Tag Archives: Netherlands

Holland America Line’s Volendam will be used to accommodate around 1,500 Ukrainian refugees.

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HAL will provide three hot meals per day, private stateroom accommodations, housekeeping services, use of public spaces, fitness facilities, internet access and other necessities

It comes as part of a larger commitment from the Netherlands to accommodate 50,000 people who have fled the country following the Russian invasion.

HAL will provide three hot meals per day, private stateroom accommodations, housekeeping services, use of public spaces, fitness facilities, internet access and other necessities while the vessel is docked in Rotterdam. It will be staffed with around 650 crew members.

HAL president Gus Antorcha said the line was in a “unique position” to accommodate the immediate need for food and housing.

“Our company was founded in Rotterdam around the mission of helping immigrants find a better life,” he added. “So today we’re proud to be a small part of a similar mission for Ukrainians who have tragically been displaced.”

Volendam was scheduled to return to service on 15 May, with voyages from Rotterdam to Norway, the British Isles and Iceland.

To accommodate the three-month commitment, Holland America Line will cancel three of those voyages and resume service on 3 July instead. Guests on cancelled cruises are being notified and will be accommodated on similar itineraries.

“We are very sorry for the inconvenience this will cause to guests booked on the three cancelled cruises,” Antorcha said.

A trio of Cruise Ships Drydocks To Start 2021

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The cruise ship drydock market will be hot for 2021, as operators push scheduled refits and class surveys forward ahead of returning to service

Work scopes are expected to be mandatory class surveys, inspections, and technical and safety maintenance, as the majority of big projects scheduled for 2020 and 2021 have been pushed back, Cruise Industry News reported in its 2021 Drydocking and Refurbishment Report.

Without passengers on the ship, the drydocking is when the cruise lines pounce to make any changes ranging from repair to hotel and facility upgrades.

Among the cruise ships that recently drydocked is the 1,778-guest Marella Explorer 2. She is staying at Damen in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The Marella Explorer 2 has had her cabin ceilings and walls resprayed, bathrooms updated. Some of her suites got brand new solid wood floorings, and the Market Place got a contemporary resin floor.

The 2,600-passenger Sapphire Princess, which is operated by Princess Cruises, is currently drydocking at the Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore. The ship was previously scheduled for a drydock in April 2020, which got postponed after the start of the pandemic.

Finally, Dream Cruises’ 1,804-passenger Explorer Dream is not drydocking yet but will be between Feb. 19 and 25. The works will take place in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

DFDS pledges to continue France and Netherlands sailings

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European Cruises and Ferry Crossings | Passenger Ferries | DFDS

Ferry operator DFDS will continue to operate passenger routes between the UK, France and Netherlands, despite the government decision to add the countries to the quarantine list.

The company runs 57 sailings a day on routes from Dover to Calais and Dunkirk; three per day between Newhaven and Dieppe; and daily crossings between Newcastle and Amsterdam.

Kasper Moos, head of DFDS’ short routes and passenger business, said: “Customers with existing bookings or those considering booking a holiday to Europe can rest assured that we will continue to operate our passenger routes between the UK, France and Holland.

“While arrangements may have changed for what they must do when they return from their break, we continue to provide a safe and relaxing means to travel to and from the continent.”

DFDS has introduced safety measures onboard its ships to allow for social distancing and enhanced cleaning regimes.

On its Dover-France routes, all bookings include a free meal in the onboard restaurants, meaning passengers can avoid having to break their journey to stop for food before getting onboard.

For the Newcastle-Amsterdam route, passengers can pre-book dinner and breakfast options during the online booking process.

Customers travelling on its routes from Dover and Newcastle have a ‘Travel Guarantee’, so they can cancel their journey and re-book for a future date for free.