As a tribute to its long line of historic ships that helped lay the foundation for the cruise industry as we know it today, Holland America Line announced that its next Pinnacle-class ship will be named Ryndam. The new ship, scheduled for delivery in May 2021, will be the fourth ship in the company's history to bear that name.
Ryndam will be similar to its sister ships, Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam, with a gross tonnage of 99,500 and a capacity for 2,666 passengers. As the third in the series, Ryndam will feature the Pinnacle Class upgrades and innovations, in addition to the signature Holland America Line features that result in one of the highest repeat passenger rates in the industry.
“Holland America Line pays homage to the timeless tradition of cruising while incorporating new innovations for today’s travelers, and the name Ryndam reflects the unique history of this company and honors the previous ships that were groundbreaking in their time, just like this latest Ryndam,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “From the first Ryndam more than 100 years ago to the most recent, ships bearing the same name have been beloved by our guests. The next Ryndam will breathe new life into one of the most remarkable ship series in our history.”.
The steel cutting for the Ryndam marked the official start of the construction process and took place on March 13, 2019, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy. This will be the seventeenth ship built for Holland America Line by the Italian shipyard, which recently delivered the Nieuw Statendam.
Holland America Line's historic Ryndam ships
The first Ryndam was part of the Holland America Line fleet from 1901 to 1929, initially named Rijndam before receiving its English name in 1923. In 1927, Ryndam I became the first Holland America Line ship to circumnavigate the globe, although it was chartered as a floating school for that voyage. The second Ryndam served with the company from 1951 to 1973, and the third from 1993 to 2015, when it was transferred to sister brand P&O Australia and now cruises as Pacific Aria.
