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Senior Staff Officers Bring a Combined 95 Years of Service to Holland America Line’s New Koningsdam

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Seattle,Wash., Nov. 5, 2015 —When Holland America Line’s ms Koningsdam debuts in April 2016, theship’s senior staff officers will set sail with acombined 95 years of company loyalty andexperience. In addition to the previously announced appointment ofCaptain Emiel de Vries, the cruise line announced that Hotel Director Stan Kuppens,Chief Engineer Willem Zuidema, Staff Captain Kevin Beirnaert and Safety,Environmental and Health Officer Martijn van Dam will lead Koningsdam’sshipboard teams.

The99,500-ton ship currently is under construction at Fincantieri’s shipyard atMarghera, Italy. During its inaugural year Koningsdam will explore theMediterranean and northern Europe in summer and the Caribbean in winter.

“HollandAmerica Line has an incredible depth of talented and qualified personnel, andwe’re thrilled to have Stan, Willem, Kevin and Martijn joining Captain de Vriesto head up the onboard teams that will bring out Koningsdam,” saidOrlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president. “With their knowledge,experience and years of dedication to the company, these senior staff officersare well positioned to ensure that the ship is a successful addition to ourfleet.”

MeetCaptain Emiel de Vries

Announcedpreviously, Captain Emiel de Vries will be in command when Holland AmericaLine’s ms Koningsdam sets sail in April 2016. Having been with thecompany since 1997, de Vries rose through the ranks from fourth officer tocaptain and has been master of ms Amsterdam, ms Eurodam, ms Nieuw Amsterdam,ms Rotterdam and ms Zuiderdam. Hailing from the Netherlands, deVries grew up just east of Amsterdam. He graduated from the Hogere ZeevaartSchool in Amsterdam, one of the oldest nautical schools in the world, withdegrees in navigation and engineering. De Vries was introduced to HollandAmerica Line in 1995 when he interned as a cadet on the former ms Noordam,and since joining the company, he has sailed on every class of HollandAmerica Line ship.

Whennot in Italy at the shipyard, de Vries lives in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, withhis wife, Susan, and their daughter.

MeetHotel Director Stan Kuppens

Sincejoining Holland America Line in 1990, Hotel Director Stan Kuppens has sailed on12 current ships and four that are no longer with the fleet. In addition to msKoningsdam, Kuppens was the hotel director who launched ms NieuwAmsterdam, ms Eurodam, ms Noordam and ms Westerdam, thefour ships most recently built for the cruise line. He also has worked on msAmsterdam, ms Maasdam, ms Oosterdam, ms Rotterdam, ms Ryndam, ms Statendam, msZaandam and ms Zuiderdam.

A native of Nijmegen,Netherlands, Kuppens enjoyed sailing on the rivers and lakes of the Netherlandsas a child and he looked for a career that combined his love of travel and hisappreciation for hospitality. After graduating fromthe University of Hotel Management, he came to work for Holland America Lineand was selected to be a part of the prestigious Management Trainee Program — amultiyear course that provides training in all aspects of a marine HotelDepartment, eventually leading to the hotel director position. He currently lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife andson.

MeetStaff Captain Kevin Beirnaert

Koningsdam’s Staff Captain Kevin Beirnaertjoined Holland America Line in 2006 and worked on Rotterdam, Nieuw Amsterdamand Eurodam prior to being named to the newbuild team.

Hailingfrom Gent, Belgium, Beirnaert studied at the Hogere Zeevaart school in Antwerp,Belgium, and worked for freight company Ecuadorian Line and on dredging shipsin Dubai, U.A.E. on the Palm Jumeirah Project before joining Holland AmericaLine.

Beirnaertresides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Meet Chief Engineer Willem Zuidema

ChiefEngineer Willem Zuidema joined Holland America Line in 1991 aboard ssRotterdam after sailing on cargo ships with Nedlloyd.During his career with the company he has served on several ships and wasinvolved in the building of Ryndam and Rotterdam. Prior to beingnamed to the Koningsdam team he was chief engineer on Oosterdam.

A graduate of MarineEngineering College in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the Dutch native from The Haguebegan his seagoing career as a dual-purpose officer (both deck and engine)before committing to the engineering side of ship operations. Zuidema alsoholds a Master of Arts degree in international development. He and his wifelive in Atibaia, Brazil, and when on leave he is involved in severaleducational projects in that country.

MeetSafety, Environmental and Health Officer Martijn van Dam

Growing up in Aalsmeer, Netherlands, as the fifth generation in afamily of shipbuilders, Safety, Environmental and Health Officer Martijn vanDam sought his career at sea when he was 18 years old.

A graduate of Hogere Zeevaart School Amsterdam with degrees innavigation and engineering, van Dam joined Holland America Line in 2000 on theprevious Nieuw Amsterdam in the engineering department and hassince worked in several capacities on almost all the ships in the fleet. He hasalso served as a safety and environmental trainer for the fleet.

When he’s not onboard, van Dam lives in a small village at CostaBlanca, Spain, where he is restoring an old farm.

Aboutms Koningsdam
When Koningsdamsets sail on its Premier Voyage April 8, 2016, the vessel will debut severalinnovative concepts and new public venues while still featuring popularamenities guests associate with Holland America Line.

Guestswill have the opportunity to enjoy fine dining in several alternativerestaurants including Sel de Mer, a new French seafood brasserie; a newimmersive farm-to-table dinner experience in the Culinary Arts Center presentedby Food & Wine magazine; a redesigned casual Lido Market with themedserving stations; a stunning main dining room; and favorites such as PinnacleGrill, Canaletto Italian restaurant and pan-Asian Tamarind. The ship also willfeature Holland America Line’s first purpose-built staterooms for families andsingle staterooms among its 1,331 guest accommodations.

Onboard entertainment will be taken toa new level with the energetic Music Walk area featuring all genres of musicshowcased in venues including Lincoln Center Stage, offering chamber musicnightly; Billboard Onboard, where live musicians rock the crowd withchart-topping hits; and the popular B.B. King’s Blues Club in the Queen’sLounge, bringing the best of Memphis music to sea. World Stage brings270-degree LED projection to the main show lounge, enabling new conceptsfor show-time performances and immersing the audience in panoramic visual andsound effects.

Formore information about ms Koningsdam and Holland America Line, consult atravel professional, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.

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