Ever dreamed of travelling with Pan Am? While flying with the former airline isn’t a possibility, Holland America Line is offering up the next best thing.
Next year, the cruise line will be hosting a Pan Am 100th Anniversary Legendary Voyage, complete with talks from aviation historians, Pan Am-inspired dining experiences, and a recreation of the Clipper Club, the private airport lounges the brand was known for.
The 28-day cruise will set sail from Miami in Florida on 30 October 2027, and will retrace parts of the Pan Am’s historic routes through the Caribbean and Central America.
“Pan Am helped redefine what it meant to travel, turning the journey into an experience filled with discovery, connection and a sense of occasion,” Paul Grigsby, vice president of itinerary planning and deployment for Holland America Line, said.
“With this cruise, we’re bringing that era to life while merging elements of Pan Am’s storied history with Holland America Line’s signature experiences, giving guests a chance to see how the legacies of two travel brands come together in ways that feel authentic to both, from the ship to the destinations along the way.”
What to expect on board
Airline food today leaves a lot to be desired (at least if you’re in economy class, that is), but the same cannot be said for the plates on Pan Am.
Guests on the cruise will be able to try special menus that might once have appeared on board, including cocktail de crevettes, with jumbo shrimp, boiled egg, asparagus and Louis dressing; broiled filet mignon Maître d’Hôtel; and soufflé grand marnier with crème anglaise.
Cocktails, too, will be themed, with the Pan Am featuring white rum, Campari, orgeat, lemon juice and egg white, and the Clipper, with rum, Dolin Blanc and grenadine garnished with a lemon twist.
The programme will also include talks giving an insight into the airline’s culture and history from people including Linda Freire, the chair and co-founder of the Pan Am Museum Foundation, and David Kliman, a former Pan Am pilot.
As for land-based activities, passengers will visit destinations including Cartagena in Colombia, Colón in Panama, St. John’s in Antigua, and Port of Spain in Trinidad & Tobago for Pan Am-inspired excursions.
Other Pan Am revivals
Late last year, JP Hospitality announced it would be reviving the Pan Am brand for a collection of airport hotels.
The brand plans to open in locations across Europe including Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Geneva, Lisbon, London, Oslo, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris, Stockholm and Vienna, as well as cities around the globe such as Dubai, Bangkok, New York, Tokyo and Sydney.
Pan Am Hotels already operates a suite and lounge in Berlin, which have a mid-century design.