Holland America Line is announcing its Europe and Alaska cruise schedule for summer 2011, which increases sailings from the homeports of Dover, England and Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
”We’ll offer more sailings in Europe in 2011 to meet the increase in demand for European itineraries,” said Richard D. Meadows, CTC, executive vice president, marketing, sales, and guest programs. “Our guests are finding a cruise to be the best value for their money in Europe, and interest in Mediterranean and Northern European itineraries continues to grow.”
Europe Cruises
In 2011 Holland America Line will feature seven ships cruising the Mediterranean, Baltic and Northern Europe from Civitavecchia (Rome), Venice, Barcelona, Dover (London), Rotterdam, Copenhagen, Athens and Amsterdam. Both ms Nieuw Amsterdam and ms Noordam will sail the Mediterranean all season. The Nieuw Amsterdam, which debuts on July 4, 2010, will offer 12-day sailings while the Noordam will feature seven- and 10-day cruises.
The ms Ryndam will sail a series of Mediterranean and Northern Europe cruises ranging from seven to 21 days. The ms Rotterdam will also sail Northern Europe and Mediterranean itineraries of seven to 12 days, including some that feature the Black Sea and the Holy Land. The Rotterdam will also sail two nine-day historic transatlantic cruises mid-season.
The ms Eurodam begins her 2011 season with two seven-day Mediterranean sailings and then offers ten- and 12-day cruises in the Baltic. Both the ms Prinsendam and ms Maasdam will also feature Europe cruises, the Maasdam again sailing its traditional transatlantic roundtrip itinerary from Boston that visits Greenland and Iceland.
Many of the above cruises can be combined into Collectors’ Voyages ranging from 17 to 39 days. Holland America will begin accepting 2011 Europe cruise bookings late January 2010.
Alaska Cruises
Holland America’s 2011 Alaska season will feature a total of 50 cruises from Seattle. The ms Amsterdam will again sail 14-day Alaskan Adventurer cruises roundtrip from Seattle – a new itinerary that debuts in summer 2010. The ms Westerdam and ms Oosterdam will also sail roundtrip from Seattle on Saturdays and Sundays, offering seven-day roundtrip cruises of the Inside Passage.
The ms Volendam and ms Zuiderdam will sail roundtrip from Vancouver, offering a total of 38 cruises. The ms Zaandam will also sail one roundtrip cruise from Vancouver in addition to its main itinerary of seven-day, one-way cruises between Vancouver and Seward. The ms Statendam joins the Zaandam in featuring this itinerary, each sailing 18 cruises through the Inside Passage and Alaskan Gulf.
Many of the cruises are highlighted by scenic cruising of tidewater glaciers in either Glacier Bay National Park or Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay. Holland America will begin taking 2011 Alaska cruise bookings in April, 2010.
