While the focus of the refurbishments has been on passenger areas and new staterooms, the Holland America Line Evolution program will also include upgrades to technical aspects of ships.
Speaking at an industry event earlier this year, the company’s President Beth Bodensteiner said that the project will improve fleet efficiency and reduce overall environmental impact.
“Much of this work is focused on smarter power management and stronger system performance, all with the goal of reducing our consumption of energy,” she explained.
Holland America is also making other investments, with a focus on propulsion, automation, structural maintenance and critical equipment, Bodensteiner continued.
“Safe, reliable operations will always be at the heart of how we operate,” she added, noting that the project is being carried out with Fincantieri.
The Italian shipyard built all of the vessels in Holland America’s current fleet, including the Oosterdam, which will be the first of six ships being drydocked as part of the project.
While the 2003-built ship is scheduled to debut the new features in late 2027, the Zuiderdam is also scheduled to enter drydock late next year.
“Fincantieri is our trusted partner for rebuilds and refits, and we are excited to partner with them again for Holland America Evolution,” Bodensteiner noted.
On the hotel side, the company is adding a series of staterooms to the ships, with the Oosterdam and the Zuiderdam also debuting new cabin categories, including Bridgeview Suites, Vista Suites and Solo Verandahs.
Other highlights of the refit onboard the two ships include the debut of the Grand Dutch Café, a European-inspired coffee shop rooted in Holland America’s Dutch heritage.
First introduced onboard the company’s Pinnacle Class ships, the venue will make its debut onboard Vista-class vessels.
In addition to the Oosterdam and the Zuiderdam, the Eurodam, the Nieuw Amsterdam, the Noordam and the Westerdam are also scheduled to undergo refurbishments as part of the project.
Further refit timelines for the project, which is being considered the largest in Holland America’s 153-history, will be announced at a later date.
