Holland America Line has announced that it will be deploying the cruise ship Rotterdam leaving from Europe on a number of extended itineraries that will start from Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
This will be with effect from Sept 2012. Rotterdam was chosen as a homeport as the HAL has a deep connection with the city and also because of its convenient situation in North west Europe.
The Itineraries that are launched till spring 2013 will include two extended trips that will set sail for thirty four and ninety days and a number of regional sailings from 14 to 18 days.
After concluding the European summer season that was previously announced, the Rotterdam will set sail on 15th Sept, 2012 for the fourteen day Portugal and Spain Explorer Cruise which will take the Strait of Gibraltar to Barcelona in Spain. A number of Portuguese ports will also be called at on the way to Barcelona and back.
There are two explorations in Sept and Oct that will last for seventeen days each and taking alternate routes. The Moorish Empire Voyage will set sail on 29th Sept, and will go through the Strait of Gibraltar and then on to Civitavecchia in Rome and back. There are popular ports of call in Portugal and Spain.
The Canary Island Adventure will in turn start on Oct 16, and will head south to Morocco and the Canary Islands. There will be overnight calls at ports at Funchal, Portugal, Madeira as well as Tenerife, Canary Islands.
The Canary island Holiday will depart from Dec 22, and will call at the same ports, along with an additional night at Tenerife for New Year celebrations. There will be another Canary Island Adventure at 19th Apr, 2013, for 19 days, with the same route, but with an additional port o call at Portimao in Portugal.
Rotterdam will set sail from the Rotterdam port on 2nd Nov 2012 for a 34 night round trip called Caribbean Odyssey Adventure, which will sail across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and then back.
There are calls at the Azores, the islands of Barbados, Trinidad, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Tortola, as well as Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba, the ABC Islands and will return to Rotterdam with calls at Madeira, Portugal, Funchal, as well as Southampton in England.
The ninety day – Passage to the Far East Cruise set to depart on Jan 9th 2013 will take a route in the east to Asia, and will pass through the Suez Canal, and will call at ports in Spain, Greece and India. There are overnight stays and longer time port callings at Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai. A 2 week exploration of Indonesia, which is rich in Dutch heritage is another highlight. It is also possible to take part in this voyage in segments as well, from twelve to fifty three days.