The Inside Cabin

On January 4, 2026, I set sail from Fort Lauderdale on Holland America Line’s Volendam for a 133-day Grand World Cruise I’ll be sharing ports, planning tips, logistics, and real life at sea — from Antarctica and the South Pacific to Asia, Australia, Alaska, and back home again. Follow along here at @theinsidecabin as the journey unfolds.

Captain Rens van Eerten and his wife, Sandra, opened the Captain's Ball with the first dance on the World Stage during the 2026 Grand World Voyage. Michaela Groth and the Dam Band entertained the packed house for the rest of the evening. @HALcruises

Nyree Huyser performed "The Power of Celine" on the World Stage as we left Darwin, NT. She wowed the crowd with her powerful vocals and earned a standing ovation! Great show!!!

Robert Bannon dazzled the World Stage with the best performance of the 2026 Grand World Voyage with "The Evolution of Rock"

A quick walk from the Cairns cruise port brings you to the Cairns Lagoon, a beautiful waterfront swimming area right in the middle of town.

We left Sydney and enjoyed our wine-and-cheese sail-away under the dome due to the rainy weather.

Here is a one Here is a 1 minute video showing our arrival in Sydney - note we spin around and back into White Bay Cruise Terminal

Afternoon chocolate tea on another ship isn’t something you do every day. 🍫☕ While in Sydney we hopped over from MS Volendam to MS Zaandam for Afternoon Tea with Jacques Torres. Three-tier stand of chocolate pastries, scones, and savory bites — plus great conversation with friends. Two ships. One afternoon. Lots of chocolate. #HollandAmericaLine #GrandWorldVoyage #SydneyAustralia #CruiseLife

@letsgomtnrs Pretty sure this is Dutch orange, not Tennessee orange. 🇳🇱 On the Volendam that’s the only shade that matters

@TheInsideCabin Tennessee orange?

🍊 I entered the Orange Party Best Dressed contest on the Volendam last night… and somehow won. About 10 contestants had to strut their stuff on the dance floor for 30 seconds, with the audience voting by applause. Thread 👇

Prize: a winner’s medallion and a bottle of sparkling wine. I suspect the flashing orange glasses may have helped. Lewis the bear remained unimpressed.

We started the evening with dinner, then the “Sounds of Summer” cast show before heading to the Crow’s Nest Orange Party. The Dam Band had the place packed, and the contest started at 9:45. The audience picked two co-winners, so I shared the title with another couple.

𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹𝗲 – 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 🎲 We enjoyed a formal night a few nights ago with a Casino Royale theme. Decorations greeted us at the entrance to the Main Dining Room and again outside the casino, setting the mood for the evening. It definitely felt like a little Monte Carlo at sea. At 6:30, we headed to the casino for “Room Number Roulette.” The table was full, and we played until 7:30 before heading to dinner. Judy and I each started with $100. I managed to lose all of mine, while Judy broke even. I stuck with the same numbers all night, hoping for that big payoff that never came. Judy mixed in more of the 3-to-1 bets and did much better. Even so, it was a fun hour and a lively way to kick off formal night. At 8:30 in the Casino, they opened up some games for free play where you can win vouchers for prizes - we didn't play so I don't have the exact details ——— 🎰 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲 – 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 • Bring $50 (or whatever amount you’d like), which covers 10 spins. • If you prefer to risk less than $50, that’s fine — but each spin requires a minimum $5 bet, which can be spread across any combination of numbers. • You can exchange cash for roulette chips or simply use cash or regular casino chips. • Most players choose meaningful numbers — room numbers, birthdays, anniversaries — but any number is fair game. It’s an informal gathering around the roulette wheel, so you can stay and play as long as you like. A little luck, a little strategy, and a lot of fun. 🎉

We enjoyed Mardi Gras on the Grand World Voyage

Michael "Big Mike" Lynche sings It's A Man's Man's Man's Man's World on the 2026 Grand World Voyage

We enjoyed a nice Sail Away on the 2026 Grand World Voyage as we left San Antonio, Chile

We enjoyed a Sock Hop on the World Stage - lots of fun with live music. They clear some seats out to make room for a dance floor

@letsgomtnrs No. No one came aboard from any of the stations we sailed by.

@TheInsideCabin Did anyone from the station come onboard?

We cruised by Palmer Station as we left Antarctica - They sent us a few pictures of our ship

Wine and cheese party on the 2026 Grand World Voyage in Antarctica