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Holland America Line Collaborates with Software Platform Utrip to Offer the Highest Level of Cruise Vacation Personalization

Cruisers can more easily find the best itinerary and shoresideactivities based on their tailored preferences
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Seattle, Wash., Oct. 29, 2015 –Selecting the right cruise itinerary and then deciding what to do while in portcan be daunting, but Holland America Line’s new collaboration with Utrip willgive guests the most comprehensive and interactive personalized planning anddiscovery tool in the cruise industry.

Through integration into the Holland America Line website, the Utrip platformwill offer a novel way to personalize content in new Destination Guides beingcreated in partnership with travel authority AFAR Media. Cruisers will be ableto browse the information on their own or utilize the Utrip functionality toselect desired ports of call, highlights and activities ashore. They will thenreceive customized recommendations on the line’s cruise itineraries, porthighlights, as well as shore excursions tailored to their interests.

“Our guests want to experience destinations in their own way, and through ourpartnership with Utrip they can now personalize their trip in a fun andengaging way, as well as make more informed choices about what to do and seeashore,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “We arethrilled to partner with another Seattle-based company, and we know our guestsare going to enjoy exploring the world in a whole new way using the Utripinterface on our website.”

Utrip simplifies searching through Holland America Line’s thousands of cruiseitineraries and shoreside activities by enabling guests to narrow down theiroptions and save specific ports and interests. These are recommended by eithera pre-determined profile or a personalized one created with interactive sliderscovering History, Art and Culture, Food and Drink, Nature and Outdoors, andContemporary Life.

For each destination, Utrip searches top-pick attractions, local dining andshopping options for the best match to personal preferences. Interactive mapsallow users to see the location of each suggestion and click for additionalinformation. The interface also will make recommendations for Holland AmericaLine group shore excursions based on preferences.

Another facet of the Utrip platform is that it will enable guests to findcruises visiting specific ports and regions without having to sort throughdozens of itineraries in the area. For example, if a traveler knows she wantsto visit Europe and explore Spain, Italy and Monaco, and more specificallyBarcelona, Rome, and Monte Carlo, Utrip might recommend ms Oosterdam’s 12-dayMediterranean Rivieras voyage departing May 24, 2016, or ms Eurodam’s 12-dayMediterranean Tapestry cruise departing July 5, 2016.

“We are excited to work with Holland America Line to create a new way for theirguests to plan and personalize their cruise,” said Gilad Berenstein, Utripfounder and CEO. “Utrip’s platform will generate itinerary and shoreside recommendationsbased on a guest’s preferences, so it’s much easier to find sailings andactivities that are most interesting to them. It simplifies the decision-makingprocess and makes planning their next vacation more engaging and enjoyable.”

Users can save the recommendations to their profile so they can easily findthem when they are ready to book their cruise.

About Utrip
Utrip was founded in Seattle, Washington, in 2012 by Gilad Berenstein after heexperienced difficulties planning a trip to Europe. It is a freetravel-planning platform that brings together the best in artificialintelligence and human experience, making it easy for travelers to create theirperfect trip. Utrip’s predictive technology works on a vast travel databasethat has been curated by local experts.

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

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Find Holland America Line onTwitter,Facebookand theHolland AmericaBlog. Access all social media outlets via theOnline Communitiesquick link on the homepage athollandamerica.com.

AboutHolland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE:CCL and CUK)]
Holland America Line’s fleet of 15 ships offers more than 500 cruises to 415ports in 98 countries, territories or dependencies. One- to 110-dayitineraries visit all seven continents and highlights include Antarctica, SouthAmerica, Australia/New Zealand and Asia voyages; four annual Grand Voyages; andpopular sailings to ports in the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, Canada/New England,Europe and the Panama Canal. The line currently has a new 2,650-guest ship, ms Koningsdam, onorder for delivery in April 2016 from Fincantieri shipyard, as well as a secondPinnacle Class ship due for delivery in November 2018.

Fleetwide, the company features Signature of Excellence enhancements, a commitmenttotaling more than $500 million, that showcase the Culinary Arts Centerpresented by Food & Wine magazine — a state-of-the-art onboard show kitchenwhere more than 60 celebrated guest chefs and culinary experts provide cookingdemonstrations and classes — Explorations Café powered by The New York Times,Digital Workshop powered by Windows, teens-only activity areas and all-newstateroom amenities highlighted by flat-panel TVs and plush Euro-top Mariner’sDream Beds.

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