Following her inaugural Europe season, Holland America Line’s new ms Koningsdam will sail a series of Caribbean voyages and one cruise to the Bahamas from this November through March 2017.
Scheduled to complete her European season at the start of November, the ship will homeport at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before commencing her first voyage on 9 November, a four-day roundtrip to Nassau and Half Moon Cay, the cruise line’s very own award-winning private island in the Bahamas.
While the initial four-day cruise offers guests a great taste of Holland America Line’s newest ship, the seven-, nine-, 10- and 11-day cruises will offer more time for exploring the diverse range of islands and ports in the region.
Commenting on the Caribbean season, Holland America Line president Orlando Ashford comments: “The Caribbean remains among the most popular cruise destinations in the world, and these are the most varied and robust Caribbean itineraries on any of our ships. By having itineraries that range from four to 11 days, guests will be able to enjoy a vacation that fits their schedule.”
The first seven-day itinerary will call at Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; Half Moon Cay, and the second calling at Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; and Key West, Florida. The second voyage will be one of the most festive as it falls over the Christmas period, and furthermore, the two itineraries can also be combined to create a 14-day Caribbean Collectors’ Voyage.
There is a nine-day voyage which includes a New Year’s option, giving guests the special opportunity to ring in the New Year with sun, sand and surf, calling at Falmouth, Jamaica; Half Moon Cay; Grand Turk; Georgetown, Cayman Islands; Cozumel and Key West.
The ten-day itinerary will highlight some of the most beautiful ports in the southern Caribbean, calling at Half Moon Cay; Grand Turk; the exclusive cruise port of Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; Kralendijk, Bonaire; Willemstand, Curaçao; and Oranjestad, Aruba.
Finally, the 11-day itineraries will see the eastern Caribbean as the main focus, with a mix of several ports including Castries, St. Lucia; Bridgetown, Barbados; and Fort-de-France, Martinique, and will also treat guests to scenic cruising in Soufrière Bay and past the famed Mount Pelée volcano.
Launched earlier this year, the brand new ms Koningsdam is Holland America’s line newest and biggest ship, representing a new Pinnacle Class of ship for the cruise line. She features several innovative new concepts and public venues in addition to classic Holland America Line amenities.
ms Koningsdam’s interior is fresh, contemporary and elegant, and among her 1,331 guest accommodations, she boasts the cruise line’s first purpose-built staterooms for families, as well as single staterooms. There are 35 room categories in total, which include spa, verandah, and oceanview, and almost 70 per cent of rooms enjoy private balcony views.
Several alternative restaurants offer guests a range of fine dining experiences at sea, such as new French seafood brasserie Sel de Mer, a casual Lido with themed stations, pan-Asian Tamarind, Italian restaurant Canaletto, and a new immersive paddock-to-plate dinner experience in the Culinary Arts Center.
There are plenty of options and spaces for fun, entertainment and relaxation. The three-deck high Atrium plays host to daily live performances, while the World Stage is the ship’s main theatre which also hosts Holland America’s enrichment program, in partnership with BBC Earth.
Club HAL provides younger kids with plenty to do, while their teen siblings kick back with video games, PlayStations, and a teen disco in The Loft.
Meanwhile, mum and dad can escape to the adults-only retreat, work out in the fitness centre, or enjoy a pampering treatment in the Greenhouse Spa & Salon.
In addition, there are plenty of shops, several pool and sun deck areas, a casino, Karaoke, art gallery, jazz bar, workshops, a winery, an observation lounge which becomes a nightclub in the evening, and plenty more for guests to enjoy on board.
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