April 27 marks King’s Day to celebrate the official birthday of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, and Holland America Line will honor the day and the company’s Dutch heritage with shipboard celebrations throughout the fleet.
In addition to decorating the ships with touches of orange, the Dutch national color, menus will commemorate King’s Day with Dutch-themed food and beverage options, while shipboard festivities will be centered around the holiday.
“Holland America Line takes great pride in our Dutch heritage that dates back more than 144 years, and King’s Day allows us our guests and employees to join in the celebration to honor King Willem-Alexander and our company’s rich history,” said Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president. “Bringing different cultures and traditions from around the world alive on our ships is an important part of our guest experience, and King’s Day is another opportunity for us to share a lively Dutch tradition.”
Known for being a celebration of orange in Holland, guests received an email prior to departure inviting them to bring orange attire to wear to the King’s Day festivities that will include a King’s Day Orange Deck Party. Shipboard staff also will be decked out in orange accessories. Cities throughout the Netherlands become one big street market on King’s Day, and guests will feel like they’ve been transported to the country with a shipboard street market set up by the Lido Pool featuring beverages and items from the onboard shops.
Holland America Line’s Master Mixologist Dale DeGroff created two specialty cocktails in honor of King’s Day, and guests can enjoy the libations in the bars and lounges. The “Dutch Heritage” is made of Aperol, vodka and triple sec, while the nonalcoholic “Orange Light” is made with lemon juice, honey syrup and San Pellegrino Blood Orange.
Culinary traditions are an important part of King’s Day, and Holland America Line ships will offer a King’s Day Afternoon Tea featuring tompouce, Koningsbol, poffertjes and other Dutch treats. A Baby Dutch Pancakes station will be set up in the Lido Market for breakfast and a Dutch-themed menu will be offered in the main dining room and Lido Market for both lunch and dinner.
On King’s Day, the 14 ships in the Holland America Line fleet will be celebrating around the world — from Canada, Japan and Italy to the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Holland America Line named its newest ship ms Koningsdam to honor King Willem-Alexander (the word koning means “King” in Dutch). Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands christened Koningsdam on May 20, 2016 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.