Oosterdam Pronunciation, please....

[edmusic]

I've called HAL twice regarding our upcoming Alaskan cruise and have gotten two different pronunciations from employees regarding the ship, Oosterdam.

 

Is it Ooster as in Rooster, or Ooster as in Ohster??

 

Survey says............

[Ineke]

I'm from Holland originally, and pronounce it "Oh'sterdam". Enjoy your cruise, she's a wonderful ship.

[IRL_Joanie]

I've always heard it pronounced by the Officers aboard her as Oosterdam as in Roosterdam:)

 

Joanie

[CapKAOS]

I would think it is somewhat like tomAto tomAHto...MissourEE or MissourAH...depends on where you're from...

:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Assateague Island Princes]

The Oosterdam was the first (and second!) ship I ever sailed on. Both times during his welcome aboard message, the Captain gave us a lesson in the pronunciation - he said it rhymes with "toast", so there you have it - straight from the Captain's mouth.

[feathersandnananose]

"Ohsterdam" as according to the Dutch Captain....... (actually, he always called it "...our beautiful Ohsterdam....").

 

Barb in socal

[PCruzer]

I've only heard it pronounced "Ohsterdam" by officers and staff.

[amster65]

The Oosterdam was the first (and second!) ship I ever sailed on. Both times during his welcome aboard message, the Captain gave us a lesson in the pronunciation - he said it rhymes with "toast", so there you have it - straight from the Captain's mouth.

 

It rhymes with "toast" take it from a Dutchman. "say oasterdam".

[jpihota]

Took the O in November for 21 days (inaugural Hawaii run with Mexican Riviera tacked on). Everyone on that sailing fondly referred to her as the "O Dam". I did say "O Dam" when we had a triple medical evacuation 24 hours out of Hawaii and had to turn around and go back!

[bepsf]

I've always heard it pronounced by the Officers aboard her as Oosterdam as in Roosterdam:)

 

Joanie

 

You must have been speaking w/ one of those British Captains...

;)

[edmusic]

There ya go. I thought this board would have settled it for me once and for all. I guess I'll just have to wait until we embark and practice the "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". Believe me, it won't ruin my vacation regardless of how it's pronounced :D

[EatonDoolittle]

What about the Ryndam?

Rin like RinTin Tin, or Rhine, like the river?

[Jo-Bob]

The only folks I've heard pronounce it like "Roosterdam", were various travel agents.....I asked while aboard, and all reports were "Oaster", as in 'Toaster'. That's what I've always gone with, she is a beautiful ship, the first one for me. Very fond memories:)

[GeriatricNurse]

The Oosterdam was the first (and second!) ship I ever sailed on. Both times during his welcome aboard message, the Captain gave us a lesson in the pronunciation - he said it rhymes with "toast", so there you have it - straight from the Captain's mouth.

 

Well, that settles that concern! ;) Now let's move on to the correct pronounciation of "Zuiderdam"! Is it pronounced Zee or Zi? :confused:

[edmusic]

Now let's move on to the correct pronounciation of "Zuiderdam"! Is it pronounced Zee or Zi?

Good thing you didn't ask me. I would say 'Zoy-derdam'.

[cruisinjudy]

Zuiderdam I believe is like Zi.

I am going with toasterdam. I actually started naming it that when it was having AC problems a few years ago. Until I sailed on it I thought it was like roosterdam. However on the ship it was always rhymed with toaster.

[Vic The Parrot]

What about the Ryndam?

Rin like RinTin Tin, or Rhine, like the river?

 

 

 

Like the river, Rhine ...

 

 

One of HALs earlier ships with the same name had a variation of the spelling.

"RIJNDAM"

 

Think they started using "RYN" with the debut of Ryndam II in 1951.

[amster65]

What about the Ryndam?

Rin like RinTin Tin, or Rhine, like the river?

 

 

It is more like "eye" "Reyendam". Close anyway

 

Actually rhine is pretty close.

[azrose]

When i was on the Zuiderdam, "they" (crew) taught us it would rhyme with "cider".

[Ineke]

The 'ui' in Zuiderdam is one of those really hard to pronounce Dutch sounds, I know, because my maiden name had a 'uy' (pronounced the same way). OK, enough with the Dutch phonics, the closest approximation is an 'i' sound, so Zi-der-dam. Oh, and Ryndam has an 'i' sound as well. Maasdam and Zaandam have a dentist's 'aaahh' sound.

Thank goodness the Noordam and Westerdam are straightforward!

[sail7seas]

What about the Ryndam?

Rin like RinTin Tin, or Rhine, like the river?

 

 

The Dutch say Rin-dam as in RinTinTin.

 

But they don't spell it the same way.

I think they spell it Rjndam

[Flying-Dragon]

The 'ui' in Zuiderdam is one of those really hard to pronounce Dutch sounds, I know, because my maiden name had a 'uy' (pronounced the same way). OK, enough with the Dutch phonics, the closest approximation is an 'i' sound, so Zi-der-dam. Oh, and Ryndam has an 'i' sound as well. Maasdam and Zaandam have a dentist's 'aaahh' sound.

Thank goodness the Noordam and Westerdam are straightforward!

 

Here's a site which gives it - http://www.forvo.com/word/zuiderdam/

 

It seems to sound like "zow der dam", which I suppose makes sense since it refers to the "south". That said, everyone I've heard refer to the ship calls it "z eye der dam".

[VermeulT]

There ya go. I thought this board would have settled it for me once and for all. I guess I'll just have to wait until we embark and practice the "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". Believe me, it won't ruin my vacation regardless of how it's pronounced :D

Regardless of what the Romans do... say it correctly... the Dutch way that was intended. Oh'sterdam.

 

Well, that settles that concern! ;) Now let's move on to the correct pronounciation of "Zuiderdam"! Is it pronounced Zee or Zi? :confused:

When i was on the Zuiderdam, "they" (crew) taught us it would rhyme with "cider".

They did use Cider damn and nothing has ever gotten under my skin as much as this. It's like LOUD - zoud-er-dam.

 

The Dutch say Rin-dam as in RinTinTin.

Not - it's Rhine-dam (like whine)

 

Again - these are Dutch names. Please honor the origins of the cruise line and pronounce the names correctly

[Boytjie]

Well, that settles that concern! ;) Now let's move on to the correct pronounciation of "Zuiderdam"! Is it pronounced Zee or Zi? :confused:

 

Neither. There isn't a sound in English that gets close to it.

[cruisinjudy]

We could also get into the pronouncing of Caribbean. I have heard it both ways on the ships. In other words with the third syllable accented and with the second syllable accented.