Global cruise line achieves 12x return on advertising spend

Award-winning cruise line Holland America has been a leader of the seas for 150 years — known worldwide for its modern-classic style and excellent service. With a desire to create sustainable, long-term growth, the line knew that increasing brand awareness was a priority.

To get new, valuable guests on board — and stay top of mind with travelers — Holland America needed to overhaul their cruise line marketing strategies. That’s where our top-tier data and expertise came in.

o set off on the journey toward growth, Holland America partnered with our Expedia Group Advertising team to supplement their existing strategies on the U.S. Expedia and Travelocity websites. With increased visibility and bookings as a key goal, we leveraged sponsored listings to elevate exposure and reach high-intent cruise travelers.

Working alongside their agency partner, we built a comprehensive, integrated media plan spanning social media, display advertising, and email marketing. To extend their message even further, Holland America’s brand was seamlessly woven into a cruise-themed week on social media — including supporting content and themed merchandising emails.

The multifaceted campaign drove a 60% year-over-year increase in bookings on Expedia and helped Holland America achieve a 12x return on advertising spend compared to the previous quarter. These results weren’t limited to Expedia Group — the advertising campaign also led to a meaningful lift in direct bookings on Holland America’s site.

By combining strategic sponsored listings with a cohesive, cross-channel media campaign, Holland America captured more traveler attention while also converting visibility into measurable growth.