Holland America Line Reaches a Pinnacle With Keel in Place

It’s always exciting to see a new ship begin to take shape—particularly when it’s the first in a brand new ship class. For Holland America Line, it was a time to celebrate the keel laying of its new 2,650-guest Pinnacle Class ship on Aug. 22 at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy. A 680-ton block was lowered by crane into the yard’s building dock, marking the official beginning of construction.

“The keel laying of our new Pinnacle Class vessel heightens the anticipation for delivery because very soon we’ll see the ship begin to take shape,” said Stein Kruse, president and CEO of Holland America Line. “As the largest ship ever built for Holland America Line, the vessel features many innovations and new features, and we’re excited to see it all come together over the next year and a half.”

The ship will showcase decors by leading hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany, based in New York City, and designer and architect Bjorn Storbraaten, based in Oslo, Norway. The 99,500-gross-ton ship is scheduled for delivery in February 2016.

Image Courtesy of Holland America Line