The Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was initiated during 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas it became known as Holland America Line. HAL is now headquartered in Seattle Washington U.S. The first ships sailed between Rotterdam and New York during 1872 with New York remaining the American terminal. Other services were started to South America and Baltimore.