Holland America pulls ship from Mediterranean amid weak bookings

Add Holland America to the list of cruise lines cutting back on Mediterranean sailings amid weak bookings.

The Seattle-based line on Friday announced it had canceled plans to deploy the 1,848-passenger Oosterdam to the region for the summer of 2017, saying the ship instead would head to Alaska for the season.

Demand for Mediterranean sailings has softened notably this year in the wake of terrorist attacks across Europe and the attempted coup in Turkey. Demand for sailings in the Eastern Mediterranean has been particularly affected.

Holland America's move comes just six weeks after rival Celebrity Cruises announced plans to pull the 2,850-passenger Celebrity Equinox from Europe for the summer of 2017. The ship instead will deploy to the Caribbean.

In a statement issued Friday, Holland America cited strong demand for Alaska cruises for the move. The line said it was notifying passengers of the change.

"Price protection consideration is being extended to those Oosterdam guests wishing to re-book onto another Europe or trans-Atlantic cruise in addition to an on-board credit transferable to any new Holland America Line itinerary," the company said.