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#1 (tie)
ms Eurodam
Holland America Line
#1 in Best Holland America Cruises (tie)
The ms Eurodam has been sailing around the globe since 2008, carrying up to 2,104 passengers and 929 crew members. In December 2015, the ship underwent a dry dock refurbishment that brought updates to public spaces and staterooms. The ship’s 11 deck include five cabin categories, ranging from Interior staterooms (141 to 284 square feet) to Ocean-View and Verandah staterooms as well as Signature, Neptune and Pinnacle Suites. All cabins come equipped with Sealy Euro-top mattresses and flat-screen TVs.
Activities range from cooking demonstrations in the Culinary Arts Center to treatments at the Greenhouse Spa & Salon includes a thermal suite and hydro pool. While children play games and make friends at age-appropriate kids and teens clubs, adults can sip cocktails at one of the bars and lounges. In the evening, guests can enjoy B. B. King's Blues Club for live music or take in theatrical performances.
ms Zuiderdam
Itineraries Current position Deck plans
Review of Holland America
One of the oldest shipping companies, the Holland America Line (HAL) was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company (NASM) – a mail and cargo passenger ship operator between Europe and the Americas, offering its first sea vacation in 1895. Nowadays, the Holland America company’s best assets include the Westmark hotel chain (in Alaska-Yukon region), Worldwide Shore Services (warehouses and logistics), and the best Caribbean Private Island. The line’s very own Little San Salvador Island, widely known as Half Moon Cay, is at about 160 kilometers southeast of Nassau, and is an exclusive port of call for all HAL and Carnival passenger ships. The Westmark chain allows Holland America to dominate completly the Alaskan cruise tours market, offering the most various and cheap land and sea Alaska sea travel packages.
One of the best cruise lines for couples, the first among the best lines for Alaska, and offering the cheapest Alaska land and sea packages, Holland America is a feature brand of the Carnival Corporation & plc – the world’s largest ship travel operator. One of the main operating companies in the Carnival group, Holland America is also a member of the exclusive World’s Leading Cruise Lines Alliance (WLCLA), along with Carnival, Cunard, Costa, Seabourn, Princess, and Windstar. Headquarters: Holland America Line, 300 Elliott Avenue W, Seattle, WA, 98119 USA.
Also one of the best lines for adults, Holland America fills in the category of large, premium-deluxe, mainstream, classic lines, and since 1989 is fully owned by Carnival Corporation. HAL carries more than 700,000 passengers a year, calling on more than 300 ports in more than 100 countries on all continents, with nearly 500 traditional and Transoceanic voyages a year. The length of the itineraries range from 2-day itinerary to 110 days on the annual Round the World Voyages of ms Prinsendam, ms Amsterdam, and ms Rotterdam. The majority of Holland America sailings are 7-day sailings, and many ranging from 10 to 21 days.
With go along with their fantastic ships and itineraries to award-winning service, the experience onboard the fleet of Holland America Line is unparalleled in cruise industry. 'Home aboard' accommodations make passengers feel as if they are cruising in a room prepared by a family member - whether it's an Oceanview Stateroom or a Penthouse Veranda. Broadway and Las Vegas style shows, health and beauty enhancing services, University at Sea and Holland America's Club HAL programs provide an excellent experience for both kids and adult cruisers.
HAL cruise ships names
In the Holland America Lines over 130 years of maritime history there are some quite charmingly special traditions and truly unique practices. One of them is that all HAL ships go with the “dam” suffix.
Absolutely all Holland America ships names are named with the “dam” ending. They usually bear names of famous Dutch landmarks, the 4 compass points, or some of the most prominent river dams in Kingdom of the Netherlands. And this special list of “Dutch landmarks” includes rivers, mountains, sea, city/town and the four directional bearings, of course.
Some HAL cruise ships names have been reused (some of them several times) with the ship’s retirement. This practice of renewing ship names allows the Holland America company to emotionally connect its glorious past with its amazing business growth in our times.
Holland America ships classes (ordered high to low)
- Signature-class are Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam. These two have an enhanced Vista design. In addition to Vista-ships, they both have 1 deck between Lido and Observation, allowing more space for cabins (mostly spa staterooms) and additional public venues (“Tamarind”, and “Silk Den”). Vista-class are Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam and Noordam. “Green Planet Award” (2006) for their high environmental standards. Single-class is Prinsendam Rotterdam-class (R-class) are Rotterdam, Volendam, Zaandam and Amsterdam Statendam-class (S-class) are Statendam, Maasdam, Ryndam and Veendam. They were the 1st in the HAL’s fleet to have the atrium are, 2-deck dining room, show lounge, Lido pool (retractable glass roof).
SOE (“Signature of Excellence”) program upgrades – multimillion dollar ship enhancements to older vessels, with new venues, stateroom categories, amenities, etc.