Holland America Group Chief Executive Officer Stein Kruse Receives Netherland-America Foundation Ambassadors' Award

Kruse given Ambassador C. Howard Wilkins, Jr. Award at event in Washington, D.C.

SEATTLE, April 18, 2018 /CNW/ -- Holland America Group Chief Executive Officer Stein Kruse was honored with the Ambassador C. Howard Wilkins, Jr. Award from the Netherland-America Foundation at a dinner at the Willard InterContinental hotel in Washington, D.C., Thursday, April 12, 2018. His Excellency Henne Schuwer, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United States, was honorary chair of the event.

Named for the U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands from 1989 to 1992 who endowed it in 1998, the C. Howard Wilkins, Jr. Award recognizes outstanding professional accomplishments in fields of business, banking, corporate leadership, politics, government and diplomacy, arts and sciences, entertainment and sports.

"Holland America Line has a rich Dutch legacy and heritage that I have been a part of for nearly 20 years, and I am honored to be recognized by the Netherland-America Foundation with this distinction," said Kruse. "I share this award with all of my colleagues who foster our on-going relationship with the Netherlands, our economic impact in the region, and the connection between our cultures that we proudly highlight on board Holland America Line ships."

Kruse was honored alongside Marillyn Hewson, chairman, president and CEO, Lockheed Martin, who received The Ambassador J. William Middendorf II Award, and Glen Hauenstein, president, Delta Air Lines, who was honored with The Ambassador K. Terry Dornbush Award.

"The Netherland-America Foundation is about strengthening the economic, political and cultural ties between the United States and the Netherlands, and the Ambassadors' Awards honor individuals who exemplify our mission," said James Dykstra, NAF board member and chair of the organizing committee of the NAF Ambassadors' Awards Dinner. "Through his work with Holland America Line, Stein Kruse has been a champion of promoting Dutch culture and heritage around the world, and it's a privilege to present him with the C. Howard Wilkins, Jr. Award."

About Stein Kruse
Stein Kruse is group Chief Executive Officer of Holland America Group and Carnival UK, divisions of Carnival Corporation & plc. Holland America Group includes Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Seabourn, as well as Holland America-Princess Alaska land operations. Kruse also is chairman of the board of MANCO, a U.K.-based entity that oversees the operations of Carnival Australia, including P&O Cruises Australia. Carnival UK encompasses the UK-based brands of Cunard Line and P&O Cruises.  Holland America Group and Carnival UK operate 51 cruise ships, with more than 60,000 employees worldwide.

Kruse currently serves on the boards of the U.S. Coast Guard Foundation; World Trade Center Seattle; Saltchuk Resources, Inc.; and the University of Washington Foster School of Business Dean's Advisory Board. A native of Oslo, Norway, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University and is a graduate of Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.

About the Netherland-America Foundation
Building on the enduring heritage and values shared between the peoples of the Netherlands and the United States, the Netherland-America Foundation (NAF) seeks to further strengthen the bonds between our two countries through exchanges in the arts, sciences, education, business and public affairs. 

Founded in 1921, NAF offered an opportunity for the Dutch-American community to continue its efforts to promote Dutch culture in the United States. Edward Bok, celebrated publisher of Ladies' Home Journal, served as its first president. Bok and his colleagues — including Franklin D. Roosevelt — were determined to build the NAF into an activist organization. Business, government and academic leaders served as presidents, among them: Thomas J. Watson, founder of IBM; the Hon. William C. Redfield, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and Dr. A.J. Barnouw, Queen Wilhelmina Professor at Columbia University.

Editor's note:  Photos are available at https://www.cruiseimagelibrary.com/c/f6ackv6u.

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About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE:  CCL and CUK)]
Holland America Line's fleet of 14 ships offers more than 500 cruises to more than 400 ports in 98 countries, territories or dependencies around the world. From shorter getaways to 113-day itineraries, the company's cruises visit all seven continents, with highlights including Antarctica explorations, South America circumnavigations, Cuba cruises and exotic Australia/New Zealand and Asia voyages; four annual Grand Voyages; and popular sailings to the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, Canada and New England, Bermuda, Europe and the Panama Canal. The line welcomed Koningsdam in 2016 and has a second Pinnacle-class ship, Nieuw Statendam, to be delivered in December 2018. A third Pinnacle-class ship, due for delivery in 2021, recently was announced.

The company is undergoing $300 million in brand enhancements to secure its position as the leader in premium cruising. Fleetwide, the ships feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused on destination immersion and personalized travel. Guests can expand their knowledge through an exclusive partnership with O, The Oprah Magazine; during an America's Test Kitchen show; at Explorations Café presented by The New York Times; and by taking a Digital Workshop powered by Windows. Outstanding entertainment fills each evening at venues including Lincoln Center Stage, Billboard Onboard and B.B. King's Blues Club. The dining experience can be savored at a variety of restaurants with menus that feature selections from Holland America Line's esteemed Culinary Council, comprising world-famous chefs who design dishes exclusively for our guests.

SOURCE Holland America Line

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http://www.hollandamerica.com