Holland America poised to receive newest ship

Cruise line Holland America is poised to welcome its newest ship, the ms. Koningsdam, which is set to be delivered to the cruise line in April.

The Koningsdam, which was constructed at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Venice, completed two sets of sea trials in January off the coast of Italy before being sent to dry dock at Trieste, then returned to Marghera where finishing touches will be completed prior to her delivery.

Artist's rendering of ms Koningsdam
After delivery, the Koningsdam will make what the cruise line is calling Premiere Sailings in the Mediterranean before being repositioned from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy to its summer homeport of Amsterdam.

The repositioning cruise, or “Christening Cruise,” as the line has named it, offers a range of ports of call. The 13-day cruise, which departs May 9, will call on 10 ports in Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal, France, Belgium and the Netherlands before ending with an overnight at Amsterdam. As of this writing, Verandah Suites, Ocean View Suites and Interior rooms are available. The larger and most luxurious accommodations - including the Vista Suite, Signature Suite and Neptune Suite – are sold out.

When it joins the fleet, the Koningsdam will be the newest part of Holland America line’s summer sailing season, which features seven ships sailing throughout the region. From its summer homeport, the Koningsdam will sail on itineraries to Norway, the Baltic and Iceland. She will also sail a selection of Mediterranean and Caribbean cruises.

At 99,500 gross tons, the Koningsdam is the first of a new class of ship. The 2,650-guest ship will usher in a new era of Pinnacle-class cruising. The line's other ships range from the 838-passenger Prinsendam to the 2,106 passenger Nieuw Amsterdam.

“Pinnacle means ‘high point’ – and the debut of Koningsdam is a high point in Holland America Line history,” the line said on its website, noting that the ship will “carry forward all of the tradition, nautical heritage and signature service and style for which Holland America is known while raising the bar for 21 st-century elegance.”

Holland America is aggressively using social media to introduce the ship and has prepared a series of six short videos titled, “Countdown to Koningsdam,” which introduce viewers to the ship with particular focus on its innovations. The videos are available here.

BLEND venue aboard ms Koningsdam
One of the features of the Koningdam is BLEND, an experience developed in conjunction with Seattle winery Chateau Ste. Michele. Guests who visit BLEND by Chateau Ste. Michele will be able to experience one facet of the art of winemaking by creating their own wine blends. In the fall of 2015, TheTravelPro was among travel writers who attended the unveiling of BLEND at the winery in Woodinville, Wash., outside Seattle. You can read more about BLEND here.

Among the ship’s innovations are family Ocean-view Staterooms. Intended to make traveling together more convenient, the staterooms accommodate up to five guests and include additional closet space and two separate shower facilities.

Other features include a culinary arts center, Greenhouse Spa and Salon, a fitness center, Explorations Café, a digital workshop and a collection of Signature Shops.

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Renderings provided by Holland America Lines
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