New ship preview: mini, mega, & mammoth — the parade of cruise liners keeps coming - On The Horizon

Cruise Travel, Jan-Feb, 2002 by M.T. Schwartzman

A new ship is also expected from Royal Olympic Cruises, whose Olympic Explorer was originally scheduled for September 2001. At presstime, the line could only say that the ship was "still in the shipyard."

Besides all these newbuilds, two well-known older ships will get makeovers and new identities. Costa Cruises will take delivery of HAL's 53,872-grt/1,494-passenger Westerdam and rename her the CostaEuropa; the ship will sail 10- and 11-day Mediterranean itineraries upon re-entering service. Meanwhile, Holland America will inherit the 38,000-grt Seabourn Sun (former Royal Viking Sun) and transform her into the 784-passenger Prinsendam; she will embark on her inaugural in June, a 10-day trans-Atlantic sailing from New York to Southampton; then through September, the vessel will hopscotch around Europe before heading to Asia and the Pacific to close out the year.

As with so many other deployments outlined in this story, the Prinsendam's itineraries are subject to change due to the fluid situation confronting the cruise industry at presstime. But while itineraries may change, one thing is certain: The time-honored tradition of travel by ship will continue.