sea and Suez Canal? Until then, if we want to circle the globe, Africa will be on the itinerary.

The alternative grand voyage in 2027 will be a return to the Grand South America and Antarctica itinerary.

The busy day ended with our final formal dinner, followed by a “cake walk” featuring cannelloni and other Italian desserts in each of three music venues throughout the evening. Ferry, one of my favorite waiters, was among those serving.