
Photograph
Jason McDowell - USA
Photographs on this page, except
those marked otherwise, were provided by and are © Holland America Line
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!
ms Zaandam (2000-present) Built in 2000 as ms Zaandam by Fincantieri -
Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A., Marghera (Venice),
Italy
for Holland America Line. Her keel was laid on 26 June 1998 and she was floated
out of her building dock on 30 April 1999.
After running successful technical trials in
the Adriatic, Zaandam
was delivered to Holland America Line on 6 April 2000. She then crossed the
Atlantic via the Adriatic and Mediterranean bound for Ft. Lauderdale,
FL. y 2000. She departed on 4 Ma for her maiden voyage to the Caribbean,
alternating Western and Eastern itineraries.
Essentially she is a slightly larger version
of HAL’s “Statendam (S) class”: series of ships and the
Zaandam, like her sisters, the ms Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Volendam has three design
changes that distinguish her from that earlier class: Her aft swimming pool was
moved from Navigation Deck up one level to Lido Deck, an alternate restaurant,
at the time of her delivery was called the Marco Polo, which later became the
famed Pinnacle Grill, and she has a mid-ship stairwell elevator bank which is
by far superior. Whilst the ms Rotterdam and Amsterdam have a twin-funnel,
side-by-side arrangement, but the Zaandam and Volendam both have a single
funnel, however the stack is of a different and a more modern design than the
“S” class funnels. Whilst the Rotterdam and Amsterdam were
essentially designed for longer, world-wide cruises, the Zaandam and Volendam
were designed for duties in the Caribbean, Alaska but also in Hawaii, the South
Pacific, Australia and around Asia. Her home ports so far have been Ft. Lauderdale
and Port Canaveral, Fl, San Diego, CA and Vancouver, BC and soon Auckland and Sydney.
The basic layout of Zaandam’s public
rooms are the identical to that of ms Volendam, starting the moment as you
board this fine ship with the ships stunning three deck high Atrium featuring a
giant 22 ft (6.7 m) high Baroque-style Dutch pipe-street organ with mechanical
figures “playing” violins, drums as well as horns. The organ
“performs” on sea days at 11:00 am and at 12 Noon, then again at
2:00 and 4:00 pm. As you board you will understand why this ship is known as
the ship of music, for the Atrium sets the musical theme!

The
Atrium and the Amsterdam Street
Organ
Zaandam’s theme is throughout the ship and it is filled with items
and actual pieces of music memorabilia throughout the ship, be it framed
posters or genuine instruments. Zaandam sports a
comprehensive collection of Rock'n'Roll memorabilia
that would do credit to any Hard Rock Café and many of these items were
originally acquired at a Christie’s auction in London in 1998. There is a Fender Squire
Telecaster guitar, which is signed by the Mick Jagger,
as well as Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood and Bill Wyman of the
Rolling Stones, this is located in a glass display case on the Deck 4
staircase. An Ariana acoustic guitar signed by David
Bowie and Iggy Pop, a Fender Stratocaster guitar
signed in silver ink by the members of Queen, then there is a Bently Les Paul-style guitar signed by various artists,
including Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, BB King, Robert Cray, Keith Richards
and Les Paul in the hallway near the lower entrance close to the Rotterdam
Dining Room. The rear wall of the Explorers Lounge has the Conn Saxophone with
a mouthpiece signed by U.S. President Bill Clinton. There are two somewhat
unusual piano art pieces on board that have been painted by modern Dutch
artists; one by Henk van Vessem
painted in a colourful abstract design located in the ship’s Lido
Restaurant, the other, made to look like “shipwreck wood” is
located in the Seaview Lounge located just outside the Piano Bar.

The
Explorers Lounge

Explorations
Lounge also features the Café, Library, and Internet Cafe
The artwork and artefacts onboard Zaandam is
worth millions and that also includes the many antiques, paintings, prints and
photography centered around a theme of Dutch and
Holland America Line seafaring exploration and cruise travel. There are a
series of black & white photos of the company’s early liners in most
passenger corridors. Zaandam also exhibits works
created especially for her by world-class artists and she has a collection of
Egyptian artwork, including a wooden model of the third coffin of King
Tutankhamen that is permanently displayed in the Art Gallery.
Usually an “eye catcher” is the large reproduction of the New
York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Yellow Jasper”,
actually a fragment of an Egyptian queen’s face that is commonly referred
to as “the yellow lips” is located on the outside of the Explorers
Lounge. Like all other HAL ships, great paintings of the line’s ships by
Captain Stephen Card can be found in the forward stairwell,
in addition some of the public rooms are decorated in a traditional Dutch
colonial motif. A bronze sculpture of a group of five leaping Pacific dolphins
by British artist Susanna Holt is located at Zaandam’s amidships magrodomed
Lido Pool. And a pair of boldly coloured life-size ceramic cows created by
Dutch artist Jackie Bouw lie contently by the
ship’s aft Sea View Pool.

The
Lido Pool seen with the giant sliding magrodome closed
Her main two-story show lounge is named after
Dutch abstract painter Pieter Cornelis
“Piet” Mondriaan. The lounge glitters
with bright white, gray, and silver decor with somewhat darker furniture
providing contrast, the tables feature lamps with miniature musical
instruments.

The Mondrian Show Lounge
Zaandam’s trade mark the Ocean Bar attracts the pre and post-dinner
cocktail crowd and her 205-seat Wajang theatre, the place for movies, meetings
and presentations. The ever popular Crows Nest observation lounge has a
320-degree view for taking in port departures and arrivals. She has an Ocean
Spa fitness center with a gymnasium and separate massage, sauna and steam
rooms. Zaandam
also has a magnificent Explorers Lounge, Java Café coffee bar, Piano Bar, a
24-seat Erasmus Library, an Internet center, shops stocked with duty-free
goods, and a Casino with Casino Bar which doubles as the ship’s sports
bar.

Far
forward and topside is Crow’s Nest offering the finest views over the bow
Close to the Wajang Theatre, there is the wine
tasting bar as well. When Holland America Cruise Line announced a U.S. $225
million program of up-scaling their cruise ships, cruise line image and
passenger cruise experience called for the 'Signature of Excellence program'.
This enhancement program included stateroom amenities (luxury beds and bed
linens upgrades, Euro-style mattresses, waffle-weave bathrobes and Egyptian
cotton towels to all cabin categories), new massage-type showerheads and
professional-grade hair dryers in all bathrooms, new flat-screen LCD
televisions with DVD players, make-up mirrors with halo lightning, fresh
flowers and complimentary fruit baskets in all cabins, a Culinary Arts Center
(inside the Wajang Theatre) presented by Food & Wine magazine, with an
on-stage kitchen for gourmet cooking demonstrations and interactive classes; an
Explorations Café (taking in the Erasmus Library and original internet center
and adding a coffee bar); a Neptune concierge lounge for the exclusive use by
Deluxe Verandah and Penthouse suite occupants; an expanded Greenhouse Spa and
Salon offering thermal suite treatment and an excellent Fitness Center; and the
”Loft” and the “Oasis”, respectively, an interior and
exterior area designed exclusively for teens (ages 13-17) Club HAL also has excelent facilities for the yunger
set, a play room and other facilities! Zaandam
had her new enhancements and facilities installed quite some
time ago and is a wonderful ship and I hope that you will experience her
in 2011 & 2012!

The
Fitness Center located directly above the Bridge

Club
HAL – Games Room

Club
HAL – The Loft

Club
HAL – The Oasis with rock pool
In addition, the ms
Zaandam also has a Digital Workshop program operated by Microsoft, which offers
complimentary classes led by a Microsoft-trained “techspert”.
As part of the program, passengers can learn to use computers to enhance
photos, produce and publish videos onto a DVD and create personal web pages or
blogs. In addition, one-on-one coaching, called “Techspert
Time” is available for more than 20 hours each week.
Dining.
There are a number of dinning
options on ther Zaandam.
1, the magnificent two-tier Rotterdam dining room, which offers traditional
first and second sitting evening meals on the upper level and Dine as you wish
on the lower level. Breakfast and lunch is either a choice of a fully served
meal in the Dining Room or Buffet style at the Lido Restaurant topside. The
Lido buffet-style restaurant is open for Breakfast, morning tea, lunch,
afternoon Tea and a more casual Dinner, and then there is the elegant alternate
restaurant, the Pinnacle Grill that serving the ultimate in Pacific
Northwest fare and believe me, having experienced it. It is a
MUST!
There is another alternate restaurant on
board, “Canaletto” that serves delicious Italian cuisine. Canaletto, is named after the famous 18th century Venetian
artist, and this venue originally debuted on ms Eurodam in 2008. It comes to
life for dinner nightly from 5:30 to 9:30 pm when a separate section of the
ships' Lido Restaurant is transformed into a fine Italian restaurant.
Canaletto's menu begins with an antipasti plate that changes nightly,
followed by soup choices, salad, four pasta dishes and entrees like veal
Milanese, chicken Marsala.
The good news is there is no charge for this option, unlike the ultra luxury
Pinnacle Grill, where there is a charge, but it is the ultimate experience!
There is also a on deck BBQ and Grill during lunch
located starboard forward of the Lido Pool.

The
Rotterdam Restaurant
Accommodations
All Stateroom amenities include:
·
Luxurious beds featuring Sealy® Premium
Euro-Top mattresses and finely woven cotton linens
·
Deluxe waffle weave and terry cloth bathrobes
for use during your voyage
·
100% Egyptian cotton towels
·
Premium massage showerheads
·
5X magnifying make-up mirrors and
salon-quality hair dryers
·
Fragrant soaps, lotions, shampoo and other
bath amenities from Elemis Aromapure
·
Complimentary fresh fruit on request
·
Elegant ice bucket and serving tray for
in-stateroom beverages
·
Flat-panel TV and DVD player
·
Ice service, shoeshine service and nightly
turndown service
Therefore, regardless the grade you
chose, you can be assured of a spacious room, which will be delightfully
comfortable and serviced regularly and be ready for your regular evening surprisses left by your steward.

Inside
Twin/Double bedded Cabin

Outside
Twin/Double bedded Cabin

Verandah
Twin/Double bedded cabin

De
Luxe Suite
You may ask – “Why should I
cruise with Holland America Line?” The fact
is that this is one of the world’s leading cruise company’s and
they have won more accolades than any other cruise company, and more than that
they have won it for consecutive 17 years in a rom. These are just a few of the
accolades given by some of the most recognosed organosation from around gthe
globe!
These are some of the International awards,
including the Australian AFTA Award.
“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 at the
AFTA 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.
That would give you more than
able ensurence of the kind of cruise experience that
Holland America will provide, and I suggest that you also read my ms Volendam Cruise Review
and some of the pother pages shown at the bottom of
this feature, including the ms Amsterdam Ship review.
Both ships are Zaandam’s
sisters.
The ms Zaandam is
famed for her superb multi million dollar art collection, but the art is only
part of the story onboard the delightful Zaandam
for you will also discover exquisite cuisine, excellent service and enticing
pampering are mainstays in the Holland America cruise experience. And remember
to enjoy an invigorating treatment in the greenhouse Spa & Salon. Savour a
delectable feast in the Rotterdam Dining Room, which serves a magnificent five
course feast that is truly delightful. And be pampered at every turn with by a
staff whose commitment to excellence in service is apparent from your bar staff
and dining room waiters to your room steward who will all soon know you by
name. Excellence is way of life on Holland America, thus
why not joiun her soon!

Book
your cruise soon for the ms Zaandam is Australia bound
in 2011/12
Photograph
from the author’s collection
For a Holland America Line cruise brochure or
for more information on their superb cruises from Australia or throughout the
world, consult a cruise specialist, who is a travel professional or in
Australia call Holland America Line at 1300 987
322 or visit www.hollandamerica.com.au.
-Also visit my other Holland America
Pages-
Page One … “The
History of Holland America Line and Today’s Modern Fleet”
1872
to 2000
Page
Two
… “The History of Holland America Line and Today’s Modern Fleet”
1993 to 2015
-Holland America
Line Ships featured on Cruise-Australia-
ms
Rotterdam - ms Volendam - ms Zaandam - ms Oosterdam & ms Nieuw Amsterdam
ms Prinsendam & ms
Statendam - (A 4
page ship review)
-Cruise and Ship Reviews by the
Author-
NEW - ms
Oosterdam 2013 Cruise’n’Ship Review
ms Volendam Cruise Review -
ms Amsterdam Ship Review
Also
read our Holland America Line - Cruise News Updates - Page
***************************************************
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.
Contact
the Author …

Please
name the ship you are writing about!
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Where
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Story
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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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