MS Prinsendam Ship Statistics

Shipyard: Wartsilla Finland
Entered service: 1988; 2002 for Holland America
Former names: Seabourn Sun, Royal Viking Sun
Gross tonnage:  37,848 gross tons
Length:  669 feet
Beam:  106 feet
Maximum speed:  22 knots (18.5 service)
Propulsion/Propellers:   Diesel
Crew members: 443 (International); Officers European
Passenger capacity:   793
Staterooms: 398 (4 Wheel-chair accessible)
Passenger Decks: 9
Library: Yes
Internet Center: Yes
Laundrette: Yes
Swimming pools: 2 (Outdoor)
Whirlpools:  4
Casino: Yes
Elevators: 4
CDC Sanitary Rating:  97
Ship's Registry:  The Netherlands

Company Background

Holland America Line was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company (NASM), a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam, it provided service to the Americas and eventually became known as Holland America Line. The company's first ocean liner was the Rotterdam, which sailed her maiden voyage from the Netherlands to New York City on October 15, 1872. The one-way voyage took 15 days. Twenty-five years later, Holland America Line owned a fleet of six cargo and passenger ships, and also provided service between Holland and the Dutch East Indies via the newly constructed Suez Canal.
The line became a principal carrier of immigrants from Europe to the United States until well after the turn of the century, carrying 850,000 to new lives in the New World.
In 1895, the company offered its first vacation cruise; its second leisure cruise, from New York to the Holy Land, was in 1910. With the coming of the jet age, Holland America Line suspended its transatlantic passenger trade in 1971and turned to offering cruise vacations full time.
In 1989, Holland America Line Inc. became a wholly owned subsidiary of Carnival Corp., the largest cruise company in the world.
With more than 130 years of experience, Holland America 13 ships sail to more than 320 ports of call on all seven continents, ranging from popular Caribbean and Alaska itineraries to exotic cruises to the far corners of the world. In 2008, HAL’s 14th vessel—the ms Eurodam—will make her debut.

Holland America Line's Five-Star Fleet consists of
Ship Name                         Delivery Passenger Capacity
ms Eurodam                         2008                         2,044
ms Noordam                         2006                         1,918
ms Westerdam             2004                        1,848
ms Oosterdam             2003                        1,848
ms Zuiderdam             2002                        1,848
ms Prinsendam             2002                            793
ms Amsterdam             2000                         1,380
ms Zaandam                         2000                         1,432
ms Volendam                         1999                        1,432
ms Rotterdam                         1997                        1,316
ms Veendam                         1996                        1,266
ms Ryndam                         1994                         1,258
ms Maasdam                         1993                         1,258
ms Statendam 1            993                        1,258

The company's subsidiary, Holland America Tours, serving Alaska and Canada's Yukon, was founded in 1947 in Fairbanks as Arctic Alaska Tours. The company originally arranged tours for passengers arriving on Alaska Steamship Co. vessels at Seward and Valdez by rail and bus to the Interior and by air to the Arctic. Westours became a subsidiary of Holland America in 1979. Now known as Holland America Tours, the company also owns Gray Line of Alaska, Gray Line of Seattle and several other Gray Line franchises. The company also owns Westmark Hotels and Inns, the largest hotel group in Alaska and Yukon Territory with 11 hotels in ten communities. In May 2006, Holland America Line completed a new 135-room lodge in Denali to service CruiseTour, Gray Line of Alaska guests and others.
Today the Holland America is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Website: www.hollandamerica.com