SEATTLE, July 27 -- Holland America has installed a
revolutionary water treatment process aboard its 1266-passenger ms Statendam
and 1440-passenger ms Zaandam that will purify gray and black water to
near-drinking water quality before discharge. Following U.S. Coast Guard
certification of the treatment plant, which begins this week, Holland America
will install the wastewater treatment system at a cost of U.S.$2.5 million
each on three additional Alaska-bound vessels before May 2002.

"The ramifications of this prototype treatment plant are quite
revolutionary," said Stein Kruse, senior vice president of fleet operations
for Holland America Line. "In a short time, our fleet will discharge
wastewater cleaner than many communities and virtually pure. It's amazing
technology and we are extremely pleased to put this on our ships."

Developed by ZENON Environmental Inc. of Oakville, Ontario, Canada, the
treatment plant processes wasterwater through a two-step bio-chamber stocked
with bacteria that break down and consume harmful bacteria and chemicals.

Water then passes through a patented ZeeWeed(R) filtration system.
ZeeWeed(R) filters the treated water by using a slight vacuum to suck the
water through thousands of tiny tubes with a .03-micron pore size that allow
only water molecules to pass. Suspended solids are left behind in the
ZeeWeed(R) filtration chamber.

Filtered water finally passes through ultraviolet light as a final polishing
stage before discharge. The discharge water is pure and would meet
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking water standards except for a
slight saline content.

Each passenger aboard a cruise ship generates an estimated 100 gallons of
wastewater a day according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Holland America regularly tests the water with an independent lab and makes
those findings available to U.S. Coast Guard inspectors. Those readings reveal
water with zero fecal coliform per 100 milliliters and non-detectable levels
of suspended solids, thus providing a wide margin of safety when compared to
the most stringent discharge regulations in effect today.

Holland America plans to re-use the water for non-passenger applications
such as deck wash-downs, laundry rinse water, engine cooling, and ballast.

"It's not a pretty topic but it's a very good step forward, because the
environment is something we're all concerned about," said Kruse. "At Holland
America, we've always had a strong commitment to the environment and seeking
innovative solutions to cruise ship waste."

Holland America has a history of embracing new environmental technologies
and exceeding existing regulations. The company has expanded its commitment to
responsible environmental practices through a comprehensive fleetwide program
that emphasizes waste reduction and recycling, compliance with all
international environmental guidelines, and a decision to incorporate
zero-discharge wastewater treatment plants and cleaner-burning propulsion
technology into its ships.

Starting this year, all ships operating in Alaska have an additional second
engineer to provide oversight on all environmental matters, including bilge
waste management, emissions, garbage handling, and wastewater processing.

Each Holland America ship also has a staff of five crew who are responsible
for processing, storing, recycling, and disposing of the approximately eight
tons of garbage generated on board each ship every seven days. The line
currently meets or exceeds all provisions of the international, national and
state regulations governing the environmental management of marine operations.

ZENON Environmental Inc. provides advanced membrane products and services
for water purification, wastewater treatment and water reuse. Chosen as one of
Canada's Top 100 Employers, ZENON operates worldwide to provide its services
for municipalities and industrial use.

About Holland America Line

Holland America operates a fleet of 10 ships to all seven continents. In
2002, the premium line will add the 758-passenger Prinsendam and
1848-passenger Zuiderdam, the first of five new Vista class ships on order
through 2005.

Holland America Line is the highest-rated premium cruise line in the world
in both the 2001 "Travel & Leisure" magazine "World's Best" Awards and the
2000 "Conde Nast Traveler" Readers' Choice Awards. Holland America Line is a
member of the exclusive World's Leading Cruise Lines alliance, which also
includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard Line, Seabourn Cruise Line, Costa
Cruises, and Windstar Cruises. Together, these member lines share a commitment
to quality and value, offering cruise vacations that appeal to the widest
range of lifestyles and budgets and sail to some of the world's most exciting
destinations.