Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1459281
B M & T ••• March/April 2022 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 51 uled to debut in late 2022 from PortMiami, as well as Carnival Jubilee sailing from Galveston in 2023. Holland America Line's Zuiderdam returned to service in late December from Port of San Diego in California, the second Holland America ship to resume service in San Diego since the industrywide pause. Zuiderdam's crew celebrated the return in holiday spirit with sleigh bells ringing and Santa and his elves on hand to open embarkation and welcome guests back on board. Zuiderdam joins Koningsdam which had previously resumed service in San Diego. Holland America Line now has six ships cruising again in the Caribbean, Mexico and along the Pacific Coast of the United States. Zuiderdam Hotel General Manager Colin Jacob (left with scissors) helps 7-year-old Levi Stengel cut the ribbon to wel- come the first guests aboard Zuiderdam, as the ship resumes cruising after a several-month pause. Catherine Stengel, Levi's mother, stands behind him, and Captain Frank van der Hoeven is to the right of Levi. "San Diego is an important homeport for us, and we are excited to have two ships back in full-time operation here with the restart of Zuiderdam today," said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. "We are proud to be part of the San Diego community, which has continued to show us tremendous support throughout our restart. There's no better way to kick off Zuiderdam's season than with a holiday cruise full of joyful guests and our grateful crew who are happy to have them back on board." Zuiderdam's first cruise is a 10-day "Mexico and Sea of Cortez" that will be followed by Panama Canal departures and a grand 35-day South Pacific sojourn and Pacific cruise. Koningsdam sails a series of seven-day cruises to the California Coast or Mexico and two longer Hawaii voyages that run through April 3, 2022. Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam each make one call at San Diego in spring 2022. ABOUT HOLLAND AMERICA LINE IN SAN DIEGO: Holland America Line has been homeporting from the Port of San Diego since the 1990s. For the upcoming season, the cruise line will bring more than 81,000 guests to the city, which will result in more than $35 million in direct spending. Operationally, each ship visit directly contributes $364,000 to the local economy in provisioning (fuel, food, flowers, piano tun- ing, supplies), port taxes, and spending. When Koningsdam and Zuiderdam call at San Diego, both ships will connect to shore power, reducing the ships' carbon footprint. Throughout the years, Holland America Line has been actively involved with more than 30 nonprofits in San Diego County through giving, shipboard lunches and cruise donations, including La Jolla Playhouse, San Ysidro Health and Girl Scouts San Diego. Holland America Line has been exploring the world since 1873 and was the first cruise line to offer adventures to Alaska and the Yukon nearly 75 years ago. Its fleet of premium ships visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world, offer- ing an ideal mid-sized ship experience. A third Pinnacle-class ship, Rotterdam, joined the fleet in July 2021. The leader in premium cruising, Holland America Line's ships feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enrich- ing experiences focused on destination exploration and person- alized travel. The best live music at sea fills each evening at Music Walk, and dining venues feature exclusive selections from Holland America Line's esteemed Culinary Council of world- famous chefs. For more information about Holland America Line, Meeting planners can consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.