Due for delivery Dec. 1, 2018, the second Pinnacle-class ship—sister of 2016's 99,500gt Koningsdam—is under construction at Fincantieri’s Marghera yard.
Nieuw Statendam is scheduled to be delivered at nearby Venice. Then, after arriving at Civitavecchia (Rome), the ship will sail Dec. 5 on its premiere voyage with passengers—a 14-day trans-Atlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale.
Nieuw Statendam will then spend the winter season cruising round-trip Port Everglades on seven-day Caribbean itineraries, with select three-, four- and 10-day options.
'The crossing is a great chance for guests to really get to know the ship and explore every corner during the sea days, and the Caribbean season is a perfect blend of ports that highlight the beauty, diversity and relaxed ambiance of that region,' HAL president Orlando Ashford said.
For the premiere voyage, after leaving Italy, Nieuw Statendam will call at Cartagena and Málaga, Spain, and Funchal, Madeira, before spending seven days at sea. Passengers will overnight on board in Fort Lauderdale before disembarking Dec. 19.
From December 2018 through April 2019, Nieuw Statendam will spend its inaugural season on cruises that all include a call at Half Moon Cay, the line's private island in the Bahamas.
Nieuw Statendam’s first Caribbean cruise, four days, sails Dec. 19 to Half Moon Cay and Key West. The ship then embarks on a series of seven-day sailings, including a Dec. 23 holiday cruise that visits Amber Cove (Dominican Republic), San Juan, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay. A Dec. 30, 2018, New Year’s cruise calls at Half Moon Cay, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. A similar Jan. 6 cruise replaces Ocho Rios with Montego Bay.
The ship then sails Jan. 13 on a seven-day cruise to Nassau, San Juan, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay. An extended 10-day cruise on Jan. 20 features the ABC Islands—Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao—plus Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk and Amber Cove. A three-day getaway Jan. 30 goes to Half Moon Cay.
For the remainder of the season, the ship will feature western and eastern Caribbean cruises. The western route includes Half Moon Cay, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, while the eastern itinerary consists of Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay. The March 17 departure swaps Amber Cove for Grand Turk.
Fares for the first Nieuw Statendam cruises start at $499 per person, double occupancy, for a three- or four-day Caribbean sailing, and $799 for a seven-day cruise. The premiere voyage is priced from $1,199.
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