Holland America Line's Westerdam returned to service from the Port of Seattle yesterday, marking the last ship in the fleet to resume operations.
Westerdam embarked guests for a roundtrip seven-day 'Alaska Explorer' cruise, the first of a series that will position the ship in Alaska through the end of September.
To commemorate the occasion, HAL held a ceremony in the terminal attended by the ship's captain and senior officers, with flag-waving fanfare from team members lined up to greet guests as they boarded.
Three guests cut a ribbon to open embarkation, and Captain Wouter van Hoogdalem placed the final piece of a puzzle with "Westerdam" on it to signify the completion of the line's return to service.
"Today is an emotional day that's been more than a year in the making, and Westerdam is the final puzzle piece to make our fleet of ships in service complete," said president Gus Antorcha.
"Every ribbon cutting has brought us one step closer to today, and everyone in the Holland America Line family worked with passion and determination to achieve this milestone. We are excited to welcome guests and overwhelmed with what today means for our company."
Following its season in Alaska, Westerdam will embark on a 36-day "South Pacific Crossing" repositioning from Seattle to Sydney, Australia. Along the way, the ship will make 17 calls at some of the world's most beautiful islands and tropical locations.
She will then offer a season of Sydney roundtrip itineraries to the north and south islands of New Zealand, along with southern Australia. In December 2022, the ship sails along the east coast of the continent up to Singapore via the Great Barrier Reef.
In early 2023, Westerdam will offer cruises to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, China and the Philippines, before crossing back for another season in Alaska.
Since Holland America Line restarted cruising in July 2021, Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Rotterdam, Zaandam and Zuiderdam have returned to service with cruises in Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, California Coast and South Pacific.
Volendam is currently under charter by the government of the Netherlands, accommodating Ukrainian families, and will sail Mediterranean voyages from Italy starting in September.
Topics From This Article to Explore
