SEATTLE, March 11, 2002 -- The results of an Internet survey of U.S. adults indicate that the elements of a premium cruise experience are just what mothers are looking for to celebrate Mother's Day. The holiday falls on Sunday, May 12, this year, and Holland America Line is offering nine cruises that either depart on that date or include the 12th in their itinerary.

"A Holland America cruise is a perfect gift for moms," said David A. Giersdorf, senior vice president of marketing and sales. "We'll take care of all the pampering, make sure there is plenty of time to relax, and we offer up a world of interesting destinations from which to choose."

In a Babycenter.com poll, mothers were asked, "What is the nicest thing you do for yourself on Mother's Day?" Forty-eight percent of respondents selected "spend time with my family." The Babycenter.com poll also asked, "How do you celebrate Mother's Day?" A third of respondents said they either had dinner out or had dinner prepared by someone else. Sixty percent of the mothers who responded to the Babycenter.com survey also said that the vacation that appealed to them the most was one where they could just relax.

Given these findings, it is clear that a Holland America Line cruise would be the perfect Mother's Day gift -- it allows the family to spend quality time together, Mom does not have to cook or clean, and everybody has a chance to relax. Not only that, but Holland America's wide selection of cruises available during Mother's Day provides a cruise itinerary and length to fit any mother's schedule and travel desires, from the wonders of the Panama Canal to the scenic Mediterranean, the glaciers of Alaska or the comforts of New England.

May 12, Mother's Day, the ms Maasdam departs on a seven-day round-trip Western Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

On Mother's Day eve, May 11, the ms Zaandam departs Vancouver on a seven-day Glacier-route Alaska cruise that includes visits to Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Glacier Bay. The following day, Mother's Day, the ms Statendam begins sail on a seven-day Glacier-route Alaska cruise from Vancouver to Seward. May 6, the ms Volendam departs Vancouver on a round-trip cruise that finds it sailing through the natural beauty of the Inside Passage on the special day.

When the holiday rolls around, the ms Amsterdam will call at Acapulco, Mexico, during an 18-day Panama Canal cruise from New York to Seattle that departs April 30. The ms Veendam will be in Mexico for Mother's Day on an 18-day trans-canal sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver departing May 1.

On May 4, the ms Ryndam sets out from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera on a 10-day voyage, calling at Cabo San Lucas on the holiday. Other ports feature Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Pichilingue, Santa Rosalia, and Loreto.

The ms Noordam departs on May 6 from Rome, Italy, on a 10-day Mediterranean voyage and will be sailing the scenic Strait of Bonifacio on Mother's day. On its Mediterranean Enchantment cruise, the Noordam also visits Dubrovnik, Malta, Sicily, Minorca, Spain, and St. Tropez and Sete, France.

The ms Rotterdam will celebrate Mother's Day in Portland, Maine, during a seven-day cruise that departs May 10 from New York and includes Martha's Vineyard, Halifax, Boston and Newport, Rhode Island.

Cruise fares for Mother's Day sailings start at $749 per person, double occupancy. For more information, contact your professional travel agent or visit www.hollandamerica.com.

About Holland America Line

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 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).