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New Holland America show goes behind the scenes onboardNew Holland America show goes behind the scenes onboard

Cruise ships are often called floating cities, and what it takes to keep them functioning is revealed in a new Holland America Line show.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

October 24, 2022

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

'A City on the Sea' visits areas like the engine room and city staples like the laundry, bakery, restaurants, theater, grocery store and hardware shop.

Presented on the World Stage

A storytelling event featured in the HAL ships' World Stage, 'A City on the Sea' lifts the curtain on cruise ship operations through immersive video footage and interviews. Presented with live narration by the cruise director, who's joined by the captain and other crew, the show takes the audience behind closed doors and introduces the people who call Holland America ships their home away from home. 

'We put a lot of thought into how we can make this show a transformative moment where the complexity of running a floating city becomes a celebration of the human spirit and all that we're capable of accomplishing,' said Michael Smith, SVP guest experience and product development, Holland America Line.

Team members' stories

Engineers, medical staff, musicians and stateroom attendants describe the challenges and opportunities of working on a cruise ship, while one captain talks about how he views himself as the mayor of the 'city.' The audience will meet team members who have a friendship that spans decades and hear from a tailor whose family's relationship with HAL spans generations.

'A City on the Sea' is a daytime presentation debuting on Rotterdam's current trans-Atlantic voyage. It will be offered on every cruise fleetwide starting in early 2023.

Read more about:

Holland America Line

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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