Holland America Line Debuts New ‘A City on the Sea’ Show

Holland America Line announced it would launch a new show about how countless team members work together to seamlessly run each ship, dubbed A City on the Sea.

The show debuted earlier this month aboard Rotterdam and will be offered on every cruise fleetwide starting in early 2023. The daytime presentation features the challenges and opportunities of working on a cruise ship.

A City on the Sea shows the behind-the-scenes operations through immersive video footage and interviews, with travelers meeting the people who call Holland America Line’s ships their home away from home.

“A City on the Sea is a unique interpretation of a behind-the-scenes view by not only showing how our ships operate, but also by sharing some amazing stories of the people who make it happen,” Holland America Line senior vice president Michael Smith said.

“We put a lot of thought into how we can make this show a transformative moment where the complexity of running a floating city becomes a celebration of the human spirit and all that we’re capable of accomplishing,” Smith continued.

The show will highlight engineers, medical staff, musicians and stateroom attendants who will describe the challenges and opportunities of working on a cruise ship. In addition, captains will speak about how they view themselves as the mayor of the “city.”

A City on the Sea explores areas on board like the engine room to show the miracle of modern engineering and the laundry to see how thousands of linens are processed daily. Guests will explore staples of a town like bakeries, restaurants, theaters, grocery stores and hardware shops, all without leaving the ship.