Holland America reached a major milestone in the building of their next Pinnacle-Class ship, ms Nieuw Ryndam, with the successful launch of the ship's forward lower section, the “troncone,” at Fincantieri’s Palermo shipyard on October 3.
After an official blessing ceremony by Padre Giovanni Cassata, Madrina Giuseppa Catalano released the celebratory bottle of Champagne which smashed against the hull of the ship for good luck. MS Nieuw Ryndam is scheduled for delivery in May 2021.
Measuring 82 meters (269 feet) long, 35 meters (115 feet) wide and weighing 4,400 tons, the vessel's section will soon leave the shipyard in Palermo and be moved to Marghera for a November arrival. Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard is also building sections of ms Ryndam which are being assembled, and the section in Palermo will be added when it arrives.
The next milestone of the 2,668-passenger Ryndam will be the keel laying when the first block of the vessel is placed into the drydock. Blocks will be added on a weekly basis until the steel structure is finished in July 2020 and the dock is flooded for the float out.
As the third in the series, ms Nieuw Ryndam will feature the successful Pinnacle Class innovations including the 270-degree surround screen World Stage, Lincoln Center Stage, Grand Dutch Cafe, Rudi’s Sel de Mer, Rolling Stone Rock Room, and B.B. King’s Blues Club.