Construction of Holland America Line’s new Signature-class premium cruise ship ms Nieuw Amsterdam reached a milestone on March 24 with the keel-laying ceremony at the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Italy. The 2,106-guest ship is scheduled for delivery in late June 2010. Just before laying the keel, the large section of Nieuw Amsterdam that was built at Fincantieri’s Sestri yard near Genoa, Italy, was towed around the foot of Italy to Venice. Once it arrived, the section was floated into the building dock and placed on blocks. The section that signifies the ceremonial keel laying was lifted into the building dock and later joined with the section built in Sestri.