Holland America
One of the oldest and most prestigious cruise lines, Holland America was
founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company (NASM). It
provided shipping and passenger service to America and became known
eventually as the Holland-America Line. The first ocean liner launched by
Holland-America was the original Rotterdam which sailed across the Atlantic
Ocean from the Netherlands to New York City in 1872.
The company has a long honorable tradition of transporting emigrants
from Europe to the United States, transporting more than 850,000 passengers
to the land of freedom since the turn of the 20th Century.
In 1971, Holland America entered the cruise vacation market. They are
proud to be honored as the highest rated premium cruise line in Travel
& Leisure magazine’s “World’s Best” awards. They also received
the award as “World’s Best Cruise” Value from the World Ocean &
Cruise Liner Society for the last nine years.
In 1989, Holland America Line-Westours Inc. became part of the largest
cruise company in the world – the Carnival Corporation. Their luxury
cruise profile complimented Carnival’s Fun Ships, which largely appeal to
a younger market.
Their five- star fleet offers cruises to the Caribbean, Panama Canal,
South America, Europe, Hawaii and Alaska, to name a few destinations. Their
newest ship, the Prinsendam, launched her maiden voyage on June 3, 2002
from New York to Southampton, England. It will then sail through Europe,
Africa, India, the Far East, Australia and New Zealand. For a complete list
of their ships and itineraries visit their web site at www.hollandamerica.com.
Have a Bon Voyage with “To Sea With Z”!
