The
Holland America Cruise Line is one of the major
cruise ship operators, and has been operating for over a century. Since 1989, it has actually been fully owned by
Carnival Corporation, the single largest cruise company in the world.
The Holland America Line includes the following ships:
ms Noordam
ms Westerdam
ms Statendam
ms Maasdam
ms Ryndam
ms Veendam
ms Rotterdam (the line's flagship!)
ms Volendam
ms Zaandam
ms Nieuw Amsterdam (retired)
ms Amsterdam (sister ship to the ms Rotterdam)
Each of these ships is huge, many of them over 600 meters long, and holding over 5,000 passengers.
Holland America offers cruises to a variety of locations:
The Caribbean
Hawaii
South America
The Mediterranean
Northern Europe
New England
Southeast Alaska
Holland America ships are very luxurious, and a significant amount of attention is paid to the interior 'look' of the ships. Many thousands of dollars worth of antiques and unique artwork can be found on each ship, lending a tasteful atmosphere to a cruise. Holland America's competitors, such as Princess Cruise Lines, generally do not have as much art on the ship's interior.