By
Rebecca Gibson |
Holland America Line (HAL) celebrated the keel laying of its new 2,650-guest Pinnacle Class ship on 22 August at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy.
Marking the start of the construction phase, a 680-ton block was lowered by crane into the yard’s building dock. The event was attended by HAL’s Keith Taylor, senior vice president of fleet operations and Cyril Tatar, vice president of newbuild and technical operations.
“The keel laying of our new Pinnacle Class vessel heightens the anticipation for delivery because very soon we’ll see the ship begin to take shape,” said Stein Kruse, president and CEO of HAL. “As the largest ship ever built for HAL, the vessel features many innovations and new features, and we’re excited to see it all come together over the next year and a half.”
HAL’s 99,500 gt ship, which is scheduled for delivery in February 2016, will feature interiors created by New York-based hospitality designer Adam Tihany and Norway-based designer and architect Bjorn Storbraaten.