Holland America Line has changed the name of its newbuild due out next year from Ryndam to Rotterdam, the seventh ship to bear that name.
The vessel, which will become the fleet’s new flagship, is scheduled for a July 30, 2021, delivery, about two months later than originally planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The current 1,404-passenger Rotterdam is leaving the fleet later this year, headed to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines along with the Amsterdam.
“The first ship for Holland America Line was the original Rotterdam, the company was headquartered in the city of Rotterdam for many years, and the name has been a hallmark throughout our history since 1872 – so clearly the name is powerful and symbolic,” said Gus Antorcha, Holland America Line’s president.
Guests and travel advisors with clients who were booked on the ship’s Premiere Voyage in May and itineraries through July 30 are being contacted with rebooking options.
Now the ship’s inaugural season will kick off Aug. 1 with the ship’s seven-day Premiere Voyage departing from Trieste, Italy, to Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, with port calls throughout the Adriatic Sea and southern Italy. The ship sails Aug. 8 from Civitavecchia on a 14-day cruise through the western Mediterranean and on to Amsterdam.
From Aug. 22 through Oct. 10, the ship will sail roundtrip from Amsterdam on three seven-day itineraries to Norway, one 14-day to the Baltic and one 14-day to Norway, Iceland and the British Isles. A trans-Atlantic completes the inaugural Europe season with a 14-day voyage from Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
To accommodate guests booked on the Ryndam from May through July, Nieuw Statendam cruise itineraries also will see some changes to match up as much as possible with former Ryndam sailings.
“Guests and travel advisors will be notified today of this news and coming changes to current itineraries,” Antorcha said. “We ask everyone, though, to please bear with us just a few weeks for all of the details as we rebuild itineraries and put the finishing touches on several desirable alternatives. We will follow up with specific details very soon so everyone knows their options.”
Guests booked on the originally scheduled Premiere Voyage will be rebooked on the Rotterdam’s Aug. 1 sailing and will receive a $100-per-person shipboard credit.
All other guests who were booked on impacted Ryndam or Nieuw Statendam cruises will be automatically rebooked to a similar future cruise date during the summer at the same fare paid. Guests will receive a $100-per-person shipboard credit for cruises 10 days or less and $250 for 12 days or more. Guests are asked to wait until they receive updated booking confirmations in the next several weeks before contacting Holland America Line for additional changes to the booking.
The third in the Pinnacle Class series, the 99,500-gross-ton Rotterdam VII will carry 2,668 guests and feature amenities and innovations, including the 270-degree surround screen World Stage, Rudi’s Sel de Mer and Grand Dutch Café. Rotterdam also will have the live music venues Lincoln Center Stage, B.B. King’s Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room and Billboard Onboard.
Rotterdam is the 17th ship constructed for Holland America Line by Italian shipyard Fincantieri, which most recently built Nieuw Statendam. Naming details have not been finalized and will be announced later.
