Holland America adds more Bermuda cruises for 2010

[mercedes]

Good news, Bermuda fans: Holland America says it is more than doubling the number of cruises it'll offer to the island in 2010.

Holland America just announced in September it would return to Bermuda for the first time in years in 2010, but at the time the line said it would offer just 11 sailings to the island starting in August of that year. Now the company says it'll offer 24 sailings to Bermuda starting on April 25, 2010.

The cruises will be out of New York on the 1,350-passenger Veendam.

Unlike most other ships now sailing to Bermuda, the Veendam is small enough to dock both in Hamilton and St. George’s -- Bermuda’s two most popular ports. Holland America says the ship will spend two nights in each town during the cruises.

The port calls in Hamilton and St. George's likely will be a major selling point for the cruises as many Bermuda cruise fans have been unhappy with the growing trend of ships tying up far from the two towns at Bermuda's Dockyard facility -- a trend driven by the increasing size of ships.

The choice of the Veendam to spearhead Holland America's return to Bermuda also will have historical significance to shipping aficionados. It was another Holland America ship called the Veendam, the 500-passenger Veendam II, that offered the line's first Bermuda cruises out of New York in 1930 and 1931.

Holland America last had a ship based in New York in 2007 when the Noordam sailed to the Caribbean from the city. It's been far longer since Holland America sailed to Bermuda. A spokesman for the line tells USA TODAY it has been at least 15 years.