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e San Diego cruise season runs October through May, and two cruise lines offer the vast majority of sailings out of our port. Calling San Diego home since 2011, the Disney Cruise Line's mid-sized Disney Wonder runs three- and four-night itineraries to Ensenada and Catalina in the spring before transiting to Alaska for the summer season, and then to Australia and New Zealand for cruises in the fall and winter. But it's Holland America that has truly nurtured a relationship with San Diego. With a lineage dating to 1873, the venerable cruise line is probably the most traditional of the major operators, with a fleet that is comfortably mid-sized. In contrast to Disney, Holland America tends to draw a mature crowd — it's a good bet for anyone wanting to avoid children — and the Dutch heritage is kept alive through afternoon tea and a crew that is mostly from Indonesia, Holland's former colony. Two Holland America ships reside in San Diego during the season, led by the elegant 2,650-passenger Koningsdam, which sails a variety of Mexico and Hawaii itineraries through March before operating a summer season in Alaska. (Next year, Koningsdam will be replaced by the slightly smaller Nieuw Amsterdam.) e other ship dedicated to San Diego is the older, 1,432-guest Zaandam, with a similar roster of Mexico and Hawaii voyages planned this season and next. A few one-off itineraries with Holland America will take San Diegans well beyond Mexico and Hawaii. On February 15, the Koningsdam sets sail on a 35-night itinerary visiting Hawaii coupled with eight leisurely days at five different islands in French Polynesia. Want longer still? e Zaandam embarks on a 60-night itinerary from San Diego to Sydney, Australia, that trades French Polynesia for an extended trip through Papua New Guinea and a circumnavigation of the Australian continent. at delicious- sounding adventure starts January 4, 2026. Seventy-some cruises after I first embarked as "Anon," I tend to cast my eyes toward the far horizons in search of new ports and new adventures. Two of cruising's newer brands, Virgin Voyages and Viking, can claim a "V" for victory, having each nabbed the top slot in their size categories (midsized and large) in several readers' choice awards. Not surprisingly, they each boast a fiercely loyal clientele. detour destinations << LEFT In addition to cruises out of San Diego to Mexico and Hawaii, Holland America Line offers cruises through Scandinavia in summer. Here, the Rotterdam sails in Geirangerfjord, Norway RIGHT In 2023 Silversea debuted an elegant new ship, the 738-passenger Silver Nova, offering expansive upper decks, seen here in Trieste, Italy CENTER On a typical expedition ship, some of the extra equipment includes kayaks for exploring the tropical environment. Here, Ponant's 184-passenger Le Jacques Cartier, chartered by Abercrombie & Kent, visits remote Assumption Island, an atoll in the Seychelles OPPOSITE Oceania Cruises' 1,250-passenger Marina offers a variety of cruises in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and around South America PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID SWANSON ranchandcoast.com 82 NOVEMBER 2024 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE