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Discover Cruising at its Best!
With Reuben Goossens
Cruise’n’Travel Journalist & Maritime Historian

MV
Rijndam
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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 SS Adriane, which
commenced service in July 1872. Within several months the 2000 ton SS Rotterdam
(1) was delivered and under the command of Captain Jacob Hus she set sail on 15
October 1872 with a complement of ten passengers and 800 ton of freight.
Her departure set in motion the beginning of a great shipping company that
remains with us to this day.

SS Rotterdam I
In more recent years, HAL had two of the most amazing
liners, 1. The 1938 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 at that time. 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.
Above: The stately Nieuw Amsterdam III Below: The
elegant SS Rotterdam V

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.
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. SS Rembrandt was laid up in Freeport
until 2004, when this magnificent liner headed for Gibraltar where she is being restored to her
original condition and livery. In the middle of 2005, SS Rotterdam will
triumphantly return to her homeport to become a permanent hotel, casino,
convention facility and maritime museum.
Today, 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 and Windstar Cruises are owned by the
American Carnival Cooperation. However, all these companies, including HAL continue to be marketed and
sail under their own brand and traditions. However, Carnival has taken total
control of designing all new ships, which tend to look identical except for
their livery and funnels.
Holland America & a
Carnival ship except for their funnels, cruise companies
today have lost their identities!

Hulls and overall design of the Carnival Spirit class can be seen on HAL Vista Class ships and Costa
Cruises, Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea. Note the ships
indented midsections which are identical on all these ships. Other Carnival
designed ships include Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and the future Queen Victoria,
P&O Cruises UK Arcadia and the future Ventura,
all of these ship are of a similar design, but are very much larger.
Part Two
Holland America
Line Today
A Carnival Corp Company
Holland America
operates an exceptional fleet of ships, from the classic 1993 built MV
Statendam to the new futuristic MV Westerdam. Regardless of the HAL ship you may choose to cruise
on, all feature unparalleled Dutch hospitality. All HAL ships have Dutch officers and
Captain, whilst hotel staff and crew is 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 annual world cruises.
HAL Photo
Album
MV Statendam & MV Westerdam
Although we feature just
two of Holland America
ships in this album, be assured that all HAL ships are of the same high
standard. I just felt to show their oldest ship and their very latest ship
which entered service just this year. These are: The 55,451 ton MV Statendam
(built in 1993) being the first ship of the “Statendam class.”
Second is the 81,679 ton Westerdam (2004) being the third in the Vista series of ships.
MV Statendam

MV Statendam is the first of a series of HAL ships
The Atrium

Mermaids overlook the Atrium

The magnificent two deck Restaurant

The Showroom
MV Westerdam

MV Westerdam is
one of the newer HAL
Ships

Library

Explorer
Lounge

Sports
Bar

Piano
Lounge

Lido Pool

Hydro pool
Also
visit … MS
Rotterdam or MV
Prinsendam
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Photographs on Cruise-Australia and ssMaritime are: 1. By the author. 2. From the
author’s private collection. 3. As
provided by Shipping Companies and private photographers. Credit is given to
all contributors. However, there are some photographs provided to me without
details regarding the photographer concerned. I hereby invite if owners of
these images would be so kind and make themselves known to me, that due credit
may be given. I know what it is like, I have seem a multitude of my own
photo’s on other sites, yet some even refuse to give credit, knowing full
well that there is no legal comeback when it comes to the net. Let us do the
right thing and show the charlatans up and do the right thing at all times and
give credit where credit is due!
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