Holland America plans new eateries for next ship
Holland America's next ship will have a French seafood brasserie -- a first for the line.
Currently under construction at a shipyard near Venice, Italy, the 2,650-passenger Koningsdam also will have a new Dutch-themed cafe, Holland America announced on Wednesday.
To be called Sel de Mer, the seafood brasserie will serve classic French seafood dishes with a contemporary twist, the line says. Fresh oysters, seafood chowder, fruits de mer, salt-crusted whole fish, scallops and bouillabaisse will be on the menu, and the ship's chefs will go ashore whenever possible to bring back a "catch of the day" as a daily special.
The new Grand Dutch Cafe planned for Koningsdam will reflect Holland America's Dutch heritage with shades of Dutch Delftware's blue and white colors integrated into the design along with silhouettes of Amsterdam buildings. It'll serve Dutch-themed snacks or beverages, with Netherlands-based Heineken beer on tap.
Koningsdam also will offer a new-for-the-line dining concept in its Culinary Arts Center, where passengers can take cooking lessons during the day. At night, it'll transform into an immersive farm-to-table dining experience where chefs will prepare simple, artisanal dishes in front of passengers.
Koningsdam also will have a Pacific Northwest-themed steakhouse called Pinnacle Grill and an Italian eatery called Canaletto, both signatures of the line. A version of the Asian restaurant Tamarind that is on Holland America's two latest ships, Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam, also will be on board. In a new twist, it'll feature a seven-seat sushi bar.
Scheduled to debut in February 2016, Koningsdam is the first of a new class of vessel at Holland America that will be larger than previous ships and have a more contemporary design. The line tapped noted resort and restaurant designer Adam Tihany to create interior spaces in partnership with Bjørn Storbraaten, who worked on two earlier Holland America vessels. Tihany also has created spaces for Celebrity and Seabourn ships.
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