Holland America Line Wins 8 Magellan Awards
Travel Weekly magazine announced the recipients of its 2014 Magellan Awards, and Holland America Line received eight of the prestigious honors. The line won five gold awards in the categories Restaurant Design for Canaletto Small Plates, Television Commercial for “Breathtaking Meet Impeccable,” Blog for the Holland America Blog, Direct Mail for the 2014 Winter Mariner Magazine and Advertising/Marketing Campaign for Discover HAL’s Alaska.
Three silver awards were bestowed on the line for Entertainment and the B.B. King’s Blues Club program, Direct Mail for the Holland America Line Cruise Atlas and Premium Ship for ms Noordam.
“It is an honor to receive these awards in so many diverse categories from a highly regarded publication like Travel Weekly,” said Richard Meadows, Holland America Line’s executive vice president of marketing, sales and guest programs. “We continually strive to enhance our guests’ experience with new offerings in entertainment and dining, and it’s great to see our onboard efforts recognized, and our advertising and marketing recognized for creativity and effectiveness.”
The Magellan Awards honor a broad range of industry segments, including hotels and resorts, travel destinations, cruise lines, online travel services, airlines and airports, travel agents/agencies, tour operators and car rental companies. Entries are evaluated by a panel of respected travel industry professionals against standards of excellence established by Travel Weekly, which has been published since 1958 and is written for U.S. travel agents, tour operators, corporate travel executives and travel industry suppliers.
Taking home a gold award in Restaurant Design for Canaletto Small Plates, the alternative Italian eatery recently introduced a “small plates” course in addition to the pasta and large plates. With several new dishes, the variety of options encourages guests to share their plates.
Holland America Line’s marketing and advertising efforts took home three gold awards. The gold award for Television Commercial for the “Breathtaking Meet Impeccable” campaign honored the spot that highlights the line’s premium shipboard experience combined with its global itineraries. A gold in Direct Mail was earned for the 2014 Winter Mariner Magazine edition, a high-end glossy publication for members of the line’s past-passenger loyalty program. The gold for Advertising/Marketing Campaign was earned by the Discover HAL’s Alaska program that communicated that there is no better way to experience the wonders of the Great Land than with Holland America Line.
Holland America Line’s blog also took home a gold. The Holland America Blog (www.hollandamericablog.com) is designed to provide unique insights into every aspect of the company and features regular posts written by company employees, shipboard crewmembers and guests across a wide variety of topics.
The silver award–winning B.B. King’s Blues Club is on six ships in the Holland America Line fleet. World-class musicians from the B.B. King’s Blues Club Band create a dynamic energy in the ships’ Queens Lounge that is transformed with a special stage and portraits of the blues guitar legend, illuminating the prominence of Memphis blues and its influence.
Holland America Line’s silver-winning Premium Ship ms Noordam exemplifies the classic style of cruising with modern amenities. The newest addition is the B.B. King’s Blues Club at sea that replicates the soulful club’s namesake on land. The ship also features the line’s signature Pinnacle Grill alternative restaurant, Canaletto restaurant, Digital Workshop powered by Windows®, the Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine magazine, the pampering Greenhouse Spa and Salon, and more.
A silver award was earned in the Direct Mail category for the Holland America Line Cruise Atlas. A compendium of itineraries, amenities and ship information featuring stunning photography and an abundance of information in one place for planning a cruise.
Since 2008, Travel Weekly has been recognizing excellence in travel with the annual Magellan Awards, and Holland America Line has received more than 40 awards in various categories since the Magellan Awards’ inception.