Holland America Line celebrated another milestone this week in the construction of ms Koningsdam with the float out and transfer of the ship from its dry dock to its outfitting dock at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy.
At the outfitting dock, final construction and interior furnishing will take place until the ship is delivered on March 31, 2016.
“A ship’s construction has many key milestones, and floating it out and moving it to the outfitting dock is especially symbolic,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “The float out represents that we are getting closer to welcoming Koningsdam to our fleet and seeing the ship in the water adds to the excitement among our loyal guests, travel agent partners and employees in anticipation of its arrival.”
A coin ceremony also was earlier held on February 26 in which Tineke Schröder, wife of the founder of Dutch airline Martinair and a member of Holland America Line’s Mariner Society, served as the ship’s madrina.
During the coin ceremony, observed as a tradition to bring good fortune, two gold coins were welded to the forward mast of the ship by Schröder; Antonio Quintano, director of Fincantieri Shipyard; and Keith Taylor, executive vice president, fleet operations, for Holland America Line, followed by speeches and a blessing by the shipyard chaplain. The gold coins bore the image of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. The word koning means “king” in Dutch, and the ship’s name pays honour to the first king of the Netherlands in over a century.
For more information about about ms Koningsdam and Holland America Line, contact a travel professional, call 1300 987 322 or visit www.hollandamerica.com.au
SOURCE HAL