About Holland America Line
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If you had to pick one word to describe the Holland America Line, that word would be "venerable." The line is arguably the most historic and tradition-laden on the seas. Its first ship, the 1,684-ton Rotterdam, set sail on a voyage between Holland and New York in 1873, and today, HAL ships sail all around the globe.
The line was originally named the Netherlands-America Steamship Company, but soon became known as the Holland America Line because it carried great numbers of immigrants from Holland to America. The company concentrated on the transatlantic passenger trade, as well as on commercial freight shipping until the 1970's. Its first purpose-built passenger ship was constructed in 1973, and since then, the line has concentrated on cruise vacation travel.
In 1978, Holland America moved its headquarters from Rotterdam to Stamford, Connecticut. The company's headquarters then moved to Seattle, Washington in 1983, in order to consolidate operations with Westours, an Alaska tour company in which Holland America purchased a controlling interest. In 1988, Holland America purchased Windstar Cruises, operator of four- and five-masted, computer-guided sailing ships. It ultimately sold Windstar to a smaller ship operator.
One year later, the behemoth Carnival Corporation acquired Holland America Line, which remains headquartered in Seattle.
Holland America may now be a U.S.-based cruise line, but it continues to maintain strong ties with its Netherlands heritage. Ships in its fleet -- since the 1890's and continuing today -- bear the suffix "dam." Most of the names are inspired by actual dams that traverse the rivers of the Netherlands. In other cases, such as with its Vista-class of ships, the names represent points of the compass (Oosterdam is East, Westerdam is West, Noordam is North, etc.). Many of the names are in their fourth, fifth or sixth incarnations. Eurodam, HAL's newest offering, was christened in Rotterdam in July 2008 and by none other than the Netherlands' Queen Beatrix.
Another nice traditional touch: In the summer of 2003, Holland America celebrated its 130th anniversary in Rotterdam, its founding city. It was a royalty-studded gala in which the townspeople lined the docks to celebrate their most famous homegrown enterprise. But the festivities also served to inaugurate the 85,000-ton, 1,848-passenger Oosterdam.
At the end of 2003, Holland America announced a new initiative, known as the "Signature of Excellence." This ongoing program focuses on updating and upgrading existing ships. Some $525 million will be spent to enhance the fleet in the areas of guest accommodations, public rooms, dining, service and enrichment programs.
The first round of improvements included an early embarkation program that allows guests to board as early as 11:30 a.m., new culinary arts centers for cooking demonstrations and classes, table-side waiter service in the ships' casual Lido Restaurant, exclusive "Medallion Shore Excursions" in exotic destinations like Asia and Africa, an expanded "Speakers Program," new Greenhouse Spas with exclusive treatments in thermal suites and hydro pools, the "Explorations Cafe" (which also serves as a multidimensional venue for onboard programming), 24-hour concierge service for suite guests and more extensive youth programs.
In late 2008, Holland America announced the latest round of improvements. Statendam, Ryndam, Maasdam, Veendam and Rotterdam are undergoing a series dry docks, scheduled through early 2011. New staterooms -- including balcony cabins, spa staterooms large enough for in-room treatments and "lanai" rooms, which open directly onto the deck -- will be added to each ship. The Retreat, an adults-only pool, will be added to the ships, along with a new lounge called Mix that is made up of three specialty bars. In April 2009, Veendam was the first ship to get these upgrades.
The Fleet
While Holland America offers many consistent features across the fleet, its 14 ships do offer varied onboard ambiences.
First up is Eurodam, the line's newest and largest ship. Carrying 2,104 passengers, Eurodam was inspired, in large part, by the Vista-class' designs, but it has plenty of extras, too. Among the highlights: a new Asian-themed restaurant called Tamarind and 56 spa staterooms that are close to the Greenhouse Spa and boast a zen decor. The line will add a second Signature-class ship, Nieuw Amsterdam, in July 2010.
The ultra-contemporary Vista-class of vessels represented an evolution for Holland America when it was first introduced. The first in the 85,000-ton, 1,848-passenger group of ships was Zuiderdam, which entered service in 2003. Oosterdam debuted in 2003, followed by Westerdam in April 2004 and Noordam in March 2006. Highlights of the Vista-class ships include ocean views in 85 percent of the staterooms and verandahs in 67 percent of the staterooms; each stateroom is also equipped with a data port connection. The ships feature nifty, glass-walled exterior elevators that ascend up 10 decks and provide fabulous panoramic views. The alternative restaurant, spa, entertainment lounge, penthouse verandah suites and Internet cafe on the Vista-class ships are larger than those on older ships in the Holland America fleet. There are also extensive Club HAL children's play facilities on all Vista-class ships, though these should not be compared -- neither in size nor in depth of program -- to seriously family-friendly lines.
Noordam's architecture also included the addition of 27 feet of aft deck space and 35 new staterooms added to the aft end of the ship. It has proven so successful that Holland America took each of the previous Vista-class ships into dry dock, over a three-year period, to incorporate those additions.
The fleet's older ships -- much more midsized, measuring approximately 60,000 tons and carrying 1,258 to 1,432 passengers -- may lack the higher balcony ratios of its newer brethren, but they're among the sweetest ships afloat. They include Rotterdam-class vessels, such as Volendam and Zaandam, which debuted in 1999 and 2000, respectively, and feature a convenient third staircase for easier access to public rooms, a very spacious and well-equipped gym and more of the popular "verandah suites" (168) than any other Holland America ship.
Rotterdam-class vessels also include the line's two flagships -- the 1,316-passenger Rotterdam and the 1,380-passenger Amsterdam, built in 1997 and 2000, respectively. (Both ships are approximately 60,000 tons.) As flagships, Rotterdam and Amsterdam were designed to show off Holland America at its best -- and most opulent. They are the most posh ships in the line, decorated with dark woods, ornate dining facilities, elaborate atriums and the impressive, original artwork that is the line's hallmark. Constructed for longer trips, the ships carry passengers on numerous Grand World Voyages. In 2010, Amsterdam will return to world cruising with a 114-day voyage.
Statendam-class ships include Statendam, Maasdam, Ryndam and Veendam. These four vessels entered service between 1993 and 1996. The ships were ordered not long after Carnival Corporation bought Holland America. Since Carnival didn't want the Holland America ships to compete as heavily with its own Carnival Cruise Lines, the Statendam ships were kept to a more modest size: 55,000 tons and 719 feet in length with a passenger capacity of 1,260 to 1,350. It's a nice configuration that feels more spacious than other mid-sized ships. The Statendam-class ships feature two-level dining rooms and large atriums. Statendam and Ryndam were also the first to get the Pinnacle Grill restaurant in 2002 before it was rolled out to the rest of the fleet in 2003.
All eight older ships have now been upgraded with "Signature of Excellence" enhancements, and all offer the Explorations Cafe, culinary arts center, Eurotop mattresses, upscale bedding, massage showerheads, lighted makeup mirrors, salon-style hairdryers and expanded children's and teen's centers (found on the newer Vista- and Signature-class ships). In late 2008, Holland America announced that the Statendam-class ships, along with Rotterdam, would get the latest round of enhancements. Additions include an adults-only pool area called The Retreat, spa staterooms, a new bar called Mix and an outdoor LED screen for alfresco movie-watching. Veendam was the first ship to get the upgrades in the spring of 2009; the remaining ships will get their makeovers in dry-docks scheduled through 2011.
Unique in its own right is Holland America's Prinsendam. Holland America purchased the 793-passenger ship in 2002. Built in 1988, it was originally called Royal Viking Sun and later became Seabourn Sun. Holland America dubbed the ship its "Elegant Explorer" and is now utilizing it primarily for longer sailings. Although Holland America has updated the ship, Prinsendam still has an old-world feel with lots of dark woods and brass accents. But it also has plenty of modern amenities, including a nicely equipped Internet cafe with wireless access in hot spots throughout the ship and a small but lovely Pinnacle Grill Restaurant.
Another plus: Prinsendam offers a refreshing diversity of cabins, many of which, constructed before the pre-fabricated era, are unique in size and shape.
Prinsendam's promenade deck, with its unobstructed views, is one of the nicest on the seas.
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Onboard
One of the nice things about Holland America's onboard ambience is that its arty, colorful ships, though all carrying an individual decorating theme, have a pleasant consistency. Holland America ships have numerous traditions -- such as afternoon tea, gentlemen hosts for dancing on cruises over 10 days and a quaint "chime ringing" to announce dinner -- that are consistent throughout the fleet.
The line distinguishes itself with an eclectic yet thoughtful collection of artwork onboard, and art tours are definitely worthwhile. New self-guided iPod tours are available. The devices can be borrowed from each ship's Explorations Cafe.
Holland America offers some special-touch services not found on other cruise lines. If you're on a warm weather itinerary, you'll find waiters roaming the decks with tall glasses of iced tea or lemonade. In Alaska, you'll warm up on the outside decks with mugs of delicious Dutch pea soup.
The line was a pioneer in introducing the alternative restaurant concept with the introduction of Odyssey Restaurant onboard the Rotterdam. These days, the concept has evolved, and the line's signature restaurant, the Pinnacle Grill, is in place, fleetwide, as the alternative dining venue. The Pinnacle Grill is a reservations-only venue with a $10 cover charge for lunch and a $20 charge for dinner. The atmosphere is elegant, and the menu features meat and seafood dishes with a Pacific Northwest theme.
Holland America has long been one of the more traditional cruise lines when it comes to main restaurant dining, but it does now offer passengers more flexibility with "As You Wish" dining. It works like this: One level of the ships' two-deck-high dining rooms will be dedicated to traditional, early (5:45 p.m.) or main-seating (8 p.m.) while the other is open from 5:15 to 9 p.m. daily. (Breakfast and lunch are already open-seating.) Passengers opting for open-seating can make reservations ahead of time -- or simply walk in.
Evening entertainment, consistent with the Holland America experience, is fairly understated with pre-dinner cocktails generally being the liveliest time. However, there are numerous entertainment options, from disco-style dancing in the Crow's Nest and flicks in the cinema to Vegas-style revues in the main theater.
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Fellow Passengers
Holland America offers one of cruising's most varied fleet schedules. Each year, its ships sail to more than 320 ports of call on all seven continents. Its itineraries are more diverse than most cruise lines because they sail from so many different home ports (35 in 2009). New ports for 2009 include Cardiff, Wales; Batumi, Georgia; Maputo, Mozambique; Kristiansund, Norway; and Vaasa, Finland.
Holland America was one of the first companies to offer Alaska cruises, and it's an area where the line stands out in a crowded field. It offers an array of seven-day cruises, as well as extended cruisetours to Denali National Park and Canada's Kluane National Park. Cruisetour passengers travel on McKinley Explorer railcars, the largest domed railcars ever built. New for 2010: 14-night Alaska sailings on Amsterdam add stops in Kodiak, Homer and Anchorage to the mix of Inside Passage ports.
Holland America also offers yearly world cruises, called "Grand World Voyages." Holland America's world cruise for 2010, which will take place aboard Amsterdam, will circumnavigate the globe, as usual. What's different is that the ship will head east instead of west. The reason for that? Timing -- world cruises on most lines tend to depart for three-month journeys in mid-January. Most head to the South Pacific and must bypass ports in more northern climes. But by going east, by the time Amsterdam arrives in the Far East, for instance, it's already spring, and so the ship will be able to make calls in China, Japan and Korea among other countries. Additionally, Amsterdam sails a 67-night Grand Pacific Australia and New Zealand voyage in the fall of 2009. (It embarks on a similar 69-night trip in September of 2010, as well.) Prinsendam also sails longer voyages. In January 2010, the ship departs on a 70-night Grand South America Explorer, followed by a 54-night Grand Mediterranean and Black Sea voyage. Both cruises will be offered in their entirety or for booking as shorter segments. (Passengers can stay onboard as few as 14 nights of the South American cruise and 24 nights of the Mediterranean and Black Sea sailing.)
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Itineraries
Holland America has long had a reputation for catering to a well-heeled but somewhat traditionally minded crowd. Perhaps that's due to the line's insistence on maintaining its traditions with set-seating dining, elegant afternoon tea, ballroom dancing and on-ship tennis courts. But Holland America is also making an effort to entice a younger, hipper customer base by integrating some of cruising's most important new features, such as Internet cafes with wireless access, alternative boutique restaurants, concierge service for upper-level accommodations and indoor-outdoor pools for year-round use. Camp HAL has also been upgraded to meet the needs of younger families with children -- especially during summer sailings to Alaska and the Caribbean and on weeklong (as opposed to two-week-plus) voyages. Although Holland America is not likely to rival Disney for the breadth and depth of its programs, most of the ships offer Club HAL children's programming, particularly during the summer and other school holiday periods.
The Club HAL programs are divided into three age groups: 3 to 7, 8 to 12 and 13 to 17. All of the ships now have expanded children's facilities, dedicated teen lounges and parent-free zones with computers, conversation areas and gaming stations. Teens can take advantage of these spaces, which bear names like The Loft and The Oasis and have themes to match.
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--Updated by Amy Gunderson, Cruise Critic contributor
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Read More About Holland America Line Ships:
Amsterdam • Eurodam • Maasdam • Nieuw Amsterdam • Noordam • Oosterdam • Prinsendam • Rotterdam • Ryndam • Statendam • Veendam • Volendam • Westerdam • Zaandam • Zuiderdam
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