Seattle, Wash., (June 8, 2010) – The newest Holland America Line Signature-Class ship, the ms Nieuw Amsterdam, will debut July 4, 2010, with exceptional dining options featuring a selection of diverse, innovative restaurants serving international cuisine. Each venue is highlighted by elegant decor for a one-of-a-kind culinary event. The line also will introduce an intimate dinner experience with an exclusive menu and wine pairing called the Master Chef’s Table in the Pinnacle Grill.

With Holland America Line’s As You Wish dining, Nieuw Amsterdam guests can select the restaurant venue and style they prefer, from fixed dining to open seating or casual meals throughout the ship. The 2,106 guests aboard Nieuw Amsterdam can enjoy the sophistication of the Manhattan Dining Room, alternative restaurants Pinnacle Grill, Canaletto and Tamarind, or casual dining at the Terrace Grill, Slice pizzeria and Lido poolside eateries.

“Nieuw Amsterdam has the largest and most flexible array of dining options that we’ve ever offered on a ship, and guests can choose from gourmet-quality fare served in glamorous restaurants to comfort food favorites in relaxed, casual surroundings,” said Richard D. Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs for Holland America Line. “No matter what their preference, Nieuw Amsterdam guests will experience our award-winning service and exceptional cuisine in all of our venues.”

Nieuw Amsterdam will debut the intimate Master Chef’s Table in the Pinnacle Grill that includes an exclusive dinner menu for up to 18 guests who will have the opportunity to experience fine dining at its best. Each meal is enhanced with specially selected wine pairings by the ship’s sommelier. The evening includes seven courses served on signature Versace china, each personally delivered by a special culinary expert who will be the evening’s host. The cost for a Master Chef’s Table evening is $89 per person.

Selected the best alternative restaurant at sea by Porthole magazine, the Pinnacle Grill offers a sophisticated and memorable dining experience for a $10 charge per person for lunch and $20 for dinner. Beautifully appointed Bvlgari china, Riedel stemware and Frette linens create the ideal atmosphere for enjoying superior cuisine and wine selections. Guests may choose to dine on Dungeness crab cakes, filet mignon featuring Sterling Silver beef, grilled veal chops or lobster bisque with aged sherry.

Featuring panoramic ocean views, the Asian specialty restaurant Tamarind delights guests with its unique decor, beautifully presented cuisine, and gracious and attentive service. The restaurant reflects Asian culture and cuisine by emphasizing nature’s basic elements: water, wood, fire and earth. The menu’s “water” main courses feature sea bass with a hoisin-lime glaze and baked snapper in rice paper; “wood” entrees include Wasabi soy beef tenderloin encrusted steak served on a cedar plank; “fire” dishes include red penang curry coconut chicken; and “earth” menu items encompass vegetarian dishes such as sweet and sour vegetable tempura. Dinner at Tamarind is $15 per person, while lunch is complimentary.

Nieuw Amsterdam’s main restaurant, the two-level Manhattan Dining Room, offers a culinary experience worthy of its namesake. Guests are met by gracious hosts and tended to throughout the meal by attentive staff. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner for guests looking for a more formal dining venue, menus offer a variety of options, including Greenhouse Spa selections.

For breakfast, guests may choose a personalized omelet or one of several international favorites including the Dutch breakfast of uitsmijter, a classic open-faced sandwich with sliced ham, Gouda cheese and two eggs sunny side up; a full English breakfast with bangers (sausage), baked beans, eggs and a grilled half tomato, or a Japanese meal of hot miso soup, broiled salmon, steamed white rice, tamagoyaki and hot green tea. Lunch features a selection of signature items such as salad nicoise with grilled salmon, chicken pesto Panini and cilantro and mint crusted tuna.

The five-course dinner menu showcases everything from soups and salads to quail with apricot bread stuffing, ginger grilled chicken with mango lime relish and halibut with roasted corn salsa and plantains.

Guests can savor classic Italian fare with casual tableside service at Canaletto, located adjacent to the Lido Restaurant dining area. Named for the famous 18th-century Venetian artist, Canaletto’s dinner-only menu includes traditional seafood, pasta, and meat and veal dishes. The restaurant is complimentary, yet reservations are recommended.

The ocean-view Lido Restaurant offers guests breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets in a relaxed, casual setting with everything from carved meats to fresh seafood, fruits, vegetables, pastas, salads and desserts. For dinner, the Lido Restaurant features waiter service for guests who desire a more casual dining environment.

The Terrace Grill is a casual poolside eatery serving burgers and fries and other grilled favorites, plus a selection of healthier choices including wraps, paninis and pita sandwiches.

The popular Slice pizzeria serves whole pies and slices to order. Among the featured pies are margherita, shrimp and mussel rustico, quattro formaggi, and prosciutto and arugula.

Rounding out the dining options is the complimentary In-Stateroom Dining service. Guests can order off the daily menu during dining hours or from a daytime and 24-hour menu with an extensive range of selections from light snacks to hearty dishes.

Each Nieuw Amsterdam cruise will feature three distinct tea-time themes: Traditional Dutch High Tea provides a classic sampling of desserts and cakes with tea and coffee. The Indonesian Tea Ceremony harkens to the culture of many of the ship’s crew with courteous service and traditional attire along with local tea varieties and sweets from the Indonesian Archipelago. And the whimsical Cupcake Tea serves 12 types of decadent cupcakes.

Built at Fincantieri’s Marghera yard near Venice, Italy, Nieuw Amsterdam will sail its maiden voyage July 4, 2010. After several 12-day Mediterranean sailings, the ship embarks on a fall trans-Atlantic crossing to the Caribbean where it will sail seven-day eastern and western itineraries from November 2010 through March 2011. Her Royal Highness Princess Maxima of the Netherlands will serve as the ship’s godmother.

For more information and cruise fares, contact a professional travel agent, call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425) or visit www.hollandamerica.com.

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