Seattle, Wash., April 8, 2013 — To enhance the experience of Holland America Line’s growing mix of international guests, the line now offers multilingual European shore excursions and enhanced hundreds of existing tours to cater to Spanish-, Dutch- and German-speaking guests.
The new tours were developed for European travelers who may be more familiar with these ports and already visited key monuments and traditional sights such as the Colosseum in Rome or Acropolis in Athens. Now Spanish-, Dutch- and German-speaking guests looking for something new can opt to book a less traditional tour — offered in their own language — such as a hiking adventure, biking through town or visiting the countryside. However, for European guests who still want to visit popular landmarks, tours also will be available in the three languages to those destinations. Foreign language tours are offered when 30 guests who speak a common language are booked on a voyage.
“We have a multicultural mix of clientele and adding these tours in three languages ensures that all of our guests have an enriching and fulfilling cruise, both on board and ashore,” said Richard Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs for Holland America Line. “These tours are not just translations of our English-language tours; they were developed while thinking about the preferences of our international guests.”
Tours offered in Dutch include Hiking Ft. Floien in Bergen; an excursion from Monaco to the city of Villefranche-sur-Mer or a relaxing Kayak along the Aurlandsfjord in Flam. German-speaking tours include a visit to the ancient city of Iliada from the port of Katákolon, Greece or a beer cruise on the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey. Spanish-speaking guests might enjoy a 4×4 expedition to the village of Cámara de Lobos in Portugal or a beach tour in Valencia, Spain.
The program is expanding and select excursions are offered in German and Spanish throughout South America.
The international tours are part of Holland America Line’s signature shore excursion experience. When in port, guests can choose from a multitude of diverse tours including Overland Adventures, off-the-beaten-track explorations, Signature Collection private-car touring and exclusive Medallion Collection excursions. Visit www.hollandamerica.com and view Ports & Excursions tab for details.
For more information on Holland America Line’s cruises and CruiseTours, consult a professional travel seller, call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425) or visit www.hollandamerica.com or the Plan a Cruise tab at www.Facebook.com/HALcruises.