Holland America Line

With Reuben Goossens

Cruise’n’Travel Journalist, Cruise reviewer & Maritime Historian

Please Note: Cruise-Australia is a non-commercial and privately owned cruise site and it is NOT associated with any cruise company or travel agency! Although the author has been in the passenger shipping industry since 1960 and is currently semi-retired, but continues to write cruise and ship reviews and articles in order to better to inform cruise and ship enthusiasts and provide information for those intending a cruise in the future. Please read my statement at the bottom of the page!

The elegant ms Volendam is seen here in Sydney - where she is based during the Australian summer months

The author sailed on her in 2010 and has a comprehensive Cruise Review online

Part One

Holland America’s Background

A short history

Holland America Line, Nederlandsch Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij (NASM), commenced their Trans-Atlantic service with the chartered British ship, the SS Adriane, which commenced service in July 1872. Within several months the 2,000 ton SS Rotterdam (I) was delivered and under the command of Captain Jacob Hus and she set sail on October 15, 1872 with a complement of ten passengers and 800 ton of freight. Her departure set in motion the beginning of what became one of the world’s great shipping companies which remains with us to this very day.

SS Rotterdam I

Holland America Line was famed for several of the most amazing Trans-Atlantic liners, 1. The 1938 built Nieuw Amsterdam. 2. The 1959 SS Rotterdam (5). These two ships became famed for their lavish appointments and became two of the most popular ships of their day. The two funnelled 36,982 ton SS Nieuw Amsterdam is known to this day as the most beautiful liner ever built, whilst the 3,645 ton SS Rotterdam became the darling of the Atlantic.

The stately SS Nieuw Amsterdam III

The superb looking and fully restored SS Rotterdam arrives home in Rotterdam to be opened as a luxury hotel

With Trans Atlantic services becoming unprofitable, SS Rotterdam became a full time cruise ship. She became one of the most sought after cruise ships on the seven seas and her world cruises were especially popular and she visited New Zealand and Australia on a regular basis.

Holland America Line set the benchmark for exemplary service, a reputation continues to this day. Over the years, HAL has received the coveted “Best Cruise Line” award years in a row.

Obviously, Rotterdam (5) having been the darling of cruise lovers for many years, cruise enthusiasts were disappointed when HAL decided to sell her in 1997 to Premier Cruises who suitably renamed her SS Rembrandt. However, her time with Premier was short lived as the company folded in 2000 and the Rembrandt was laid up in Freeport on September 21, and remained there until 2004 when this magnificent liner was purchased by the Netherlands to be completely restored to her original condition as built. SS Rotterdam triumphantly returned to her homeport of Rotterdam on August 4, 2008, but officially opened as a luxury hotel, maritime museum, convention facility in February 2010.

Although Holland America Line together with Cunard, Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard Line, P&O, P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises, Costa Cruises, AIDA, Ocean Village, Swan Hellenic, Seabourn Cruise Line were taken over by the American Carnival Cooperation, but it needs to be understood that each company continues to be marketed and sail under their own brand and traditions. However, Holland America Line does this even more so than any of the others, due to the way the company directors designed their original agreement between Carnival and Holland America Line, and thus their ships continue to be registered in Rotterdam Holland, whilst most others are being reregistered in Hamilton Bermuda, and HAL officers and the Captain are Dutch. In addition the traditional famed and greatly awarded Holland America service remains! They are not sold by the Carnival offices and in most countries either by a Holland America office, or an appointed General Sales Agency.

ms Oosterdam is part of HAL’s new and modern fleet offering a modern, yet traditional elegance!

Part Two

Holland America Line Today

Holland America operates an exceptional fleet of ships, from the more classic looking 1993 built ms Statendam to the new futuristic 2010 built ms Nieuw Amsterdam (IV), Eurodam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, Eurodam and about to take her place the brand new ms Nieuw Amsterdam. Regardless of which HAL ship you choose to cruise on, all feature unparalleled Dutch hospitality. All HAL ships have a Dutch Captain and officers, whilst hotel staff and crew are international, being the very best sourced from around the world!

Holland America Line is known for their gracious service, gourmet cuisine and sparkling entertainment. HAL has a vast variety of cruises available covering the four corners of the globe. There is the perfect cruise awaiting you, be it cruising the Caribbean, Panama Canal and Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, the South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, Baltic Sea as well as the annual around the world cruises.

Introduction.

It is a well known fact that that the author considers Holland America Line (HAL) to be one of the finest cruise companies in the business! This company has been in the passenger shipping industry since 1872 and the company continually set’s the highest standards in cruising, and Holland America Line has continually received countless cruise awards and accolades for being one of the finest and highest rated Cruise Lines - years in a row. That is something that few other cruise lines are able to boast!

Below are just a few of the Awards and Accolades handed to Holland America Line – and they deserve it!:

“The Highest Rated Cruise Line” – Conde Nast Travellers Readers; Choice Travellers Awards; Travel & Leisure Word’s Best Awards.

“Best Overall Cruise Value” – 17 consecutive years – World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society.

“High Deluxe Five Star Rating” - World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society.

“International Five Star Diamond Award” – The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences.

“Cruise Line with the Highest Client Satisfaction” – TravelAge West.

In 2010 Holland America received the following awards - “Best Cruise Operator” and “World’s leading GREEN Cruise Line.”

“Best Cruise Operator” (Internationally based) - AFTA award 2010 AFTA (Australian Federation of Travel Agents) National Travel Industry Awards.

“Gold 2010 Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Environmental Protection Award” - from the U.S. Coast Guard.

“World’s Leading Green Cruise Line Award” and the “Blue Circle Award” - from the Port of Vancouver.

For interest: In 1989, Holland America Line became a wholly owned subsidiary of Carnival Corp; however, HAL has remained quite separate from Carnival camp as all Holland America ships remain registered in Rotterdam The Netherlands, whereas P&O UK and the Princess Cruises ships for example, have been reregistered in Hamilton Bermuda. For interest, in Australia, Holland America Line, quite unlike P&O, Princess Cruises and Cunard, etc., are not sold nor marketed by Carnival Australia, but through an Australian General Sales Agent.

Reuben Goossens.

Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer, Maritime Historian and Author.

Commenced in the Passenger Shipping Industry in May 1960.

HAL Photo Album

ms Statendam & ms Westerdam

Although in this small album there are just two of Holland America ships, be assured that all HAL ships are of the same high standard. I just felt to show their oldest ship and one of their newer ships which. They are: The 55,451 ton ms Statendam (built in 1993) being the first ship of the “Statendam (S) class.” Second being the 81,679 ton Westerdam (2004) being the third in the Vista series of ships.

ms Statendam

ms Statendam is the first of a series of HAL ships

The Atrium

Mermaids overlook the Atrium

The magnificent two deck Restaurant

The Showroom

ms Westerdam

ms Westerdam is one of the newer HAL Ships

Library

Explorer Lounge

Sports Bar

Piano Lounge

Lido Pool

Hydro pool

The much loved ms Rotterdam VI – one of the R Class ships

For a cruise brochure or for more information on Holland America Line’s cruises and CruiseTours - see your travel agent, or call Corie at 1800 427 847 - Email: info@cruisespecialists.com.au.

View my other Holland America Pages:

ms Nieuw Amsterdam - ms Rotterdam - ms Prinsendam, ms Volendam, ms Zaandam & ms Oosterdam

Now available, the author’s the new 2010 - ms Volendam Cruise Review

And the ms Amsterdam Ship Review

The author visited ms Amsterdam in Brisbane on November 11, 2010

Also read our Holland America Line - Cruise News Updates - Page

For Information & Reservations

In Australia ONLY …

Contact … Australia’s very first fully dedicated cruise agency – Established in 1982

“The Cruise Specialists” are Australia’s very first fully dedicated Cruise Specialist and they have been serving the Australian cruise passengers for 27 years. The agencies Director Corie Lisignoli looks forward to hearing from you and providing you with the kind of cruise service and experience you deserve! You will not only receive quality service, but also the latest and the best information and fares available.

Email Corie: info@cruisespecialists.com.au

Or Phone Corie – Free Call

Brisbane and/or International readers - Phone:

For a listing of recommended Australian, New Zealand & International Cruise’n’Travel Agents

ENTER HERE

***************************************************

Who is the Author of Cruise-Australia & ssMaritime?

Commenced in the Passenger Shipping Industry in May 1960

Or go directly to the - Cruise-Australia.com - INDEX

Please Note: Cruise-Australia and associated sites are a non-commercial and privately owned cruise sites. The author has been in the passenger shipping industry since 1960 and is currently semi-retired, but continues to write cruise and ship reviews and articles in order to better to inform cruise and ship enthusiasts and provide information for those intending a cruise in the future.

However, if you are interested in a cruise, I am happy to refer you to a dedicated cruise agent in Australia, New Zealand or further afield on my recommended “cruise agents” page, for these are agents that specialise in cruising and they will be able offer excellent service you and the best fares available! Be assured, I do NOT receive any commissions or favours from these agents, and in the vast majority of cases these agents will not even be aware of my, or mu site’s involvement, as I provide the enquirer with the requested information of the agents (in their region) including their contact details. Reuben Goossens.

Contact the Author …

Please name the ship you are writing about!

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Visit the NEW “Classic Ocean Voyages” Feature

Photographs on cruise-australia.com & .net are: 1. By the author. 2. From the author’s private collection. 3. As provided by Shipping Companies and private photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors. However, there are photographs provided to me without details provided regarding the photographer concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images would be so kind to make them-selves known to me, that due credit may be given. I know what it is like, I have seen a multitude of my own photographs on other sites, yet they either refuse to give me credit and even refuse to remove them, knowing full well that there is no legal comeback when it comes to the net. However, let us show the charlatans up and do the right thing at all times and give credit where credit is due! Note: I do not credit those who send me photos as they are not the owners of the photographs concerned, unless the image is part of their private collection.

This notice covers all pages, although, I have done my best to ensure that all photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page, that is, when a page is updated!

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