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Holland America Line Celebrates a Milestone for Newbuild Nieuw Statendam with Coin Ceremony Celebration at Fincantieri Shipyard

New99,500-ton Pinnacle Class ship to launch in November 2018

Seattle, Wash., Dec. 7, 2017 —In anticipation of the upcoming float-out of msNieuw Statendam, Holland America Line held the ship's coin ceremonyWednesday, Dec. 6, at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard in Italy. FollowingItalian shipbuilding tradition, Anne Marie Bartels, a member of Holland AmericaLine's esteemed President's Club, served as the ship's Madrina and participatedin the festivities.

During the coin ceremony, observed to bring good fortune, a Dutch guilder waswelded to the forward mast of the ship by Bartels; Antonio Quintano, directorof the Fincantieri Marghera Shipyard; and Keith Taylor, executive vicepresident, fleet operations for Holland America Group, followed by speeches anda blessing by the shipyard chaplain. Cyril Tatar, Holland America Group's vicepresident of newbuilding services, also was in attendance.The Dutch Guilderbrings sentiment and history to the newbuild — it is from 1898, the yearHolland America Line's first Statendamcame into service.

"The coin ceremony is one of the most time-honored traditions in the buildingof a ship, and having Anne Marie, one of our most valued guests, serve asMadrina makes the celebration all the more special," said Orlando Ashford,president of Holland America Line. "NieuwStatendam reflects the next generation in our brand evolution whilemaintaining the classic hallmarks we are known for. By placing an authenticDutch guilder in the hull from the year our first ship named Statendam came intoservice is a meaningful way to build that bridge from our past to our future."

Bartels first sailed with Holland America Line on the s.s. Nieuw Amsterdam fromRotterdam, the Netherlands, to New York, New York, when she was 21 years old.She has since been on 79 Holland America Line cruises, including 12 GrandVoyages. Bartels has more than 2,500 cruising days with the line, which givesher elite President's Club status for guests with more than 2,500 days onboard.

During the festivities a drydock gate was opened briefly and water touched Nieuw Statendam's hullfor the first time as is tradition during the coin ceremony. On December 21, 2017,the ship will be fully floated out and move to an outfitting pier.

Nieuw Statendam isthe second Pinnacle Class ship for Holland America Line, joining ms Koningsdam, whichlaunched in April 2016 from the same shipyard in Marghera. A third Pinnacle Classship will set sail for the cruise line in 2021.

The 99,500-ton ship will reflect the ongoing evolution of Holland America Line.While much of the ship's design will be similar to Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam will have exclusivepublic spaces and its own style created by leading hospitality designer Adam D.Tihany and designer and architect Bjorn Storbraaten. The ship will carry 2,660guests and feature all of the hallmarks of Pinnacle-class design: grandlight-filled spaces; visual drama; and sumptuous interiors inspired by thefluid curves of musical instruments.

Holland America Line's first ship to be called Statendam sailed in 1898, andthis will be the sixth ship in the company's history to carry the name. Incombining the Dutch word for "new" with the classic "Statendam," HollandAmerica Line is celebrating the company's past, present and future.

About Fincantieri
Fincantieri is one of the world's largest shipbuilding groups and number one bydiversification and innovation. It is a leader in cruise ship design andconstruction and a reference player in all high-tech shipbuilding industry'ssectors from naval to offshore vessels; high-complexity special vessels andferries to mega-yachts; ship repairs and conversions; systems and components production;and after-sales services.

Headquartered in Trieste, Italy, the group has built more than 7,000 vessels inover 230 years of maritime history. With more than 19,400 employees -- 8,200 ofthose in Italy – and 20 shipyards on four continents, Fincantieri is theleading Western shipbuilder today. Its clients include major cruise operators,the Italian and the U.S. Navy and several additional foreign navies. The groupis a partner of some of the main European defense companies withinsupranational programs. More information can be found at fincantieri.com.

For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel professional,call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.

Editor's note:Photos are available at #

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Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the Holland America Blog. Access all socialmedia outlets via the Online Communities quick link on the home pageat hollandamerica.com.


AboutHolland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE:CCL and CUK)]
HollandAmerica Line's fleet of 14 ships offers more than 500 cruises to more than 400ports in 98 countries, territories or dependencies around the world. Fromshorter getaways to 113-day itineraries, the company's cruises visit all sevencontinents, with highlights including Antarctica explorations, South Americacircumnavigations, Cuba cruises and exotic Australia/New Zealand and Asia voyages;four annual Grand Voyages; and popular sailings to the Caribbean, Alaska,Mexico, Canada and New England, Bermuda, Europe and the Panama Canal. The linewelcomed ms Koningsdamin 2016 and has a second Pinnacle-class ship,ms Nieuw Statendam, tobe delivered in December 2018. A third Pinnacle-class ship, due for delivery in2021, recently was announced.

The company is undergoing $300 million in brand enhancements to secure itsposition as the leader in premium cruising. Fleetwide, the ships featureinnovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused ondestination immersion and personalized travel. Guests can expand theirknowledge through an exclusive partnership with O, The Oprah Magazine; duringan America's Test Kitchen show; at Explorations Café presented by The New YorkTimes; and by taking a Digital Workshop powered by Windows. Outstandingentertainment fills each evening at venues including Lincoln Center Stage,Billboard Onboard and B.B. King's Blues Club. The dining experience can besavored at a variety of restaurants with menus that feature selections fromHolland America Line's esteemed Culinary Council, comprising world-famous chefswho design dishes exclusively for our guests.

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