Holland America Line vessels Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam will arrive at Dover on 20 April and 26 April, respectively, during their transatlantic voyages.
Rotterdam was last in Dover on 17 April 2023 as part of a commemorative 150th anniversary voyage, while Nieuw Statendam’s inaugural call to the port took place on 8 September 2023.
Dover will be Nieuw Statendam’s UK homeport in summer 2025, from where she will undertake ten sailings – HAL’s largest set of UK calls in ten years.
The ship will operate various itineraries including to the Canary Islands, British Isles, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Iberia and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Karen Farndell, Holland America Line’s director of sales and marketing explained:
‘Nieuw Statendam will be a regular fixture next year, as she will spend a full season sailing out of Dover, providing our guests with an even greater choice of destinations and the option to sail with us without the need to fly. So the visit gives us the ideal opportunity to prepare for 2025 and all the benefits and opportunities it will bring.’
Dover’s partnership with HAL dates back over one and a half centuries: it was a port of call during the original Rotterdam’s first ever sailings in 1872.
Peter Wright, head of cruise at the Port of Dover said, ‘The upcoming return of Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam will give us another opportunity to celebrate our unique history together. We are excited for the future and look forward to presenting the very best of Kent alongside Dover’s much-loved scenery and heritage when Nieuw Statendam sails in for many more port of call visits.’
