Photo Guides to Holland America's Rotterdam and to Bayeux France

This week I have posted two photo guides.




Rotterdam is one of two flagships of Holland America Line. She is the sixth HAL ship to bear the name and perhaps because her immediate predecessor was so beloved and well-known, this ship has been somewhat overlooked. This is unfortunate because she is one of the faster passenger ships in service today (25 knots) and is capable of handling the rigors of a transatlantic crossing. Indeed, designing her was the project Stephen Payne worked on before turning to designing Queen Mary 2. This summer she demonstrated her transatlantic capability by doing two traditional ocean liner crossings between Rotterdam and New York.



What is more impressive about Rotterdam is her interior. As with all the current HAL ships, she has a museum quality art collection distributed through the public rooms. In addition, the furnishings, lighting and décor are tasteful and light quality.



I decided to return to the Rotterdam in order to capture the changes that were made to her during her 2009 refit. The biggest change to the interior was the addition of an area called “Mix.” This area replaces some of the prior lounges with a large open area that includes three bars - - a champagne bar, a spirits and ale bar and a martini bar. Mix does give the public spaces a more lively and younger feel than the prior lounges. I did have some doubt, however, about whether the furnishings were consistent with the ship’s overall décor.



Outside, the aft section of the open deck has become an adult-oriented area called the Retreat. The Sea View swimming pool that once dominated this area has been replaced with a shallow pool with sun loungers. This seems to be a recognition of the fact that relatively few passengers actually swam in the pool while quite a few like to relax in the sun. Overhead, a large video screen has been installed.



In addition to photographing these two areas, I re-photographed the rest of the ship. This picked up the more subtle changes that have taken place since the last time I photographed the ship. In addition, there have been advances in digital photography since then. The Beyondships photo tour of Rotterdam is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Rotterdam-Tour1.html The profile page with a new daily program and some new menus is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Rotterdam.html



I have also added a new cruise destination page on Bayeux, France. Bayeux is in the Normandy region of Northern France and can be visited during port calls at Cherborugh and Le Harve. Its most important attraction is the Bayeux Tapestry, a 1,000 year-old embroidered cloth that tells the story of the Norman Conquest of England.



Also, in Bayeux is a large cathedral, which was consecrated in 1077. Built over several centuries, it incorporates several different styles of architecture and is an impressive sight.



Located not far from the D-Day landing beaches, there are many D-Day related sites around the town and a museum dedicated to the Battle of Normandy in the town. Much more sobering is the Bayeux military cemetery, which is the largest World War II British cemetery in France. It gives an idea of the price of freedom.



Although in the battle zone, Bayeux did not sustain much damage during the war. As a result, it is still a traditional French town with buildings dating back to the Middle Ages. It is particularly picturesque along the River Aure, which runs through the center of town.



The Bayeux page is at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-France-North-5.html and is an addition to the Northern France section of Beyondships.

Inside Nieuw Amsterdam - Captain and Hotel Interviews, Dining Guide, Le Cirque Review

This week we go beyond the facts and figures about Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam and take a look at life onboard.

To begin, I spoke with Captain Edward G. van Zaane, the man who brought Nieuw Amsterdam into service. Captain van Zaane has been with Holland America for 30 years and has commanded some of its most notable ships, including the ocean liner Rotterdam (v), which is now a hotel/museum in its namesake city. I asked Captain van Zaane to contrast his prior commands against his latest command from a mariner’s viewpoint. In so doing, he not only highlighted the radical changes that have taken place in cruise ships during this period but gave an assessment of the current ship’s capabilities.

We also spoke about what it takes to transform “a piece of steel” into something with “a heart.” Thus, he provided some insight into his style of command.

The final topic we discussed was why people from the Netherlands are rediscovering Holland America and the line’s response. My conversation with Captain van Zaane is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Nieuw-Captain.html


I also spoke with Mark Zeller, who is a second generation Hotel Manager for Holland America. I asked him to speak about the type of cruise experience that passengers should expect on Nieuw Amsterdam and what makes Holland America a premium cruise experience. The interview is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Nieuw-HM.html

I first encountered Mr. Zeller when he was the head of culinary operations aboard the Noordam. In his role as Hotel Manager, his present responsibilities the culinary operations are within his area of responsibility. Accordingly, in putting together the dining guide to Nieuw Amsterdam, I have included his commentary on each of the dining venues onboard. The dining guide is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Nieuw-dining.html

One unique concept that Holland America has recently implemented onboard its ships is “Le Cirque Evening.” Once a cruise, the Pinnacle Grill specialty restaurant is transformed into a seagoing version of te famed New York City restaurant. HAL has worked with Le Cirque’s founder Sirio Maccioni and the chefs at Le Crique to give HAL passengers a concise taste of Le Cirque. This includes not only preparing menu items according to Le Cirque recipes but also presentation of the meal in Le Cirque style. My review of the Le Cirque evenings on Nieuw Amsterdam and on Zuiderdam is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-LeCirque.html

Photo Tour of Holland America's Prinsendam

In the mid to late 1990s, the one irrefutable question what else is there to Cunard besides Queen Elizabeth 2 was Royal Viking Sun. Yes, Cunard had several other ships, some of which were well-loved by their regular passengers and crew, but Royal Viking Sun was the only one recognized throughout the induistry and the cruising public as a first-class cruise ship.

Acquired from Royal Viking Line in 1994, Royal Viking Sun had little in common with QE2. She was half the size, she was a cruise ship and her officers and cruising style were preimarily Norwegian rather than British. Still she was successful offering luxurious long voyages to destinations around the world.

Proof that Royal Viking Sun was a cut above her contemporaries is the fact that she is still sailing for a major cruise line today as Holland Americ's Prinsendam. Built in 1988, many ships of that era are now serving the secondary market or are now Asian gambling ships. However, Prinsendam coontinues to do long voyages to exotic locales providing intimate, elegant cruises in keeping with Holland America's premium standards.

My profile of Prinsendam appears at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Prinsendam.html and the extensive photo tour and commentary begins at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Prinsendam-Tour1.html .

Photo Tour of Holland America's Maasdam

When Maasdam entered service in 1993, she was one of the largest ships ever to be built for Holland America Line. However, as cruise ships have grown ever larger, at just over 55,000 gross tons, Maasdam is now relatively small. Indeed, she is 30,000 tons smaller than HAL’s most recent ship Eurodam.

However, her size has let her find her own niche. She is large enough to roam the oceans of the world but small enough to visit ports that the new larger ships cannot. She is large enough to have most of the amenities that one would expect on a modern cruise ship but small enough that it is easy to get around. With some 1,200 passengers, there is the opportunity to get to know a variety of people but not so many passengers that one feels lost in the crowd.

Life on Maasdam seems well-ordered and serene. One is surrounded by displays of museum quality art punctuated by displays of fresh-cut flowers. The lighting is kept low giving a restful ambiance to the public rooms with their contemporary designs and superior quality fabrics. Passengers tend to indulge in quiet conversation, social dancing and the ship’s enrichment program, which includes cooking demonstrations, lectures and films.

Maasdam offers a premium cruise experience. This means that in addition to nice surroundings, the line strives for service excellence. The ship has been continually upgraded over the years with new features while at the same time adhering to traditional values.

My profile of Maasdam can be found at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Maasdam.html and the photo tour and commentary begins at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Maasdam-Tour1.html

On the military side of the site, I have posted an article in which Assistant Secretary of Defense Tom Hall discusses the transition from a strategic reserve to an operational reserve and how that has affected America’s armed forces Reserve and National Guard. http://beyondships.com/sspi-hall.html

The Charm of Statendam

Statendam is one of the “small” ships in the Holland America fleet. It did not start out that way. At over 50,000 gross tons, Statendam is a large ship. However, since she went into service in 1993, cruise ships have become so much larger that she now seems like a small ship.

Many people like the S class ships (of which Statendam was the first built) because of her size. One does not have to walk that far to get from place to place onboard. Also, the S class ships can get into ports that are too small for their bigger cousins. As a result, they are able to do more unusual itineraries, which is often an attraction for experienced cruisers.

Holland America wants its guests to feel that when they go aboard any ship in its fleet, the guests will find the same amenities and features that they enjoyed on their last Holland America voyage. Accordingly, it continually upgrades its ships so that they have the same features as the newer ships. For example, HAL’s specialty restaurant, the Pinnacle Grill, was added to Statendam in 2002. Other enhancements have been made as part of the line’s Signature of Excellence program. Of course, when a new feature is added, it has to be scaled to the size of the ship.

Statendam has a $2 million art collection that is in keeping with the high standards of the ship. The décor is contemporary but restrained and elegant.

My profile of Statendam is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Statendam.html and my photo tour and commentary about the ship is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Statendam-Tour1.html

Holland America's Eurodam - - Incorporation of excellence

Eurodam is Holland America’s newest and largest ship. Named by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in July, Eurodam seeks to incorporate all of the best elements of Holland America’s premium style cruising. Indeed, her designers sought to take all of the concepts developed during HAL’s multi-million dollar Signature of Excellence fleet upgrade program and include them in the the ship.

The ship started off from the design used for HAL’s Vista class ships, the most recent of which is the Noordam. To this design was added an extra deck that enable HAL to include a new Asia-fusion specialty restaurant as well as a series of spa-staterooms. These staterooms have special access to the ship’s spa and are based on the idea that a cruise can be like a spa retreat. There is also an open deck area with private luxury cabanas.

Although the remainder of the ship also has some new features. An Italian specialty restaurant has been added to the buffet area. The Explorations library/internet center/specialty coffee bar has been moved up higher on the ship so that it has spectacular views. A movie screening room and a digital camera workshop have been added to the public rooms.

While there is much that is new about Eurodam, the ship is very much in the Holland America mold. The public rooms are restrained in their décor punctuated with fine art and fresh flowers. The officer and crew are still friendly and eager to please.

My profile of Eurodam appears at: http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Eurodam.html and the photo tour and commentary begins at: http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Eurodam-Tour1.html

The Quiet Elegance of Holland America's Rotterdam

Holland America’s Rotterdam is the sixth ship to bear that name for HAL. The fifth ship was a much-loved classic ocean liner. As a result, the current Rotterdam has been somewhat overshadowed by her predecessor. This is unfortunate because the current Rotterdam is a very good cruise ship in her own right.

Although she shares the honor of being co-flagship with the Amsterdam, Rotterdam is not the newest or largest ship in the HAL fleet. The ship went into service in 1997 and is just under 60,000 gross tons whereas HAL’s latest ship, the Eurodam, is 86,700 tons. The fact that she retains her flagship status while the rest of the industry has been emphasizing larger and larger ships underscores HAL’s dedication to medium-size ships.

Rotterdam has a varied itinerary, traveling to the Baltic, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, as well as on a world cruise. These voyages are often longer than the typical cruise. As a result, the ship attracts well-educated travelers who can take the time to do long voyages.

Inside Rotterdam is quiet sophistication. There is extensive use of wood paneling and soft lighting in the public rooms. While there is an extensive museum-quality art collection, it is blended with the décor instead of being set apart from the living space. This gives the ship more of a relaxed feel. In addition, HAL keeps the number of passengers below what a ship of this size could carry, which results in more space per passenger. The result is clearly a premium product with a cosmopolitan atmosphere.

My profile of the Rotterdam with ship information, menus, and daily programs, is at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Rotterdam.html and my photo tour starts at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Rotterdam-Tour1.html