On Our Radar

Two New Cruise Lines
Residents of Holland and Muskegon have two new luxury cruise ships to keep an eye out for this coming season. Victory Cruise Lines and Ponant have joined Cruise the Great Lakes, bringing their luxury vessels to the region in 2025.

Victory Cruise Lines will return with its intimate ships, Victory I and Victory II, while Ponant’s Le Bellot and Le Champlain will also be cruising the Great Lakes. This expansion adds to an already busy season, with an estimated 22,000 passengers and more than 700 Great Lakes port visits planned for 2025.

Fourth Annual Be Better Golf Outing
Be Better, a nonprofit dedicated to removing barriers to healthcare for youth facing mental health challenges, will host its Fourth Annual Charity Golf Outing on Monday, June 9, at Macatawa Golf Club, located at 4600 Macatawa Legends Blvd. in Holland. The shotgun start will begin at 8 a.m.
The 2024 event raised an impressive $43,000 to support Be Better’s mission of improving access to mental health care for young people. This year, the organization aims to exceed that total and invites the community to be part of the effort.

The outing will feature exciting raffle prizes and offer sponsorship opportunities. Participants can enjoy a day on the course while supporting a great cause. For more information on how to register or become a sponsor, visit Be Better’s website at bebetterholland.org.

Tulip Time Flower Show
The Holland Garden Club will host its annual Tulip Time Flower Show, “Gallery of Gardens,” at the Holland Armory, 16 W. 9th St. in Holland. The free event will run from Tuesday, May 6, through Friday, May 9, with showtimes on May 6 from 3 to 6 p.m., and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 7, 8, and 9.

This year’s show will feature a variety of floral designs and botanical creations inspired by the theme “Gallery of Gardens.” Amateur photographers will showcase their work with landscape and micro photos, while local gardeners will display spring-blooming flowers—including tulips—as well as branches from shrubs and ornamental trees in the horticultural division.

The event is made possible by the continued support of the Stuart and Barbara Padnos Foundation. For more information, visit hollandgardenclub.org.

Best Beach Again!
Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan, has been named one of the Best of the Best Beaches in the U.S. in TripAdvisor’s 2025 Traveler’s Choice Awards. This adds to the beach’s growing list of accolades, including recognition by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the Top 25 Beaches in the World, National Geographic Traveler as one of the top freshwater beaches in the USA, and MTV, which listed it among the Top 5 Beaches in the United States.

“We are so thrilled that our very own Oval Beach has been recognized again by our visitors who come back year after year to enjoy the beautiful coastline, natural beauty, and the charming towns that make our area so special,” said Lisa Mize, Executive Director of the Saugatuck Douglas Area CVB. “This recognition from TripAdvisor truly solidifies Oval Beach as one of the country’s premier beach destinations, and we invite visitors to experience our own slice of heaven on the lake all year-round.”
For more information, visit saugatuck.com.