At a press event in New York Holland America Line announced new partnerships and enhancements to improve experiences and services across the fleet and beyond. The cruise line has partnered with BBC Earth to bring new experiences onboard, AFAR Media to enhance travel destinations and UTrip to take cruise planning to a higher level.
BBC Earth
The cruise line which is part of the Carnival Corporation has partnered with BBC Earth. The new partnership will bring the ocean and natural world through groundbreaking concerts, films, shows, children’s activities and theme cruises. There will be special concerts featuring one of the BBC’s most well-known programs, “Frozen Planet” which will be a production onboard Holland America ships will feature footage from the show. The cruise line has said that the BBC Earth program is set to roll out across Holland America Line’s fleet starting in April 2016 and will be on all ships by September 2016.
Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president said:
“Holland America Line cruises are all about experiential travel and venturing to all corners of the globe, and this exclusive partnership with BBC Earth will make that a richer, more rewarding experience for our guests. No one else in the cruise industry is offering the depth of quality content that BBC Earth will bring to our ships, and we hope this program will give our guests a deeper connection to the destinations we visit.”
AFAR Media
Travel company AFAR Media will help enhance the destination experience across Holland America Line. The new partnership will provide tons of expert travel guides that can help cruisers choose the best top attractions, restaurants and shopping experiences in each destination. There will be up to 20 picks provided for each destination which will make the cruise experience a lot smoother for many passengers.
Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president said:
“Holland America Line guests seek authenticity in travel, and studies have shown that travelers trust and value expert, third-party content above all else. Our new partnership with AFAR Media will deliver the most extensive destination information to our guests in a way that’s never been done before in cruising, ensuring they will have the perfect shoreside experience tailored to their personal tastes and interests.”
UTrip
A partnership with UTrip will take the Holland America site to new heights with a new planning and discovery tool. With Utrips technology it will make choosing cruise itineraries and specific destination needs simple. The planning tool will help enhance what is wanted when booking a cruise and will offer a ton of information on land. The tool will also be able to match a user’s profile or by interactive sliders. Finding the best destinations for a cruise will never be easier.
Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line said:
“Our guests want to experience destinations in their own way, and through our partnership with Utrip they can now personalize their trip in a fun and engaging way, as well as make more informed choices about what to do and see ashore. We are thrilled to partner with another Seattle-based company, and we know our guests are going to enjoy exploring the world in a whole new way using the Utrip interface on our website.”
In addition to the new partnerships Holland America Line revealed a new updated logo which looks a bit more modern and with a new slogan, “Savor the Journey” The cruise line is investing $300 Million to update the fleet and offer the very best in premium cruising. New features will also be added on the cruise lines upcoming ship ms Koningsdam which will be delivered in April 2016.
