In 2006, Holland America Line will debut the new ms Noordam, feature eight ships cruising Alaska, and complete its Signature of Excellence enhancements across the fleet. 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 several maiden ports, and calls to the new Caribbean port of Grand Turk.
More on Holland America’s exciting plans for 2006 after the jump.
2006 Highlights
* The 1,918-passenger <em>ms Noordam</em> debuts in February 2006 and is the first to be delivered with completed Signature of Excellence amenities. She will sail maiden 10- and 11-day voyages to the Caribbean from Holland America Line’s latest homeport, New York City, through the spring. The <em>Noordam</em> will sail fifteen 10-day Mediterranean cruises for the summer before returning to New York in the fall.
* The innovative Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine Magazine will feature more than 60 celebrated chefs and culinary experts to provide cooking demonstrations and classes in the new state-of-the-art onboard show kitchens. Culinary guests include Nick Stellino, chef, host, writer and co-executive producer of Nick Stellino's Family Kitchen V; Jacques Torres,chocolatier extraordinaire, renowned pastry chef, cookbook author; and Aaron Sanchez, chef/owner Paladar, New York City and consulting chef, Mixx, Atlantic City, NJ. Each million dollar Culinary Arts Center features plasma screens to view the action and portable cooking stations where groups of up to 16 guests or children participating in Club HAL can participate in hands-on classes. A Culinary Group Program offers special fares to groups of at least 25 guests and a cabin for a guest chef, a pair of one-hour Culinary Arts Center demonstration sessions, a complimentary deluxe wine-tasting or cocktail party, and a 5”x7” color group photo for each cabin.
* Signature of Excellence enhancements will be completed on 10 ships at the start of 2006 and all 13 ships by the fall of 2006. The $225 million initiative includes upgrades to the ship’s public spaces to luxurious amenities in every stateroom. Highlights include the Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine Magazine, the Explorations Café powered by The New York Times, the Greenhouse Spa and Salon, and improved youth facilities and programming featuring The Loft and The Oasis teen-only activity areas.
* Holland America Line features the industry’s first Friends and Family Reunion Program to provide families booking five or more staterooms with special group pricing, complimentary beverage and dinner packages, a family photo per stateroom and stateroom upgrades.
* Holland America Line also offers charity group rates, where a charity receives a special-savings cruise fare and Holland America Line donates $50 or $100 per stateroom to the charity depending upon the cruise.
* As the leader in Alaska cruises, Holland America Line continues to offer a comprehensive selection of Alaska cruise itineraries and departures, sailing eight ships on 159 cruises in 2006. Holland America Line introduces three ships to Seattle and adds a unique new port, Icy Strait Point in Southeast Alaska. The company’s five-star ships offer the most entries into Glacier Bay National Park.
* The <em>ms Statendam</em> will feature nine 14-day sailings between Sydney, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand, during “Down Under’s” summer. A 16-day Australia, Orient and China cruise also places the <em>Statendam</em> in Hong Kong for three 14-day China and Japan sailings followed by an 18-day trans-Pacific cruise from Japan to Alaska.
Filed under: Holland America Line
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