Holland America's Koningsdam Marks 10 Years in Service
Fincantieri delivered the ship from its Marghera yard on March 31, 2016; it became the lead vessel in a class later joined by Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam.
Holland America Line’s Koningsdam has completed its 10th year in service, a decade after Fincantieri delivered the ship from its Marghera yard on March 31, 2016. The 99,500-ton vessel introduced the line’s Pinnacle class and entered service as the largest ship Holland America had built.
The anniversary comes as the 2,660-passenger ship is sailing Alaska cruises from Vancouver after a drydock that added staterooms and refreshed several public spaces. Koningsdam remains the lead ship in a three-vessel class that now also includes Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam.
Drydock work refreshed cabins and public areas
Koningsdam returned from a Grand Bahama Shipyard drydock earlier this year with additional larger oceanview staterooms, refreshed live music venues, an expanded casino and a new Effy shop. Holland America said the new cabins were configured for families or other groups traveling together, with capacity for up to four guests.
The roughly 980-foot, Netherlands-registered ship operates with about 1,036 crew and was built around the larger hotel and entertainment platform that Holland America later extended to its two subsequent Pinnacle-class ships.
From Amsterdam debut to Alaska deployment
Koningsdam spent its first season in Northern Europe. Following naming events, the ship arrived in Amsterdam in May 2016 for its first homeport season, operating Northern Europe and Baltic itineraries before shifting to the Mediterranean in September of that year.
The ship later made its first Atlantic crossing and began a winter Caribbean season from Fort Lauderdale. In 2022, Holland America moved Koningsdam to the West Coast for its first summer program in Alaska and Canada, and the vessel is again deployed in Alaska this year with departures from Vancouver.
In a 2025 promotion tied to Forbes Vetted naming the line Best Alaska Cruise Overall, the company included a Koningsdam Alaska Inside Passage sailing from Vancouver among its 2026 examples, and Dan Rough, Holland America Line’s vice president of revenue management, called the recognition “a testament to our deep-rooted connection to the region.”
San Diego and South Pacific sailings are scheduled next
After its Alaska program, Koningsdam is scheduled to arrive in San Diego in October 2026 for seven- to 18-night cruises to the Mexican Riviera and Hawaii.
In early 2027, Koningsdam is also scheduled for a 35-night South Pacific cruise within Holland America’s Legendary Voyages program, which generally covers longer regional itineraries of about 25 to 59 days. The voyage is set to call at 10 destinations across Hawaii, French Polynesia and Kiribati, including Fanning Island, Tahiti, Honolulu and Nuku Hiva.
