Princess Maxima of the Netherlands will name Holland America Line’s new ship, the Nieuw Amsterdam, in Venice on July 4.
The 2,106-passenger Signature-class ship will be the cruise line's fourth to have the Nieuw Amsterdam name and the 11th to be named by a member of the Dutch royal family.
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands named the Nieuw Amsterdam’s sister ship, the Eurodam, in Rotterdam in 2008.
Currently under construction at Italian shipyard Fincantieri in Marghera, Italy, the Nieuw Amsterdam will enter service offering 12-day Mediterranean cruises.
Argentina-born Princess Maxima is married to Prince Willem-Alexander, the eldest child of Queen Beatrix and heir apparent to the Netherlands throne.
She serves as a member of the Netherlands government advisory board and the Dutch Council of State, and acts as the United Nations' special advocate for inclusive finance for development.