Holland America Line Extends Weekly Bermuda Cruises

Front Street, HamiltonFollowing its 2010 return to Bermuda out of New York after 25 years, Holland America Line will have 24 seven-day cruises to Bermuda out of New York on ms Veendam in 2011. From May 1 through October 9, the 1,350-guest ship will depart New York, spend the day at St. George's Island and two nights in the capital city of Hamilton. Guests can take advantage of the cities' history and location, including St. George's display of weapons, artifacts and a replica of the British Crown Jewels Fort in St. Catherine in addition to Hamilton's pink-sand beaches and restaurant and nightclub scene.

Situated in the northeast, St. George's, Bermuda's original capital, was founded in 1609. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and oldest continuously inhabited English settlement in the Americas. It is surrounded by more than a dozen 17th century forts that populate the hills, including St. Peter's Church, the oldest continually used Anglican Church in North America, and St. George's Globe Hotel, formerly a center for Confederate blockade runners during the American Civil War and now a museum.

In Hamilton, from Veendam, passengers can walk to Front Street, lined by shops and restaurants, and visit its 19th-century, neo-Gothic Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity and the Georgian-style Sessions House, built in 1815. Forty shore excursions include Atlantic Reef fishing, scuba diving and dolphin encounters in Hamilton as well as horse and carriage tours and a glass-bottomed kayak eco-tour in St. George's.

Visit www.hollandamerica.com.