Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Procedure
Cleared for the CLASH 3 Arrival into DEN from Denver Center with an expectation to hold at CLASH. DEN revised arrival to NIIXX 2 and cleared us direct to NIIXX and cleared to descend VIA. Just prior to NIIXX; DEN switched us to Approach Control and upon checking in; Approach asked if we had a clearance to hold. We replied with a negative since DENVER center cleared us for the approach. Approach came back a minute later and gave us vectors to the North and then stated that the Center Controller had cleared us to descend through a holding stack. After approximately ten miles; we were cleared back to the west and vectored to intercept final for 35R.
While descending on the CLASH 3 Arrival into DEN; DEN Center gave us holding instructions to what I think was the CLASH intersection. Prior to arriving at the holding fix; ATC cancelled our holding instructions; gave us a new clearance to proceed direct to the NIIXX intersection; and then descend via the NIIXX 2 Arrival. We were then instructed to contact DEN Approach. When we checked in with DEN Approach; they asked us if we were not holding. We stated that DEN Center had given us the aforementioned clearance. DEN Approach then responded that DEN Center had just descended us through a stack of aircraft that had been holding. Nothing else was stated by ATC other than vectors around weather up to the final approach course where we were then handed off to Tower.
Air carrier flight crew reported while following ZDV center clearance; TRACON reported the descent was through holding pattern traffic.