LOS ANGELES -- Both Holland America Line and Princess Cruises
recently refurbished three older vessels while the lines continue
to build new cruise tonnage.
HAL invested $2.6 million in an extensive restoration of the
1,214-passenger Noordam at the Lisnave shipyard near Lisbon,
Portugal.
The refurbishment included new curtains and upholstery in
several public rooms, including the Lido restaurant, Ocean spa and
selected stairs, corridors and landing lobbies.
New equipment was added in the ship's Ocean spa, including a
rotary hip machine, a stationary bicycle, three treadmills and a
step machine.
Passenger staterooms also were refurbished. A new layout for 20
deluxe cabins features new sofas, chairs, televisions, bedding,
carpeting and minibar cabinets. All chairs and stools in standard
cabins were reupholstered and new carpeting and bathroom tiles were
installed.
Noordam was launched from France's Chantiers de l'Atlantique
shipyard in 1984. The ship features a $2 million collection of art
and artifacts from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Princess applied a multimillion dollar renovation to Crown
Princess and Regal Princess. Both ships now include new 24-hour
restaurants, youth centers and new interior decor throughout.
"The makeovers represent our continuing commitment to providing
our 'what you want, when you want' cruise experience in an intimate
and beautifully designed setting," said Rick James, Princess'
senior vice president of customer service and sales.
The remodeled ships feature new cherry wood paneling and
flooring, 300,000 square yards of new carpeting, 14,000 yards of
new fabric and marble accents, lighting fixtures, sculpture, murals
and fine art pieces.
The two Princess ships' atriums now offer an airy atmosphere
with the addition of oceanview windows, glass partitions and
hand-painted murals.
The ship's main restaurants now include a reconfigured seating
design, new drapes, artwork and carpeting. The 24-hour restaurants
are supported by new gallies and expanded seating, while the ships'
cafes are now equipped to offer cuisine around the clock.
The renovations concluded with the addition of a
2,000-square-foot child and teen center at the top of each ship.
Each center is staffed by Princess' professional youth
counselors.
Both Crown Princess, built in 1990, and Regal Princess, built in
1991, carry 1,950 passengers. The 70,000-ton ships each feature a
dolphin-like profile design by architect Renzo Piano.