Holland America sells four ships as Fred Olsen bolsters fleet
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has acquired two ships from Holland America with the company insisting the deal "demonstrates confidence in the future".
The cruise line has purchased the Amsterdam and Rotterdam and is expected to take delivery of the ships in September.
They will be renamed the Bolette and Borealis.
In a separate deal, Holland America has also sold the Maasdam and Veendam to an undisclosed buyer.
The exit of four vessels will see the cruise line’s capacity fall by 20%.
"It’s always difficult to see any ship leave the fleet, especially those that have a long and storied history with our company," said Stein Kruse, Chief Executive of Holland America Group and Carnival UK.
"However, Holland America Line has a bright future ahead that includes recent Pinnacle-Class additions, with a third sister ship next year that will continue to maintain our overall capacity in the marketplace."
The sale of the four ships comes after Carnival announced last month that it was in the process of selling six vessels.
Fred. Olsen said the acquisition will modernise and increase capacity and "will ensure the cruise line returns to the water in a stronger position" after Covid-19.
The Amsterdam has a capacity of 1,380 with Rotterdam able to cater for 1,404 guests.
Fred. Olsen Junior, Chairman of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: "We have chosen these vessels as they will fit seamlessly into our existing fleet of small ships, each carrying under 1,500 guests, bringing with them new and larger public areas whilst not compromising on our small ship experience.
"The naming of the vessels is important to us. Bolette and Borealis are both names of ships we have had in years gone by.
"This increase in our capacity demonstrates our confidence in the future. With over 170 years of seafaring history, we have sailed through many difficult periods. With these new additions to the fleet, we will come out of this current situation stronger than ever."
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ current ocean ships – the 1,325-guest Balmoral, 924-guest Braemar, 853-guest Boudicca and 799-guest Black Watch – are currently in Babcock’s Rosyth Facilities in Scotland.
By Steve Jones, Contributing Editor
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025