Holland America Line Adds Second Anniversary Transatlantic Crossing

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Holland America has released a second commemorative 150th-anniversary transatlantic crossing that will set sail in 2023. In celebration, Rotterdam will depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, onย April 3, 2023, to retrace, in reverse, the companyโ€™s maiden voyage.

Rotterdam to Sail Second Commemorative Transatlantic Crossing

Departing on April 3, 2023, MS Rotterdam will commemorate Holland Americaโ€™s historical, transatlantic voyage. It will embark from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and make a rare overnight call to New York City, allowing guests to visit some of the cityโ€™s renowned attractions.

In celebration of its 150th anniversary, Rotterdamย will spend eight days at sea crossing the Atlantic Ocean, calling atย Plymouthย andย Doverย (London),ย England.

The ship will share Holland America Line’s 150th anniversary, April 18, 2023, inย the city of Rotterdamย for an overnight full of festivities.

“As we got deeper into planning the events surrounding our 150th, we knew that the best place to celebrate the date of our founding was in the city ofย Rotterdamย where it all started,” saidย Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line.

“These voyages that mark our first departure and our anniversary are going to be incredibly memorable as we retrace our first sailing from the 1870s, but on a modern, luxury cruise ship. We anticipate the April cruise to be as popular as the October sailing.”

Read Also: All Holland America Cruise Ships Back in Service From June 12

In support of the lineโ€™s season of celebration, Holland America Line, founded in 1873, will have its first special 150th-anniversary crossing departingย Rotterdamย on October 15, 2022, exactly 150 years to the date of the departure of Rotterdam I’s maiden voyage.

This crossing will recreate the first sailing, going from the city of Rotterdam to New York, with calls at Plymouth and Dover, then on to Fort Lauderdale. The ship will stay overnight in New York for a night of salute.

Holland America Line Rotterdam
Photo Credit: StudioPortoSabbia / Shutterstock

To stay in tradition, three voyages were canceled to accommodate the newย April 3, 2023ย sailing, and all guests, along with their travel advisors have been notified.

Bookings for the 150th anniversary eastbound transatlantic sailing will open to the publicย on July 14, 2022.ย 

Rotterdam and Its Recent Christening

After much anticipation, Holland America Lineโ€™s newest Pinnacle-class cruise ship, the MS Rotterdam, was officially named during a traditional ceremony, in its founding city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Holland Americaโ€™s Rotterdam was recently christened by godmother Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands on May 30, 2022. Onboard the ship, the Princess pulled the shipโ€™s bell that Monday morning, inaugurating the name of the flagship.

Rotterdam Cruise Ship

MS Rotterdam has spent its summer in Northern Europe, sailing from its homeport, Amsterdam. She will then sail a series of seven- and 14-day Norway voyages to Scandinavia, Iceland, and the Northern Isles.

The 2,668-passenger, 99,935-gross ton ship has been sailing since October 20, 2021. MS Rotterdam sailed its first voyage from Amsterdam on a transatlantic crossing to Port Everglades, stopping in Zeebrugge, Belgium, Le Havre, France, Portland, UK, Brest, France, and Ponta Delgada, Portugal. 

Upcoming voyages aboard MSย Rotterdam 2022-2023 include itineraries to the Southern and Eastern Caribbean departing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and 21-day voyages to Northern Isles and Norse Legends departing from Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

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