New 99,500-ton Pinnacle Class ship to launch in November 2018
SEATTLE, Dec. 6, 2017 /CNW/ -- In anticipation of the
upcoming float-out of ms Nieuw Statendam, Holland America
Line held the ship's coin ceremony Wednesday, Dec. 6, at Fincantieri's Marghera
shipyard in Italy. Following
Italian shipbuilding tradition, Anne Marie
Bartels, a member of Holland America Line's esteemed
President's Club, served as the ship's Madrina and participated in
the festivities.
During the coin ceremony, observed to bring good fortune, a
Dutch guilder was welded to the forward mast of the ship by
Bartels; Antonio Quintano, director
of the Fincantieri Marghera Shipyard; and Keith Taylor, executive vice president, fleet
operations for Holland America Group, followed by speeches and a
blessing by the shipyard chaplain. Cyril
Tatar, Holland America Group's vice president of newbuilding
services, also was in attendance. The Dutch Guilder brings
sentiment and history to the newbuild — it is from 1898, the year
Holland America Line's first Statendam came into
service.
"The coin ceremony is one of the most time-honored traditions in
the building of a ship, and having Anne
Marie, one of our most valued guests, serve as Madrina makes
the celebration all the more special," said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America
Line. "Nieuw Statendam reflects the next generation in our
brand evolution while maintaining the classic hallmarks we are
known for. By placing an authentic Dutch guilder in the hull from
the year our first ship named Statendam came into service is
a meaningful way to build that bridge from our past to our
future."
Bartels first sailed with Holland America Line on the
s.s. Nieuw Amsterdam from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to New York, New York, when she was 21 years old.
She has since been on 79 Holland America Line cruises, including 12
Grand Voyages. Bartels has more than 2,500 cruising days with the
line, which gives her elite President's Club status for guests with
more than 2,500 days on board.
During the festivities a drydock gate was opened briefly and
water touched Nieuw Statendam's hull for the first time as
is tradition during the coin ceremony. On December 21, 2017, the ship will be fully floated
out and move to an outfitting pier.
Nieuw Statendam is the second Pinnacle Class ship for
Holland America Line, joining ms Koningsdam, which
launched in April 2016 from the same
shipyard in Marghera. A third Pinnacle Class ship will set
sail for the cruise line in 2021.
The 99,500-ton ship will reflect the ongoing evolution of
Holland America Line. While much of the ship's design will be
similar to Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam will have
exclusive public spaces and its own style created by leading
hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany and designer and architect
Bjorn Storbraaten. The ship will carry 2,660 guests and feature all
of the hallmarks of Pinnacle-class design: grand light-filled
spaces; visual drama; and sumptuous interiors inspired by the fluid
curves of musical instruments.
Holland America Line's first ship
to be called Statendam sailed in 1898, and this will be the sixth
ship in the company's history to carry the name. In combining the
Dutch word for "new" with the classic "Statendam," Holland America
Line is celebrating the company's past, present and future.
About Fincantieri
Fincantieri is one of the world's
largest shipbuilding groups and number one by diversification and
innovation. It is a leader in cruise ship design and construction
and a reference player in all high-tech shipbuilding industry's
sectors from naval to offshore vessels; high-complexity special
vessels and ferries to mega-yachts; ship repairs and conversions;
systems and components production; and after-sales services.
Headquartered in Trieste, Italy, the group has built more than 7,000
vessels in over 230 years of maritime history. With more than
19,400 employees -- 8,200 of those in Italy – and 20 shipyards on four continents,
Fincantieri is the leading Western shipbuilder today. Its clients
include major cruise operators, the Italian and the U.S. Navy and
several additional foreign navies. The group is a partner of some
of the main European defense companies within supranational
programs. More information can be found at
fincantieri.com.
For more information about Holland America Line, consult a
travel professional, call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425) or visit
hollandamerica.com.
Editor's note: Photos are available at
https://www.cruiseimagelibrary.com/c/cg37ouxh.
Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the Holland
America Blog. Access all social media outlets via the Online
Communities quick link on the home page at hollandamerica.com.
About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival
Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)]
Holland
America Line's fleet of 14 ships
offers more than 500 cruises to more than 400 ports in 98
countries, territories or dependencies around the world. From
shorter getaways to 113-day itineraries, the company's cruises
visit all seven continents, with highlights including Antarctica explorations, South America circumnavigations, Cuba cruises and exotic Australia/New
Zealand and Asia voyages;
four annual Grand Voyages; and popular sailings to the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, Canada and New England, Bermuda, Europe and the Panama Canal. The line welcomed
ms Koningsdam in 2016 and has a second Pinnacle-class
ship, ms Nieuw Statendam, to be delivered in
December 2018. A third Pinnacle-class
ship, due for delivery in 2021, recently was announced.
The company is undergoing $300
million in brand enhancements to secure its position as the
leader in premium cruising. Fleetwide, the ships feature innovative
initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused on
destination immersion and personalized travel. Guests can expand
their knowledge through an exclusive partnership with O, The Oprah
Magazine; during an America's Test Kitchen show; at Explorations
Café presented by The New York Times;
and by taking a Digital Workshop powered by Windows. Outstanding
entertainment fills each evening at venues including Lincoln Center
Stage, Billboard Onboard and B.B. King's Blues Club. The dining
experience can be savored at a variety of restaurants with menus
that feature selections from Holland America Line's esteemed
Culinary Council, comprising world-famous chefs who design dishes
exclusively for our guests.
CONTACT:
|
Sally
Andrews
|
PHONE:
|
800-637-5029
|
EMAIL:
|
pr@hollandamerica.com
|
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SOURCE Holland America Line