Koningsdam Ceremony Fit For A Queen

In a ceremony rich with history and meaning, Holland America Line (HAL) held a dedication ceremony for the new Koningsdam May 20 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where Queen Máxima of the Netherlands officially blessed the bell and named Koningsdam on board the ship in front of invited dignitaries, cruise guests, travel partners and media.

The celebration began with Queen Máxima performing the ceremonial honours of blessing the ship’s bell in the Lido pool area by pouring a glass of champagne over it. The blessing of the bell is a hallowed Holland America tradition when welcoming a new ship to the fleet.

Next, the ship was officially christened during a ceremony in the World Stage theater when Queen Máxima pulled a rope to trigger the traditional champagne bottle break on Koningsdam’s hull.

“It’s an honour to have Her Majesty Queen Máxima as the godmother to Koningsdam, and May 20 was a truly special day with Her Majesty delivering the ceremonial traditions of welcoming our newest ship to the fleet,” said HAL president Orlando Ashford. “As our company was founded in Rotterdam more than 143 years ago, it was fitting to return to our roots for Koningsdam’s royal dedication.”

Following the ceremony, a gala luncheon was held onboard in addition to shipwide celebrations throughout the day. In the evening the ship set sail for Amsterdam, and fireworks lit up the sky as Koningsdam passed Hoek van Holland.

During its inaugural season in Europe, Koningsdam sails in the Mediterranean and then repositions from Civitavecchia, Italy (the port for Rome), to its summer homeport of Amsterdam. The ship will go on to sail roundtrip Amsterdam itineraries to Norway, the Baltic and Iceland.

Following its Europe season, Koningsdam will homeport at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship will sail one cruise to the Bahamas and then a series of Caribbean voyages from November 2016 through March 2017.

(http://www.hollandamerica.com)