SEATTLE, Jan. 21, 2002 -- Holland America Line-Westours garnered six awards, including top recognition for its onboard service and entertainment, during The Onboard Service Magazine Awards presented in January.

The company took top honors, the Diamond Award, in the Onboard Service category for meeting the challenge of staffing three new ships, the ms Volendam, ms Zaandam and the ms Amsterdam, in one year. The award also recognized the important role SS Jakarta, Holland America's training school for Indonesian cabin and dining room staff, played in preparing staff for the three ships.

Holland America also was presented with a Diamond Award in the Entertainment category. This award recognized Holland America's more unusual entertainment programs, including the "Running of the Mousse," a dinnertime parade of chocolate mousse desserts on Alaska cruises, and "Masters Golf," a Dutch-themed, 6-hole mini golf tournament.

The McKinley Explorer, Holland America's domed Alaska sightseeing rail line, won Emerald Awards for Onboard Service, Uniforms and Food Service. The leader in Alaska travel, Holland America offers 31 exciting cruisetour options for the Alaska 2002 season, including 12 Alaska & Klondike Explorer itineraries, 17 Denali Explorer itineraries and two Deluxe Escorted options. Many feature the McKinley Explorer luxury rail experience between Anchorage, Denali National Park and Fairbanks.

In addition, Onboard Services awarded Holland America a second place, Emerald Award, in Food Service for using the company's chef training program to improve menus.

About Holland America Line

Holland America's premium cruises feature spacious staterooms, superb dining, renowned service, casino, first-rate entertainment, duty-free on-board shops, internet centers, the Club HAL children's program, the "Passport to Fitness" activity program and complete fitness center, coupled with popular "tipping not required" and "cashless" ship policies.

Holland America Line has 11 luxury ships sailing to more than 280 ports of call and scenic cruising destinations on all seven continents, including Antarctica. The company 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. In 2002, Holland America Line will offer 360 sailings within a half-day's drive of 40 percent of North American households and departing from 15 North American home ports.

Affordable air arrangements are available through the Home City Air program and Holland America offers the only trip cancellation program in the industry that offers cash back for canceling for any reason prior to 24 hours before departure.

Holland America Line is the highest-rated premium cruise line in the world in the 2001 "Travel & Leisure" magazine "World's Best" Awards and one of the world's three highest rated large-ship cruise lines in the 2001 "Conde Nast Traveler" Readers' Choice Awards. The company also has won its 10th consecutive "Best Overall Cruise Value" award from the World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society (WOCLS).