HAL Schedules Ten Vessels for Caribbean Sailings in 2008-2009

Holland America Line will offer Caribbean sailings of up to 20 days in 2008, part of the 121 sailings it will offer to the Caribbean next year, the line’s largest deployment in the region to date.

HAL said that it is focusing on “longer, port-intensive options” for its Caribbean itineraries, and said that it leads major cruise lines with sailings of 10 days or more in the region.

The line will introduce its newest ship, the 2,104-passenger Eurodam, to Caribbean cruising in 2008, one of 10 vessels it will sail in the region out of Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and New York.

The Eurodam, which is scheduled to debut next summer, will sail three- and seven-day eastern Caribbean itineraries through April, 2009.

HAL said that in October 2008, the Maasdam would take over the 14-day southern Caribbean cruise previously offered on the Veendam from Fort Lauderdale; the Veendam will switch to seven-day western Caribbean sailings and the Noordam will pick up the Maasdam’s former 10-day southern Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale.