(PRESS RELEASE)_Seattle, Wash., May 30, 2022 — Holland America Line’s flagship Rotterdam received the royal treatment in a ceremony rich with Dutch heritage May 30, 2022, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands served as godmother and officially named the ship in front of invited dignitaries and guests.
 
Upon arrival, Princess Margriet was welcomed at the gangway with a traditional floral bouquet presented by seven-year-old Nora van Dijk, daughter of Nathalie van Dijk, who has been with Holland America Line for 15 years, most recently as a business development representative in sales in the Rotterdam office. During the daytime naming celebration, Carnival Corporation President and CEO Arnold Donald, Holland America Group President Jan Swartz, Rotterdam Captain Werner Timmers, Lord Mayor of Rotterdam Ahmed Aboutaleb and Mariner Ambassadors David and Gisela Gere joined Princess Margriet to officially welcome Rotterdam to the fleet.
 
“Our heritage is rooted here in the Netherlands, and we are deeply honored to have Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet as godmother of her fifth Holland America Line ship,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “When Rotterdam was delivered in 2021 we postponed its naming ceremony so we could hold it in Rotterdam, because there’s no better place to name a ship than in the city it was named after. After a challenging couple of years, we are excited to celebrate this memorable moment in our company’s history.”

(PRESS RELEASE)_Los Angeles (May 26, 2022) – Viking® (www.viking.com) continues to mark new milestones for its expedition voyages, as the new purpose-built Viking Octantis® kicks off its inaugural season in the Great Lakes. Designed specifically to reach the Great Lakes region, the Viking Octantis recently completed a roundtrip through the Welland Canal—a key section of the St. Lawrence Seaway connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie—making it the largest passenger vessel ever to transit the canal. The ship will remain in the Great Lakes until early October 2022, sailing a variety of itineraries between Toronto and Duluth. A second expedition vessel, the Viking Polaris®, will debut later this year and will join the Viking Octantis in the Great Lakes for the 2023 season. 

“Our expedition ships were designed with the Great Lakes in mind. This region has been historically underserved by cruise lines, and we are delighted by the warm and enthusiastic reception we have received from the local communities,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “With our first season now underway, we are pleased with the strong demand among our guests and look forward to introducing even more curious travelers to these fantastic destinations in 2023.”

Viking’s arrival to the Great Lakes brings the newest and most modern vessels ever to explore this region of North America, as well as a significant commitment to local tourism and economic development for the states of Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio (beginning in 2023) and the Canadian province of Ontario.

(PRESS RELEASE)_SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, MAY 24, 2022 – Australia’s award-winning adventure travel company, Aurora Expeditions, announces its new, purpose-built expedition ship, the Sylvia Earle, will be making her debut voyage on the Subantarctic Safari Nov. 4-20 2022. The ship will be christened by its namesake, the renowned marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle, prior to making its way to the wildlife havens of South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.
 
The 17-day maiden voyage to the Subantarctic Islands will appeal to wildlife lovers and history buffs alike. Beginning in Santiago, Chile and ending in Ushuaia, Argentina, passengers will explore the history-steeped Falkands~Malvinas, a bird lovers’ paradise home to an incredible diversity of charismatic penguin species and the largest colony of black-browed albatross in the world, followed by South Georgia – known for its enormous King penguin colonies and beaches lined with Elephant and Antarctic fur seals. Plus, passengers will have the opportunity to trace the history of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s infamous journeys here.