ms Zaandam also assists seven crewmembers from the yacht
Polonus in Antarctica
SEATTLE, Jan. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- At 2:10 a.m. Jan. 3,
2015, while en route to Oranjestad, Aruba, Holland America Line's
ms Zuiderdam answered a distress call from the Bahamian
inter-island vessel Excalibur that was sinking with eight
crewmembers onboard. Zuiderdam was approximately 15 miles
away and the closest ship in the area.
Zuiderdam altered course and was able to successfully
execute a nighttime rescue of all eight crewmembers at 3:01 a.m. The ship brought them onboard and
provided food and accommodations. The rescued crewmembers
debarked in Aruba on Jan. 5.
"Congratulations to the officers and crew onboard
Zuiderdam for their quick response that saved the lives of
eight people," said Orlando Ashford,
president of Holland America Line. "We are proud to be able to come
to the rescue when called upon, and it's even more gratifying when
everything goes as smoothly as this operation did."
Zuiderdam currently is in the middle of a 10-night
Panama Canal cruise roundtrip from Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., that departed Jan.
2 with calls at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; Oranjestad,
Aruba: Willemstad, Curacao;
and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica in addition to a partial Panama
Canal transit.
In addition, on Jan. 4 ms
Zaandam came to the aid of seven crewmembers from the sailing
yacht Polonus that were staying at the Arctowski Polish
research station at King George
Island in Antarctica. The
crew, all Polish nationals, were stranded after their yacht went
aground. They are being taken to Buenos
Aires, Argentina, and will disembark Jan. 11.
For more information about Holland America Line, contact a
travel professional or call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425) or
visit www.hollandamerica.com.
Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the Holland
America Blog. Access all social media outlets via the Online
Communities quick link on the home page at
www.hollandamerica.com.
For international information, visit www.hollandamerica.com.au
(Australia) or
www.hollandamerica.co.uk (United
Kingdom). Those in the European Union and all other
countries outside the U.S., please visit
www.hollandamerica.com.
About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival
Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)]
Holland America Line's fleet of 15
ships offers more than 500 cruises to 415 ports in 98 countries,
territories or dependencies. One- to 110-day itineraries
visit all seven continents and highlights include Antarctica, South
America, Australia/New
Zealand and Asia voyages;
four annual Grand Voyages; and popular sailings to ports in the
Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, Canada/New England, Europe and Panama Canal. The line currently
has a new 2,650-guest ship, ms Koningsdam, on order for
delivery in February 2016 from
Fincantieri shipyard.
Fleetwide, the company features Signature of Excellence
enhancements, a commitment totaling more than $500 million, that showcase the Culinary Arts
Center presented by Food & Wine magazine — a state-of-the-art
onboard show kitchen where more than 60 celebrated guest chefs and
culinary experts provide cooking demonstrations and classes —
Explorations Cafe powered by The New York
Times, Digital Workshop powered by Windows, teens-only
activity areas and all new stateroom amenities highlighted by
flat-panel TVs and plush Euro-top Mariner's Dream Beds.
World's Leading Cruise Lines
Holland America Line is a proud
member of World's Leading Cruise Lines. Our exclusive alliance also
includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard Line, Princess Cruises,
Seabourn, Costa Cruises, AIDA, P&O Cruises UK and P&O
Cruises Australia. Sharing a passion to please each guest and a
commitment to quality and value, World's Leading Cruise Lines
inspires people to discover their best vacation experience.
Together, we offer a variety of exciting and enriching cruise
vacations to the world's most desirable destinations. Visit
us at www.worldsleadingcruiselines.com.
CONTACT:
|
Sally
Andrews
|
PHONE:
|
800-637-5029,
206-262-5870
|
FAX:
|
206-262-5934
|
EMAIL:
|
pr@hollandamerica.com
|
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SOURCE Holland America Line