Oosterdam to sail a full season of Mediterranean cruises
before heading to South
America
SEATTLE, May 8, 2022 /CNW/ -- Holland America Line welcomed its ninth ship back into
service Sunday, May 8, as Oosterdam
embarked guests in Trieste (Venice),
Italy, for the first time since
the industrywide pause began in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ship departed on a 12-day "Holy Lands and Ancient Kingdoms"
cruise that includes an overnight at Haifa, Israel, and additional ports in
Israel and Greece.
Oosterdam becomes Ninth Cruise Ship to Sail
Again for Holland America Line since Spring 2020
To commemorate the occasion, Holland America Line held a
ribbon-cutting ceremony in the terminal to open embarkation,
attended by the ship's captain and senior officers, with
flag-waving fanfare from team members lined up to greet guests as
they boarded the ship.
"Our teams work incredibly hard getting the ships ready for a
return to service, and the smiles when they see our guests walking
up the gangway that first time are so heartfelt and sincere," said
Gus Antorcha, president of Holland
America Line. "Each ship back to cruising means more team members
back to sea, and we look forward to the restart being complete next
month."
Since Holland America Line restarted cruising in July 2021, Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam,
Nieuw Statendam, Noordam, Rotterdam and Zuiderdam have returned to
service with cruises in Alaska,
the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, California Coast and South Pacific.
Volendam currently is under charter by the government of
the Netherlands, positioned
alongside in Rotterdam
accommodating Ukrainian refuges.
Following its first cruise back in service, Oosterdam will spend
the summer in the Mediterranean, offering seven- to 19-day
itineraries roundtrip from Trieste
(Venice), and between Trieste and Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy;
or Barcelona, Spain. The ship will
explore the entire region with ports in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Montenegro, Croatia, Albania and Malta.
After the Mediterranean season, Oosterdam departs on a
transatlantic crossing to Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, before heading through the Panama Canal
and down the western coast of South
America to position for a winter season of cruises around
the tip of the continent between San
Antonio (Santiago),
Chile, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 14-day itinerary
will journey to ports in Chile and
Argentina, including the coveted
Falkland Islands, along with
cruising in the Strait of Magellan, Glacier Alley and Cape Horn.
Three 22-day itineraries add four memorable days of scenic cruising
in Antarctica.
Holland America Line will
complete the restart of the remaining ships in the fleet through
June with Zaandam (May 12 in
Fort Lauderdale) and Westerdam
(June 12 in Seattle, Washington).
For more information about Holland America Line, consult a
travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit
hollandamerica.com.
Editors note: Photos are available at
https://www.cruiseimagelibrary.com/c/timseltc.
Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the
Holland America Blog. Access all social media outlets via the
home page at hollandamerica.com.
About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival
Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)]
Holland America Line has been
exploring the world since 1873 and was the first cruise line to
offer adventures to Alaska and the
Yukon nearly 75 years ago. Its
fleet of premium ships visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries
around the world, offering an ideal mid-sized ship experience. A
third Pinnacle-class ship, Rotterdam, joined the fleet in
July 2021.
The leader in premium cruising, Holland America Line's ships
feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching
experiences focused on destination exploration and personalized
travel. The best live music at sea fills each evening at Music
Walk, and dining venues feature exclusive selections from Holland
America Line's esteemed Culinary Council of world-famous chefs.
CONTACT:
|
Bill Zucker, Erik
Elvejord
|
PHONE:
|
800-637-5029,
206-626-9890
|
EMAIL:
|
pr@hollandamerica.com
|
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SOURCE Holland America Line