Holland America Line was established in 1873 and called the Netherlands-America Steamship Company (NASM), a shipping and passenger line. Because it provided service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line, and its first ocean liner was the original Rotterdam, which sailed its maiden voyage from the Netherlands to New York City on October 15, 1872.

1896 NASM officially becomes known as Holland Amerika Line.

1898 At its 25th anniversary, Holland America Line owns six ships and has carried 90,000 cabin passengers and 400,000 steerage passengers, along with 5 million tons of cargo, mostly flower bulbs, herring and gin.

1910 The second Holland America Cruise Line departs from New York to the Mediterranean and the Holy Land on board the 10,500-ton Statendam I

1914-1918 World War I sees the loss of six Holland America Cruise Line ships and 13 employees. Statendam II is taken over in its Belfast building dock by the British for use as the troopship Justicia, which was torpedoed and sunk in 1918. The company resumed business after the war with 10 ships.

1926 The 14,450-ton Veendam II sails Holland America Cruise Line's first Caribbean cruise. Ryndam I makes the company's first round-the-world voyage as a floating university. Holland America Cruise Line starts to use containers for shipping furniture and other "non-bulk" cargo.

1930 Holland America Cruise Line battened down the hatches to weather the Great Depression. Between 1931 and 1933, 12 ships were sold for scrap. Holland America Cruise Line offices throughout Europe, Canada and the U.S. are either closed or consolidated with other Dutch shipping companies. Staff is reduced 34% - from 3,944 to 2,595 - with those remaining taking a 9-10% cut in salary.

1958 The 24,294-ton ss Statendam IV departs Hoboken, N.J., terminal on the company's first Grand World Voyage.

1968 New Amsterdam II and Rotterdam V join Statendam IV in cruising nearly full-time. Holland America Cruise Line is the first line to implement the hotel management system on board all ships. Also this year, Holland America Cruise Line was the first line to adopt the Lido dining concept with a wide variety of dining selections.

1973 Holland America Cruise Line's first purpose-built cruise liner, the 8,566-ton, 452-passenger ms Prinsendam, enters service, sailing Indonesian cruises from Singapore.

1988 Holland America Cruise Line purchases Windstar Sail Cruises. Windstar's three, four-masted 148-passenger computer-directed luxury sailing ships operate in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and French Polynesia.

1989 Carnival purchases Holland America Line-Westours Inc.

1990 Holland America Line announces a new building program, ordering three (later expanded to four) 1,266-passenger sister ships from Fincantieri shipyards in Italy.

1993 The new ms Statendam V enters service and that summer conducts HAL's first European cruise season in approximately 20 years.

1996 Addition of the Veendam permits Holland America Cruise Line to deploy the Westerdam nearly year-round in the Caribbean, also doing fall Canada and New England cruises. Holland America Cruise Line's Alaska fleet grows to six ships: four ships on the Inside Passage itinerary; two on the Glacier Route. The Maasdam is deployed in Europe.

2002 The First Vista-class ship, ms Zuiderdam, enters service. The 1,848 passenger, 81,769-ton ship is designed to provide Holland America Cruise Line guests with a new standard of space, convenience and premium amenities.

2005 Holland America Cruise Line breaks ground in Denali to build a new 135 room lodge to service CruiseTour, Gray Line of Alaska guests and others.

2007 Carnival Corporation & plc announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Windstar Cruises brand to Ambassadors International Inc. Windstar Cruises, which operates three sailing vessels, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Holland America Line, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc.

Holland America Cruise Line has carried more than 10 million passengers throughout its history.

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