By the Caribbean Journal staff

Holland America Line’s highly-anticipated Nieuw Statendam cruise ship is making progress toward its planned debut in December.

The new ship has successfully completed two sets of sea trials off the coast of Italy, with plans to begin sailing the Caribbean this winter.

“The sea trials are a highly anticipated milestone for any newbuild because it takes us one step closer to delivery, and we’re thrilled that Nieuw Statendam gave a strong performance out in open water,” said Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president. “There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Nieuw Statendam and the innovations we’re introducing on board. The ship is going to have an exciting debut in early December.”

The 2,666-guest, 99,500-ton ship will be the company’s second Pinnacle-class ship, similar to the existing Ms Koningsdam ship.

It will include public spaces and style by renowned designer Adam Tihany and architect Bjørn Storbraaten.

— CJ