The next Holland America cruise ship which will be joining the fleet in 2018 hits major construction milestone.
Nieuw Statendam which is currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy celebrated its keep laying ceremony today. The ceremony marks one of the first major steps in building the second Pinnacle class vessel for Holland America Line.
The block which was layered into the construction yard is the first on many. The first block is 11.3 meters long, 34.8 wide and weighing about 260 tons and is a central part of the ships structural design. Once all blocks are together the vessel will begin to take shape and then floated out onto the water for the very first time.
Nieuw Statendam will be 99,800 gross tons once complete and carry 2,650 passengers. The ship which will be identical to ms Koningsdam will also be almost 300 meters long and feature 1,300 cabins. Entering service at the end of 2018, the ship will be the most advanced in the fleet with all the latest onboard features from the cruise line.
A third Pinnacle-class vessel is also on order, with a delivery scheduled for 2021.
