Former HAL Nieuw Amsterdam sold for scrap

[VennDiagram]

I'm a bit surprised at how many posters had the NA as their first HAL ship ❤️

 

[Dogstar]

Thanks for sharing the history @Copper10-8 .  Sad story of all her troubled sales, transfers, renamings, & upcoming ending at the scrap yard. 😢 

[1ANGELCAT]

Sad to hear this. I sailed her several times, including my first trip to Alaska in 1997.

I was the top Mariner onboard and was invited to view Glacier Bay from the bridge. Special memories.

[Copper10-8]

Bit more about the interior spaces of the former Nieuw Amsterdam III

 

Nieuw Amsterdam’s passenger capacity consisted of 122 deluxe staterooms, 235 large outside rooms, 32 standard outside rooms, 145 large inside rooms and 50 inside double rooms for a total of 584. The “N’s” did not have any large suites or private verandahs. When launched, Nieuw Amsterdam came out with the two-tiered Stuyvesant (main show) Lounge (named for Pieter Stuyvesant, the last governor of New Netherland from 1647 until 1664) with, on its upper level, the Minnewit Terrace (named for Pieter Minnewit aka Peter Minuit, governor of New Netherland from 1626 until 1633) with Peter’s Bar, the Peartree (night) Club (named for a pear tree imported from Holland to Manhattan and planted on the Bowery) with the Partridge Bar, the Explorers Lounge, the Hudson Lounge (named for English sea explorer and navigator Henry Hudson who, in the service of the Dutch Republic, explored the Hudson River and thereby laid the foundation for Dutch colonization of the region), which was the main cocktail lounge with Henry’s Bar, the Crow’s Nest observation/dancing lounge with an inlaid-wood dance floor designed to resemble the face of a compass, the Book Chest Library, the Card room, De Halve Maen (the Half Moon, named after the Dutch East India Company ship used by Hudson) room, the Princess (movie) theater (also used for lectures, meetings and religious services), the Big Apple lounge, the Fotoshop, the Perel Straet (Pearl Street) Shopping Arcade (with Gift Shop, Boutique and Jewelry Shop), the Wampum (named after traditional, sacred shell beads of Eastern Woodlands native tribes) Casino (offering blackjack on six tables, Caribbean poker, roulette and slot machines), The Square (including the Main Lobby, Main staircase, elevators plus offices of the Hotel Manager, Purser, Cruise Director and Maitre d’ Hotel), the Barber Shop and the Beauty Parlor, the Ocean Spa (with massage room and dual steam saunas) and Gymnasium (with treadmills, rowing machines, stationary bikes, isometric pulleys and free weights), the Lido (buffet) Restaurant, the Manhattan (main) dining room complete with two small and private dining rooms, known as the Kings (starboard) and Queens Room (port side), a paddle/deck tennis and a volleyball court and two outdoor swimming pools, one with fresh water and whirlpool/Jacuzzi on Navigation Deck, and the other with salt water and a small wading pool on Promenade Deck.

The tradition of exhibiting art objects on board the passenger ships of the Holland America Line began in 1938, during the golden era of leisurely ocean cruising. The company’s first grand collection was displayed on the second Nieuw Amsterdam. Nieuw Amsterdam III’s theme paid tribute to the Dutch West India Company or Geoctroyeerde Westindische Compagnie (GWC) in Dutch, of the 17th through 19th centuries, with more than U.S. $2 million worth of art and artifacts displayed throughout the ship. The Dutch West Indies Company governed the Dutch settlements of Manhattan and New Amsterdam and its impact on the history of America continues to this day.

 

Some of the examples of art onboard Nieuw Amsterdam III: a large display of nautical instruments from the 18^th century in her Crow’s Nest. The documents certifying the Dutch purchase of the island of Manhattan from the Algonquin Indians for 60 guilders worth of goods were on display in the Minnewit Terrace. In the ship’s stairwell, a model of the Willem IV van Oranje/William IV of Orange, a 54-gun warship that protected the sea lanes for the Dutch West India Company could be found. Inside the Hudson Lounge facing the bar was a statue of the famous explorer. It originally stood inside Nieuw Amsterdam II and, after that, inside Statendam IV’s Hudson Lounge. On the far wall of the same bar was located a rendering of Jan Klaas and Katerine, the Dutch version of Punch and Judy. The sign that used to decorate the entrance to the Stuyvesant Lounge was a reproduction of the Pieter Stuyvesant’s signature. Adorning the ship’s staircase leading to Main Deck was an enormous Venetian lantern made in 1580. The Manhattan Dining Room had some of the finest pieces of the ship’s art collection. Inside the private Queen’s Room bronze sculptures of Queen Mary Stuart I, Queen Mary Stuart II and Queen Amalia van Solmns, consort of Prince Frederik Hendrik of Orange could be found. In the opposite Kings Room were three bronze sculptures of King Charles II of England, King James II and Prince Willem II of Orange.   

 

 

Her first (take-out) crew with Capt Freek van Driel in the center and Chief Officer (later Captain) Hans van Biljouw to his left

[Copper10-8]

 

 

 

 

[frankc98376]

She had some troubled times. I remember when she was in an accident in Alaska in the 90's.  I was on the Seattle ferry the morning she came into Todd Shipyard with a hole in her side.  Was sad seeing her in that condition. Also remember the fire in 2000 that started on the crew deck.

Often wondered if they were ever able to stop the bad vibration she had.  I remember in the early 80's being told that the shipyard was trying several fixes to minimize it.

 

Fond memories back in the 70's being invited to the crew mess for breakfast and invitations to crew parties.  We were about the only passengers in our 20's 🙂

Edited November 7, 2018 by frankc98376

[Copper10-8]

 

 

[65 Gator]

We, too, sailed on this wonderful ship for our first HAL cruise...  As others have said, it was out of Tampa and we were HOOKED...

[Mtn2Sea]

The Nieuw Amsterdam III was also my first HAL cruise - Thanksgiving week 1987.  I’ll always remember how fun it was to watch the horse race and how the winning team was so excited with their by-a-nose win.

[sevenseasnomad]

Thanks for posting all the information, Copper, especially about the various venues on this classic ship.  So sad to hear about her demise.  Considering the harsh environment these ships operate in, it's a wonder they last as long as they do.

[VennDiagram]

 

I can't tell from this picture 😞 Copper do you know if it was taken from the entrance to the MDR, or from the opposite end?

[GUT2407]

Happens to them all eventually.

 

scrap or a reef.

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, VennDiagram said:

 

I can't tell from this picture 😞 Copper do you know if it was taken from the entrance to the MDR, or from the opposite end?

 

Pretty sure this is from the entrance looking aft

[rafinmd]

7 hours ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

Although I never sailed on this ship, it is always sad to hear of a ship heading towards its final resting place. Thanks for the detailed history. I always like to read about a ship's life.

My feeling as well.

 

Roy

[eswn]

She is a nice ship.  Sad to see her going to the scrap yard.

[Essiesmom]

Laid up in Honolulu in March 2002.  EM

 

[rjbean4]

Wow! This is so sad but realize it was only a matter of time. She was our first HAL ship and we have been strictly HAL ever since. A comment my mom made as a joke became reality which started our tradition of cruising for the Holidays with our 31st year in a row coming up next month. That  first cruise was a 12 day Christmas Cruise from Tampa which included a partial transit of the Panama Canal on Christmas day in 1988. We did this with the old Rotterdam and pictures from that day were used on the cover of Panama Canal brochures. When we came back out from Gatun lake in the Gatun Locks we were side by side with the old Rotterdam. It was a incredible day. We also became very loyal to HAL because the first night out on the cruise I met one of the crew and became very close friends and would be at the pier waiting for him to get off to spend the day together till he had to be back to work. He always had a visitor pass for me so I was able to go on for a while and was fun to be able to say "see ya next week" when I left. It was a honor to be able to help him out with his shopping needs and we did cruise with him quite a bit and on a few occasions changed ships to do so. His last ship was the Eurodam in 2009 and unfortunately passed away in December 2010. He was the ultimate gentleman and will never be forgotten. We did a total of 9 cruises totaling 107 days on the old Nieuw Amsterdam in the Caribbean, Alaska and a transit of the Panama Canal. Hearing this news tells me its time to get out our photo albums from the cruises we did and relive the memories of the time we spent on board her.

Edited November 7, 2018 by rjbean4

[Copper10-8]

Nieuw Amsterdam III

 

 

Patriot (ex-Nieuw Amsterdam III)

 

 

Thomson Spirit (ex-Nieuw Amsterdam III)

 

 

Marella Spirit (ex-Nieuw Amsterdam III)

 

 

 

 

 

[VennDiagram]

9 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Pretty sure this is from the entrance looking aft

 

Thanks.  I thought I could see "our" dining table, but I guess I am mistaken.

[chengkp75]

16 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

So they’re renaming her for her final voyage?

Is that common?

 

16 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Yes, very much so when going to the scrappers/breakers

Yes, because the scrappers in Bangladesh and India do not follow international conventions on environmental protection and worker safety, the ships are sold to a shell company, reflagged and renamed so that the former owner does not have any further liability.  This is particularly important for a ship owner in an EU nation, as they have specific requirement to scrap ships in the EU and by EU standards.

[highscar]

Mother passed away on her in 1985. Holland America was very helpful.  

[frankc98376]

Since she was on a long term charter I'm guessing Carnival Corp sold her for scrap.  Wondering if Carnival or Marella crew will take her on her final voyage.

[chengkp75]

17 minutes ago, frankc98376 said:

Since she was on a long term charter I'm guessing Carnival Corp sold her for scrap.  Wondering if Carnival or Marella crew will take her on her final voyage.

Maybe neither, if the scrap owner brings his own crew.  Would only be a skeleton of deck and engine crew anyway, just enough to meet the minimum manning requirements, probably 30-35 total.

[Himself]

My First HAL Cruise was on this ship.  It was in November 1996 out of New Orleans.  We were at sea the night President Clinton Beat Senator Dole.

[rkacruiser]

Sad to learn of the demise of this fine vessel.  While I never sailed on her, I did on her sister, the Noordam.  A lovely ship and I recognized one of the posted photos of the public rooms as being the Piet Hein Lounge if it was the Noordam.  I had friends who sailed on her from Tampa and somewhere in my archives, I have the daily programs--maybe menus--from their Caribbean cruise.  They loved her (but did not think much of the pier facilities at Tampa at the time).