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Simular to the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines complimentary gift of small ceramic replicas of historical houses, Holland America Line hands out ceramic Delft Blue tiles in various forms and shapes, as part of their Mariner Society Rewards Program.
Since there is no accurate administration, it was not exactly known how many different tiles have been produced on behalf of Holland America Line. For the last 60 years the majority of the ceramic tiles have been manufactured by Royal Goedenwaagen-Gouda in Nieuw-Buinen, The Netherlands. On a global basis a search has been initiated by collectors to make an inventory of all tile editions from Royal Goedewaagen-Gouda. That inventory has been completed. The number of issued HAL official tile editions is set at 339 pieces. All tiles can be found on this website. Estimated 80 tiles are issued by associated organizations.
My collection consists of 407 tiles and 8 tile tableaus. The items in this collection have been acquired through website and exhibition purchases, through auctions and gifts.
Update December 1, 2025:
The large Royal Goedewaagen model of the Rotterdam VII (a gift from Nico Bleichrodt, Vice President International Sales) has been released in a limited edition to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Holland America Line. The model (18.9 inch including the hood) is featured on the homepage this quarter because it marks the prelude to an expansion of my website with two new menus: ship models and decorative pottery. You can read more about it in the News menu. I will also use the coming period to update the texts.
Some special tiles from my collection can also be found on the Holland America Line website: https://www.hollandamerica.com/150th-anniversary/en/category/artifacts/
Next update: March 1, 2026.
