by Natasha Lair
Last updated: 8:50 AM ET, Wed December 24, 2025
Holland America Line is repurposing retired ship fabrics into reusable tote bags for guests sailing on its 2026 Grand Voyages.
According to a press release, the initiative is part of a two-year fabric circularity project that began during scheduled ship refurbishments.
Instead of sending used drapes, bed runners, and other soft furnishings to landfill, the cruise line collected approximately 30,000 yards of fabric for recycling.
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According to reports, the textiles were shipped to Andriali Mill in Turkey, where they were broken down and spun into new yarn before being transformed into 4,000 tote bags. The bags will be given to passengers sailing aboard Volendam and Zaandam on their Grand Voyages departing in January 2026.
Each tote bag includes a QR code that explains the upcycling process and outlines the journey from stateroom fabric to finished product, according to CruiseRadio.net. The publication also reports that an additional 25,000 bags will be produced from remaining materials for Holland America’s Legendary Voyages.
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The tote bag initiative builds on other sustainability efforts by the cruise line, including its Dansk: Re:Shape program, which repurposes used carpet into items such as coasters, notebooks, and postcards sold onboard. The program has already diverted more than 1.5 tonnes of carpet from landfills.
The Grand World Voyage sails round-trip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, aboard Volendam, and the Grand Australia and New Zealand Voyage round-trip leaves from San Diego, California, aboard Zaandam.
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