Holland America’s New Rotterdam Cruise Ship Completes Sea Trials

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Holland America Line’s newest vessel, the 2668 passenger New Rotterdam, built in the Fincantieri Marghera (Venice) shipyard in Italy, returned back in port in the evening of May 6 after completing two sets of sea trials in the Adriatic Sea.

This marks another important step towards the vessel’s intended delivery date of July 30, 2021, and her maiden voyage from the Italian port of Trieste on August 1.

Testing Performance

After the initial sea trials were completed a few days earlier at the Fincantieri plant in Marghera, Rotterdam was put into dry dock at the Fincantieri shipyard in Trieste for hull prep and painting. On May 3, the ship began its official sea trials, returning to Marghera on May 6, where it will undergo its last set of construction steps.

A three day period is unusually short for an official sea trial run, which makes it unsurprising president of Holland America Line Gus Antorcha has a positive mindset towards the release of the vessel within two months from now:

โ€œThe successful completion of sea trials gives us great confidence as we head into the final weeks of outfitting for Rotterdam and prepare for delivery of this historic ship. Construction of Rotterdam has continued through the global challenges of the past year with Fincantieri maintaining the highest level of dedication to staying on schedule. Congratulations to everyone involved for completing this significant milestone.โ€

During sea trials, the vessel underwent a series of rigorous testing to see if the contracted performance figures match the actual performance of the ship systems, machinery, and engines, including maneuvering, speed, and safety systems.

Rotterdam Sea Trials
Photo Courtesy: Holland America Line

About New Rotterdam

Rotterdam is the seventh ship to bear the name for Holland America Line and the 17th ship constructed for the brand by Italian shipyard Fincantieri. The new ship has a capacity of 2,600 passengers, 99,500 gross tons, and a length of 297 meters.

Related: Take a Look at Holland Americaโ€™s New Cruise Ship During Float Out

It is no surprise that Holland America Line is naming Rotterdam its latest flagship. The ship will encompass the many changes in design and entertainment the line has made over the years.

Rotterdam will boast exceptional dining, innovative entertainment, beautiful staterooms and suites, and craftsmanship, including the 270-degree surround-screen World Stage, Rudi’s Sel de Mer restaurant, and the famous Grand Dutch Cafรฉ. Delivering the best entertainment at sea, Rotterdam celebrates live music with an exclusive selection of world-class concerts each night.

Rotterdam Sea Trials
Photo Courtesy: Holland America Line

Itinerary

New Rotterdam’s maiden voyage will depart August 1, after her delivery on July 30. The vessel will sail in the Adriatic to ports like Zadar, Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; Kerkira, Nisos Kerkira(Corfu), Greece; Taormina, Naples, and finishing in Civitavecchia, Italy.

After her initial maiden voyage, the vessel will sail towards Northern Europe on a voyage towards her namesake port, Rotterdam. The vessel will remain in Northern Europe for a series of voyages towards the British Isles, Iceland, and Norway, including the stunning Norwegian Fjords.

Worth Reading: Holland America to Restart Cruise Operations Out of Greece

Cruises from Amsterdam towards the Baltic and the capital cities of Helsinki, Stockholm, and the most northern big city in the world, St. Petersburg, are also on the program.

New Rotterdam is looking to be a true heir of her illustrious name, and with the voyages and the layout of the ship Holland America has planned out, it looks like it will be a huge success.

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Robert McGillivray
Robert McGillivray
Robert has been involved in the cruise industry since January 2007. He joined his first ship, the Seabourn Pride, in Miami Florida, and never looked back. Robert started his cruise career as a bar-waiter and worked his way up to being a corporate trainer for the same luxury 6-star cruise line. After a short break from ships in 2013, Robert has worked as a Hotel Director onboard several different cruise ships worldwide and even in Antarctica, and on the North Pole. As a writer for Cruise Hive Robert stays on top of all current developments and brings you breaking news, facts, and special reports. As an avid traveler and photographer, Robert has visited no less than 101 countries worldwide and stepped on to his 7th continent on his 30th birthday. His photos have been published by news media like Bloomberg and The New York Times, and are used by Celebrity and Azamara Cruise lines for their promotional materials. Robert currently resides in the Philippines on the tropical island of Panglao, with his wife and two daughters. Find out more about us here.

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