If you love live music at sea, Holland America Line‘s Music Walk will be right up your street. Designed to be a gallery of tuneful entertainment, Holland America Line Music Walk offers some of the best music on a cruise.
With different venues showcasing music across a range of styles, it enables guests to dip in and out of live musical entertainment as they choose.
This year, the cruise line announced changes to its Holland America Line music experience.
In this blog, we explore how these changes affect the music on board Holland America Line and their Music Walk.
What is the Music Walk?
In creating the Music Walk, Holland America Line sought to offer the best cruise ship entertainment and live music at sea, where guests can enjoy everything from rock and pop to blues and classical genres.
The Music Walk is the name for the collection of unique music venues on Holland America cruise ships, which included Lincoln Center Stage, Billboard Onboard, Rolling Stone Rock Room and B.B. King’s Blues Club. Some ships had all venues, such as Koningsdam, while others had one or two.
In 2023, Holland America Line announced its plans to rejig its offering around the Music Walk. Don’t worry, though; many of the favourites will stay but perhaps be reformatted to offer a better entertainment experience.
Although Holland America Line has yet to provide full details on the changes, below, we share what we know so far about the four main music venues and how they might change.
The revamp of Holland America Line Lincoln Center Stage
The Lincoln Center Stage is where some fundamental changes are expected to occur this year. While the partnership with the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts in New York City is set to continue, guests will no longer find their music at the dedicated, onboard Lincoln Center Stage.
The group will continue to offer their unique music on cruises. However, the group will be more fluid, moving between Holland America’s cruise ships, performing on the ships’ World Stage.
For fans of their classical music, which ranges from Beethoven to Brubeck and includes timeless favourites and brand-new arrangements, being able to enjoy these pieces in one of the best music venues on a cruise ship will be an appealing upgrade. The full entertainment programme for the touring Lincoln Center Stage group and the proposition for their previous venue has yet to be announced.
The fate of the Holland America Line BB King’s Blues Club
BB King’s Blues Club, Holland America, reignites the iconic sounds of the “The King of the Blues”. This eight-piece band, with two vocalists, brings tunes from the legendary club on Beale Street, Memphis, straight to some of the best music venues on a cruise ship. When visiting this Holland America Blues club, you’ll discover a venue that echoes the original club, with neon lights and images of B.B. King himself.
Meanwhile, the music shares the rich southern heritage of these soulful sounds with a rock and roll blend. From melodic blues to up-tempo, toe-tapping tunes, BB King’s Blues Club performances have something for everyone to enjoy.
As a renowned part of Holland America Line music, we’re happy to say that B.B. King’s is expected to remain on the cruise line’s Signature- and Pinnacle-class ships, i.e., Nieuw Amsterdam, Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam.
However, on Vista-class ships, there are plans to replace the Blues Club on Holland America Line with the Rolling Stone Lounge, with the aim of offering a greater variety of music styles.
Music trivia continues at Billboard Onboard Holland America
Partnering with the infamous charts compiler Billboard, Holland America music showcases 60 years of chart-toppers. Courtesy of two pianos, Billboard Onboard plays a collection of hundreds of songs which will test your music knowledge and invite you to sing along.
Holland America Line Billboard Onboard can be enjoyed on nine of the cruise line’s ships: Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Rotterdam, Westerdam and Zuiderdam. To date, we’ve heard no announcements of any changes to this Holland America Line music offering.
Rocking history at Holland America Line Rolling Stone Rock Room
If you’re seeking to immerse yourself in rock music while on your cruise, Holland America’s Rolling Stone Rock Room is the place to head. Rolling Stone, the world’s leading authority in the music industry, has partnered with Holland America Line’s music to provide cruise guests with a unique experience of rock history.
The talented five-piece live band plays iconic hits inspired by the magazine’s top song list. The Rolling Stone Rock Room can be found on Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam cruise ships, and is different to the Rolling Stone Lounge, which hosts B.B. King’s Blue Club, mentioned above.
The Music Walk revolutionised entertainment on board Holland America Line, making incredible live events accessible for all cruise guests to sample and enjoy. As Holland America Line seeks to continue to offer the best music on a cruise, the planned changes should only elevate this unique and memorable cruise experience.
