Holland America Line christened their newest cruise ship, Rotterdam, on Monday in a ceremony that was held Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Rotterdam was christened by Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands.
“Our heritage is rooted here in the Netherlands, and we are deeply honored to have Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet as godmother of her fifth Holland America Line ship,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “When Rotterdam was delivered in 2021 we postponed its naming ceremony so we could hold it in Rotterdam, because there’s no better place to name a ship than in the city it was named after. After a challenging couple of years, we are excited to celebrate this memorable moment in our company’s history.”
Following the ceremony, a gala luncheon was held onboard for invited guests. The festivities continued into the evening with a gala dinner and the opportunity for guests to pour champagne over the ship’s bell. The blessing of the cruise ship’s bell is a Holland America Line tradition when welcoming a new ship to the fleet.
Rotterdam’s naming ceremony also was attended by Stein Kruse, senior advisor to the chairman and CEO, Carnival Corporation; Keith Taylor executive vice president, fleet operations Holland America Group; Randy Weisenburger, board member, Carnival Corporation; Nico Bleichrodt, vice president, international sales, Holland America Line and Seabourn; Jaap Smit, commissioner to the King; and Boudewijn Siemons, COO, Port Of Rotterdam and Chairman of the Cruise Policy Board. Antorcha was unable to attend the ceremony.
The Geres were selected as Mariner Ambassadors for Rotterdam to honor Holland America Line’s appreciation of its loyal guests who are long-time cruisers. Since first sailing in 1988 aboard Rotterdam V, the Geres have sailed nearly 2,500 days on Holland America Line, including several cruises on Rotterdam V.
Rotterdam’s special seven-day “Rotterdam Naming Celebration” cruise departed May 29 and sails roundtrip from Amsterdam, Netherlands, also visiting Kristiansand, Stavanger and Flåm, Norway, with scenic cruising in Sognefjord.
Following the cruise, the ship will homeport out of Amsterdam and spend the season on seven- and 14-day Norway cruises, as well as explorations to Scandinavia, Iceland and the Northern Isles.
