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Holland America Line Announces 2006 Deployment Featuring
13 Ships, All Seven Continents
SEATTLE, Feb. -- In 2006, Holland America Line will debut the new
ms Noordam, visit Libya for the first time, feature eight ships
cruising Alaska, and Australia/New Zealand voyages aboard the ms
Statendam. The 13 ships of the world's leading premium cruise line
will offer nearly 500 sailings to all seven continents from more
than 25 home ports. Itineraries range from two to 108 days and feature
many ports, including such new ones as Benghazi, Libya; Pearl Island,
Panama; South Georgia Island in the sub-Antarctic islands; and Narvik,
Norway.
"We will be offering more cruises to more destinations in 2006
and guests will have more choices of itineraries and homeports,"
said Richard D. Meadows, CTC, senior vice president, marketing and
sales. "Our Signature of Excellence enhancements will be completed
on 10 ships at the start of 2006 and all 13 ships by the fall, so
guests will enjoy such new amenities as our Culinary Arts Center
and Explorations Cafe powered by the New York Times."
2006 DEPLOYMENT HIGHLIGHTS
- The Noordam debuts in February offering 10- and 11-day, roundtrip
cruises from New York to the Caribbean. The newest Vista-class
ship will sail 13 cruises to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean
Feb. 22 to Apr. 5 and Oct. 14 to Dec. 16; it will also offer two
16-day transatlantic sailings and fifteen 10-day Mediterranean
cruises from Rome.
- Eight ships will sail 159 cruises to Alaska. The ms Westerdam,
ms Zaandam and ms Oosterdam will homeport in Seattle, and five
ships will sail from Vancouver.
- The ms Statendam will feature nine 14-day sailings between
Sydney, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand, during "Down
Under's" summer -- Jan. 7 to Feb. 18 and Oct. 27 to Dec.
22 -- including a holiday cruise. The Statendam also sails from
Australia to Indonesia, The Philippines, China, Korea, Japan and
Russia in the spring and offers a 28-day South Pacific cruise
from the U.S. West Coast to Auckland in the fall.
- The 793-passenger ms Prinsendam sails the "Circle of the
Sun" Grand World Voyage that showcases a total solar eclipse
Mar. 29, features nine maiden ports of call including Benghazi,
Libya, and explores such exotic places as Madagascar, Zanzibar
and Mombasa. The 108-day journey departs from Ft. Lauderdale Jan.
5 to visit 36 ports in 22 countries on six continents, including
South America, Antarctica, South Africa, East Africa, India, and
Mediterranean before returning to Fort Lauderdale on Apr. 20.
- The Prinsendam again will explore the Amazon River to Manaus,
Brazil, on two South America cruises: a 28-day sailing from New
York/ Ft. Lauderdale to Ft. Lauderdale on Apr. 23 and a 24-day
cruise from Cape Town, South Africa to Ft. Lauderdale on Nov.
8.
ALASKA
Eight ships will cruise to Alaska in 2006, including the addition
of a third ship sailing from Seattle. The Westerdam, Oosterdam and
Zaandam will be homeported in Seattle and sail seven-day, southeast
Alaska cruises May 5 through Sept. 29. The Statendam, ms Ryndam,
ms Veendam, sail between Vancouver and Seward, visiting Glacier
Bay or Hubbard Glacier. And the ms Volendam and ms Zuiderdam will
offer seven-day cruises roundtrip from Vancouver to Glacier Bay
and Tracy Arm. Holland America Line's CruiseTour options highlight
the Yukon, Denali National Park, Canada's Kluane National Park and
Tombstone Territorial Park.
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND & ASIA
The line's inaugural Australia/South Pacific season kicks off at
the end of 2005 with a 35-day South America/South Pacific cruise
from San Diego to Auckland on November 17, 2005, and a 16-day Australia/New
Zealand holiday cruise from Auckland to Sydney on December 22, 2005.
The ms Statendam then offers a series of nine 14-day cruises between
Sydney and Auckland that spotlight port calls in Australia and Tasmania
plus visits to the most noted sites on the north and south islands
of beautiful New Zealand. A 16-day Australia, Orient and China cruise
places the Statendam in Hong Kong for three 14-day China and Japan
sailings followed by an 18-day trans-Pacific cruise calling in Japan,
Russia's Far East and Alaska.
CANADA/NEW ENGLAND
The ms Maasdam will sail between Boston and Montreal May 13 through
Oct. 7, offering 16 seven-day cruises total. It also offers a 15-day
cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Montreal departing Apr. 28 and a 10-day
cruise from Montreal to Norfolk sailing Oct. 7. Guests enjoy such
ports as Martha's Vineyard; Bar Harbor, Maine; Halifax, Nova Scotia;
and Quebec. Summer sailings provide ideal opportunities for a family
vacation and October itineraries are especially designed to take
advantage of the region's famous display of dazzling fall color.
CARIBBEAN
Holland America Line remains the leader in 10-day or longer cruises,
offering seven distinctive itineraries ranging from 10 to 16 days
in 2006. It also offers the most complete 14-day Southern Caribbean
itinerary and more choices of seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean
cruises from Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa than any other premium cruise
line. A total of 10 ships will sail the Caribbean in 2006, including
the Noordam from its new homeport of New York.
Sailing to the Southern Caribbean, the Maasdam features its popular
11-day itinerary from Norfolk. The Volendam will continue its exciting
10-day Seafarer itinerary roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale, while the
Ryndam will offer premium 14-day cruises roundtrip from Tampa. The
Zaandam will sail 10-day Southern Caribbean-Panama Canal Sunfarer
itineraries, and the Prinsendam will feature two cruises that venture
up the remote Orinoco River in Venezuela.
The Westerdam and Zuiderdam will offer seven-day Eastern and Western
Caribbean sailings roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale, many of which
call at Half Moon Cay, the line's award-winning private Bahamian
island. New activity choices include a horseback riding and swimming
excursion, a stingray adventure, Half Moon Lagoon aqua park and
an AquaTrax watercraft tour.
EUROPE & TRANSATLANTIC CRUISES
From May through October, Holland America Line is offering 55 European
and transatlantic cruises on four ships in 2006, featuring the Noordam
with 15 Eastern and Western Mediterranean cruises roundtrip from
Rome.
Sister flagships, ms Rotterdam and ms Amsterdam, and the Prinsendam
also cruise Europe. The Rotterdam will offer 10- to 15-day sailings
between "European Capitals" such as Lisbon, Athens, Rotterdam
and Copenhagen, plus feature Scandinavia and Russia cruises, from
Apr. 20 to Oct. 22. The Amsterdam also will feature Scandinavia
and Russia cruises, sailing roundtrip from Copenhagen on 10-day
itineraries from May 23 to Aug. 11. The Prinsendam will sail a series
of exotic 16- to 21-day cruises to such places as Spitzbergen, Iceland,
the North Cape in Norway, and Egypt, North Africa, Greece and the
Black Sea.
Around its Europe schedule, each ship will feature two transatlantic
crossings that offer guests unusual ports of call. This Noordam
sails two 16-day transatlantics between New York and Rome. The Amsterdam
will cruise a north Atlantic route that includes Newfoundland, Greenland,
Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The Rotterdam will sail the south
Atlantic between Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon, calling at the Canary
Islands, Gambia, Senegal, and Morocco. The Prinsendam offers a 34-day
cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to the North Cape in the spring and a
22-day cruise from Lisbon to Cape Town, South Africa in the fall.
MEXICO AND HAWAII
Holland America Line's Oosterdam will cruise Mexico in 2006, offering
29 seven-day cruises roundtrip from San Diego to sun-drenched Cabo
San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. The Zaandam will sail three
10-day Sea of Cortez cruises, adding Topolobampo for optional tours
to Copper Canyon, Loreto and La Paz to the above ports. Holland
America Line is the only premium line to sail the Sea of Cortez.
San Diego is also the homeport for Holland America Line's popular
Circle Hawaii cruises. The Amsterdam leads with a 30-day Circle
Hawaii/Tahiti/Marquesas cruise departing Jan. 6 and then offers
five 15-day Hawaii sailings from Feb. 5 to Apr. 21. The Zaandam
features four 15-day Circle Hawaii cruises in the fall, alternating
them with its Mexico cruises from Oct. 7 to Dec. 21. Holland America
Line is also offering an 18-day Circle Hawaii cruise on the Volendam
that sails from Seattle to the islands and returns to Vancouver.
Guests visit ports of call including Hilo and Kona, Hawaii; Honolulu,
Oahu; Nawiliwili, Kauai; and Lahaina, Maui, and cruise past Kauai's
scenic Na Pali Coast and Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano.
PANAMA CANAL
In 2006 seven Holland America Line ships will feature 29 cruises
highlighting the Panama Canal, including 15 roundtrip from Fort
Lauderdale. Itineraries range from 10 to 34 days and depart from
Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa, New York, Vancouver, Seattle and San Diego.
Two transcanal cruises, departing Apr. 14 on the Zaandam and Apr.
22 on the Veendam, will feature a new port of call: Isla de San
Jose on Pearl Island, Panama. While most transcanal cruises range
from 17 to 21 days in length, the Veendam also features a 34-day
voyage departing Sept. 24 from Vancouver to Tampa. En route, this
cruise crosses the equator twice while exploring the Mexican Riviera,
Caribbean, Amazon River and Brazil.
SOUTH AMERICA & AMAZON
Flagship Rotterdam and intimate Prinsendam will offer cruises to
South America in 2006, providing guests with a distinct choice of
itineraries. The Rotterdam will sail four 16-day cruises between
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Valparaiso, Chile, departing Jan. 31
to Mar. 20 and two more Nov. 20 and Dec. 6. It will also feature
two 20-day South America and Antarctica Explorer cruises with departures
Jan. 11 and Dec. 22; these sailings add adventurous cruising along
the spectacular Antarctic Peninsula. The Rotterdam's South America
cruises highlight capitals such as Buenos Aires, Argentina, and
Montevideo, Uruguay, and stunning scenery including Tierra del Fuego
and the Chilean Fjords. Some sailings include the Falkland Islands.
The Prinsendam will also feature two cruises that add an adventure
up the Amazon River to Manaus, Brazil. A 28-day cruise will sail
from New York/ Ft. Lauderdale on Apr. 23 and another 46-day cruise
will sail from Lisbon, via Cape Town, South Africa, to Ft. Lauderdale
on Oct. 17.
For information, consult a travel agent, call 1-877-724-5425 or
visit www.hollandamerica.com.
About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and
plc (NYSE:CCL) (NYSE:and) (NYSE:CUK) ]
As a part of its renowned Tradition of Excellence, Holland America
Line is investing $225 million in the Signature of Excellence initiative
providing unparalleled product and service enhancements to its fleet.
The comprehensive enhancements focus on five areas vital to Holland
America Line's guest experience: spacious, elegant ships and accommodations;
sophisticated five- star dining; gracious, unobtrusive service;
extensive enrichment programs and activities; and compelling worldwide
itineraries. Enhancements have been started on all ships and will
be completed by the end of 2006.
World's Leading Cruise Lines
The highest-rated premium cruise line in the world, Holland America
Line is a member of the exclusive World's Leading Cruise Lines alliance,
which also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Cunard
Line, Seabourn Cruise Line, Costa Cruises and Windstar Cruises.
Sharing a passion to please each guest and a commitment to quality
and value, the World's Leading Cruise Lines offer exciting and enriching
cruise vacations to the world's most desirable destinations.
Web site:
www.hollandamerica.com
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