Høglund to retrofit third Holland America Line cruise vessel

2026/10/29

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Eurodam NY135, photo courtesy of Holland America Line

Høglund, now part of ABB, is taking on its third Holland America Line cruise vessel retrofit, with Eurodam next in line for a turnkey automation system upgrade.

The contract was won in August 2026, and the retrofit is scheduled to take place in the Bahamas in March 2027. 

Following the successful automation retrofits of Oosterdam and Zuiderdam, the Eurodam project marks another step in Høglund’s growing experience within the cruise segment. The two previous projects have given Høglund valuable experience in delivering complex automation retrofits on Holland America Line vessels. Both retrofits were successfully completed while the vessels remained powered throughout the upgrade. While the vessels share the same Vista-class heritage, Eurodam is “Signature class”, a similar but larger vessel, built in 2008.

Eurodam’s new automation system will have 20% more I/O points than the previous vessels, a fully customized videowall giving the crew full overview in real time, as well as PLAYBACK, a unique Høglund function that utilizes historical data for easy trouble shooting. The Høglund team will install the new system in parallel to the old one, gradually taking over control of the ship’s technical operations. 

“Taking on our third Holland America Line vessel is a great opportunity to build on the experience from the previous projects. Retrofitting powered vessels is a highly complex task that requires thorough planning and execution” says Lene Ulseth-Rivelsrud, Project Manager, Høglund. “We are excited to get started on our largest cruise retrofit to date and look forward to bringing our experience and expertise to Eurodam.” 

With the Eurodam project, Høglund builds on its extensive experience in turnkey automation retrofits for cruise vessels, combining proven solutions with the flexibility needed to meet the specific requirements of each vessel. 

ABB finalized its acquisition of marine automation specialist Høglund AS on September 1st 2026, following the announcement of the agreement published on June 26th. 

2025/06/24

Bahamas / April 2025 – Høglund has completed a major IAS retrofit on board Holland America Line’s cruise vessel MS Oosterdam while the vessel was in dry dock in the Bahamas – all without shutting down power.

Bahamas / April 2025 – Høglund has completed a major IAS retrofit on board Holland America Line’s cruise vessel MS Oosterdam while the vessel was in dry dock in the Bahamas – all without shutting down power.

2026/09/02

ABB has finalized its acquisition of marine automation specialist Høglund AS headquartered in Tønsberg, Norway. The transaction was completed September 1st 2026, following the announcement of the agreement published on June 26th.

ABB has finalized its acquisition of marine automation specialist Høglund AS headquartered in Tønsberg, Norway. The transaction was completed September 1st 2026, following the announcement of the agreement published on June 26th.