Tag Archives: Nieuw Amsterdam

Holland America Line 2024 Cruise Capacity Breakdown

Posted on by
Reply

HAL Westerdam in Glacia Bay Alaska photo credit Spacejunkie2 flickr images

According to the 2024 Cruise Industry News Annual Report, Holland America Line is offering a balanced deployment mix in 2024 across its 11-ship fleet.

Alaska continues to concentrate most of the company’s offerings, with a total of six ships sailing in the region this summer.

Offering seven-night cruises from Vancouver, the Koningsdam is Holland America’s largest vessel in Alaska this year.

Other ships sailing in the region include the Nieuw Amsterdam, the Eurodam, the Noordam, the Westerdam and the Zaandam.

Holland America Line is also building up its Caribbean offering in 2024, with roughly a 15 per cent increase in capacity compared to 2023.

Mostly sailing from Port Everglades, seven ships are set to offer week-long or longer cruises in the region this year.

The Caribbean deployment is highlighted by a 21-night cruise that sails roundtrip from the Port of Boston.

Scheduled for October, the unique itinerary sails onboard the Zuiderdam and features visits to destinations in the Southern and Eastern Caribbean, as well as the Bahamas and Bermuda.

After seeing a significant capacity increase in 2023,  Northern Europe completes the brand’s top three cruise capacity regions.

Other regions with significant cruise capacity from Holland America Line include the West Coast, the Mediterranean and Canada/New England.

With summer and fall programs onboard the Volendam and the Zuiderdam, the latter is seeing an 18 per cent capacity spike in 2024.

The Holland America fleet is also offering itineraries to South America, Australia, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, the Canaries, and the Asia/Pacific region, as well as a full world cruise and repositioning trans-Atlantic sailings.

Holland America: Full Fleet Shore Power Ready

Posted on by
Reply

Following the shore power installation on the Volendam, Holland America Line’s entire fleet is now equipped for shore power connectivity.

The Volendam recently completed its installation in Vancouver, British Columbia, and was connected to the port’s shoreside electricity for a full day on September 27.

“At Holland America Line, our legacy of exceptional onboard care extends to caring for the planet, and having our entire fleet capable of shore power connection is a tremendous milestone in our sustainability efforts,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “We have committed to reducing our carbon emission intensity by 20 per cent by 2030 from our 2019 baseline, and we’re on our way to reaching that goal through a variety of initiatives that include shore power. We look forward to more global ports embracing shore power capability in the future and are ready to work with them to connect.”

Ports that the cruise line’s ships visit with shore power include Juneau, Alaska; New York; San Francisco and San Diego, California; Seattle, Washington; Halifax, Montreal and Vancouver, Canada; Bergen, Ålesund and Kristiansand, Norway; Kiel, Germany; and Shanghai and Xiamen, China.

Holland America Line began converting ships for shore power connectivity in 2006 with its four Vista Class ships.

The cruise line’s Pinnacle Class ships (the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and the Rotterdam) all were built with shore power systems installed, while the Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam were launched with a partial installation that has since been completed.

In addition to shore power, the company has also adopted a variety of environmental practices such as banning single-use plastics onboard and using biodegradable or paper-based alternatives.

“We’ve made our packaging changes in a thoughtful manner to ensure that we can both reduce our footprint and also maintain our outstanding guest experience,” added Antorcha.

Fort Lauderdale: LGBTQIA+ Cruises Deliver Key Economic Impact

Posted on by
Reply

Greater Fort Lauderdale is preparing to set a new record in February 2023 with four sold-out LGBTQIA+ cruises bringing in more than $8 million in economic impact, according to Visit Lauderdale, the destination marketing organization.

“With demand for travel to LGBTQIA+ friendly destinations at an all-time high, our reputation for welcoming  ‘everyone under the sun’ has delivered a record-breaking booking of four consecutive LGBT+ cruises of this magnitude,” said Richard Gray, Visit Lauderdale’s senior vice president of inclusion and accessibility.

The four sold-out cruises will bring in a total of 11,500 visitors to Fort Lauderdale, according to a statement. 

In October 2022, Visit Lauderdale launched its new brand campaign titled “Everyone Under the Sun,” aimed at emphasizing Greater Fort Lauderdale’s welcoming atmosphere and its inclusive community. The ads feature locals of all ethnicities and disabilities and members of the area’s LGBTQIA+ community.

Gray worked with LGBTAIA+ cruise operators including Atlantis, VACAYA and Olivia for the past year promoting four sailings on Visit Lauderdale’s website.

The sold-out LGBTQIA+ cruises include:

  • Atlantis’ voyage on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas (February 4-12, 2023);
  • VACAYA’s cruise package on Celebrity Reflections (February 12-19, 2023) 
  • Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam two cruises (February 19-26, 2023 and February 23-March 5, 2023) 


“Beyond our appreciation for the major economic boost to our economy, we want LGBT+ travellers to know they are truly welcome in our community,” concluded Gray.