Holland America Line
300 Elliot Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98119
(800) 426-0327
www.hollandamerica.com
Founded in 1873, Holland America is one of the great names in transatlantic shipping and one of the few that made successful transition to vacation cruising. Today, the company is owned by Carnival Corporation which maintains the heritage and tradition of this renowned company.
In 2009 Holland America’s flagship Rotterdam will sail on European itineraries while the line’s newest vessel, the Eurodam, sails on Canada/New England voyages. In 2010, HAL’s presence will increase dramatically when Veendam makes a Spring through Fall season of one week Bermuda cruises from Manhattan, parking in Hamilton and St. George instead of the inconvienent Dockyard used by every cruise line.
The Holland America Experience: White glove service, formal tea and dining to the gentle sounds of a string ensemble or piano are as much a part of the Holland America experience today as they were a century ago. These ships attract people who love low-key, refined service that is nearly gone from cruising today. HAL’s experienced Indonesian and Filipino crew is the company’s biggest asset, attracting a large number of repeaters who love the warm, gracious service they deliver. Larger cabins are another gracious touch. In the past we found HAL’s food too bland for our palates but cuisine was much improved on our latest cruise.
Early boarding has already been introduced fleet wide. Passengers may board from 11:30 a.m. to dine in at the buffet and make spa appointments and arrange shore excursions until cabins are ready - usually around 1:00 p.m. Carry-on luggage and coats can be checked with ship staff. Additional enhancements include tableside waiter service at dinner in the Lido, a new Culinary Arts Program with show kitchen for demonstrations and classes, expansion of spa and fitness facilities, upgraded Club HAL Kids Centers and the addition of new “Medallion Shore Excursions”. The Explorations Cafe in cooperation with The New York Times is a combination library, Internet center, music listening area and sidewalk cafe. Staterooms boast euro top mattresses, upgraded soft goods, flat screen TV’s and DVD.
Holland America offers an outstanding Concierge Service for suite passengers with a lovely private lounge for snacks, coffee or chatting with fellow guests.
Dining: Holland America offers “As You Wish” dining affording a choice between traditional assigned seating or no reservations meals. The ships’ two level dining rooms will be seated separately: open dining from 5:15 to 9 p.m. on one level for those who wish to dine when and with whom they please plus two assigned seatings on another.
Fellow Passengers: Holland America has a loyal following of repeat clients and primarily caters to passengers aged 60+ on the line’s longer cruises. The average age is decreasing on one-week cruises, as repeaters are coming onboard with their children and grand children. More families are cruising with this line due to the addition of kids and teens centers to the ships and expansion of the Club HAL program. In Alaska, HAL’s has shore excursions, designed specifically for kids.
Taking The Kids: Club HAL has expanded to cater to kids and teens ages 3 to 17, instead of the previous 5 to 17, with professional youth coordinators running a full day of events for each group. Children’s menus are available in the dining room. The facilities are themed by art. Each area is tailored to a specific age group - 3 to 7, 8 to 12 and 13 to 17 - and provides a variety of supervised activities, board, electronic and arcade games. Contests and family activities are part of the program. The new teen areas are The Loft lounge and The Oasis teens-only sun deck complete with its own waterfall, hammocks and covered snack areas. Group babysitting is available in the Club HAL facilities from 10 p.m. to midnight at a charge of $5 per child per hour. Limited private babysitting is available through the Front Office for ages 3 to 12.
Tipping: With the introduction of the Signature of Excellence program, HAL’s tipping policy has changed. While tipping is still optional on HAL ships, “nominal” gratuities of $10.00 per person per day (including children) are automatically added to the shipboard account for dining and stateroom service. The amount can be increased, decreased or removed by visiting the front desk. A service charge of 15 percent is automatically added to bar bills.
Copyright Anne Campbell, 2009