Holland America Line Names Next Pinnacle-Class Ship Ryndam

Holland America Line has announced that its next Pinnacle-Class ship will be called Ryndam. The newbuild, due for delivery in May 2021, will be the fourth ship in the company’s history to carry the name.

Ryndam will be similar to 99,500-ton, 2,666-guest sister ships Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. As the third in the series, Ryndam will feature enhanced Pinnacle Class amenities and innovations.

Holland America Line President Orlando Ashford said the company evaluated many names, including doing away with the traditional “dam” at the end of all its ship names, but the decision was to keep with tradition.

“Holland America Line honors the timeless tradition of cruising while also embracing new innovations for today’s travelers, and the name Ryndam reflects the unique history of this company while honoring previous ships that were progressive in their time as this last Ryndam will be,” Ashford said.

“From the first Ryndam more than 100 years ago to the most recent, the namesake ships have been beloved by our guests. The next Ryndam will bring new life to one of the most notable series of vessels in our history.”

The steel cutting that began the construction process for Ryndam was held March 13 at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera, Italy. This will be the 17th ship constructed for Holland America Line by the Italian shipbuilder, which most recently delivered Nieuw Statendam.

The first Ryndam was part of the Holland America Line fleet from 1901 to 1929, starting as Rijndam before receiving the English spelling in 1923. In 1927 Ryndam I became the first Holland America Line ship to sail a world cruise, although it was chartered as a floating school at sea for that voyage.

The second Ryndam served from 1951 to 1973, and the third sailed in the fleet from 1993 through 2015, when it was transferred to sister brand P&O Australia and now cruises as Pacific Aria.