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ships > HAL > News
Holland America Cruise News
Holland American Line Names 2016 Pinnacle Class Ship MS Koningsdam
posted September 15, 2014
Holland America Line revealed the name of its new 99,500-ton cruise
ship slated for delivery in February 2016 will be ms Koningsdam. While the
name pays homage to the company’s rich heritage and deep roots in the
Netherlands, it also reflects a new era with a bold name that is an original
in Holland America Line’s 141-year history. The 2,650-passenger ship is an
evolution in design for the line — a new Pinnacle Class — and is being built
at Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard.
Since 1883 every Holland America passenger vessel has borne the
“dam” suffix, and ms Koningsdam carries on that tradition. The word koning
means “king” in Dutch, and the name celebrates the majestic new ship. The
name also pays honor to His Majesty King
Willem-Alexander, the first king of the Netherlands in over a
century.
“In choosing the name Koningsdam, we are honoring our rich Dutch
heritage while reflecting that we’re entering a new era as a company,” said
Stein Kruse, chief executive officer of the Holland America Group. “This new
Pinnacle Class ship will be our largest, most contemporary vessel, and it
was only fitting to give it a name that embodies great achievement for the
future, while embracing timeless tradition.”
Holland America Line was founded in the Netherlands in 1873 as the
Netherlands-American Steamship Company headquartered in Rotterdam. The
original headquarters building still stands today as the Hotel New York on
the Wilhelmina Pier, with the company’s European headquarters located
nearby.
New design for a new class of ship
When it debuts in February 2016, ms Koningsdam will be a new type
of ship for Holland America Line. At 99,500 gross tons and carrying 2,650
guests and 1,025 crew members, the vessel is the largest ever built for the
company. The increased size provides more opportunities to add new public
spaces and venues, and several innovative features will debut on ms
Koningsdam. Familiar spaces and amenities currently featured across the
Holland America Line fleet will also be found on the new ship.
To bring a fresh vision to ms Koningsdam, Holland America Line
tapped Adam D. Tihany, one of the world’s pre-eminent hospitality designers.
Tihany joins distinguished maritime designer and architect Bjorn Storbraaten
who worked with Holland America Line on ms Nieuw Amsterdam and ms Eurodam.
The two firms will create a modern and contemporary ambiance while
incorporating Holland America Line’s classic hallmarks.
Source: Holland America Line
Holland America Line’s ms Volendam to Add 21 Lanai Staterooms and Mix Bar
posted June 2, 2014
When Holland America Line’s ms Volendam completes dry-dock in
December 2014, the ship will feature 21 new exclusive lanai staterooms, the
contemporary bar area Mix and updated bathrooms in all suites and select
other stateroom categories. With the conversion of existing outside
staterooms to the new lanai accommodations, Volendam’s guest capacity
of 1,432 will not change.
The unique lanai accommodations feature large sliding-glass doors with direct access to the Lower Promenade wrap-around teak walking deck. Each lanai stateroom includes reserved deck chairs, and the sliding-glass doors have a one-way mirrored coating to ensure privacy.
During the dry dock, all suite bathrooms will also be
updated to feature new whirlpool bathtubs, stone vanities, lighted mirrors,
Grohe fixtures, floors, walls and sinks. Several additional categories,
including the Lanai Staterooms, will also receive new bathroom appointments
and walk-in showers.
Mix and Mingle in New Branded Theme Space
Volendam’s centrally located bars
will be reconfigured to feature Mix, a space that incorporates three
specialty theme bars: Martinis, Champagne and Spirits
& Ales.
Martinis serves 19 Grey Goose
martinis elegantly offered in individual shakers as well as a full range of
cocktails. Guests can also enjoy a martini flight made up of several mini
martini concoctions. A featured cocktail is Holland America Line’s signature
martini, the Yellow Tulip, a mixture of Grey Goose vodka, lychee juice,
pineapple juice, guava juice, coconut cream and fresh lime juice.
The bubbly flows at Champagne,
which offers a selection of 20 champagnes and sparkling wines from around
the world. This venue will offer events such as late champagne breakfast,
pre-lunch Mimosa and Bellini hour, champagne tea time and pre-dinner
champagne hour with caviar canapés.
Spirits & Ales features an
international selection of beers and premium whiskeys and brandies sure to
impress even the most discerning connoisseur. Here guests can drop by to
enjoy a wide array of beers on tap while watching sporting events or relax
after some shopping in the nearby boutiques.
Source:
HAL News
HAL & Seabourn Named Most Ethical Company by Ethisphere Institute
posted April 22, 2014
For the third consecutive year, Holland America Line, together with sister line Seabourn, was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute, a leading business ethics think-tank. The company secured its spot on the list by implementing and maintaining business practices and initiatives that are instrumental to company success and benefit the community.
Named in the Leisure and Hospitality category, Holland America Line/Seabourn is one of 144 total honorees representing 41 industries from around the world.
In selecting World’s Most Ethical Company winners, Ethisphere Institute reviews a candidate’s code of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction history; evaluates the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looks at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studies nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.
This is the eighth year Ethisphere has published the World’s Most Ethical
Company rankings. Ethisphere reviewed hundreds of companies and evaluated a
record number of applications utilizing its proprietary methodology through
in-depth research and multistep analysis, naming the companies that
surpassed their industry peers to this year's World's Most Ethical Companies
list. The 2014 list features companies in more than three dozen industries,
including several headquartered outside of the United States.
Read about the methodology and view the complete list of the 2014 World’s
Most Ethical Companies at
http://ethisphere.com/worlds-most-ethical/wme-honorees.
Possible Norovirus Outbreak on HAL ms Veendam
posted February 25, 2014
The CDC boarded the ms Veendam on February 22 to conduct a health assessment after 114 passengers and 10 crew reported norovirus-like symptoms during an eight-day Caribbean cruise.
Afflicted passengers reported severe vomiting and diarrhea. Holland America crew stepped up sanitation efforts and planned to conduct a thorough ship sanitation once reaching port in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Stool samples were collected and sent to the CDC for testing. The ms Veendam experienced an e. Coli outbreak in May of last year.
Three other ships have experience norovirus outbreaks since January, with the most notable being Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas, which returned to port early after a large number of passengers and crew were afflicted.
Crew Worker Accused of Rape and Attempted Murder of HAL Passenger
posted February 19, 2014
A Holland America crew member was taken into custody in Port Everglades Sunday morning after sexually assaulting a 31-year-old passenger in her stateroom on Valentine's Day.
The incident occurred during the early hours of Friday on the ms Nieuw Amsterdam during a seven-day Caribbean cruise. Indonesian citizen Ketut Pujayasa, 28, faces federally charges of aggravated sexual abuse and attempted murder. According to the FBI, Pujayasa attacked the woman because she had insulted him earlier. He used his master key to gain access to the stateroom and hid on the balcony. When the woman returned, Pujayasa violently attacked and raped the passenger before attempting to throw her overboard. The woman escaped and received help from another passenger.
The victim was treated in the onboard medical center before disembarking in Honduras where she was transferred to a U.S. hospital by air. Pujayasa has been fired and was taken into FBI custody when the ship returned to Port Everglades in Florida.
In a statement, Holland America says:
“We are terribly saddened by the senseless assault that took place on the MS Nieuw Amsterdam this past Friday, Feb. 14. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and her family during this difficult time,” Holland America Line said. “While no words can adequately express our shock at this event, this has shaken the entire Holland America family to our very core. We continue to work closely with authorities to understand how this incident occurred and what additional actions we can take to help ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.”
Passenger overboard from ms Veendam
posted January 8,2014
News outlets on the West Coast are reporting a passenger possibly overboard from Holland America's ms Veendam as it headed for San Diego on January 3, 2014.
FBI agents met the cruise ship when it returned to port to conduct an investigation. Medical examiners rules the death a suicide.
According to reports, cruise ship passengers reported an elderly Canadian woman leaned over the rail to possibly jump, but may have changed her mind and slipped as she tried to return to her balcony.
Passengers say the ship did stop and the "man overboard" announcement was called on the speakers. The woman was pulled from the water two hours later without life signs.
Read more about the overboard incident here.
