Where Do I Sign Up? Holland America Cruise Line's Signature Class of Cruise Ships
January 10, 2006
Holland America Cruise Line's upcoming Signature Class of cruise ships will further define why so many cruisers find Holland America synonymous with excellence. In fact, the Signature Class ships, which will be released in 2008 and 2010, are named after the premium cruise line's current $225 million Signature of Excellence initiative.
The Signature Class will be the largest ever constructed for the premium cruise line. "With innovative design and guest offerings, the Signature Class ships will continue the evolution of Holland America Line's sophisticated mid-sized ships and further our premium leadership position," said Stein Kruse, president and CEO. "The two 2,044-passenger ships represent a 22 percent increase in our capacity and will allow us to achieve a greater share of the growing premium cruise market."
The Signature Class ships will have a variety of features such as a 144-seat topside restaurant with exquisite dining, the 50-seat lounge with a panoramic ocean view, and the Lido pool. Other additions include the Explorer's Lounge Bar, a premium wine-tasting lounge, an elegant luxury jewelry boutique, a new atrium bar area, and a reconfigured show lounge.
As far as accommodations go, there aren't many better places to rest your weary head or awaken to a brand new day. Comfortable and plush beds, deluxe cloth robes, Egyptian cotton towels, crystal-clear flat panel TVs, DVD players, massaging shower heads, fresh flowers, and complimentary baskets of fresh fruit await passengers.
The Signature Class of Holland America Cruise Line ships will feature 47 verandah cabins and ten staterooms with stunning ceiling-to-floor and wall-to-wall panoramic windows. All in all, the new Signature Class will carry 1,022 double occupancy staterooms, 67% of which will feature verandahs and 86% of which will be oceanviews.
Of course, the Signature Class will continue several highly-admired Holland America Cruise Line Signature of Excellence features, such as glass elevators from which you can view the sea; the Explorations Cafe---the New York Times-powered cyber-coffee house; the Pinnacle Grill and Pinnacle Bar; and the innovative Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine Magazine, where culinary experts put on cooking demonstrations and classes and in state-of-the-art onboard show kitchens. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Speaking of icebergs, Holland America Cruise Line has an entire fleet of ships that go to destinations in almost every time zone...and yes, Alaska is included in the list. Lose yourself in a novel under a Caribbean palm tree; tread through Europe's antiquity in your brand new shoes; watch a golden sunset in Hawaii or see the golden autumn leaves of Canada. You may have to wait a few years for the Signature Class of Holland America cruise ships, but you don't have to wait to experience the luxury and exciting ports of call offered by any of the other Holland America ships. But for those who do sail with the Signature Class, it will be well worth the wait.
"This new class of ships demonstrates the strength of our brand, the loyalty of our guests and the dedication of our more than 15,000 employees worldwide," said Kruse. "The added capacity will provide greater opportunities for our guests and employees alike."
These two ships of Holland America Cruise Line are part of an overall order by Carnival Corporation, which owns Holland America and several other cruise line brands. Carnival Cruise Line and Princess Cruises will also see new additions to their fleets in the coming years.
