Investor Relations

Holland America Line Celebrates 15th Anniversary of HAL Academy with New Panama Canal Course, Cruise Sweeps for Travel Partners

Travel professionals who complete the course receive key selling tips

and a chance to win a cruise         

Seattle, Wash., Nov. 3, 2016 – In 2016 Holland America Line is celebrating the 15th anniversary of the award-winning Holland America Line Academy for travel professionals. To commemorate the milestone, the cruise line is introducing a new The Panama Canal and More Specialist Training Course and a cruise sweepstakes. Travel partners who complete the course by Nov. 30, 2016, automatically are entered into the 2016 HAL Academy 15 Year Anniversary Sweepstakes to win a seven-day cruise for two to any Holland America Line destination in 2017.

In addition to the cruise sweepstakes, travel partners who take the Panama Canal course by Nov. 30 also will be entered into the 2016 HAL Academy Swag Bag Giveaway. Five lucky winners will receive a Cutter & Buck canvas bag containing Holland America Line logo items, including a bathrobe, coffee mug, notebook/pen set, luggage tag, glasses cloth and set of wine glass charms. Travel professionals can access The Panama Canal and More course through HALacademy.com.

"We are excited to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Holland America Line Academy, which has grown into a robust and valuable tool for our travel partners," said Denella Ri'chard, Holland America Line's senior director of trade communications and engagement. "Travel professional education and training is at the core of everything we do, and we want to ensure our travel partners have the knowledge and information they need to grow their cruise business with confidence."

The informative The Panama Canal and More course takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete and includes information about features and benefits of a Holland America Line Panama Canal cruise — many of which are unique to the premium cruise line. The course also provides tips so travel professionals can better understand the motives of people who take a Panama Canal cruise, learn how to determine which clients would be most attracted to this type of cruise and gain key information that agents can apply to selling Holland America Line Panama Canal cruises. Holland America Line offers 24 full-transit Panama Canal cruises ranging from 15 to 28 days during the 2016-17 season. Another 17 Caribbean and Panama Canal cruises sail roundtrip Fort Lauderdale and visit the Panama Canal for one day. 

The new HAL Academy Specialist Training Courses series launched in July 2016 with Alaska and the Yukon: The Great Land = Great Sales for You, which more than 1,000 travel partners have taken. The courses were developed in collaboration with industry training expert Dr. Marc Mancini. They are designed to offer learning through a combination of video instruction, reading and interaction. Travel professionals taking the course have access to helpful insights, as well as downloadable marketing e-tools.

By completing these new courses, travel partners earn training credits with Cruise Lines International Association, as well as The Travel Institute for U.S. travel professionals or the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies. Partners also receive a Panama Canal Specialist logo and an online personalized certificate.

Upcoming Holland America Line Academy Specialist Training Courses include Grand Voyages, the Mediterranean and more. Launch dates will be announced. In total, more than 18,000 travel professionals have completed various specialist courses over the past 15 years.

The sweepstakes is open to travel agents who have registered at Holland America Line Academy; are legal residents of the United States, the District of Columbia or Canada (excluding Québec); and are 18 years of age or older.

About Holland America Line Academy

Holland America Line Academy is designed to support travel professionals in their ongoing quest for knowledge about travel sales, the cruise industry and Holland America Line. The training program began 15 years ago and today is an interactive online experience. Holland America Line Academy includes training sites for agents in the key international markets of the United Kingdom, Australia and the Netherlands. More than 18,000 travel professionals have graduated from Holland America Line Academy. Travel partners can access Holland America Line Academy through the PartnerSHIPS portal at GoHAL.com.

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About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE:  CCL and CUK)]

Holland America Line's fleet of 14 ships offers more than 500 cruises to more than 400 ports in 98 countries, territories or dependencies around the world. From shorter getaways to 115-day itineraries, the company's cruises visit all seven continents with highlights including Antarctica explorations, South America circumnavigations and exotic Australia/New Zealand and Asia voyages; four annual Grand Voyages; and popular sailings to the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, Canada/New England, Bermuda, Europe and the Panama Canal. The line currently has a new 2,650-guest ship, ms Koningsdam, delivered in April 2016, as well as a second Pinnacle Class ship, ms Nieuw Statendam, due for delivery in November 2018.

The company recently announced $300 million in brand enhancements to secure its position as the leader in premium cruising. Fleetwide, the ships feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused on destination immersion and personalized travel. Guests can expand their knowledge onboard at an America's Test Kitchen show; Explorations Café, powered by The New York Times and Digital Workshop powered by Windows. Outstanding entertainment fills each evening at venues including Lincoln Center Stage, Billboard Onboard and B.B. King's Blues Club. The dining experience can be savored at a variety of restaurants with menus that feature selections from Holland America Line's esteemed Culinary Council that comprises world-famous chefs who design dishes exclusively for our guests.