Two Ex-Holland America Ships Turned Floating Residences

Two former Holland America ships are set to have a new life operating as residences thanks to cruise company Victoria Cruises Line.

Victoria Majestic (Veendam) and Victoria Amazing (Ryndam) will be operating as elegant houseboats, scheduled to launch in May 2023 from Port Everglades. The ships’ around-the-world trips will take approximately 27 months, with about 540 days spent at ports. They’ll spend about one to seven days in each port so that much of the time, guests will not only be able to explore the port city, but also the surrounding area.

Holland America Line
(Photo courtesy of Holland America Line)

The residences are open to adults 18 and older only, allowing them to rent suites and staterooms for a minimum of six months, or long-term for an unlimited maximum period. According to CEO of Victoria Cruises Line Olavs Zvinelis, half of the staterooms and suites have already been reserved and most residents have chosen the unlimited, undefined rental period.

The ships will include free and unlimited internet use, and interior cabins will have LCD monitors so that passengers can view images from the ship’s exterior cameras.

MORE: Monterey Bay: Cruise Ships Are ‘No Longer Welcomed By Our City’

ryndam in trondheim norway
Ryndam (By Trondheim Havn from Trondheim, Norway – Ryndam, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36728792)

If these two residential ships are a success, the cruise line will look to expand its fleet further.

“We have no competitors. Our value for money is by far the best, even compared to classic cruise ships,” said Zvinelis. “Rather than the ownership option, which is too costly for many, Victoria Cruises Line is proposing an intermediate solution: chartering. This will give people a much more affordable way to travel and live on a houseboat. In summary, a houseboat lifestyle can offer much more than a classic cruise.”

For both ships, the estimated cost per month for two residents in a standard interior stateroom on a 6-11 month lease is $6,399. The cost per month is less the longer the lease is, but is higher for other stateroom categories.

READ NEXT: Holland America Opens 150th Anniversary Poster Design Contest

Share this post

Send this to a friend
Hi, this may be of interest to you: Two Ex-Holland America Ships Turned Floating Residences. This is the link: https://cruiseradio.net/former-holland-america-ships-to-operate-as-floating-residences/