MARCH 5-12, 2023
We’re looking forward to our twelfth voyage in 2023! While we currently can only officially announce the sailing dates and ports of call, in the coming months we’ll be adding new guests, events, details and managing a staggering array of details to make it better than ever. We look forward to sharing them with all of you!
2023 DESTINATIONS
DAY 1
FORT LAUDERDALE
MARCH 5th
depart @ 5 pm
We embark on our adventure!
DAY 2
AT SEA
MARCH 6th
Enjoy the plethora of activities on board (panels, gaming, crafting, and dozens of other options), or just chill by the pool or in your stateroom. Your day is yours to do as you please; we’re not the boss of you!
DAY 3
AT SEA
MARCH 7th
Once again enjoy the plethora of activities on board (panels, gaming, crafting, and dozens of other options), or just chill by the pool or in your stateroom. Your day is yours to do as you please; we’re still not the boss of you!
DAY 4
SAN JUAN,
PUERTO RICO
MARCH 8th
7 am – 11 pm
We return to the charming and historic city of San Juan, site of the infamous and epic 2019 rain-drenched land concert. This time you can spend all your time exploring everything that San Juan and its environs have to offer.
DAY 5
ROAD TOWN, TORTOLA
MARCH 9th
7 am – 3 pm
We’re excited to return to Road Town, Tortola–the capital of the British Virgin Islands. In addition to the island’s own attractions, Tortola offers excursions to the many small islands of the Francis Drake Channel. Beaches, snorkeling, a distillery, beautiful parkland, and the original Painkiller cocktail (at the Soggy Dollar Bar on the island of Jost Van Dyke) await!
DAY 6
AT SEA SOME MORE
MARCH 10th
Continue to enjoy the plethora of activities on board (panels, gaming, crafting, and dozens of other options), or just chill by the pool or in your stateroom. Your day is yours to do as you please; it’s abundantly clear by now that we’re not the boss of you!
DAY 7
HALF MOON CAY
MARCH 11th
8 am – 3 pm
Holland America’s private island in the Caribbean. It’s an all-time favorite beach and relaxation spot for JoCo Cruise that’s also a protected nature preserve; it’s as close to the Castaway experience as you can get! (At least, while still having a bar, beach chairs and a ship to leave on.)
DAY 8
FORT LAUDERDALE
MARCH 12th
We return to port.
2023 HELPFUL RESOURCES
Google Drive: Official THO Shared Folder
We’ve consolidated many of the documents in the section below into one folder to make things easier for you to download for offline viewing.
From The Home Office
2023 New Attendee Handbook
This is a handy guide for people new to the JoCo Cruise experience, to help you get an overall sense of the event and to find easy ways to dive in and get the whole JoCo Cruise “thing.”
Pre- and Post-Cruise Planning Webpage
A page is dedicated to helping you with everything that comes before you board the ship, and after you disembark when we return to port.
Online Merch Store
You can order JoCo Cruise 2023 merch at our DFTBA store; there will also be merch items available for sale onboard in the ship’s store.
Public Restroom Map
Want to see where restrooms are by deck, and which are gender inclusive? Check out this PDF map.
Accessibility Webpage
JoCo Cruise strives to accommodate the needs of all our attendees to the greatest extent possible. We’ve assembled this page for the benefit of those who avail themselves of the ship’s accessibility features and practices. This includes our Accessibility Guide PDF.
The JoCo Cruise 2023 FAQ
A useful collection of the most Frequently Asked Questions about JoCo Cruise.
2023 Email Updates
Here’s an archive of news we’ve shared via email.
Coming Soon™
- Schedule Of Events
- Tabletop Game Library
- Arcade & Console Game List
- 2023 Holland American Excursions
From Holland America
Holland America FAQ Guide
Holland America’s comprehensive web page for Cruise Preparation, which covers a wide range of topics, including documentation, baggage policy information and packing advice, dress code, childcare and youth activities, and much more.
“Know Before You Go” Guide
Very thorough and covers a wide range of topics, including cruise preparation, documentation, baggage policy information and packing advice, childcare and youth activities, and much more.
see the Ship Specs section below for more facts and documents specific to the ship…
Get Connected
2023 JoCo Cruise Community Facebook Group
Fan-run, active group where you can usually find veteran cruisers who are happy to let you know the skinny.
Roommate-seeker Forums
The JoCo Cruise Discussion Forums are set up for people to post when they either have a booking and are seeking roommates, or are seeking a booking to join. Head on over to to join up. NOTE: before posting, be sure to read the pinned “Seeking roommates? READ THIS FIRST” topic for general formatting guidelines. This will make things easier both for you and the people seeking such listings.
BASIC 2023 DATES
Saturday, March 4th
It’s not required, but we recommend arriving in Fort Lauderdale the day before sailing.
Sunday, March 5th
Boarding is between 11:30 a.m. (approximately) and 3:30 p.m. For more info on what happens at sea, check out the destinations page and the schedule page.
Sunday, March 12th
We return to port in Fort Lauderdale at approximately 7 a.m., we recommend that no one should book flights before noon the same day.
SHIP SPECS
The Nieuw Amsterdam
HOLLAND AMERICA CRUISE LINE – SIGNATURE CLASS
This will be our third time sailing on a Signature Class ship. Delivered to Holland America in 2010 and refit in 2017, its design and art (valued at more than $3M) are inspired by New York City. Most important: its layout will be fantastic for our events and hangouts, all week long.
Length: 285 m (935 ft)
Beam: 32 m (105 ft)
Draught: 7.9 m (26 ft)
Max speed: 23.9 knots (warp factor 0.00000034)
Decks: 11 passenger decks
Giant Squid Crush Resistance: Maximum
