Tag Archives: Noordam

Holland America’s Noordam Resumes Service After Two Years

Posted on by
Reply

The Noordam is reentering service for Holland America Line today in Florida.

After a 25-month hiatus, the 2006-built cruise ship is resuming commercial service with two repositioning cruises ahead of a summer program in Alaska.

First, the vessel is offering first a Panama Canal cruise. The 17-night voyage sails from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego and features visits to eight ports in Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico.

Once on the West Coast, the Noordam embarks on a four-night Pacific Coastal itinerary that links San Diego and Vancouver, with a stop in Victoria.

The vessel then starts its summer season in the Last Frontier, offering open-jaw cruises between Vancouver and Whittier.

Called “Glacier Discovery,” the vessel’s regular itinerary includes calls in Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, in addition to cruising at the Glacier Bay and the Hubbard Glacier.

Concluding its Alaska program, the Noordam departs on a special 34-night repositioning voyage to the South Pacific in October.

The itinerary sails to Sydney and features calls in Hawaii, Kiribati, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Tonga and Australia – where the ship is poised to spend the next winter season.

The Noordam originally entered service in 2006 as the fourth ship in a series of four 82,000-ton cruise ships known as the Vista Class.

In 2019, the 1,900-guest vessel was subjected to a major refurbishment that included several upgrades to its cabins and public areas.

Additions comprise the Billboard Onboard to the Music Walk area, the Microsoft Studio in the Explorations Café and Fujifilm Wonder PhotoShop.

Suites were also refreshed with new soft goods, furniture and bathrooms and other areas such as the Pinnacle Grill, the Pinnacle Bar, the Greenhouse Spa and Salon, the Dining Room and Lido Market received extensive enhancements.

In addition to the Noordam, six cruise ships are currently sailing with guests for Holland America Line.

While the entire fleet is set to be in service by July, two additional vessels – the Oosterdam and the Zaandam – are returning in May.

‘Positive Signs’ as Holland America Moving Six Ships Toward U.S.

Posted on by
Reply

Holland America Line is preparing for a gradual restart and is said to be moving six cruise ships toward the U.S. citing positive signs and a new conversation around the return to service.

The news came in a letter sent to crew from President Gus Antorcha, reported by Crew Center, and also obtained by Cruise Industry News.

“Following in-depth discussions with the CDC, other government agencies, and medical and science authorities, we have decided to start moving six Holland America Line ships toward U.S. waters over the next several weeks to begin completing the requirements for conditional sailing,” Antorcha said in the letter sent to the crew.

The ships heading to U.S. waters are the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam, and Noordam. Holland America did not specify port information but the line has traditionally had a strong presence in the winter from Port Everglades and Tampa, which would pull from a large drive-to market.

“While there is still much to be done, this is an important first step toward our goal of resuming cruise operation,” the letter said.

“Holland America Line will continue to work with the CDC on our eventual return to guest cruise operations. We are fully aligned with the CDC on our top priorities for compliance, protecting the environment, and the health, safety, and well-being of our guests, the people in communities we touch, our crew, and shoreside employees.”

Holland America Line cancels cruises into 2021

Posted on by
Reply

Holland America Line Alaska | AlaskaTravel.com

Holland America Line is extending its pause of cruise operations and cancelling additional departures from Vancouver this year.

Selected Hawaii itineraries for early 2021 are also affected.

The extension of cruise cancellations has been made due to “travel and port restrictions continuing for the near future due to global health concerns,” the Carnival Corporation brand said.

Future cruise credits are being offered to customers booked on the cancelled cruises and are valid for cruises until the end of 2022.

People wanting refunds must fill in a ‘cancellation preferences’ form by July 15.

Cruises operated by six ships have been cancelled:

Eurodam:

September 26, 2020, 22-day Panama Canal cruise from Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Koningsdam:

September 26, 2020, seven-day Pacific Northwest cruise from Vancouver to San Diego, California.

January 16 and February 2, 2021, Circle Hawaii voyages from San Diego.

Maasdam:

September 21, 2020, 16-day Mexico and Sea of Cortez itinerary from Vancouver to San Diego.

Noordam:

September. 27, 2020, 14-day North Pacific Crossing from Vancouver to Yokohama, Japan.

Volendam:

September 30, October 3 and October 10, 2020, three- and seven-day Pacific Northwest and coastal cruises from Vancouver.

Westerdam:

September 20, 2020, 17-day Circle Hawaii cruise from Vancouver

October 7, 2020, 23-day Inca Discovery voyage from Vancouver to San Antonio (Santiago), Chile.