In honor of some of the most memorable ships in Holland America Line’s nearly 150-year history, the premium cruise line is renaming its newest build from Ryndam to Rotterdam, designating it as the fleet’s new flagship. The seventh ship to bear this historic name, Rotterdam, will be delivered on July 30, 2021, slightly delayed from its original May 2021 delivery date due to the global health situation.
When the Rotterdam is delivered at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard in Italy, it will spend the summer exploring Northern Europe and the Baltic on round-trip cruises from Amsterdam, Netherlands.
“Holland America Line’s first ship was the Rotterdam. The company was headquartered in 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 Torch, President of Holland America Line. “With the current Rotterdam leaving the company, we knew we had a unique opportunity to use the name for our new flagship and continue the tradition of having a Rotterdam in our fleet. Seven is a lucky number, and we know it will bring a lot of joy to our customers as they travel the world.”
Holland America Line's first ship was the Rotterdam, which made its maiden voyage from the Netherlands to New York on October 15, 1872, leading to the company's founding on April 18, 1873. The Rotterdam II was built in 1878 for the British Ship Owners Co. and was acquired by Holland America Line in 1886. The Rotterdam III arrived in 1897 and remained with the company until 1906. The fourth Rotterdam joined the fleet in 1908 and also served as a troop transport after the end of World War I. After the war, it operated regular cruises from New York to the Mediterranean. The Rotterdam V, also known as "The Grande Dame," sailed in 1959 and began transatlantic voyages. It sailed with Holland America Line for 38 years until 1997 and is now a hotel and museum in Rotterdam. The Rotterdam VI, the most recent ship to cross for Holland America Line, was launched in 1997 and was the first ship of the R Class.
The Rotterdam VII cruise season begins on August 1 with a seven-day inaugural voyage from Trieste, Italy, to Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, with stops at ports along the Adriatic Sea and in southern Italy. Following this voyage, the ship will depart Civitavecchia on August 8 for a 14-day cruise through the Western Mediterranean to Amsterdam. From August 22 to October 10, the ship will sail round-trip from Amsterdam on three seven-day itineraries to Norway, one 14-day Baltic itinerary, and one 14-day itinerary to Norway, Iceland, and the British Isles. A transatlantic cruise completes the inaugural European season with a 14-day voyage from Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“Passengers and travel agents will be notified of this news and the changes to the scheduled itineraries,” Antorcha added. “We ask everyone to please be patient while we reschedule the itineraries and finalize the alternatives. We will soon be able to provide more details so everyone knows their options.”
Passengers with reservations on the Inaugural Voyage will be transferred to the Rotterdam's first voyage, departing on August 1, and will receive onboard credit. All other passengers with reservations on the Ryndam or Nieuw Statendam cruises will have their reservations amended and will also receive onboard credit on their new bookings.
The Rotterdam, the third in the Pinnacle Class series, can accommodate 2,668 passengers and will feature highly successful amenities and innovations, including the 270-degree World Stage surround screen, Rudi's Sel de Mer, and the Grand Dutch Café. The Rotterdam will also showcase Holland America Line's signature cuisine, overseen by eight of the world's leading chefs, and superbly appointed staterooms and suites.
Rotterdam is the 17th ship built for Holland America Line by the Italian shipyard Fincantieri, which recently built the Nieuw Statendam.
