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With luxury ships sailing to more than 280 ports of call and all seven
continents, and more ships and tours being added each year, Holland America
Line's commitment to providing the best in cruise vacations is confirmed by
awards and accolades from leaders in the tourism industry.
Signature of Excellence
Their Tradition of Excellence® requires an ongoing commitment to product and
service enhancements. Towards that end, they have just announced Signature of
Excellence™, a program involving an investment of more than $225 million in
service and facility upgrades. Once again, Holland America Line will be
significantly raising the standard in premium cruising.
The comprehensive enhancements will focus on five areas central to the
Holland America Line guest experience:
- spacious, elegant ships and accommodations
- sophisticated five-star dining
- gracious, unobtrusive service
- extensive enrichment programs and activities.
- compelling worldwide itineraries
The service enhancements and
onboard improvements have already begun and will be completed by the end of
2005. Every part of the Holland America Line cruise experience will be made even
better. Signature of Excellence is a promise from every Holland America Line
employee to their guests - a commitment to provide a truly extraordinary
experience and tremendous value. Experience their award-winning service,
extraordinary accommodations, diverse dining options, entertaining onboard
activities, and exotic destinations that can only be found on a Holland America
cruise.
Entertainment & Activities
Be amazed, be surprised, be thrilled. The Holland America ships offer so many
entertainment venues; you're in for the night of your life. Choose to relax in
one of the sophisticated bars or lounges on board. They offer everything from
wine and cocktails to espresso and hand-dipped chocolates. Whether you enjoy a
quiet candle-lit corner or a rollicking good time, you're sure to find something
to suit your taste.
In their dramatic, multi-tiered show lounges you'll enjoy dazzling Las Vegas-
and Broadway-style production shows created by more Emmy®, Grammy®, Tony® and
Oscar® nominees than any other cruise line. Cabarets featuring dancers,
comedians and illusionists are also on the program.
Film buffs can also enjoy recently released movies. Holland America has
dedicated movie theatres that serve up comedies, dramas, thrillers and even hot
buttered popcorn.
If you like to dance, join in the fun with swing, disco, fox trot, waltzes
and calypso at one of several lounges. And be sure to take to the dance floor in
their signature Crow's Nest nightclub and observation lounge situated high atop
each ship.
For quieter moments, visit the library or join a game of bridge in the card
room. Or enjoy conversation with new friends over an espresso. These spacious
ships offer plenty of cosy corners and traditional wooden deck chairs for those
who wish to spend time reading, writing letters or watching the changing sea.
Art lovers will enjoy guided tours of the ships' multi-million dollar
collections of art and antiques. In addition, Parkwest Galleries manages onboard
auctions where guests may purchase works of art and arrange for in-home
delivery.
Just as the intriguing shops in the day's port of call fade into the horizon,
a whole new world of shopping opens on board Holland America Line ships. Shop
the onboard boutiques for duty-free treasures, including French fragrances and
Swiss watches, fine liqueurs and designer goods.
For the ultimate personalized shopping experience, on select sailings guests
may customize a garment with help from a Davanti fashion consultant. Women and
men alike may order a variety of custom-made garments, including casual and
dress shirts, slacks, skirts, jackets, pants and even tuxedos, overcoats and
vests. Browse through over 2,000 fabrics and personalize every detail from
button to cuff. (Available on almost all ships.)
Casinos
When Holland America ships are at sea, the casino lights up for gaming
enthusiasts. Try your luck in the casino at the slot machines and blackjack
tables, at dice and on the roulette wheel or in a game of Caribbean stud poker.
And after 11 p.m. the Mega-Slot Tournament begins. The stewards will keep your
glass filled with champagne while you try to fill the slots with three of a
kind. Let the games begin!
Other entertaining pastimes include Bingo games with jackpots up to $2,000.
Some sailings even include a Super Bingo prize of $25,000! In addition, guests
of all ships can win a chance for a free cruise in the cruise lottery.
Internet
As you cruise one part of the world, the rest of the world is never far away.
Connect with everyone back home via the Internet. Stay in touch with loved ones,
do business, check stock quotes or share vacation experiences in real time.
Each ship's Internet Centre offers computers with Internet access and
printers. In addition, 802.11b wireless "hot spots" are available on all ships
for guests travelling with personal laptop computers with wireless capability.
Guests may also rent wireless-equipped laptops onboard.
Vista-Class ships - including ms Oosterdam, ms Westerdam and ms Zuiderdam -
access the Internet directly from guest rooms using the dial-up connector on
personal laptop computers.
Sport & Fitness
Amusements and activities are plentiful on board Holland America ships. With so
many choices, there's something to suit everyone. When you're feeling athletic,
there are pools for swimming and decks for strolling. Exercise classes, deck
games and dual-purpose tennis/volleyball courts offer more fun.
If golf is your game, they're ready for you. In addition to golf excursions
on shore, guests of ms Oosterdam, ms Prinsendam, ms Westerdam and ms Zuiderdam
may rent clubs and equipment on board and get personalized lessons from
professional instructors. Instruction includes a state-of-the-art,
computer-aided coaching system to help you perfect your swing
Spas & Salons
Choose the blissful pampering of a facial. Let the trained fingers of a massage
therapist work fragrant oils into your skin, soothing your muscles. Enjoy
therapeutic water treatments as you steam in a sauna or bathe in exotic herbs.
Spas on board Holland America Line ships feature the beauty and wellness rituals
of the renowned Steiner Leisure. With everything from the hydrotherapy pool to
hair and nail care, their spas and salons leave you feeling refreshed and
rejuvenated.
And now, the Vista-Class ships feature the Greenhouse Spa and Salon, the
largest and most luxurious spas in the fleet. Found on board ms Oosterdam, ms
Westerdam and ms Zuiderdam, these tranquil spas invite guests to lay down their
stresses and embrace sensory indulgence. Staffed with professionals from Steiner
Leisure, the global spa leaders, the Greenhouse Spa and Salon offers guests
respite and renewal.
Because appointment space is limited, guests are encouraged to book spa
appointments early upon boarding the ship.
Dining
Holland America Line serves incomparable cuisine in a variety of wonderful ways
- from bountiful buffets and dress-up dinners to hors d'oeuvres on your veranda
and a picnic on the beach. They offer some of the most extensive menus at sea
(with more than 500 different food items on a typical 7-day cruise), blending
together modern Continental cuisine, regional specialties appropriate to each
cruising area and traditional favourites. Holland America chefs are all members
of the prestigious Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs gourmet society.
Your mouth will water at the aroma of so many delicious options. But your
other senses will delight as well - fine dining has always been the rule on our
ships with signature touches like Rosenthal china, starched linens, silver and
fresh flowers to enhance your meal.
With so many tastes to tempt you and venues to enjoy, you're sure to
experience the many pleasures world-class dining can offer. Each evening as the
dinner hour approaches, the melodious call of the chime master invites guests to
the main dining room, where another incredible experience awaits. Rare art,
elegant staircases and panoramic windows surround tables laid with fine linens,
silver and sparkling stemware. Servers greet guests and present menus of
sumptuous five-course selections, from appetizers and drinks to entrées and
dessert.
The Lido restaurant was the first of its kind in the cruise industry. And
although there are many imitators, none matches their extensive menu or helpful
service. Choose the Lido for a relaxed, casual meal. Eat indoors in the
air-conditioned restaurant or enjoy the fresh air on deck.
Guests who dine at the intimate, reservations-only Pinnacle Grill enjoy a
dining experience themed to reflect the Pacific Northwest. Candlelight and fine
décor create a romantic ambiance that sets the stage for fresh Northwest dishes
and select wines. Guests who wish to enjoy the Pinnacle Grill experience should
make reservations early. There is a modest surcharge for this extraordinary
dining experience.
Club HAL for Kids
With supervised fun for our young guests, the entire family can have the
vacation of their dreams. Club HAL® provides a wide variety of exciting
activities for kids ages 5 to 17. Participating youngsters receive an activity
program delivered to their stateroom and a Club HAL® t-shirt.
Club HAL® activities are designed to be age appropriate. Examples include
storytelling, arts and crafts, ice-cream sundae or pizza parties, ship tours and
bingo for the little ones (ages 5 to 8). For 'tweens (ages 9 to 12) there's
miniature golf, Ping-Pong, theme parties, on-deck sports events and scavenger
hunts. Teens (ages 13 to 17) can enjoy a teen disco, dance lessons, arcade
games, sports tournaments, card games, trivia contests, bingo, movies and
videos.
Select itineraries even offer "kids-only" shore excursions to Half Moon Cay
(their private island in the Bahamas) and exploratory adventures in several
Alaskan ports of call.
All activities are supervised by permanent, full-time Club HAL® directors and
assistants. Club HAL® directors hold degrees in education, childhood
development, recreation, leisure studies or related fields.
Holland America Line provides a number of other services to families. They
serve a wide variety of kid-pleasing food, including special sandwiches, tacos,
hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza. Baby food, high chairs and booster seats may be
requested in advance of boarding. Baby-sitting services are available for a
small surcharge.
Set Sail Today
There's no one way to experience your destination than on a Royal Caribbean
cruise ship, and that's the thrill of it. So what are you waiting for? To start
planning your next cruise vacation, you can book online our call us now to speak
to one of our Cruise Specialists.
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