Holland America’s Zaandam overnights in Juneau, calls off other port stops due to propulsion problem

Cruise ship had to remain in nearby waters much of Saturday before returning to Juneau to pick up passengers and sailing south for Vancouver

Holland America's Zaandam remains docked in Juneau late on Friday, June 5, 2026. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

A cruise ship made a rare overnight stop Friday in Juneau and then floated near town much of Saturday due to a propulsion problem that forced the vessel to cancel the rest of its port stops and return to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Holland America's Zaandam, a 1,432-passenger ship built in 2000, remained at the South Franklin Street Dock overnight instead of departing at 10 p.m. Friday as scheduled After departing the harbor area early Saturday morning to make room for other arriving cruise ships, it returned late in the afternoon to pick up passengers who opted to spend the day in Juneau before the ship departed early in the evening for Vancouver.

"Because of this situation, we regret that we are unable to continue with the remainder of our planned Alaska destinations," a letter by Holland America to guests states. "We understand how much guests look forward to this portion of the voyage. Exploring the region is often the highlight of the experience, and we are truly sorry for the disappointment this will cause."

The letter describes the problem as "a technical issue affecting one of our propulsion systems."

"While the safety of our guests and team members is not impacted, this condition limits our ability to operate at normal cruising speeds," the letter states.

Holland America's Zaandam at the South Franklin Street Dock late on Friday, June 5, 2026. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

Repair crews worked on the vessel overnight Friday. It is scheduled to reach Vancouver as originally scheduled on Wednesday. As of 8 a.m. Sunday it was in open sea near the same latitude as Ketchikan, according to CruiseMapper.

The ship, which departed from Vancouver on June 3, skipped stops in Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan Also, guests booked on Cruisetours that were scheduled to join Zaandam in Skagway on Saturday were instead brought to Juneau to board.

Zaandam passengers are being offered a 50% refund on their base cruise fare as well as a 50% credit for a future base cruise fare, according to the company’s letter.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.