Holland America Line Review - To the US and Beyond

The Holland America Line is one of the longest-standing cruise lines on the planet, having been founded more than 130 years ago. Founded in the Dutch port of Rotterdam it provided services to the Americas, and initially was known as the Dutch-America Steamship Company. It played a major part in early European immigration to the United States, with a total of more than 850,000 passengers taking the opportunity to become part of the then still-young nation.For the first twenty years of its life, the Holland America Line was concerned with passenger and freight transport, but in 1895 it began the service for which it is now known - vacation cruises.



It was much later, in 1971, that it brought an end to its direct transatlantic services and two years later it sold off its cargo shipping arm, becoming concerned solely with its cruise package. In 1989 it was purchased by the Carnival corporation, and has become part of the overall Carnival family which is also now the subsidiary owner of another venerable passenger line, the Cunard crusie line.Its 14 ships today travel to seven different continents, and carry 700,000 passengers each year - an average total of 50,000 passengers per ship.



Among this fleet is the Prinsendam, a luxury liner purchased from the Seabourn line which carries 793 passengers. Among its other interests are the Alaska and Yukon-based Westmark hotel chain, the Gray Line bus companies of Seattle and Alaska and its own private island - the Caribbean hideaway of Little San Salvador Island, which has been renamed Half Moon Cay by the company. Nearly all Holland America cruises that pass through the area stop at Half Moon Cay for at least one day.The chairman of Carnival Corp.



, Micky Arison (son of Carnival founder Ted Arison), has recently stated that no new ships will be built for the Holland America Line until such time as an improvement is seen in the global financial situation. This still leaves a weighty fleet, of course, and there is no immediate concern over the future of the line. Indeed the company can still boast proudly of a service operation that sees each ship having nearly one crew member for every two guests on their cruises - allowing a real feel of convenience and quality.



This commitment to quality is borne out by the numerous awards won by the line garnered by its well-reputed level of service.The Holland America cruise ship line is pitched at the higher end of the market, with the company's website expressing its determination to provide an enriching experience for its customers. This is borne out in its portfolio of activities, with the Prinsendam for example offering gourmet cooking lessons and a well-stocked library, and all its ships priding themselves on the high quality menu served in an elegant atmosphere.



It is towards this end of the market that Holland America cruises will continue to direct its operations, and with over 130 years of shipping experience they as much as anyone can be trusted to provide a continuing high level of service.