Holland America Line names next Pinnacle Class ship

Holland America Line has announced that its next Pinnacle Class ship, due for delivery in May 2021, will be called Ryndam.

She will be a sister ship to Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam, carrying 2,666 guests and featuring enhanced Pinnacle Class amenities and innovations.

Ryndam will be the fourth ship in the company’s history to carry the name, and her naming was a nod to the line’s long line of historic ships that helped build the foundation for cruising.

“Holland America Line honours the timeless tradition of cruising while also embracing new innovations for today’s travellers, and the name Ryndam reflects the unique history of this company while honouring previous ships that were progressive in their time as this last Ryndam will be,” said Orland Ashford, Holland America Line’s president.

“From the first Ryndam more than 100 years ago to the most recent, the namesake ships have been beloved by our guests. The next Ryndam will bring new life to one of the most notable series of vessels in our history.”

The steel cutting for Ryndam, the official beginning of the building process, was held March 13, 2019 at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera, Italy. This will be the 17th ship constructed for Holland America Line by the Italian shipbuilder, which most recently delivered Nieuw Statendam.

A walk down the Ryndam memory lane:

The first Ryndam was part of the Holland America Line fleet from 1901 to 1929, starting as Rijndam before receiving the English spelling in 1923. In 1927 she became the first Holland America Line ship to sail a world cruise, although it was chartered as a floating school at sea for that voyage.

The second Ryndam served from 1951 to 1973, and the third sailed in the fleet from 1993 through 2015, when it was transferred to sister brand P&O Australia and now cruises as Pacific Aria.