HAMBURG, Germany, Oct. 9, 1990 -- Holland America Line has been named "Best Cruise Line in the World" by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine, the company said today.

The award was presented to Holland America Line at the Conde Nast Traveler's annual Reader's Survey of the World's Best in Travel ceremony, which took place Oct. 7 at the American Society of Travel Agents World Congress in Hamburg, Germany. Holland America Line and the other category winners will be featured in the magazine's November issue.

According to Conde Nast editorial staff, "Holland America was something of a pleasant surprise winner." The cruise company moved from 65th place in 1989 to 16th place on the list of the top 100 travel choices for 1990.

Accepting the award for Holland America Line was company President and Chief Executive Officer A. Kirk Lanterman.

"I would like to thank the readers of Conde Nast Traveler for this prestigious award," said Lanterman.

"This kind of recognition rightfully belongs to the hardworking employees of Holland America Line, who every day attempt to live up to a `Tradition of Excellence' when it comes to delivering the best product we can," he said.

"I would also like to thank the management of Conde Nast Traveler for their wisdom in creating the Academy Awards of the travel industry," Lanterman concluded.

The "Best Cruise Line in the World" award is given to the cruise line receiving the most votes in the Conde Nast Traveler's annual poll of its 1.5 million readers.

The poll asks readers to evaluate all cruise lines on the basis of seven categories: service, food, value for money, recreation/entertainment, size of ships, destinations served and stateroom accommodations.

Holland America received a score of 83.4, ranking the cruise line as not only the best in its category, but as the 16th most popular travel option in the entire world, just behind Vienna, Austria.

Holland America Line, in business for 117 years, operates four large luxury cruise liners: the 1,075-passenger ss Rotterdam, the 1,214-passenger sister ships ms Noordam and ms Nieuw Amsterdam and the largest and newest ship in the fleet, the 1,494-passenger ms Westerdam. In 1990 and 1991 the company offers cruises in Alaska, Panama Canal, Caribbean, Mexico, South America, South Pacific, and the Canadian Maritimes.

Holland America Line has on order three 1,250-passenger cruise ships. The new ships, being constructed byt Fincantieri shipyard in Trieste, Italy, are due to enter service in late 1992, 1993 and 1994.

Holland America Line is part of Carnival Cruise Lines Inc. of Miami, the world's most popular cruise company.