What Is The Newest Holland America Cruise Ship

Fuel Surcharge Policy On Holland America Cruises

Holland America Line’s Newest Pinnacle Class Ship “Nieuw Statendam”

Holland America has eliminated its fuel surcharge for all voyages. For all bookings within the final payment period, the fuel supplement will be refunded in the form of a shipboard credit. For all bookings outside of the final payment period for departures, the fuel supplement will be removed and guests will be provided with a revised final payment amount. Holland America reserves the right to reinstate fuel supplements if the price of light sweet crude oil, according to the NYMEX, should increase above $70 per barrel.

Children’s Programs On Holland America

Holland America Line has plenty of programs designed to help kids feel welcome and stay entertained aboard a Holland cruise to Alaska. Activities are planned for guests age three to 17, and kids even have their own spaces to play and meet friends while sailing. Club HAL programs are split up by age group, and are supervised by a full-time staff with degrees in education, childhood development, recreation, or other related fields.

Programs include:

Club HAL Kids: For kids ages 3-7, with activities like pirate-themed treasure hunts, storytelling, arts and crafts and ice cream parties
Club HAL Tweens: For kids ages 8-12, with programming such as Xbox tournaments, karaoke disco parties, and ship-wide scavenger hunts
The Loft for Teens: For teens ages 13-17, with mocktail mixology classes, late night athletic competitions, hip-hop classes and teen-only nightclub events planned
Culinary Arts Center: Besides enrichment programs for adults, Holland offers kid-friendly events too basic cooking and kitchen safety classes are offered for two age groups – 3 to 7 and 8 to 15

Babysitting services are available on sea days for kids over the age of three. An after-hours program is also available between 10 p.m. to 12 p.m., with activities and care provided to kids ages 3-12 for $5 per child, per hour.

A Smooth Embarkation Day

With only 11 public decks, our typical cruise ship tour would be certainly shorter than most day 1 explorations. While not sunny or warm, at least it wasnt raining.

The staterooms were ready when we arrived on the ship. Thus, we made a pitstop to drop off our carry-ons and check out our cabin first.

Our stateroom was a VB category balcony cabin, 4137. This aft cabin was right near the elevators. It was much larger than our cabin a few weeks ago. The bathroom was also bigger than typical cruise ship bathrooms, as it featured a full bathtub.

After taking some photos and videos of the stateroom, we headed out to explore the rest of the ship.

Making our way to the outdoor decks first, the layout felt similar to Viking Ocean cruise ships. With an aft pool near the buffet and a covered midship pool, we couldnt help make that comparison.

As part of the new muster drill process, cruisers need to check-in to their muster station on Deck 3 at some point prior to sail away. So, we made sure to complete this mandatory stop along the way. We would also need to view the required safety video on the stateroom television later to complete the mandatory drill.

Eventually making our way down to deck 2, we had captured almost all of the public venues in just a few hours. With more fellow cruisers now onboard the ship, it was time to test out the food.

The sun was starting to break through the clouds, so we decided to grab some outdoor seats.

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What’s The Dress Code Onboard

Smart casual attire is the dress code for most evenings, so leave those distressed jeans, shorts and beachwear behind when its dinnertime and opt for a collared shirt with slacks or nice dress instead! Take part in the glamorous atmosphere of Gala Nights by dressing to impress with your finest formal wear.

About Holland America Lines New Ship

New cruise ships for 2016: Holland America

In revealing the name of the new ship, Holland America Lines president, Orlando Ashford, admitted that the company has been working on that balance between our history of 146 years and a lot of these changes that we are making to position ourselves for the future.

And that conversation revolved, in part, around the name Ryndam, given that this will be the fourth ship to carry that moniker.

Weve had the discussion about the name and should we change the naming convention, Ashford admits. But dam is a part of our naming convention and something that is historic and traditional. We decided to go back and tap into a traditional name.

President Orlando Ashford speaks out the upcoming ship Ryndam.

The original Ryndam sailed under the Holland America Line flag from 1901 to 1929 . The next Ryndam served from 1950 until 1973, with the third sailing voyages from 1993 until 2015.

That most recent incarnation of the ship was then transferred to P& O Australia a sister line to Holland America where she now cruises as the Pacific Aria. So weve had three Ryndams, concludes Ashford, and were about to have another one. Were really excited to add her to the fleet!

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Holland America Takes Delivery Of New Ship Rotterdam From Fincantieri

Holland America Line has taken delivery of the Rotterdam on July 30, 2021, officially making it the 11th ship in the fleet. A handover ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy on the evening of July 29.

The ceremony was attended by the ship’s master, Captain Werner Timmers, and Cyril Tatar, Holland America Group’s vice president of newbuilding services.

Giuseppe Bono, CEO, Fincantieri, and several other executives also attended. Video congratulations were extended by Jan Swartz, president of Holland America Group, and Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line.

“The Rotterdam looks stunning and will certainly live up to bearing such an iconic name as the new flagship of our fleet, carrying on a tradition of excellence that our guests have loved for nearly 150 years,” said Antorcha.

“Thank you to our partners at Fincantieri and our own team members who worked tirelessly to deliver the ship on schedule during what has been the most challenging of times, and also deliver a ship that looks beautiful, is immaculately finished and will be an incredible addition to our brand. We cannot wait to welcome guests onboard later this fall,” he added.

Upon delivery, the Rotterdam will remain in non-guest operations until its transatlantic crossing Oct. 20, 2021, from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where it will then begin its maiden season in the Caribbean.

Shore Excursions On Holland Alaska Cruises

Along with regular Alaskan cruises, Holland America offers Alaska Land + Sea Journeys in Denali and the Yukon. Cruisetours offer an extended stay in port, and include accommodations other than the ship. On the “Untamed Denali” journey, guests travel to Denali National Park in a glass-domed rail car called the McKinley Explorer, and stay at the magnificent McKinley Chalet Resort. Choose from a one, two, or three-day stay in Denali, where you can see wolves, moose, and grizzly bears in their natural state and glimpse Mt. Denali, the continent’s highest peak.

Another popular cruisetour is the Yukon and Denali “Green and Gold” tour, in which guests get to discover what life was like during the Klondike Gold Rush and view some of the pristine green forests of Denali National Park.

More traditional Alaskan cruises offer many opportunities for land exploration, too. With Holland shore excursions, you can encounter wildlife up close, learn more about the Native Alaskan culture, and view beautiful glaciers from land, sea, or sky. Some of the shore excursions Holland America Cruises offers in Alaska include:

Sitka Summer Music Festival: An Exclusive Chamber Music Concert – Sitka, Alaska
Magnificent Misty Fjords by Floatplane – Ketchikan, Alaska
Bike and Brew Glacier View – Juneau, Alaska
Klondike Rock Climbing and Rappelling – Skagway, Alaska
White Pass Summit Scenic Railway – Haines, Alaska

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A Typical Formal Night

While I loathe cruise ship formal nights, Heidi loves them. Taking our time getting ready, we met our team right before 7 pm at the Pinnacle Bar. Tonight, we were being treated to the cruise lines steakhouse, Pinnacle Grill.

Tonight was also the first show of the cruise, Humanity. Presented by the Step One Dance company, it was the cruise lines version of a production show. Of course, we wanted to see this performance.

With 14 people eating at the signature specialty restaurant, we knew this was going to be a tight schedule. Unfortunately, we were only able to fit in 2 out of 3 courses during the two hour stretch.

With a classically presented Wedge salad and some crispy and sweet candied bacon, both of our appetizers were the perfect starting point for a formal night dinner.

My filet was cooked to the perfect medium-rare texture and melted in my mouth. Heidis chicken was pretty standard, but she did comment it was more flavorful than other cruise lines. Our sides, which included sautéed mushrooms and fries, were slightly better than average.

Overall, we would certainly dine here again on another Holland America Line trip.

Passing on dessert, we made a b-line to the theater right before showtime. With the theater about half full, we were able to find seats that ended up being a bit too close to the stage given the pitch of the venue.

Sadly, the cruise line is only offering one daily stateroom cleaning, so there was no towel animal to welcome us back to our cabin.

Preparing For Our First Port Of Call

Holland America Cruise Ship Set To Depart San Diego

With the WiFi being a bit spotty, we did our best to work poolside until about lunch time. Having tested the quick service venues the day before, I opted for the Lido Market today, the cruise ships buffet. The wife went with a grilled chicken sandwich from the Dive-In. Both sandwiches were on par with other cruise ship selections.

Now officially afternoon, we grabbed two drinks from the Lido Bar for our traditional drink around the ship and headed outside for some fresh air. While it was sunny, it was also quite windy. So, we only spent an hour or so here.

Our plan for the afternoon was to check out the ships enrichment program. The scheduled EXC Talk at 2 pm was on the Iditarod Race. I thought it was a pretty good presentation, including pre-recorded interview segments from one contestant in the race.

The 35 minute presentation abutted the 3 pm talk being given by the naturalist, Russ. So, a quick hop up to deck 11 for more coffee, and we were back in similar seats to listen to his talk on the Alaskan Wilderness.

Being our second Alaska cruise in a month, and 4th overall, much of this talk was redundant. After these trips, I dont think we will ever forget the 5 types of salmon!

Done with his talk before 4 pm, we had some time to browse the shops and snag a t-shirt as well as one of the last ship ornaments left on the shelves.

Given that it was the first Gala Night, the Princess needed ample time to get ready for dinner, so we made our way back to the room.

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Who Is Ready For A Thrill

Icy Strait Point is located near the town of Hoonah. I liken this privately developed port to the cruise lines private islands in the Bahamas. With a few restaurants, a gift shop, a pier-side bar with fire pits, and an aerial gondola set amidst the forest, it offers just enough to experience in a short stop.

Icy Strait Point is home to a cannery museum, walking trails, and the main attraction, the Zip Rider. At just over a mile long, riders zip down the track from a 1300 foot elevation at speeds up to 60 mph.

We walked off the ship as soon as we could giving us enough time to essentially make a loop around the area before our 7:15 pm excursion.

The new tram from the NCL dock was running, taking cruisers back and forth to that landing area. While we did plan to ride this after the zip line, it was closed by the time our excursion was over.

After checking in for our tour, it would take another 20 minutes or so before we departed on the 40 minute bus ride from the base camp up to the loading platform. Of note, a second tram is being built that will actually take travelers from the NCL pier directly up to this area in 7 minutes. Of course, additional restaurants and shopping are planned for this mountain spot as well.

Getting dropped off at the top of the mountain, there was an unexpected .25 mile walk down a rather steep and slippery hiking trail.

Our group of approximately 30 was divided into smaller groups as six riders can take flight at a time.

Activities On Holland America

Fill your days on a Holland America Cruise with an array of entertainment, enrichment activities, and nightlife. Holland has teamed up with America’s Test Kitchen to offer onboard cooking shows and hands-on workshops where you can learn cooking techniques and delicious recipes to make back on land. There is also the Greenhouse Spa & Salon, where you can kick back and relax while getting a massage, manicure or pedicure, facial, or other wellness treatment.

Holland has plenty of activities designed to stretch your brain, like Digital Workshop classes sponsored by Windows, and BBC Earth Natural History activities including concerts, films and shows. You can easily stay active in the fitness center, which is stocked with cardio and weight machines, or outside on the basketball or volleyball courts. For art lovers, there is a gallery walk hosting collections of art and antiques.

Other cruise ships staples like a casino, library, and theater are available onboard too. Enjoy classical music at Lincoln Center Stage, jazz at the B.B. King Blues Club, or live pop music and trivia at Billboard Onboard. The ships have several bars & lounges throughout too sip a cocktail in the Gallery Bar, drink wine before a stunning view in the Crow’s Nest, or get your groove on in the Northern Lights Nightclub.

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