DISCO LIGHTS OUT Changes for Holland America

Posted on 02/13/2016

The disco had to go. So said Orlando Ashford when he became president of Holland America and discovered the poorly utilized disco area of Northern Lights. With a goal to attract a broader demographic and first time cruisers, the cruise line replaced the disco with the art filled Gallery Bar.

This is but one of the changes the Holland America brand will undergo to change its reputation as a cruise line associated with an older crowd. The newest ship MS Koningsdam to be delivered in April, will have three stages for live music. A partnership with BBC Earth was announced in October where guests will be taken closer to the ocean and natural world through concerts, films, shows, children’s activities and theme cruises. “Holland America Line cruises are all about experiential travel and venturing to all corners of the globe, and this exclusive partnership with BBC Earth will make that a richer, more rewarding experience for our guests,” said Ashford. US travel media group AFAR will provide destination guides for all of its ports of call. It will also offer a new wine-blending course on board. Ashford said, "There are a lot of young people who are more in to learning and exploration than they are into water flumes and those types of things."