Holland America gives Shimizu a proper look this season: Westerdam — Vista-class, 82,000 tons, around 1,900 guests — calls twice in autumn 2026 and then comes back three times in spring 2027. The two autumn dates look similar on a brochure and play out very differently on the ground.
The calls
| Date | Arrives | Departs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 25 Oct 2026 | 08:00 | 17:00 | Confirmed (port committee, rev. 28 Aug) |
| Mon 9 Nov 2026 | 07:00 | 15:00 | Confirmed (port committee, rev. 5 Oct) |
| Mar 1 / Mar 20 / Mar 27 2027 | 08:00 / 11:00 / 11:00 | 16:00 / 19:00 / 19:00 | 2027 listings — tracked here |
Back on board 60 minutes before departure, as always. Every ship this season: the full 2026 schedule.
25 October: the full menu, shared with a yacht
An 08:00–17:00 October call is close to the ideal Shimizu ticket. The mountain is at some of its best odds of the year, the arrival lands inside the clear morning window, and eight usable hours fit any one of the port’s three signature moves with margin: the water bus to Miho no Matsubara (25 minutes out, 15 back, ¥1,000 a leg), the Nihondaira panorama and Kunozan Toshogu loop by taxi, or the walkable core anchored by a tuna lunch at Kashi-no-Ichi.
The asterisk: it’s a two-ship day. Windstar’s Star Seeker is in the same day, and while her 224 guests won’t crowd anything by themselves, the taxi rank, the ropeway queue and the market’s lunch rush behave like a big-ship day. Decide your plan from the deck rail at 08:00 — if Fuji is out, commit to a viewpoint immediately — and book anything guided ahead of the day; the English-speaking operator pool here is small.
9 November: one big thing
The November call trades an hour of arrival for two of departure: 07:00–15:00, which after all-aboard and the 60-minute rule means about six usable hours. That’s still a good day — it’s just a one-big-thing day. The Miho half day fits. The Nihondaira loop fits, with the return taxi agreed in advance. What doesn’t fit is stacking them, or anything road-based toward the Fuji area — with a 14:00 all-aboard, the maths says no.
November does hand you one quiet upgrade: it’s the start of the clear-air season, and a 07:00 arrival puts you on deck for the port’s best Fuji hour with coffee in hand.
Spring 2027: mind the 11:00 arrivals
Westerdam’s March 2027 pattern is worth a note for anyone booking ahead: the 20 and 27 March calls arrive at 11:00 and stay to 19:00 — afternoon-shaped days at a port whose mountain is a morning performer. The 1 March call (08:00–16:00) is the conventional one. All three are the line’s listings for now; the 2027 page tracks them as the port confirms each month.
First call at this port? Start with the complete Shimizu cruise port guide — piers, shuttle, money and Wi-Fi in one read.
Both 2026 calls are officially confirmed (port committee, rev. 5 Oct 2026); 2027 dates are the line’s published plans. Your daily programme always wins.
