Holland America Line launched Exploration Centrals (EXC) Wednesday as it looks to further enhance the way passengers experience destinations.
Programming will begin rolling out as soon as January 2017.
In a webcast, Holland America Line's president Orlando Ashford said the programming will be launched across the cruise line's entire fleet of ships by the end of 2017. However, the MS Westerdam will be the first ship to be physically outfitted with an EXC shipboard center in April 2017.
The EXC shipboard center will expand across the rest of the fleet through 2018.
On some ships, the Crow's Nest will be transformed into a resource and engagement center known as Explorations Central.
Ashford called EXC "the heartbeat of Holland America Line's destination experience."
"Explorations Central is revolutionizing the way we deliver destinations to our guests, and it's going to profoundly change how our guests are immersed in the history, culture and cuisine of the places we visit," Ashford said in a statement. "EXC is going to show our guests the world in a whole new way and enable them to engage in truly meaningful experiences."
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An EXC Team will work to bring destinations' local culture onboard, while EXC guides will provide personalized recommendations for what to see and do at each port. The guides will also give EXC Talks, which Ashford described as "illustrated stories" rather than lectures.
Meanwhile, EXC Encounters will allow passengers to experience the destination before they even arrive. For example, a guest may have the chance to play the steel drums with a Trinidadian onboard the ship.
The new programming also includes digital EXC Port Guides designed to help travelers make the most of their time at port, while printed EXC Port Maps will make it easy for guests to know where they are and what they should see.
Once back in their staterooms, passengers will be able to access the EXC Channel on their television. The channel's programming will be unique to the destination guests are experiencing.
Ashford said the new programming "ratchets up" Holland America's On Location immersive activity program.
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