Your first cruise ship

[mimigirl54]

The Epirotiki line (can't remember the name of the ship) for a Greek Island cruise with my parents in 1976 when I was a mere 22!

[ausbod]

P&0 Canberra in 1968 from Sydney to Southampton via Vancouver and the Panama Canal - 5 week voyage. Met my wife and we are still together. It took 31 years before we did another ( Marco Polo June 1969).

[duck tune]

DH and I are pretty new at cruising compared to many on these boards. We took our first cruise in July 2002 on the Norwegian Sky. It was an Alaska Cruise round trip from Seattle with stops in Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway. We booked it because at the time my husband was active in SPEBSQSA - The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in American (the name has since changed to simply BHS: Barbershop Harmony Society) and that year the annual convention was held in Portland, OR with the offer of a post-convention cruise with a Gold Medal winning quartet and the chance to put on a show for the passengers. DH was particularly fond of the quartet and I had always wanted to take an Alaskan Cruise so convinced DH that it would be a fun trip for both of us.

 

We were bused to Seattle from Portland. We booked a balcony and I'll never forget when we first opened the door our jaws dropped when we saw the room! Of course DH was thrilled about the singing activities and we both were hooked on cruising for sure. It has been difficult in these challenging economic times to have to cut back on cruising but I hope one day we can do another cruise. There is no better value and no better way to relax.

[Boytjie]

Lewis R French out of Maine. 22 passengers. Powered by sail and by a skiff with an outboard motor. She is about 150 years old - probably the oldest 1st cruise ship on this thread.

 

http://www.schoonerfrench.com/

 

Two showers, 2 shared heads for the entire boat.

 

One of the best "cruises" I have ever taken.

 

DON

 

I did a four night cruise on it this August and had a great time. I had a single cabin that I called the 'half coffin' but I just used it for sleeping, napping and changing so it was OK.

 

A month later I was on the QM2. What a difference. :D

 

[Pete&Cat]

Great thread!

 

Our first was on NCL Wind Alaska, then 6 years later we did HAL Statendam circle Hawaii, we were both retired from the military by then, me from the Marines and Cat from the Navy.

 

Hey Copper, a Big Semper FI right back at you bro

 

Kakalina, I don't like to fly either LOL, so that's how I finally got there too :)

 

pete

Edited December 11, 2009 by Pete&Cat

[rangeley]

Our first cruise was on the Zuiderdam in 2005 and we were hooked. I think we did eastern caribbean, St Thomas , Tortola, Nassau, and can't remember the other island. We met Hunky Dory on that cruise.

[VermeulT]

Aug 1985 on NCL's Norway to the Caribbean - St. Thomas, Nassau, and their Private Island.

 

I was the last vacation my family was able to take as a group (Dad died following summer). It was a fantastic week. Yes - I guess you can say I was hooked.

[carlabob]

Well isn't this fun!...walking down memory lane....looking back on the evolution from trying something different to becoming totally hooked on cruising as a fabulous way to travel, see new places & meet some pretty terrific traveling comrades.

First time out we were on the Norwegian Crown....had to talk DH into trying a cruise...thought we'd start out small...6 days to Bermuda if I recall correctly. That little ship rocked and it rolled and plates were flying everywhere, water poured into our stateroom through the windows & more than one passenger was green! Loved every minute of it - met some great people.

Undaunted, sailed again the next year on the Zuiderdam....7 day Eastern Caribbean - broke my foot ashore on St. Thomas - crazy jitney driver - never made it off the ship for the last 3 ports.

Once again, undaunted, sailed the Noordam the next year - probably the most perfect cruise one could wish for - no broken bones.

Being superstitous, sailed the Noordam again the next year and, arriving home with no broken bones....decided this might be an OK way to travel.

The following year jumped ship to Caribbean Princess.....bones OK - but give me HAL any day.

Back on HAL - Maasdam - 14 days - spoiled forever. Bones still intact:)

Just back recently from the QM2 - had to try her...glad we did...and, yup....no broken bones on that cruise either! She's a beautiful ship, but DH & I are agreed that we are going to book our 2010 trip on HAL - bones be damned.

[alpal1993]

NCL Southward Western Caribbean Jamaica,Grand Cyman,Cozumel and Key West in October.1979.Still cruising but different DH!

Had always wanted to cruise due to Love Boat

[COMBOY]

I first cruise was RCCL Song of Norway in 1980 and I was just 19 yrs. My mother wanted to go on a cruise, but Dad didn't so she took me. Boy...did we have a great time! Came home bragging to Dad about our wonderful trip. We went the following year and he came along too! Back then cruise was so simple and elegant and food gourmet. Each night in the dining room was different themed night (Italian, French, Caribbean, etc) and waiters wore different uniforms to match the theme. The ship didn't even have a casino; however there were slots in the foyer. No lido cafe; other than hamburgers and hot dog around the pool. All other meals were formal sit down in the main dining room. Oh...and I remember walking up the stairs to the Viking Crown Lounge high atop the ship's funnel. Those were the days!

[70notout]

I wanted to go somewhere warm and do something different for my 70 birthday. Had 69 in the cold of July downunder so where could I go. DH "wasn't going on any bl...y cruise". But I was determined and booked the Tahitian Princess around the Society Islands. The best part was I talked to CCs from Sept to July the following year and we were firm friends by the time we met. The cruise was wonderful, DH loved it too, and the CC friends from Scotland came and stayed with us and the CCs from San Diego are coming next May. I booked the Italian restaurant before we met and wondered if I would like these people but they were so much fun and we had a great time to celebrate my 70th. Had to wait all these years but it was the best birthday I have ever had. Now going on our 5th cruise around NZ and Aust and trying out Hal this time for the great itinerary and also meeting up with another CC in Melbourne.

[XLR8R]

Carnival Jubilee, Eastern Caribbean, 1999, 10 years ago next month. It wasn't the prettiest boat but we didn't know any better. Had a true aft cabin, because no one wanted it. I think it was one of the last cabins left when we booked. Lido? We were out for 11 days in perfect weather. Virgin Gorda (climbing thru those rocks with six bottles of Heineken for the wife and I!), Tortola, and Megan Bay (that bar on the beach pours killer rum drinks!) were the best memories. Our cabin steward and particularly our busboy were the best. Actually it's because of our first cruise that we are booking Radiance 2/22/2010. :)

[litehouz70]

MS Zuiderdam, Feb 03. I was a late bloomer. 4 cruises total since. Hopefully many more to come.

[emckeeve]

Ocean Monarch - 1961. I was 13. My parents and I sailed one way to Bermuda out of NY. Stayed at Elbow Beach and flew home.

[MauiGirl55]

My addiction began September 18, 1983-NCL "Southward". Sailed from Miami to Puerto Plata, San Juan, St. Thomas, and Nassau. Met my husband on that cruise.....

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was to Hawaii, 16 days on the Regal Princess in August of 2007. It was her last roundtrip out of LA. Her next cruise was from LA to her new home as I believe she was going to P&O cruises. We were forever hooked on cruising. My only regret is we didn't discover cruising before.

 

ms Regal Princess (1991-present) Built by Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A., Monfalcone, Italy as ms Regal Princess for the P&O Group however there’s a story behind that!

In 1985, Italy-based Sitmar Cruises had started an ambitious new-build program for the North American cruise market. Following an abortive attempt to order ships from Fincantieri, the company had placed an order for one ship, Sitmar Fairmajesty, with the France-based Chantiers de l’Atlantique. Sitmar were planning to order additional vessels however, and the Italian government, who owned Fincantieri, was eager to have these ships built by an Italian shipyard. Following more successful negotiations between Sitmar and Fincantieri, an order was placed for two 70,000 grt. cruise ships for 1990 and 1991 delivery. Although the ships maintained the same basic layout as Sitmar Fairmajesty, their exteriors were redesigned by Italian architect Renzo Piano.

In 1988, while these two vessels were in their early stages of construction at Monfalcone, Sitmar Cruises was purchased by the P&O Group and a decision was made to transfer all three of the Sitmar ships under construction (so Fairmajesty in France and the two sisters in Italy) to the fleet of P&O's subsidiary Princess Cruises. The second of the ships under construction at Fincantieri, would receive the name Regal Princess (her older sister would be named Crown Princess and would join Princess Cruises in 1990 - Fairmajesty was given the new name Star Princess and joined Princess in 1989) and she was launched from dry dock on 29 March 1990. Following successful sea trials in the Adriatic on 5 June 1991, Regal Princess was delivered to her new owners on 20 July 1991.

The ship then sailed via the Adriatic to the Mediterranean and, following a trans-Atlantic crossing, arrived in New York City, NY where on 8 August 1991, she was officially named by her godmother Margaret Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister. Regal Princess then joined her sister Crown Princess for cruising out of Ft. Lauderdale, FL to the Caribbean during the northern hemisphere winter season. During the summer months, she repositioned via the Panama Canal to Vancouver, BC for Alaska cruising.

In 2000, Regal Princess received a major refurbishment. Starting that year, she would spend the southern hemisphere summer months cruising out of Sydney, Australia, taking over Princess Cruises' Australian itineraries following the transfer of another former Sitmar ship, Sky Princess, to P&O Cruises Australia as Pacific Sky. For the 2003 northern hemisphere summer season, the ship was repositioned the Europe for Mediterranean and Baltic cruises.

In 2004, there were plans to have Regal Princess join her sister ship (Crown Princess, now named A’ Rosa Blu) in the fleet of newly established A’ Rosa Cruises, P&O's German brand aimed at that market. However, following the sale of A’ Rosa to Germany's leading deep sea and river cruise operator Arkona in 2003, that prospective transfer was cancelled. In late 2006, Regal Princess was again due to be transferred, this time to the fleet of Britain-based Ocean Village Cruises (yet another P&O/Carnival Group subsidiary), but this also did not materialize. Three times is usually a charm however, and in late 2007, Regal Princess received an internal transfer to the fleet of P&O subsidiary, P&O Cruises Australia.

During the summer of 2007, her last season with Princess, Regal Princess could be found sailing throughout the South Pacific, offering the line's first-ever summer Hawaii cruise season, several full Pacific crossings, and a special cruise to Midway Islands for the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Midway.

After an extensive multi-million-dollar refurbishment in a Singapore yard, she was renamed Pacific Dawn in a ceremony on 8 November 2007 by Australian swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Cathy Freeman. She then began operating cruises from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia to South Pacific destinations. Pacific Dawn was the first ship of the P&O Cruises Australia fleet with an all-white hull, to mark P&O's 75th anniversary in Australia. In December 2009, Pacific Dawn was moved north to her new home port of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in order to clear Sydney for the Pacific Jewel and Pacific Pearl (ironically the two former Ocean Village ships) who will operate from there for P&O Australia.

[Copper10-8]

What memories all these photos bring back...my first sailing was on the Rotterdam in the summer of 1961. Went with my parents but I could not stay in their stateroom...had to be in an inside cabin to share with 3 other females whom I did not know. It was fairly large with 2 upper and 2 lower berths...each of us had a closet and there were 2 sinks. Had to go down the corridor to use the bathroom and shower. I swore then if I ever went on another ship, it would never be in an inside cabin. We had to get dressed every morning just to get on deck to see what the weather was like.

 

Almost fainted when I first saw the ship with it's bow sticking so far out of the water at the pier in New Jersey...had never seen anything so huge and now it looks so tiny in the pictures!

 

John:

Coincidentally, about a week before I happened upon this thread, I was doing some housecleaning and came across a folder for the last (1997) Grand World Cruise of ss Rotterdam V. My wife and I were privileged to sail the first leg of this cruise from Los Angeles to Auckland. I still have the personalized notepaper, a formal photo of us on the stairs of the Ritz-Carlton Lounge, and a menu from a dinner hosted by John Scheringa, the Hotel Manager in the Grand Voyage Room, February 2, 1997. We have fond memories of this trip; not only were we upgraded from inside cabin to boat deck (about eight levels) but we received commemorative gifts virtually every evening in our cabin. Alas, despite the upgrade, the shower stall was the smallest I have come across, Oceania ships included!

Happy memories indeed!

Dave/Val Davies

 

 

 

 

ss Rotterdam V (1959-present) Built in 1959 as ss Rotterdam by the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (Rotterdam Drydock Company), Rotterdam, the Netherlands for the Holland Amerika Lijn/Holland America Line for which she would become their very popular flagship known as "the Grand Dame". At 748 feet long, 94 feet wide and weighing 38,650 tons, she would be the largest ship ever built in the Netherlands and she would sail for HAL for 39 years! She would be the last great Dutch "ship of state".

 

Rotterdam V was conceived as running mate to HAL's popular Nieuw Amsterdam launched in 1937, but work was put on hold at the outbreak of World War II in Europe. When economic conditions once again became favorable for completion of the new ship in early 1954, the beginning of the end of ocean liners as basic transport was visible on the horizon. Her designers took this in mind and created a groundbreaking vessel, a two-class, horizontally divided ship with movable partitions and a unique double staircase allowing for easy conversion to cruising. Rotterdam's machinery was shifted aft, to the now-traditional two-thirds aft position, and in lieu of a funnel twin uptake pipes were fitted. To provide balance, a large deckhouse was built atop the superstructure in the midships position of a typical funnel. While very controversial at the time, Rotterdam's appearance became groundbreaking, and her unique design features can be found on cruise ships today.

 

 

She was the fifth ship in the line's history to bear the name of Rotterdam, the principal city in the Dutch province of Zuid (South) Holland, second largest municipality in the Netherlands and the largest port in Europe. The name 'Rotterdam' originally comes from a dam built on the river Rotte.

 

Rotterdam V was painted in the then HAL house colors of a dove gray hull with a thin yellow band. Due to the absence of a traditional funnel (she had the twin set of uptakes instead), the then HAL colors (buff funnel with green-white-green bands) were unable to be applied there. Instead, all of her lifeboats were painted in the line's buff yellow colors with green and white bands (the colors of the city of Rotterdam) painted on their gunwhales.

 

On 14 September 1958, Rotterdam V was launched by her godmother, HRH Queen Juliana of The Netherlands in the city of Rotterdam in front of some 60,000 spectators. Succesful sea trials were conducted on the North Sea between 1-6 August 1959. On 3 September 1959, Rotterdam V, the flagship of the Holland Amerika Lijn set out on her maiden voyage from Rotterdam to New York, via Le Havre, France and Southampton, England under the command of her master, Commodore Coenraad Bouman. One of her passengers was the then Crown Princess of The Netherlands, the twenty-one year old Princess (currently Queen) Beatrix.

 

Upon passing Tompkinsville on north-eastern Staten Island, Commodore Bouman had the national flag of the Netherlands, flying on his ship, dipped in a salute to Henry Hudson. Back on 10 September 1609, the English sea explorer and navigator employed by the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or Dutch (United) East India Company, had anchored his ship the Half Moon (found in the current HAL logo) in the general area.

 

She arrived at the Fifth Street Pier in Hoboken, New Jersey on 11 September 1959 receiving a welcome by water spraying fireboats. After the Princess (via cutter and then to the Royal Netherlands Navy destroyer Gelderland in Gravesend Bay) and all her remaining passengers (the 'normal way') had disembarked, Rotterdam V was towed across the harbor to HAL's new terminal at Pier 40 in Manhattan. Rotterdam departed New York for her east bound journey across the Atlantic on 22 September 1959.

 

She then departed New York on her first cruise on 11 December, 1959, a 49-day cruise circumnavigating South America. She undertook a second, seventy five-day cruise on 1 February 1960. She would make her first world cruise in 1961, a seventy seven-day roundtrip from New York, From then on, she would operate the company's world cruise each year until 1986, developing a loyal following.

 

In 1969, Rotterdam made her last regularly scheduled transatlantic crossing and was converted to a one-class cruise ship. A new Lido estaurant replaced her Cafe de la Paix and other, more minor, changes took place. She would, however, make four more world cruises in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1997.

 

 

From September until October 1989, she received a $15 million dollar (mostly interior) refit at the Northwest Marine Ironworks, a Portland, Oregon shipyard.

 

On 31 January 1996, HAL announced that the much loved ship would be taken out of service as of 30 September 1997. The reason given by her owners (later disputed) was the new SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) requirements coming into effect and the funds, supposedly U.S. 40 million, required to update the thirty-eight year old vessel. Rotterdam would make a farewell cruise at the end of her Alaska season from Vancouver, BC to Ft Lauderdale, Fl.

 

In October 1997, she was purchased by Premier Cruises who had her upgraded to SOLAS standards and renamed Rembrandt. Premier kept her classic ocean liner 'feel' and on 21 December 1997, she departed on her first cruise to South America. The summer of 1998 found her cruising in the Mediterranean. Premier however, also had grandiose plans to rename the ship 'Big Red Boat IV' and to paint her hull a bright red, an idea not very popular with her fans. As Big Red Boat IV she would sail out of Los Angeles on three and four-day party cruises to Mexico in the winter and out of Vancouver, BC on seven-day Alaska cruises in the summer.

 

As faith would have it, Premier Cruise Line ran into financial difficulties. On 13 September, 2000 during a northbound New England/Canada cruise, her captain was ordered to return his ship to Halifax, Nova Scotia. After off-loading her passengers, the ss Rembrandt was placed under arrest. As a special condition of her warrants, she was allowed to depart for Freeport, the Bahamas where she arrived on 30 December 2000 and was laid-up pending sale. Premier Cruise Lines filed for bankruptcy and went out of business.

 

 

On 7 May 2003 Rembrandt became the property of s.s. Rotterdam BV (part of RDM holding or Rotterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij, her original builders). On 17 June 2004, the Polish ocean-going tug 'Englishman' towed her from the Bahamas to the Camell Laird yard at Gibraltar where she arrived on 12 July 2004 and where renovation work was scheduled for her. She would remain docked at the British Crown Colony until October 2005 (see below). By that time, she also had new owner, 'Rederij De Rotterdam BV'.

 

 

On 25 October 2005, after a tow from Gibraltar by the Spanish tug 'V B Artico', she arrived at Cadiz, Spain, for additional (dry) dock maintenance including the repainting of her hull in her original light gray color. In addition, she was renamed Rotterdam and registered in the same city. 'V B Artico' would tow her again, this time from 10 to 27 February 2006, from Cadiz to Gdansk, Poland where her asbestos was removed and further renovating would take place (see below).

 

 

On 25 August 2006 she received yet another tow, this time to Wilhelmshaven, Germany (see below) where she stayed until August 2008 for additional exterior restoration work.

 

[Copper10-8]

 

On 2 September 2008, she left Wilhelmshaven and on 4 September 2008, she made her triumphant return (see above and below) to her city of birth, Rotterdam, where she was berthed at the “Katendrechtse Hoofd” (Head of Katendrecht) located on the northern edge of Rotterdam Zuid (South) in the Maashaven (River Maas harbor) and where she will serve as a floating hotel, static museum ship and conference center. The most recent information has her opening to the public at "the end of December 2009".

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

 

ss Rotterdam V alongside the Wilhelminakade, Rotterdam in 1961

 

 

ss Rotterdam V on her way westbound to New York - Taken from ss Statendam on her way eastbound to Rotterdam - somewhere in the Atlantic in 1962

 

 

ss Rotterdam in her 'Nieuw Amsterdam' blue livery in 1987

 

As Rembrandt in Rotterdam in 1998

 

As Rembrandt in Rotterdam in 1998

[King Neptune]

Nice to see you back John!

[Copper10-8]

Nice to see you back John!

 

Thank you, your Highness of the sea!;) Nice to be back!

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was not that long ago but it was with HAL on the Oosterdam. It was fabulous! I had a mini suite and didn't know what to expect, but it more than met my expectations about a cruise, the ship and fellow passengers. Everything was perfect and it really got me hooked on cruising. My parents went on about 8 cruises. Their first cruise was on the original Love Boat ship on a Christmas/New Years cruise roundtrip from Los Angeles to Acapulco. We lived in Los Angeles and my parents, actually my father, got the bug to cruiseand dragged my mother with him. She eventually learned to like it but refused to go on a HAL Alaskan cruise with him because ddn't like cold weather. Whenever they would ask me if I'd like to go with them, I'd say no thanks. They are deceased and I took my first cruise at age 62. I'm sorry now that I waited so long but I'm trying to take one cruise a year now. Hope I can continue to afford it. Since I'm single and got spoiled with mini suites, it does cost me more, but I love it.

 

Thanks.

 

ms Oosterdam (2003-present) Built in 2003 as ms Oosterdam by Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A., Marghera (Venice), Italy for Holland America Line. She is the second vessel of HAL’s four Vista class ships (her sisters are Zuiderdam, Westerdam and Noordam). The names of the four ships translate to the four directions of the compass in the Dutch language; Zuid meaning south, Oost (rhymes with “toast”) for east, Noord is north and West means, well, west. The only previous ship with the ‘Ooster’ prefix in the Holland America Line historical roster was the 8,251 ton one-propeller freighter Oosterdijk (or Oosterdyk) which began service with the line in May 1913, sailing on a regular service from Rotterdam to Savannah, GA. When the United States entered World War I (the Netherlands remained neutral), Oosterdyk was in Baltimore, MD. She was subsequently seized by the U.S. Government and, after a nine-month period in lay-up, pressed into service, carrying military supplies for the allied war effort. Sadly on 20 July 1918, Oosterdijk was lost at sea, sinking in the North Atlantic after a collision with a U.S. troop transport.

 

After successfully running technical trials in the Adriatic and having been accepted by her new owners on 27 June 2003, Oosterdam made her way to Rotterdam, the Netherlands under the command of HAL Captain Hans van Biljouw, arriving on 27 July 2009. She would remain there for four days since from 28 through 30 July, HAL celebrated its 130th anniversary year in the city of its founding, Rotterdam. HAL’s ms Rotterdam VI joined the new Oosterdam in Rotterdam with both ships berthed bow-to-bow at the Wilhelminakade (Wilhelmina Quai), Scheduled events during the celebration included visits from former HAL employees, a luncheon for HAL World War II veterans, a Royal maritime gala, a HAL Society of Mariners luncheon and ship’s tours for local dignitaries. The festivities included the christening/naming of the new Vista-class ship on 29 July 2003 by her godmother, HRH Princess Margriet of The Netherlands. Some of the dignitaries present for the naming included Princess Margriet’s husband Pieter van Vollenhoven, Carnival chairman and CEO Mickey Arison, his wife Madeline, HAL president and CEO A. Kirk Lanterman and his wife Janet, Fincantieri’s chairman Corato Antonini, Rotterdam’s Alderman for the Port and Economic Affairs Wim van Sluis and the City’s Mayor Ivo Opstelten. A fireworks show closed out the festivities that evening. On 3 August, 2003 Oosterdam and Rotterdam departed the city on her (Oosterdam’s) maiden voyage to European ports. Tens of thousands of spectators lined the Nieuwe Waterweg (New Waterway) on the way to the North Sea, waving flags, towels and bed sheets. Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 Falcon fighter jets made several passes over the two ships as they provided an aerial escort out to sea.

Oosterdam spent the first half of her inaugural season cruising around Europe before heading across the Atlantic to Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. for Caribbean itineraries. The last several years, her “winter home” has been San Diego, CA. for Mexican Riviera cruising. Summers have found her in Alaska (out of Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC) and back to Europe.

At 81,769 grt, Oosterdam is almost 30% larger than HAL's "R" class and almost 35% larger than the "S" class of ships. There were originally five Vista’s planned for HAL but that fifth hull was first transferred to Cunard Line in 2003 to become their Queen Victoria but then a second time to P&O Cruises to become their ms Arcadia in March 2005. The four HAL ships were designed mainly for shorter (less than two weeks) cruises in the Caribbean, Alaska, and Europe. The four Vista’s are equipped with a diesel-electric power plant and an Azipod propulsion system. This basically consists of two pods as opposed to traditional screws that operate like giant outboard motors underneath the ship’s hull. The Azipod propulsion system gives the ship outstanding maneuvering ability, making rudders and stern thrusters obsolete when negotiating smaller ports and allowing full turns at high speed. Oosterdam has two azipods made by ABB in Finland.

Eighty-five percent of Oosterdam’s staterooms have ocean views and sixty-seven percent have verandas. The extensive use of glass in the superstructure of the Vista-class ships is also reflected in the class name. They feature "exterior glass elevators," located on both sides of the vessels and vertically traversing 10 decks, providing guests with panoramic sea views.

 

Prominent “HAL-marks” familiar to Holland America Line passengers such as the Crow’s Nest observation lounge, a gym overlooking the bow, a Magro (sliding) dome-covered mid-ship Lido pool and aft Sea view pool, two-level main dining room, an Explorers Lounge for classical chamber music, Ocean Bar for dancing to life music, Piano Bar and the HAL trademark fully-encircled teak promenade deck are still found on Oosterdam. However, like her sister Zuiderdam before her, Oosterdam came out with new innovations such as an expanded Greenhouse Spa & Salon offering thermal suite treatment, a hydrotherapy and thalassotherapy pool and heated ceramic lounges, a 867-seat three (as opposed to two) deck Vista show lounge, a 170-seat cabaret-style Queens Lounge which doubles as a movie theater, a dedicated “Northern Lights” nightclub, a Windstar gourmet coffee and pastry shop, a much larger Internet Center and a greatly expanded children’s facility.

Oosterdam pays homage to the 130-year legacy of Holland America Line as well as to the traditions of Dutch maritime history, mot notably the Dutch East India Company. Artifacts and artwork from Holland, Italy, India and China are very visible onboard. Prominently displayed in a three-story atrium, a revolving Waterford crystal globe sets the mood for several art pieces which can be found throughout the ship. At the forward end of the main Lido Pool are a life-sized family of six adult penguins and one pup. The penguins are complemented at the opposite end of the pool by cartoon-like fish who stand on their heads and support the bar stools of the Lido Bar with their elevated tails.

 

In November, 2003, Holland America Cruise Line announced a program of up-scaling their cruise ships, cruise line image and passenger cruise experience called the 'Signature of Excellence program'. This enhancement program included stateroom amenities (luxury beds and 100% Egyptian cotton bed linens upgrades, Euro-style mattresses and deluxe waffle-weave bathrobes to all cabin categories), new massage-type showerheads in all bathrooms, new flat-screen LCD televisions and DVD players in all cabins and a Culinary Arts Center, presented by Food & Wine magazine, for gourmet cooking demonstrations and interactive classes. Oosterdam had her SOE enhancements installed while in dry-dock in Freeport, the Bahamas between 14-22 April 2007, before heading to Alaska.

 

 

On 1 April 2009, after finishing her trans-Atlantic cruise in Civitavecchia, Italy, an army of subcontractors and dry-dock workers as well as construction material was embarked on Oosterdam. She then departed Civitavecchia that afternoon bound for dry-dock in Palermo, Sicily for her SOE phase II upgrade. Upon her arrival there on 2 April 2009, a new block of thirty-four prefabricated cabins was lowered into place and installed on her stern increasing her passenger capacity from 1,848 to 1,916 and her gross registered tonnage from 81,769 to 82,305. Her existing Internet Center was moved to the starboard side of the Crow's Nest becoming part of her new Explorations Café. A dedicated small-size 36-seat movie theater (six rows of six theater-style reclining leather seats with small tables in between) called the "Screening Room" was added in place of where the Internet Center used to be. Also there on Deck 3 in place of the original library, a new Digital Workshop was installed. Oosterdam gained a second alternative restaurant when “Canaletto”, serving Italian cuisine, was added to her Lido restaurant starboard side, forward.

 

[/font][/color]

 

On Deck 2 (LP) starboard side, a new Pinnacle and Wine Bar was added in place of her original Windstar Café, outside and across from her 130-seat Pinnacle Grill restaurant (The Windstar Café Coffee Bar was moved to Deck 10 forward to become part of the Explorations Café). A high-end jewelry shop called “Merabella” as well as a viewing room was added on Deck 3 in front of the existing shops. That existing shopping arcade was expanded and upgraded. The part of Oosterdam’s Ocean Bar that was originally hidden from view behind walkway panels was “opened up”. Lastly, “routine dry dock maintenance” was performed and her original port-side azipod, which had developed mechanical problems back in December 2006 forcing it to be removed for repairs in the Spring of 2007, was reinstalled.

 

[/font][/color][/left]

Edited December 20, 2009 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

Somewhere around 1960, I went on the Chicago, Duluth and Georgian Bay Line's steamer, North American from Navy Pier in Chicago to Mackinac Island and return. This was the annual Grand Rapids, MI Chamber of Commerce cruise. They chartered the whole boat.

 

Doc

 

ss North American (1913-1967) built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works (the same yard which launched the Edmund Fitzgerald 44 years later)at Ecorse, Michigan in 1913 for the Chicago, Duluth & Georgian Bay Transit Company as a Great Lakes overnight passenger steamboat. The vessel was launched on January 16, 1913 and entered service in May 1913 as the oldest of two sister ships, the newer one being the ss South American.

 

The Chicago, Duluth and Georgian Bay Line, based at Holland, Mich., operated the steamers North American and South American, which were nearly identical sister ships, for 50 years. The ships, referred to by some as “the ocean liners of the lakes" were popular vessels which sailed the upper lakes and would dock at Greilickville, Mich at various times. The South American was the largest of the two vessels and about 30 feet longer than her near-sister. The two could be distinguished by windows that ran the length of the North’s hull while the South had only portholes in her hull. They carried passengers between Chicago, Ill, Mackinac Island, Mich, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich, Duluth, Minn, Georgian Bay, Ont, Detroit, Mich, Cleveland, Ohio and Buffalo, NY (and sometimes intermediate points).

 

The North American was 280 feet in length, had a 47-foot beam, and drew 17 feet 6 inches. She was powered with a 2,200 indicated horsepower (IHP) quadruple expansion steam engine and three coal-fired Scotch boilers. In 1923 the boilers were converted to burn oil and a second stack was added also.

 

 

The ships were oil-fueled, had neat, airy staterooms and deluxe bedrooms, all outside, facing the water, spacious decks, carpeted promenade encircling the ship, as well as sun and observation decks. Each ship has accommodation for about five hundred passengers, with ample sports and entertainment facilities. The North American, until 1962, made Chicago her base of operations, generally leaving Saturdays during the first half of the season on cruises to Duluth and later into the season to Buffalo.

 

.

 

In 1963 the North American was sold to the Canadian Holiday Co. of Erie, Pennsylvania. The company used her in cross-lake service between Erie, Pennsylvania and Port Burwell and Port Dover, both in Ontario, Canada for one year until she was retired in 1964. After being retired from service, North American’s name kept coming up in several purchasing deals but nothing materialized. In 1967, however, she was finally sold at public auction to the Seafarers International Union who had plans to use her as a training ship and floating barracks at Piney Point, Maryland. After leaving the lakes and while in the North Atlantic under tow to Piney Point on 4 September 1967, North American unexpectedly sank 25 miles northeast from Nantucket Light. The ocean bottom there is at 400 feet and the wreck still remains at this location. In July 2006, the wreckage of the ss North American was located by a research team aboard Quest Marine’s rv Quest close to the edge of the continental shelf, approximately 140 miles off the New England coast in 250 feet of water.

 

Edited December 20, 2009 by Copper10-8

[5waldos]

1951 The SS America from NYC to Southhampton. I was too young to be hooked but have fond memories of shuffle board, a children's program with a lot of German Children, and tea on deck each afternoon. I picked up some of the language and tried to show it off in England. Not a popular thing to do in 1951. Don't remember what we took on the return.

 

http://www.relevantsearchscotland.co.uk/ships/midsizedships/130america/image003.jpg

 

In 1967 we traveled from Southampton to NYC on a ship which usually cruised the Med- the stabilizers were poor to terrible and I think everyone on board was sick. It was an italian ship and the sea sick medicines they had left me sitting in a daze on deck- but I wasn't any longer sick. It was a grossly overcrowded cruise filled with students returning from their year abroad. They did the classic trooping of the Baked Alaska. Again I can't say I was hooked. It was another 30 years before I sailed again, this time on the Elation. Hooked? No. But I enjoy cruising, especially with teenagers who can keep themselves happy and busy on board ship and anything that puts me on the sea is very very good.

[sevenseasnomad]

May, 1975, seven days aboard Sitmar's Fairwind to Haiti, San Juan, St. Thomas & Nassau. Italian crew who pampered and spoiled us. Room stewards sat outside our door 24/7 to anticipate any desire we might request. Outstanding food. Comedy week---Red Buttons & Henny Youngman performed, each doing two shows, with non-stop monologues for over 2 hours, never repeating a joke, nor ever inserting a curse word. Laughed until tears rolled down our cheeks. Still fondly remember the day in St. Thomas where we rented a dune buggy as one of the best of our 40 years together. Heaven to me would be to spend eternity reliving that day on St. Thomas with my dearest best friend and generous love of my live, my husband.

 

That cruise turned us into cruise fanatics. Since then we taken 9 cruises, (Carnival, RCCL, Celebrity & Holland America) about to go on #10 next year. HAL comes closest to giving us the same level of service & overall pleasure. We've morphed into HAL zealots. Our retirement wish is to sail on every HAL ship. We have 1 down, Maasdam, and many more to go.