Waving flags, cheers and a “Welcome Home” sign greeted Holland America Line's guests boarding Koningsdam at the Port of San Diego on Sunday. A ribbon cutting and celebration showcased the line's first West Coast departure since the pandemic shut-down of cruising in early 2020.
Koningsdam, a Pinnacle-class vessel, is Holland America's largest ship to sail from the West Coast. The ship is now operating a series of 23 seven-day cruises to the California coast or Mexico through April 3, 2022.
"We are thrilled to get back to cruising from San Diego and to supporting this wonderful city and the ports we visit along the West Coast—from Mexico to Washington,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line.
He continued: “Our guests are eager to be back onboard and our team members look forward to reconnecting with them and providing a memorable vacation. We’re ready for a successful season of cruising.”
Shown above, left to right are: Rafael Castellano, commissioner, Port of San Diego; Jeff Farschman, Koningsdam's first guest on the San Diego "restart" cruise; Steve MacBeath, captain of Koningsdam; and Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. // Photo by Holland America Line
Cruise Lineup
In addition to Koningsdam, Holland America's Zuiderdam also will operate cruises from San Diego as follows:
- Four nine-, 10- or 14-day “Mexico and Sea of Cortez” cruises from December 2021 through April 2022
- Two 14-day Panama Cruises in January 2022
- A 35-Day "Hawaii, Tahiti & Marquesas" voyage departing Feb. 27, 2022
- One five-day Pacific coastal cruise from San Diego to Vancouver, B.C., Canada, departing April 22, 2022
Also, Eurodam will operate one four-day Pacific coastal cruise from San Diego to Vancouver, departing April 25, 2022, while Nieuw Amsterdam will sail one five-day Pacific coastal cruise from San Diego to Vancouver on April 26, 2022.
Economic Benefits
Holland America Line has been homeporting at the Port of San Diego since the 1990s. For the upcoming 2021-22 season, the cruise line will bring more than 81,000 guests to the city. That's expected to bring in more than $35 million in direct spending. Operationally, it's estimated that each ship visit directly contributes $364,000 to the local economy in provisioning (fuel, food, flowers, piano tuning, supplies), port taxes, and spending.
When Koningsdam and Zuiderdam call at San Diego, both ships will be using shore power, reducing the ships’ carbon footprint.
For more information, visit www.hollandamerica.com.
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