How We’ve Sailed Holland America Using Points & Miles
A Lazy Girl guide to real trips, real stacks, and real savings.
If you’re new here, welcome — I’m Julie, creator of No Point Left Behind, where I teach busy families, retirees, and Lazy Girls how to travel smarter, spend less, and stretch points further than they ever thought possible. Holland America has become one of my favorite cruise lines to hack, and over the years I’ve booked multiple sailings using a mix of casino offers, airline miles, hotel points, and credit card stacking.
This post compiles all three Holland America cruises I’ve booked on points and miles, including the one that sparked this entire blog.
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🌟 Cruise #1: Nieuw Amsterdam — The Origin Story
The cruise where No Point Left Behind was born.
The Itinerary
Ft. Lauderdale round-trip (Western Caribbean— this was pre‑blog)
The Deal
This sailing was booked using a Holland America casino offer, which gave me a deeply discounted fare and onboard credit. At the time, I wasn’t tracking every dollar the way I do now — I was simply thrilled to have found a deal that felt too good not to share.
How I Booked It on Points & Miles
Flights: Booked entirely on points to Ft. Lauderdale
Hotel: Free — I stayed with Mary (my friend + cruise agent)
Cruise Fare: Casino offer pricing
The Moment Everything Changed
I was floating in the turquoise water off the Cayman Islands when I made a new friend — the kind of spontaneous cruise‑day connection that happens when you’re both chasing sunshine. Naturally, we started talking about travel.
As always, I found myself saying, “No, I’m not independently wealthy — I just love points and miles.” That conversation turned into a mini‑lesson on stacking deals, and by the time we dried off, I realized people wanted to understand this world.
That was the spark that became No Point Left Behind — born right there in the Caribbean, between laughter, saltwater, and a shared love of travel.
Replicable Strategy
Use casino offers + points flights + early arrival.
🚢 Cruise #2: Eurodam — $290 Per Person After Stacking
A 4‑day Ft. Lauderdale sailing with multiple layers of savings.
The Itinerary
Ft. Lauderdale · 4‑day sailing · Obstructed ocean view cabin
A Funny Twist: The Cruise With No Ports
We actually booked this Eurodam sailing for the ports — Bimini and Half Moon Cay, two of my absolute favorites. If you want to see why I love them so much, here are my guides:
Because of weather, we didn’t make either port. Not Bimini. Not Half Moon Cay.
Instead, Holland America turned it into an overnight in Nassau… and we didn’t even get off the ship. Not once.
We literally stayed onboard the entire cruise until we returned to Ft. Lauderdale — and still had an amazing time.
This is one of the things I love most about cruising: even when the itinerary changes, you can still have a blast. Give me a good ship, good food, good company, and a comfy deck chair, and I’ll make the most out of anything.
How I Booked It on Points & Miles
1. Price Drop
Mary (my cruise agent and best friend) watched the fare until it dropped to $880 per person. I chose an obstructed ocean view — perfect for natural light without paying for a full window.
2. Cruise Agent Perks
Mary added $100 onboard credit to our booking. Cruise agents can stack:
Bonus OBC
Cabin upgrades
Exclusive promos
“Have It All” offers
Meet Mary— not sponsored, just who I really use.
3. Targeted Amex Offer
I had $300 off $750+ for Holland America. I added it to my card, paid for the cruise, and the credit posted within a week.
4. Flights on Points
Nashville → Ft. Lauderdale
10,549 Southwest Rapid Rewards points
Cash cost: $0
5. Pre‑Cruise Hotel
Normally I book Hyatt Place Dania Beach on points, but I stayed with Mary.
Total Out‑of‑Pocket
$290 per person — plus onboard credit.
Replicable Strategy
Use Amex Offers+ Southwest points + cruise agent perks.
🍁 Cruise #3: Zuiderdam — 7‑Day Canada for ~$500 Per Person
The Itinerary
Boston → Canada → Québec City → Montreal (via train)
The Deal That Started It
Holland America sent out last‑minute casino offers:
$365 per person
$100 onboard credit each
Peak summer sailing
Already a steal — but you stacked everything on top.
How I Booked It on Points & Miles
1. Free Pre‑Cruise Hotel (Hyatt Regency Boston)
Booked with Hyatt points. Cash rate: ~$350 Your cost: $0.
2. Flights to Boston Using Expiring Qantas Points
Qantas partners with American Airlines. You booked AA flights for taxes only. Retail value: ~$500.
3. Flights Home Using Aeroplan + Amex Points
Transferred Amex → Aeroplan
Booked flights home
Used a forgotten 5,000‑mile flight certificate Retail value: ~$500.
4. Bonus Adventure: Québec City → Montreal Train
Instead of seeing the airport change as a hassle, you turned it into a scenic travel day.
Total Out‑of‑Pocket
~$500 per person for a 7‑day summer cruise.
Replicable Strategy
Use Aeroplan + Hyatt points + casino offers + transferable points.
💡 What These Three Cruises Prove
Cruises are one of the best ways to use points and miles because you can cover:
Flights
Hotels
Transportation
Onboard credit
And sometimes part of the fare
With smart stacking, you can reduce the cost of a cruise vacation by 50–80% without touching the cruise fare itself.
🔗 Explore More
👩💻 About Julie
Julie Davis is the creator of No Point Left Behind, where she teaches busy families, retirees, and Lazy Girls how to travel more by earning smarter — not spending more. She’s a points‑and‑miles strategist, cruise‑obsessed mom, and Amazon Influencer who shares real‑life travel hacks that actually work between school drop‑offs and grocery runs in Tennessee.
Julie has booked dozens of trips using points and miles — including multiple Holland America cruises — and uses the same stacking strategies featured in this post: price drops, casino offers, onboard credits, Amex Offers, and points‑powered flights.
📍 Based in Tennessee → About Julie → Travel Hacking Moms Facebook Group
