To celebrate its 150th anniversary, Holland America Line has two special voyages planned. As the date approaches on April 18, 2023, the cruise line is adding a second commemorative transatlantic crossing aboard Rotterdam to the schedule of celebratory events.
“As we got deeper into planning the events surrounding our 150th, we knew that the best place to celebrate the date of our founding was in the city of Rotterdam where it all started,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “These voyages that mark our first departure and our anniversary are going to be incredibly memorable as we retrace our first sailing from the 1870s, but on a modern, luxury cruise ship. We anticipate the April cruise to be as popular as the October sailing.”
Setting Sail
The first special 150th-anniversary crossing will depart Rotterdam on October 15, 2022, exactly 150 years from the date of the departure of Rotterdam I’s maiden voyage. This crossing will recreate that first sailing, going from Rotterdam to New York, with calls at Plymouth and Dover, then on to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship will stay overnight in New York for special celebrations.
The second will depart from Fort Lauderdale on April 3, 2023. The 16-night itinerary sails to Rotterdam and the Netherlands, retracing in reverse the company’s first voyage.
From Fort Lauderdale, the ship heads to New York City and makes a rare overnight call, giving guests extra time to experience the attractions that make the Big Apple come to life including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Empire State Building, Broadway and so much more.
Rotterdam will then spend eight days at sea crossing the Atlantic Ocean, calling at Plymouth and Dover (London), England, before arriving on its anniversary day, April 18, at Rotterdam for a night full of festivities.
Sailing Celebrations
While certain details of the celebrations are being kept a secret, during the crossings there will be special commemorative experiences. There will be historic menus and cocktails giving guests a taste of the brand’s history, live music with special performances by guest artists, presentations reliving the history and roots of Holland America Line, and an Olympic-style event with class cruise sporting activities and games.
Holland America will kick off its 150th anniversary year with a memorable stage performance aboard Rotterdam when the ship stays overnight in New York City on October 26, 2022.
When the ship arrives at Rotterdam in the Netherlands on its 150th birthday on April 18, 2023, it will receive a grand welcome! During the overnight call, guests and the city of Rotterdam will help mark this historic milestone at an evening event on board.
There will also be limited-edition specially designed 150th Anniversary retail items available at the shipboard shops.
The Rotterdam
Rotterdam is Holland America’s newest ship. On May 30th, 2022, the city of Rotterdam formally welcomed her as the flagship of the fleet. Following a tradition that started in the 1920s, Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands christened the ship in a ceremony attended by local dignitaries and invited guests.
It’s the third vessel in the Pinnacle Class series and the seventh ship to bear the name for Holland America Line. Rotterdam carries 2,668 guests, is 984 feet long, and 114.8 feet wide. There are 1,340 total staterooms, including 912 balconies, 164 suites, 748 balcony staterooms, 147 ocean view cabins, and 280 interior cabins.
It has an exclusive collection of world-class performances nightly, specialty restaurants, and a 270-degree LED projection at World Stage with panoramic visual and sound effects.
After the celebratory cruise for its anniversary, the ship will spend the season in the Caribbean sailing tropical itineraries roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale.
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