by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:30 AM ET, Fri November 30, 2018
Holland America Line announced the delivery of its 15th ship in the fleet, the Nieuw Statendam, Thursday as part of a hand-over ceremony in Italy.
The festivities at Fincantieri's shipyard in Marghera, Italy, were celebrated with top executives, including Holland America Line president Orlando Ashford, Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald and Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono.
Nieuw Statendam set sail for Venice Friday en route to Rome for its Premiere Voyage with guests departing December 5. The vessel will then make a transatlantic crossing, where it will spend a full season in the Caribbean sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale.
The new ship's official naming ceremony will take place in Florida on February 2.
"Today the Holland America Line family celebrates the addition of Nieuw Statendam to our fleet, and it's a proud moment for everyone involved," Ashford said. "Thank you to our partners at Fincantieri and our own team members who worked diligently to deliver the ship looking more stunning than we imagined. Nieuw Statendam represents our continued evolution of adding exciting new experiences while maintaining the hallmarks that have made Holland America Line a leader in premium cruising."
In May, the ship will sail to its summer homeport of Amsterdam, where it will serve a series of northern Europe, Baltic and Iceland itineraries before making its way to the Mediterranean in September for cruises out of Civitavecchia.
Nieuw Statendam will accommodate 2,666 guests in purpose-built staterooms for families and solo travelers. The ship will feature a stunning Dining Room, several casual eating establishments, onboard entertainment features and more.
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