Holland America has just announced Oprah Winfrey, the media mogul, would serve as godmother for its next vessel.
The 2,666-passenger Nieuw Statendam is scheduled to debut in December although the date of its christening is yet to be revealed.
Winfrey sailed on an O, The Oprah Magazine-themed cruise organized by the line in 2017 which was the first of a series that HAL and O, The Oprah Magazine have been rolling out in a partnership.
It also brought O, The Oprah Magazine-inspired activities to hundreds of other Holland America sailings, including new meditation classes, tai chi, healthy cooking demonstrations and on-board book clubs.
As part of the announcement, it was also revealed that Winfrey would sail on a three-day “girls’ getaway” cruise on Nieuw Statendam that departs Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on January 30th 2019.
The trip will feature a stop at Holland America’s private island in The Bahamas, Half Moon Cayand passengers will have the chance to attend one of three live “Conversations with Oprah.”
In addition to Winfrey, editorial staff from O, The Oprah Magazine will be on board hosting events: Editor-in-Chief Lucy Kaylin, Creative Director Adam Glassman, Beauty Director Brian Underwood and Books Editor Leigh Haber.
Nieuw Statendam is currently under construction at an Italian shipyard and will be a sister to Holland America’s one-year-old Koningsdam.
Measuring 99,500 tonnes, it will be similar in structure to the earlier ship but feature some new public spaces and its own style created by well-known hospitality designer Adam Tihany and architecture Bjorn Storbraaten.
Nieuw Statendam’s first voyage will begin December 5th as a trans-Atlantic sailing from Civitavecchia, Italy (near Rome) to Fort Lauderdale.
It will then sail to the Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale throughout winter before moving to Europe for summer voyages to the Norwegian Fjords, Norway’s North Cape, the Baltic and Iceland.
What do you think of Oprah christening HAL’s new ship? Are you hoping to sail with Nieuw Statendam when it launches? What other Holland America ships have you cruised with? Leave us your comments!
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