The Holland-America Line threw a party to celebrate 150 years since the cruise line first set sail on a historic journey from Rotterdam to the ports of New York City.
On the days leading up to the event, I was skeptical of what I was getting myself into. The idea of combining alcohol, ships bigger than your average apartment building and vast bodies of water has never really sat right with me. But who am I to turn down a party? So with my preconceived notions and cruise ship virginity in hand, I marched onto Pier 88 excited to see how the Holland-America Line gets down.
After a smooth security check-in, my guest and I walked onto the loading ramp and were greeted by Dave Stockert, a retired salesman who had worked with the Holland-America line for thirty years. He guided us through each of the twelve decks and we were increasingly shocked by the level of extravagance on each floor. Some of the highlights were several fine dining restaurants, a photo studio, a spa, a 1000-seat theater, several pools, too many bars to count, a gym, and to top it all off, an assortment of cabanas and misting stations featuring an attractive view of the New Jersey skyline.
After the tour we made our way to the reception and joined the other media members and cruise line execs invited to partake in the occasion. Three special cocktails were created for the night, all using De Lijn gin, a New Western Gin crafted with traditional Dutch botanicals, made specifically for the Holland-America Line. I went for the sparkling wine and gin cocktail, my guest had the gin martini and we couldn’t say no to the spring rolls being passed by the waiters. We were then brought into the concert hall, where Stephen Lean, director of The American Family Immigration History Center at Ellis Island and cruise historian Bill Miller explained the extensive relationship between Holland-America and New York. The talk ended with the declaration of October 26th as Holland-America Day in NYC, topped off with a pull on the horn by the ship’s captain.
Learning that one in ten immigrants used the Holland-America Line to travel from the Old World to the New really put into perspective the significance of the occasion. But my favorite discovery of the night was finding out that the voice of Miss Piggy (and Cookie Monster, Yoda, Grover, etc.) was done by Frank Oz, who sailed to the US via the Holland-America line as a child in 1950. The presentation ended with a performance from members of the Lincoln Center Orchestra, who set music against old footage showing the evolution of the Holland-American Line from an immigrant vessel to a glamorous cruise line.
Guests were invited to partake in the music walk or dinner. Being the typical indecisive Libra that I am, I opted in for both, enjoying the Rolling Stones cover band and the dueling pianos corner until it was time to eat. I had the artfully plated scallops, salmon and apple crumble while my guest had the grilled chicken, Mexican flautas and lemon meringue pie. After the lovely three course dinner, the night ended and we disembarked from the ship. I left the night no longer a cruise skeptic but not 100% a believer—yet! The next test is going on actual cruise…and I think I hear the Holland-America Alaskan line calling my name.