Holland America Line to cruise from Dover for the first time in 10 years

Dover photoed from a leaving cruise line photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Holland America Line will sail a full season of round-trip itineraries from Dover for the first time in more than 10 years.

The line will base Pinnacle-class ship Nieuw Statendam out of the UK port for 10 departures in the summer of 2025.
 
From Dover, the vessel will sail itineraries ranging from 14 to 42 days to the Canary Islands, British Isles, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Iberia and the eastern Mediterranean.
 
In addition to Dover, HAL will depart from nine homeports throughout Europe, with an increase in cruises over 10 days, more sailings to Iceland and a combined 62 overnight calls or late-night departures in leading cities.
 
"We’re really excited about Nieuw Statendam homeporting in Dover for a whole season in 2025 and the additional opportunities this provides to the trade, as well as our guests," said Karen Farndell, director of UK sales and marketing.
 
"The itineraries look incredible and varied, offering something for everyone – beyond Dover, our 10 homeports span Europe, and in 2025 we’re offering the most diverse range of itineraries that include everything from week-long holidays to the Med to month-long explorations to the Arctic."
She praised the line’s travel agent partners for their continued support and commitment throughout the company’s milestone 150th year.
 
Other highlights of HAL’s 2025 Europe cruising season include seven-day Norway and Denmark and Norwegian Fjords itineraries onboard Rotterdam, while Oosterdam will sail its entire season in the Mediterranean on cruises from Piraeus, Barcelona, Civitavecchia and Trieste.
 
Nieuw Statendam visits the Canary Islands on a 14-day Canary Island Enchantment with Morocco and Portugal cruise departing on 20 April 2025, and the Voyage of the Vikings itinerary returns in 2025 onboard Zuiderdam.

New Rotterdam Completes First Year in Service

New Rotterdam Completes First Year in Service

The Rotterdam VII is completing its first year in service.

After being delivered a few months earlier, the new Holland America Line flagship welcomed its first guests on October 20, 2021.

On that day, the 2,650-guest vessel departed the Netherlands for a 14-day transatlantic to the United States.

Sailing from Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale, the one-way voyage featured visits to five destinations, including the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago located in the middle of the Atlantic, and Brest, in France.

Upon arriving in North America in November, the Rotterdam began its inaugural season in the region, which included five- to 11-night itineraries to the Southern, Western and Eastern Caribbean, as well as the Bahamas.

During its first year in service, the vessel also sailed a summer program in Northern Europe – where it was christened by Princess Margriet of the Netherlands in May.

Currently sailing Holland America’s 150th-anniversary transatlantic crossing, the Rotterdam is now set to offer a second season of Caribbean and Bahamas cruises starting on October 30, 2022. 

The program includes ten- and 11-night itineraries to the Southern and Eastern Caribbean departing from Fort Lauderdale to popular destinations such as Curaçao, Grand Turk and Martinique.

A sister to the 2016-built Koningsdam and 2018-built Nieuw Statendam, the new Rotterdam is part of Holland America's Pinnacle class.

The seventh ship to carry the name of the company, it offers enhanced amenities and features, such as the Rolling Stone Rock Room, where guests are able to relive rock history with iconic hits performed by live bands.

The Rotterdam also offers 11 different dining experiences, including the Grand Dutch Café, a nod to Holland America Line’s heritage, as well as Italian, Asian and French speciality options.

Another highlight of the ship’s public areas is the theatre. Named World Stage, the showroom is equipped with a round stage and a two-story LED screen that creates a wraparound display.

Holland America Line Restart: Six Ships in Service by January

Continuing its restart plans, Holland America Line will see six ships sailing with guests by early 2022. The Carnival-owned premium brand first resumed service in July, offering a summer program in Alaska with the Nieuw Amsterdam.

Four Ships in Service in North America

Currently, five vessels are in service in North America, including the new Rotterdam.

The 2021-built ship debuted in October, sailing a transatlantic crossing before kicking off its inaugural season in the Caribbean.

The Eurodam, the Nieuw Amsterdam, the Nieuw Statendam and the Koningsdam are also presently operating, offering cruises to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and the West Coast from two different homeports.

Here are the details:

Eurodam
Capacity at 100%: 2,104
Date: In service since August 15, 2021
Region: Caribbean
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: 7 to 10 nights
Itinerary: Panama Canal, Southern and Eastern Caribbean    

Koningsdam
Capacity at 100%: 2,650
Date: In service since October 10, 2021
Region: West Coast
Homeport: San Diego (United States)
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Mexican Riviera  

Nieuw Amsterdam
Capacity at 100%: 2,100
Date: In service since July 24, 2021
Region: Caribbean
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: 5 to 9 nights
Itinerary: the Bahamas, Western and Eastern Caribbean

Nieuw Statendam
Capacity at 100%: 2,650

Date: In service since November 21, 2021
Region: Caribbean
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Bahamas, Western, Eastern and Southern Caribbean

Rotterdam (VII)
Capacity at 100%: 2,650
Date: In service since October 20, 2021
Region: Caribbean
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: 10 and 11 nights
Itinerary: Eastern and Southern Caribbean

Zuiderdam Returns in December; Balance of the Fleet in 2022

While the balance of the 11-ship fleet is set to return in the first half of 2022, the Zuiderdam is resuming service in December.

The 2002-built ship is set to offer additional itinerary choices in North America, with a series of West Coast, Panama Canal and the Caribbean.

Here are the currently planned service resumption dates for the remainder of the fleet:

Zuiderdam
Capacity at 100%: 1,916

Date: December 23, 2021
Region: West Coast
Homeport: San Diego (United States)
Length: 10 nights
Itinerary: Guaymas, Loreto, Topolobampo, La Paz, Mazatlán and Cabo San Lucas

Noordam
Capacity at 100%: 1,918
Date: April 24, 2022
Region: Panama Canal
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States) to San Diego (United States)
Length: 17 nights
Itinerary: Cartagena, Panama Canal, Panama City, Puerto Caldera, Corinto, Puerto Quetzal, Puerto Chiapas, Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Luas

Oosterdam 
Capacity at 100%: 1,916
Date: May 1, 2022
Region: Mediterranean
Homeport: Civitavecchia (Italy) to Venice (Italy)
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Salerno, Messina, Corfu, Kotor and Zadar

Volendam
Capacity at 100%: 1,432
Date: May 1, 2022
Region: Northern Europe
Homeport: Rotterdam (Netherlands)
Length: 14 nights
Itinerary: Arhus, Warnemunde, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn and St. Petersburg

Westerdam
Capacity at 100%: 1,916
Date: May 8, 2022
Region: Alaska
Homeport: Seattle (United States)
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Victoria, Ketchikan, Juneau and Sitka

Zaandam
Capacity at 100%: 1,432
Date: May 12, 2022
Region: Canada and New England
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States) to Montreal (Canada)
Length: 9 nights
Itinerary: Boston, Bar Harbor, Halifax, Sydney and Quebec City

Koningsdam Set to Resume Service, Kicking Off First Season on the West Coast

Holland America Line is resuming service on the West Coast today, as the Koningsdam welcomes guests back in San Diego.

After a 19-month operational pause, the 2016-built vessel is starting a week-long California Coast voyage.

Debuting in the region, the Koningsdam is set to visit three ports during the cruise, including Catalina Island and San Francisco, where an overnight stop allows the guests to explore further. Before returning to its homeport, the 2,650-guest ship also pays a visit to Ensenada, a popular cruise port in Mexico.

Now sailing from San Diego every Sunday, the Koningsdam is also offering Mexican Riviera itineraries through the end of the year. The seven-night cruises include call in three ports: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta.

From January, the vessel’s program will see the addition of longer voyages to Hawaii, with visits to Honolulu, Hilo, Lahaina and more.

Inspired by Holland America Lines’ Dutch roots and heritage, the Koningsdam was named to honour His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, the first king of the Netherlands in over a century.

With the word koning standing for “king” in Dutch, the name is also meant, according to the company, to celebrate the majestic ship.

As the first vessel in the Pinnacle-class, the Koningsdam ushered a new era for Holland America Line, debuting a new design approach and several new features.

With interiors created by Adam D. Tihany and Bjørn Storbraaten, the 99,500-ton ship was conceived to blend a fresh, contemporary styling with the line’s renowned classic elegance.

The iconic Queen’s Lounge, for instance, was completely reimagined for the ship, becoming an elegant theatre and entertainment venue that spans two floors. 

Also debuting was an updated culinary vision for the fleet, with new dining and eatery concepts, including the Grand Dutch Café, another nod to Holland America Line’s heritage, and a place to grab Dutch-themed snacks and beverages.

Following the Nieuw Amsterdam and the Eurodam, which resumed service in July and August, respectively, the Koningsdam is the third Holland America Line vessel to restart guest services.

Three additional vessels are welcoming the guests back for the company through the end of December, including the 2018-built Nieuw Statendam.

New Ship Preview: Holland America's Rotterdam

The Rotterdam will be the seventh ship in the history of the Holland America fleet to carry this name. The ship was originally named the Ryndam but Holland America changed it to Rotterdam following the sale of the previous Rotterdam to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in 2020.

The new Rotterdam is a sister to the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam, part of Holland America's Pinnacle-class of ships.

Ship: Rotterdam Cruise Line: Holland America

Capacity: 2,650 passengers Shipyard: Fincantieri, Italy

Estimated Delivery Date: July 2021

Features and Design: The 297-meter ship has 12 decks and 1,340 cabins. The what seems like never-ending entertainment includes live music spaces like the Rolling Stone Rock Room, the Lincoln Center Stage, Billboard Onboard, World Stage, and B.B. King’s Blues Club; a BBC Earth in Concert, a Microsoft Studio for creating photo albums and travel videos; the Greenhouse Spa & Salon; a casino; children’s club; and more.

The Rotterdam will also offer 11 dining experiences: from burgers and pizza to sushi and seafood, as well as dedicated French, Asian, and Italian restaurants. It also offers 24-hour in-room dining for those who get peckish at less convenient hours.

Debut Season: The Rotterdam is scheduled to spend summer 2021 exploring Northern Europe and the Baltic on roundtrip cruises from Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Following Itineraries: In autumn 2021, the Rotterdam is scheduled to embark on a couple of transatlantic voyages to and from the U.S., from where the vessel will change to Caribbean itineraries all the way until April 2022.

'Positive Signs' as Holland America Moving Six Ships Toward U.S.

Holland America Line is preparing for a gradual restart and is said to be moving six cruise ships toward the U.S. citing positive signs and a new conversation around the return to service.

The news came in a letter sent to crew from President Gus Antorcha, reported by Crew Center, and also obtained by Cruise Industry News.

"Following in-depth discussions with the CDC, other government agencies, and medical and science authorities, we have decided to start moving six Holland America Line ships toward U.S. waters over the next several weeks to begin completing the requirements for conditional sailing," Antorcha said in the letter sent to the crew.

The ships heading to U.S. waters are the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam, and Noordam. Holland America did not specify port information but the line has traditionally had a strong presence in the winter from Port Everglades and Tampa, which would pull from a large drive-to market.

“While there is still much to be done, this is an important first step toward our goal of resuming cruise operation," the letter said.

"Holland America Line will continue to work with the CDC on our eventual return to guest cruise operations. We are fully aligned with the CDC on our top priorities for compliance, protecting the environment, and the health, safety, and well-being of our guests, the people in communities we touch, our crew, and shoreside employees."

Holland America Line announces name change for new build

Holland America Line announces name change for new build

Holland America Line has changed the name of its new build as it looks to honour the brand’s 150-year history.

The line’s new ship, expected to be delivered on July 30 next year, was due to be named Ryndam. However, the brand today announced it was changing the name to Rotterdam, with the new ship set to become the flagship for the fleet.

It comes two weeks after the line revealed it was selling four ships – including one called Rotterdam which is one of two vessels sold to Fred Olsen Cruise Line.

The new build, which will be delivered two months later than initially planned due to the pandemic, will be the seventh ship to hold the name Rotterdam. Guests who were booked on the ship’s inaugural cruise in May and itineraries through to July 30 are being contacted with rebooking options.

When the ship launches it will spend the summer in Northern Europe and the Baltic on roundtrip cruises from Amsterdam.

The new seven-day ‘Premiere Voyage’ departing from Trieste to Civitavecchia will depart on August 1. It will be followed by a 14-day sailing which ends in Amsterdam.

Between August 22 and October 10 the ship will sail roundtrip from Amsterdam on three seven-day itineraries to Norway, one 14-day cruise to the Baltics and one 140day cruise to Norway, Iceland and the British Isles.

It will then sail transatlantic on a 14-day voyage from Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale in Florida.

To accommodate guests booked on cancelled itineraries which had been due to sail from May to July, some changes have been made to Nieuw Statendam’s deployment to match up with the former Ryndam cruises.

Guests who were due to sail on the original Premier Voyage will be rebooked on the new Premier Sailing and will receive a $100 per person onboard credit.

All other guests who were booked on impacted Ryndam or Nieuw Statendam cruises will be automatically rebooked to a similar future cruise date during the summer at the same far paid. They will also receive a $100 per person credit for cruises of 10 days or less and $250 per person for itineraries of 12 days or more.

Just retired MS Rotterdam.

Gus Antorcha, the line’s new president, said: “The first ship for Holland America Line was the original Rotterdam, the company was headquartered in the city of Rotterdam for many years, and the name has been a hallmark throughout our history since 1872 … so clearly the name is powerful and symbolic.

“With the current Rotterdam leaving the company, we knew we had a unique opportunity to embrace the name as our new flagship and carry on the tradition of having a Rotterdam in our fleet. Seven is a lucky number, and we know she’s going to bring a lot of joy to our guests as she travels across the globe

“Guests and travel advisors will be notified today of this news and coming changes to current itineraries.

“We ask everyone, though, to please bear with us just a few weeks for all of the details as we rebuild itineraries and put the finishing touches on several desirable alternatives. We will follow up with specific details very soon so everyone knows their options.”

Holland America Line’s first ship, Rotterdam, sailed on its maiden voyage from the Netherlands to New York on October 15, 1872.

Top Cruise Photos from Oceanliner Pictures

With the global cruise fleet in a temporary and extended service pause, take a look at these top cruise photos from expert photographer Oceanliner Pictures (by Oliver Asmussen), which is the largest cruise ship photo archive for photos of cruise ships, interior photos and maritime travel, currently with over 780,000 photos.

Queen Mary 2 cruising on the Elbe River

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The MS Hamburg against the Garibaldi Glacier 

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AIDAdiva leaves the port of Warnemuende

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The Regal Princess outbound

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MS Amera in Rendsburger Hochbrücke

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The Nieuw Statendam after her maiden call in Kiel

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Sunset over the Astor, sailing for Transocean

Holland America Line takes delivery of Nieuw Statendam ship

Holland America Line takes delivery of Nieuw Statendam ship

The new Holland America Line ship Nieuw Statendam has been delivered by Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Venice.

The vessel is the 16th Holland America Line ship built by Fincantieri and is the line’s second Pinnacle-class ship after Koningsdam, delivered in 2016.

Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri will also build the third vessel in the series, due to be delivered in 2021.

Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation’s chairman; Arnold Donald, the corporation’s president and chief executive; Stein Kruse, the chief executive of Holland America Group; and Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line, all attended yesterday’s ceremony.

According to the shipbuilding team, the 99,500-tonne vessel’s technology is aimed at ensuring energy efficiency and reducing the environmental impact.

Fincantieri is currently designing or building 53 other ships across all of its yards.

Nieuw Statendam Completes Sea Trials

Nieuw Statendam Completes Sea Trials

Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam returned to Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy Wednesday, Aug. 22, after successfully completing two sets of sea trials off the coast, the company said, in a statement.

Nieuw Statendam left Marghera Aug. 10 and performed the first set of sea trials over two days before going into drydock at Fincantieri’s Trieste shipyard, where the trial’s data was reviewed and standard hull maintenance was performed.

The ship sailed its second sea trials Aug. 18, making its way back to Marghera Aug. 22 where the finishing touches will be completed.

“The sea trials are a highly anticipated milestone for any newbuild because it takes us one step closer to delivery, and we’re thrilled that Nieuw Statendam gave a strong performance out in open water,” said Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president. “There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Nieuw Statendam and the innovations we’re introducing on board. The ship is going to have an exciting debut in early December.”

During the sea trials, Nieuw Statendam underwent a series of performance tests on the ship’s systems, machinery and engines. The shipyard’s team of nautical officers, naval architects and builders tested the ship’s manoeuvring characteristics and safety systems.

Carnival Corporation expects revenue to rise by 2.5% in 2018

Carnival Corporation expects revenue to rise by 2.5% in 2018

Carnival Horizon being constructed and due next year.

Carnival Corporation has announced a $2.6billion net income for the full year of 2017.

Revenues for 2017 were $17.5billion – $1.1billion higher than the $16.4billion in 2016.

Carnival said in its annual report that it expects 2018 revenue yield to be up 2.5% compared to this year.

Bookings across the world’s largest travel company for 2018 have been running well ahead of the prior year at higher prices, Carnival said.

Carnival’s president and chief executive officer Arnold Donald said that despite booking disruptions from this year’s hurricanes, the company was heading into 2018 with a stronger base of business and higher prices than last year.

Donald said: “We have numerous efforts underway to keep the momentum going in 2018 and beyond, from our innovative approaches to increased consideration for cruising, to the further roll-out of our state-of-the-art revenue management system.

“In 2018 we also look forward to the delivery of four new cutting-edge ships, Carnival Horizon, Seabourn Ovation, AIDAnova, and Nieuw Statendam to further our strategic fleet enhancement program.”

Disruptions to voyages caused by hurricanes reduced fourth quarter earnings by approximately $0.11 per share.

Fincantieri lays first keel block for Nieuw Statendam and order a Third Ship

Fincantieri lays first keel block for Nieuw Statendam

Fincantieri laid the first piece of keel for Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam at its Marghera yard in Venice, Italy on 20 March. The 260-ton block, which is 11.3 metres long and 34.8 wide, will form the central section of Nieuw Statendam.

Built as a sister to Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam will be Holland America’s second 99,800gt Pinnacle class ship and will be delivered at the end of 2018. The vessel will be able to accommodate up to 2,650 passengers in more than 1,300 cabins and feature interiors created by two major studios – Tihany Design and YSA Design.

Holland America Line to Build Third Pinnacle Class Ship for Delivery in 2021

Carnival Corporation announced that it has signed a memorandum of agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri S.p.A. to build two new cruise ships with final contracts expected to be executed in early 2017. The two new ships are designated for the company’s Holland America Line and Princess Cruises brands.

Holland America Line’s new ship will be built at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera, Italy, with an expected delivery in 2021.

“We are extremely pleased to formally announce these two new ships and build on the success and popularity of their sister ships already sailing guests around the globe,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “Our goal is to exceed expectations of the 11.5 million guests who sail with us each year, and these new ships will offer more opportunities for our guests to create lifelong vacation memories while generating added excitement around the fast-growing global demand for cruise vacations.”

Holland America Line’s new 99,500-ton, 2,660-guest ship will be its third Pinnacle Class vessel, following the design of the line’s newest and largest ship, ms Koningsdam, and its sister ship, ms Nieuw Statendam, scheduled for delivery in November 2018.

The new ship will combine classic hallmarks of the brand while featuring several of the innovative venues that were introduced on Koningsdam, as well as new concepts that will debut on Nieuw Statendam and additional elements unique to the new vessel.

Each of Carnival Corporation’s new ships will be specifically designed and developed for each brand and the guests and markets it will serve, supporting the corporation’s overall goal of providing extraordinary vacation experiences at an exceptional value for its guests around the world. Specific features and amenities for the ships, along with deployment details, will be revealed in the coming months.

Holland America's next ship to be called Nieuw Statendam

Nieuw Koningsdam

Holland America Line said its next ship due in 2018 will be named Nieuw Statendam.

HAL officials made the disclosure at the Rotterdam christening ceremony of its latest ship, Koningsdam. Nieuw Statendam will be a sister ship to the 2,650-passenger Koningsdam. 

Last year, the 1,258-passenger Statendam was transferred to the fleet of P&O Cruises Australia and renamed the Pacific Eden.

Five previous ships in HAL history have carried the name.