Holland America Line’s new ship Rotterdam was treated to a royal welcoming in the city she was named after. 

Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands was in attendance as the ships godmother, officially naming the vessel in front of a decorated list of guests, including the CEO of Carnival Arnold Donald and Lord Mayor of Rotterdam Ahmed Aboutaleb. 

Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line said: “Our heritage is rooted here in the Netherlands, and we are deeply honoured to have Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet as godmother of her fifth Holland America Line ship.

“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.”

Holland America Line’s relationship with the Dutch royal family can be traced all the way back to 1929, when Prince Hendrik, welcomed Statendam III. Since then the royal relations have been strong, with the Dutch Royal Family launching 11 further ships, including a further four by Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet herself. 

The ship itself is the third vessel in the Pinnacle Class series, packing in 2688 guests. Rotterdam promises the best live music at sea, with carefully curated nightly performances at their Rolling Stone Rock Room, chamber music at the Lincoln Centre Stage and Billboard Onboard, a space dedicated to chart-topping hits. You can even slow things down at B.B King’s Blues Club, getting a taste of Memphis at sea. 

The new ship will start her sailing career with seven and 14-day Norway cruises, as well as paying visits to Scandinavia, Iceland and the Northern Isles. 

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