Holland America line teams up with Art of Tea for Bespoke Dutch Tea Time Blend

Holland America Line has announced a partnership with Art of Tea to introduce a custom tea blend across its Royal Dutch Tea, Regional Afternoon Tea, and Standard Afternoon Tea services. The new blend, developed to reflect the cruise line’s Dutch heritage, is made with a selection of botanicals intended to evoke traditional Dutch tea flavours and styles. The collaboration aims to enhance the onboard tea experience by incorporating elements of cultural significance and artisanal preparation.

The Dutch Tea Time Blend will be available during all afternoon tea services in the main dining rooms on board Holland America Line ships. Royal Dutch Tea is typically served on the first sea day of each voyage, followed by a regionally themed afternoon tea on the second sea day. On voyages of seven days or longer, a standard afternoon tea is also offered on the third sea day. The blend will additionally be served at onboard coffee and specialty dining venues.

The Dutch Tea Time Blend will also be included in a tea sampler pack available for purchase in the onboard gift shops. The sampler features additional blends from Art of Tea, including Earl Grey Crème and Pacific Coast Mint. It is also available for purchase online through the Art of Tea website.

To develop the custom blend, Drew Foulk, Holland America Line’s senior manager of beverage and dining operations and innovation, collaborated with Art of Tea founder and CEO Steve Schwartz. As part of the process, the pair traveled to Amsterdam to explore the characteristics of an authentic Dutch tea experience and incorporate those elements into the final product.

During their visit to Amsterdam, Foulk and Schwartz sampled a variety of local tea blends and explored Dutch ingredients and botanicals at the Albert Cuyp Market. They also met with Tess Posthumus, a global beverage program partner for Holland America Line, who provided historical context on Amsterdam’s beverage culture, including the Netherlands’ involvement in the early global trade of coffee and tea through the Dutch East India Company.

“Along the journey, one particular expression that really resonated with us is that there are two Dutch words used across the globe and are present in almost all languages in one shape or form–these words being coffee and tea,” said Foulk. “Steve and I spent a lot of time uncovering the history and influence that Amsterdam has played in the spice trade and have thought about how this history can be translated into a tea blend for all our guests to enjoy.”

The final blend is a traditional robust black tea with notes of orange, bergamot, marigold, and rose hips. It will be available to guests fleetwide when they board their next voyage.