Holland America Line will hold the official naming ceremony for its first Signature-class ship, the Eurodam, on July 1 in Rotterdam, the city where the 135-year-old Dutch company was founded. The company made the announcement during its Centurions cruise, which honors its Top 100 travel agents, aboard the Oosterdam, now sailing on the Mexican Riviera. Next year's Centurions cruise will be held during the inaugural festivities for Eurodam, according to Rick Meadows, executive vice president-marketing, sales and guest programs. The naming ceremony will be held near the company's original headquarters, which now operates as the Hotel New York. The ship arrives June 29 to begin four days of celebrations and departs July 2 for a three-day "prelude cruise" with its first guests.

"We are planning a very special celebration in our founding city," said Stein Kruse, president and CEO. "For us, it's a homecoming and we expect tens of thousands Holland America Line supporters to be on hand as we proudly welcome Eurodam into service." In the days leading up to the naming, the Eurodam will sail from Venice to Southampton, England, before arriving in Rotterdam. A day after the naming ceremonies, the Eurodam will embark on a "prelude cruise" and then the official maiden voyage. The three-day prelude cruise departs July 2 from Rotterdam sailing to Copenhagen and Hamburg.

Kruse is scheduled to sail aboard the prelude cruise. Guests booked on the prelude cruise can attend the naming ceremonies as a pre-cruise excursion. The 10-day maiden voyage round-trip from Copenhagen, departs July 5 and calls at Oslo, Ĺlesund, Vik, Flam and Stavanger, Norway; Newcastle Upon Tyne, England; and Edinburgh (via South Queensbury) and Invergordon, Scotland. Newcastle is a maiden call for Holland America Line. The two cruises can be combined into a 13-day voyage. With one more deck than the 10-deck Vista-class ships, the Signature-class Eurodam will feature three alternative dining venues, including a new pan-Asian restaurant with panoramic views. The Explorations Café will be located on Deck 11 on the starboard side of the Crow's Nest. Other additions are an Explorer's Lounge Bar, a new specialty restaurant adjacent to the Lido offering Italian food, a new atrium bar area, and a reconfigured show lounge with theater-style seating.

Following its inaugural Europe season, the ship will sail its first transatlantic cruise, followed by a series of Canada/New England sailings in the fall and Caribbean itineraries for the remainder of 2008. Cruise fares for the maiden voyage begin at $2,474 per person, double occupancy. The prelude cruise starts at $599 per person. Guests combining both the maiden voyage with the prelude cruise receive a $100 per person discount.