MS Nieuw Amsterdam arriving early morning into Vancouver, photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)
Effective immediately, unvaccinated guests sailing on “standard protocol” voyages will no longer need a test prior to disembarkation.
Guests will also not have to provide evidence of vaccination unless they are required to do so by a destination.
“Our guests continue to show their excitement to return to cruising, and this is another step toward making it as easy as possible for them to safely explore the world in a way they love,” said Gus Antorcha, president of HAL.
“Standard protocol” voyages now also include Panama Canal transits up to 15 nights and guests on “enhanced protocol” voyages will be provided additional information about protocols based on ports visited.
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.
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’s Rotterdam VII departed Rotterdam last week for the cruise line’s 150th-anniversary transatlantic crossing, according to a press release.
The 15-day voyage was designed to recreate Holland America Line’s first voyage onboard the Rotterdam I and the route follows the original route to New York, with stops in Le Havre, France, and Plymouth, England, according to Holland America Line.
“Today is historic for our brand as we depart 150 years to the day that Holland America Line’s very first ship began its journey to New York,” said Gus Antorcha, president, of Holland America Line.
“In that time, we’ve carried immigrants and cruising vacationers, soldiers and refugees and earned a reputation for the extraordinary care and welcoming all those guests as if into our own homes. As we sail into our next 150 years, that environment of service will be our hallmark as we create exceptional experiences for guests around the world,” he added.
Guests will travel through Holland America Line’s history with onboard enrichment programming, culinary recreations of dishes served in the original sailing, and other forms of entertainment. The celebrations will continue on October 26 with a commissioned performance on the World Stage by past and present Lincoln Center Stage performers.
The cruise line will offer its anniversary sailing again on April 6, 2023, setting sail from New York and ending in Rotterdam on April 18.
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