Holland America Changes Name of New Ship, Designates it as Flagship

In honor of some of the most memorable ships in Holland America’s nearly 150-year history, the line is changing the name of their newbuild from Ryndam to Rotterdam, and is designating it the new flagship of the fleet. 

The upcoming ship will be the seventh to bear the historic Rotterdam name, and is scheduled to be delivered one year from today, on July 30, 2021. The debut date has been pushed back slightly from its original debut due to the global pandemic. 

When Rotterdam is delivered from Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy, it will spend the summer sailing in Northern Europe and the Baltic on roundtrip cruises from Amsterdam. Passengers and travel agents who had clients booked on the ship’s inaugural voyage in May and other itineraries through July 30 are being contacted with rebooking options.

“The first ship for Holland America Line was the original Rotterdam, the company was headquartered in the city of Rotterdam for many years, and the name has been a hallmark throughout our history since 1872… so clearly the name is powerful and symbolic,” said Gus Antorcha, Holland America Line’s president. “With the current Rotterdam leaving the company, we knew we had a unique opportunity to embrace the name as our new flagship and carry on the tradition of having a Rotterdam in our fleet. Seven is a lucky number, and we know she’s going to bring a lot of joy to our guests as she travels across the globe.”

The Name's History

Holland America Line’s very first ship was Rotterdam, which sailed its maiden voyage from the Netherlands to New York City on October 15, 1872, and led to the founding of the company on April 18, 1873. Rotterdam II was built in 1878 for British Ship Owners Co. and purchased by Holland America Line in 1886. Rotterdam III came along in 1897 and was with the company until 1906. The fourth Rotterdam ship joined the fleet in 1908 and also served as a troop carrier when World War I ended. Following the war, it made regular transatlantic voyages from New York City to the Mediterranean.

Rotterdam V, also known as “The Grande Dame,” set sail in 1959 and began sailing transatlantic crossings with two classes of service. It later converted to a one-class ship in 1969. She was with Holland America for 38 years until 1997, and operated several Grand World Voyages. Currently, the ship serves as a hotel and museum in the city of Rotterdam. Rotterdam VI, the most recent one, was introduced in 1997 and was the first vessel in the R Class.

Inaugural Season

Cruising aboard Rotterdam VII will begin August 1, 2021 with the ship’s seven-night inaugural voyage departing from Trieste, Italy to Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy with port calls throughout the Adriatic Sea and southern Italy. The ship sails August 8 from Civitavecchia on a 14-night cruise through the western Mediterranean and on to Amsterdam.

From August 22 through October 10, the ship will sail three 7-night cruises roundtrip from Amsterdam to Norway, one 14-night voyage to the Baltic, and one 14-night cruise to Norway, Iceland, and the British Isles. A transatlantic crossing completes the inaugural Europe season with a 14-night journey from Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

To accommodate passengers booked on canceled itineraries aboard Ryndam from May through July, Nieuw Statendam cruise itineraries will also see some changes to match up as much as possible with former Ryndam sailings. 

Those booked on the originally scheduled inaugural voyage will be rebooked on the new inaugural cruise for Rotterdam, departing August 1, 2021. They will also receive a $100 per person onboard credit. All other guests who were booked on impacted Ryndam or Nieuw Statendam cruises will be automatically rebooked to a similar future cruise date during the summer at the same fare paid. Travelers will receive a $100 per person onboard credit for cruises 10 days or less, and a $250 per person credit for voyages of 12 days or more. Passengers are asked to wait until they receive updated booking confirmations in the next several weeks before contacting Holland America for additional changes or questions concerning the booking. 

About the New Ship

The third in the Pinnacle Class, the new Rotterdam will carry 2,668 guests, measure 99,500 gross tons, and feature many amenities and innovations introduced with her sister ships including the 270-degree surround screen World Stage, Rudi’s Sel de Mer restaurant, and the Grand Dutch Cafe. The ship will also include the music venues Lincoln Center Stage, B.B. King’s Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room, and Billboard Onboard.

Rotterdam is the 17th ship constructed for Holland America by Fincantieri shipyard, which most recently built Nieuw Statendam for the line.