SEATTLE, Nov. 5, 2021 /CNW/ -- Holland America Line's new Rotterdam departs today, Nov. 5, at 5 p.m.
EST from Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, on its inaugural Caribbean cruise — a roundtrip five-day
sailing that visits Bimini, Bahamas, and spends two days at Half
Moon Cay, the cruise line's
award-winning private Bahamian island. The ship arrived at Port
Everglades Nov. 3 following its
maiden transatlantic voyage that set sail from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Oct. 20.
Click to Tweet: Hello, Florida! ☀️ @HALcruises Rotterdam departs
today on inaugural Caribbean
#cruise! Four Holland America Line ships to sail in the region
through spring 2022, all roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale &
@PortEverglades.
Rotterdam marks the
second ship to return to Florida
cruising and the Caribbean for
Holland America Line since the industrywide pause began 20 months
ago. During November, the ship will be joined at Port Everglades by
Pinnacle Class sister-ship Nieuw Statendam and
Eurodam, which also kick off their Caribbean seasons. Nieuw Amsterdam
began Caribbean cruising from
Fort Lauderdale Oct. 23.
"We have been awaiting our return to the Caribbean for a long time, and having
Rotterdam and our other
ships restart operations out of Fort
Lauderdale is an incredible moment for our company," said
Gus Antorcha, president of Holland
America Line. "Rotterdam's
maiden voyage from Europe was a
huge success and we're getting a lot of positive feedback from
guests about the ship."
The cruise line celebrated Rotterdam's Caribbean departure with fanfare to welcome
guests on board, and Antorcha was on hand to greet embarking
passengers.
Following the Nov. 5 cruise,
Rotterdam will sail in the
Caribbean through April, with all
departures roundtrip from Fort
Lauderdale. The cruises range from six to 11 days and span
the region on southern, eastern, western and tropical itineraries.
Guests looking for a longer getaway can embark on a Collectors'
Voyage — combined back-to-back itineraries that offer an in-depth
exploration covering more than one area.
Every Caribbean cruise includes
a call at Half Moon Cay, rated the number-one port of call in the
Caribbean by the line's guests.
This quaint sanctuary has evolved into a playground for cruisers
and features the finest white-sand beaches, two-story villas and
private cabanas, dining venues like Lobster Shack, a
children's waterpark and a variety of fun-filled tours for
nature lovers, adventurous travelers and explorers.
Holland America Line has been
homeporting from Port Everglades since the 1990s. Operationally,
each ship visit directly contributes $364,000 to the local economy in provisioning
(fuel, food, flowers, piano tuning, supplies), port taxes and
spending. Holland America Line works
with nearly 100 local vendors who supply the company and its ships
with goods and services.
Throughout the years, Holland America Line has been actively
involved with more than 30 nonprofits in South Florida through giving, shipboard
lunches and cruise donations, including Seafarers' House, Henderson
Behavioral Health, Coast Guard Women's Leadership Initiative,
Symphony of the Americas, The Opera Society and more.
About Rotterdam
Rotterdam has the highly successful
amenities and innovations introduced with her sister ships,
including the 270-degree surround screen World Stage, Rudi's
Sel de Mer restaurant and Grand
Dutch Café. The ship introduces the Half Moon Bar, an
immersive experience looking at the history of Holland America Line
and cruising through the lens of a cocktail.
Delivering the best of everything, Rotterdam celebrates live music with a
collection of world-class performances each night —
from Lincoln Center Stage and B.B. King's Blues Club to
Rolling Stone Rock Room and Billboard Onboard.
Throughout the ship, Rotterdam showcases Holland America Line
hallmarks that drive one of the highest repeat rates in the
industry: exquisite cuisine guided by eight of
the world's leading chefs; gracious, award-winning service; a
museum-quality art collection valued at more than $4 million; and superbly
appointed staterooms and suites, including family and single
accommodations.
Rotterdam is the
seventh ship to bear the name for Holland America Line.
For more information about Holland America Line, consult a
travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit
hollandamerica.com.
Editor's note: Photos are available at
https://www.cruiseimagelibrary.com/c/q4gmpnsi.
— # # # —
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.
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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.
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CONTACT: Erik Elvejord
PHONE: 800-637-5029, 206-626-9890
EMAIL: pr@hollandamerica.com
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SOURCE Holland America Line