Holland America Line celebrated a significant construction milestone today as the first steel was cut for the as-yet-unnamed Pinnacle Class ship that is due for delivery in February 2016. Stein Kruse, the company’s president and CEO, presided over the ceremony on February 4 at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy, where the vessel is being built. Antonio Quintano, director of Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard, co-hosted the event.
 
The 99,500-ton ship is the first Pinnacle Class vessel for Holland America Line and the largest ever built for the line. The steel cutting follows an intensive period of design and development for the 2,648-passenger ship that will feature exciting new elements and innovations.
 
“This is a proud day for Holland America Line as we officially begin construction on our new Pinnacle Class ship,” said Kruse. “We’re thrilled to be back at Fincantieri for such a milestone, and the next two years are going to be exciting as we unveil a host of new features that will be found onboard.”
 
This is the 15th ship built for Holland America Line by Italian shipyard Fincantieri, which most recently constructed ms Nieuw Amsterdam that was delivered in July 2010.
 
“Construction of this new Pinnacle Class ship marks our second decade of building vessels for Holland America Line,” said Quintano. “Starting with ms Statendam in 1993, our relationship with Holland America Line has evolved even as cruise ships have evolved over the past 20 years.”
 
For more information about Holland America Line, consult a professional travel seller, call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425) or visit www.hollandamerica.com or the Plan a Cruise tab at www.Facebook.com/HALcruises.

Editor’s note: Photos from the steel cutting are available here: https://www.cleanpix.com/cleanpix/portal/W1hAP-Q1k-9R8.