Carnival Corporation, which has said it is cutting thirteen ships from the fleets of its various brands just completed the list by naming four Holland America ships that will be leaving the fleet in the next few months.
All four, built between 1990 and 2000, are among the oldest and smallest of Holland America’s fourteen ships, although many cruisers love them for their size and relative intimacy. Few ships their size, carrying around 1,500 passengers, remain in the world of cruising.
The first two, Maasdam and Veendam, will go to new owners in August, to be followed in the fall when Amsterdam and Rotterdam go to a different buyer. The fleet changes for cruise lines, like those for airlines, are based on a reduced market in the short run, and on swapping out less efficient equipment. Holland America has a new 2,600-passenger ship, Ryndam, under construction.
Passengers signed up for trips on the departing ships are being notified of their options. In some cases, such as a 2021 round-the-world voyage on Amsterdam will now take place on Zaandam instead, while a Grand Africa cruise set for October of next year on Rotterdam will now also use Zaandam.
