HAL Noordam Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Holland America’s Noordam Celebrates 20 Years of Service
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Holland America Line’s Noordam just hit a major milestone. The ship recently completed 20 years of service carrying passengers around the world.
The Italian shipyard Fincantieri built the vessel and delivered it to Holland America on January 31, 2006. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship arrived in New York City for its christening ceremony on February 22, 2006.
A Star-Studded Beginning
Actress Marlee Matlin served as the ship’s godmother during the naming ceremony. After the festivities wrapped up, the Noordam kicked off its first season sailing Caribbean cruises.
The ship’s first voyage was a ten-night cruise from New York City. Passengers visited Grand Turk, Tortola, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and San Juan before heading back to New York.
The Noordam spent its early weeks offering ten- and 11-night Caribbean cruises. Then it headed across the Atlantic to spend the summer sailing in the Mediterranean.
Part of a Proud Fleet
The Noordam is part of Holland America Line’s Vista-class series. It became the fourth ship in the company’s history to carry the Noordam name.
The first Noordam joined the fleet back in 1908. A second ship with the same name came along in 1938. The third Noordam sailed for Holland America from the mid-1980s through 2004.
The Vista-Class Sisters
The Vista class includes four ships total. The Zuiderdam came first in 2002, followed by the Oosterdam in 2003 and the Westerdam in 2004. The Noordam rounded out the group in 2006.
All four ships were built at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy. Each vessel holds up to 1,900 passengers. Today, cruise fans consider these ships mid-sized vessels.
Fresh Look and New Adventures
Holland America gave the Noordam a major upgrade in 2019. Right now, the ship is sailing 14-night cruises exploring Australia and New Zealand.
The Noordam will head to Seattle this April on a repositioning cruise. From there, it will spend the summer sailing to Alaska and Canada’s British Columbia.
The summer schedule features Holland America‘s “Legendary Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice” voyage. This special 28-day cruise departs on June 7, 2026.
After another repositioning cruise through Hawaii, the Noordam returns to the South Pacific in mid-October. It will spend another winter season cruising around Australia and New Zealand.
The Noordam has spent two decades taking passengers to amazing destinations around the globe. From the Caribbean to Alaska to the South Pacific, this reliable ship continues to deliver memorable cruise vacations.
