Ship Nicknames

[CarlsbadSally]

I heard the Holland America ships referred to buy nicknames on our recent cruise such as "middledams". Can anyone fill me in on what they are?

[jhannah]

I've never heard of "middledams." I can speculate that this refers to the R class vessels which are larger than the S class and smaller than the vista class. Just a guess, though.

[Jemima]

HAL cruisers refer to the ships by their names: Ryndam, Oosterdam etc.

[bepsf]

Well, we did hear Capt Von Donsellar refer to Oosterdam as "The Big O" during his Welcome Reception last year...

...that of course got a big laugh!

;)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I think several of the"Dam" ships have affectionate nicknames. I believe the Oosterdam has a couple:) But I have never heard of "middledam"

[sail7seas]

I am one of those who really dislikes hearing ships called anything but the name the owners gave them.

 

It sounds slang and 'cutesy' and silly for Zuiderdam to be called "Zuidy" ....to my ears. The ships name is Zuiderdam.

 

I know some will call me rigid and stuffy and whatever and that's just fine.

 

I really don't like the nickname thing when it comes to ships.

 

Of course I am aware others disagree.

 

One exception I may be making is Eurodam :eek: ........ I'm having a hard time with that name. I admit to having referred to her as E-Dam and she isn't even built yet.

 

BTW.....I have never heard 'middledam'.....whatever that is supposed to refer to. I'm missing the point on that one.

 

 

 

[PRINSENDAM]

I heard the Holland America ships referred to buy nicknames on our recent cruise such as "middledams". Can anyone fill me in on what they are?

 

 

 

Nicknames?

 

Like....

 

SATANDAM (STATENDAM)

 

PRISONDAM (PRINSENDAM)

 

ROTTENDAM (ROTTERDAM)

 

 

I've heard these names used affectionately and NEVER in any kind of derogatory fashion.

 

Stephen

[bepsf]

Nicknames?

 

Like....

 

SATANDAM (STATENDAM)

 

PRISONDAM (PRINSENDAM)

 

ROTTENDAM (ROTTERDAM)

 

 

I've heard these names used affectionately and NEVER in any kind of derogatory fashion.

 

Stephen

 

Have also heard some staff affectionately refer to Westerdam as Westy...

[jhannah]

I agree with sail7seas. I prefer to see and hear ships referred to by their real names. (Even worse than "Zuidy" is "Z-dam." Is that Zuiderdam or Zaandam??? Same with R-dam.)

 

Yes, the one exception might be E-dam. That's certainly Dutch, and seems to fit just fine, IMO.

[Willia]

I am one of those who really dislikes hearing ships called anything but the name the owners gave them.

 

It sounds slang and 'cutesy' and silly for Zuiderdam to be called "Zuidy" ....to my ears. The ships name is Zuiderdam.

 

I know some will call me rigid and stuffy and whatever and that's just fine.

 

I really don't like the nickname thing when it comes to ships.

 

Totally agree!

 

One exception I may be making is Eurodam :eek: ........ I'm having a hard time with that name. I admit to having referred to her as E-Dam and she isn't even built yet.

 

Personally I can't find any fault with the new Eurodam name - HAL is European! As jHannah says "what's wrong with Eurodam?"

 

QUOTE=sail7seas]BTW.....I have never heard 'middledam'.....whatever that is supposed to refer to. I'm missing the point on that one.

 

'middledam' never heard that either but it could mean that it's a middle size ship in HAL's fleet.

 

To be honest, I have little patience with cruisers who can't (or won't) spell out the name of the ship they've just/or are about to cruise on.

 

Speaking personally, the examples cited by Stephen do strike me as being somewhat derogatory - we've sailed all of them several times and each has a distinct personality. For what it's worth, our least favorite is the Westerdam. Different strokes for different folks! ;)

[cruisinjudy]

Well I was referring to Oosterdam as Toasterdam when she was having trouble with the AC!

[tomc]

When HAL announced a new ship would be called the Prinsendam (similar to the one that sunk around '81), I referred to it here as the Titanicdam. Sometimes, in my "Live From..." series, I will occasionally make reference to the Rotter or the Amster. I tried that here with the Noor, but it just doesn't seem to work.

 

Inquiring Minds (well, mine) want to know why, with the exception of the Amsterdam, all of HAL's ships used to start with M-Z. The Eurodollardam is the first exception that I can think of. It must have been lonely for the Amster to be out there at the start of the alphabet with all those empty spaces until you got to M.

[Navy_Chief]

I never heard of nicknames on cruise ships but navy ships....this usually happens to the first ship in the class.........let's see....USS Arligh Burke....."Already Broke"........USS Sea Wolf......."Pier Wolf" (although, the crew members on this sub would argue that point:D )

[lougee1043]

sometimes its just a shortcut used when posting

odam = oosterdam

zdam used to be the zaandam

 

they seem to fit an abbreviation better then the

maasdam - mdam

statendam - sdam etc

[Vic The Parrot]

Nicknames for ships of all types have been around for eons.

 

I can't see why giving a vessel an affectionate monicker would make one uptight. Case in point ... the crew on Berengaria called her the "Berry"

 

Queen Elizabeth the "Lizzie" ... QM the "Merry"

 

 

Who cares what they call the ship? You're on board having a good time,right?

 

;)

[PRINSENDAM]

Totally agree!

 

 

 

Speaking personally, the examples cited by Stephen do strike me as being somewhat derogatory - ! ;)

 

 

Never!!!!!!!!!! Always intended to be affectionate and never derogatory.

 

And the old NOORDAM was "NOORDAMAGE" after her little collision in the Gulf several years ago.

 

My cousin's fishing boat in Bermuda... the SEA WOLF AKA SLOW WOLF

 

 

QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 ............... BIG BLACK PIG

 

QUEEN MARY 2 ............... BIG BLACK BUS

 

 

IXION .............. "NINE TO ONE ON"

 

LEVIATHAN LEVI NATHAN

 

BERENGARIA BARGAIN AREA

 

MAJESTIC MAGIC STICK

 

HEMISINUS HEMI NOSE TROUBLE

 

FRANCONIA FRANK

 

DORIC DORIS

 

 

 

 

must think of some more.

 

 

Stephen

[PRINSENDAM]

sometimes its just a shortcut used when posting

odam = oosterdam

zdam used to be the zaandam

 

they seem to fit an abbreviation better then the

maasdam - mdam

statendam - sdam etc

 

 

 

The official HAL abbreviations are:

 

PRINSENDAM PRDM

STATENDAM SADM

MAASDAM MADM

RYNDAM RYDM

VEENDAM VEDM

ROTTERDAM RODM

AMSTERDAM AMDM

VOLENDAM VODM

ZAANDAAM ZADM

ZUIDERDAM ZUDM

OOSTERDAM OSDM

WESTERDAM WEDM

NOORDAM NODM

 

and I guess EURODAM will be EUDM or EODM

 

 

Stephen

[Willsot]

I personally have never liked the reference to "the dam ships." Just think it looks a bit tacky, but I suppose they wouldn't keep printing the t-shirts if they didn't sell. To each his own.

[PRINSENDAM]

I personally have never liked the reference to "the dam ships." Just think it looks a bit tacky, but I suppose they wouldn't keep printing the t-shirts if they didn't sell. To each his own.

 

 

Oh I think you might be outnumbered on this one.:)

 

HAL gets a lot of mileage on the use of 'dam ships'. But it is realy no different from Cunard talking about 'the Queens' or Union Castle with 'the Castle boats' or NZ Shipping Co with 'the Rangi boats' or Canadian Pacific with 'the Empress boats' etc etc.

 

Stephen

[JohnR49er]

I really don't like the nickname thing when it comes to ships.

 

How about screenames???? Sail, Sails, S7S, :D :D :D

[PRINSENDAM]

 

Inquiring Minds (well, mine) want to know why, with the exception of the Amsterdam, all of HAL's ships used to start with M-Z. The Eurodollardam is the first exception that I can think of. It must have been lonely for the Amster to be out there at the start of the alphabet with all those empty spaces until you got to M.

 

 

AMSTERDAM

EDAM

LEERDAM

DIDAM

DUBBELDAM

 

And if you check the names of the DIJK cargo ships in the fleet... most names appear in the first half of the alphabet...

 

AMSTELDIJK

ANDIJK

GORREDIJK

EEMDIJK

KINDERDIJK

BLOMMERSDIJK

BEUKELSDIJK

BURGERDIJK

BLIJENDIJK

BLOMMERSDIJK

BOSCHDIJK

BREEDIJK

BEEMSTERDIJK

DINTELDIJK

DRECHTDIJK

GAASTERDIJK

GROOTENDIJK

AALSDIJK

ARNEDIJK

AVERDIJK

AMSTELDIJK

AARDIJK

ARKELDIJK

AAGTEDIJK

ABBEDIJK

AKKRUMDIJK

AREMNDSDIJK

AXELDIJK

DUIVENDIJK

DIEMERDIJK

KLOOSTERDYKK

KAMPERDKK

KORENDYK

KATSEDYK

GREBBEDYK

 

Now, what were you saying about HAL names all starting with letters M to z? :rolleyes:

 

Stephen

[tomc]

EDAM, LEERDAM, DIDAM, DUBBELDAM

I know enough not to question your wisdom, but are these real?? Sounds like a cheese, a dirty old man, a boast and a bubblegum.

[sail7seas]

AMSTERDAM

EDAM

LEERDAM

DIDAM

DUBBELDAM

 

And if you check the names of the DIJK cargo ships in the fleet... most names appear in the first half of the alphabet...

 

AMSTELDIJK

ANDIJK

GORREDIJK

EEMDIJK

KINDERDIJK

BLOMMERSDIJK

BEUKELSDIJK

BURGERDIJK

BLIJENDIJK

BLOMMERSDIJK

BOSCHDIJK

BREEDIJK

BEEMSTERDIJK

DINTELDIJK

DRECHTDIJK

GAASTERDIJK

GROOTENDIJK

AALSDIJK

ARNEDIJK

AVERDIJK

AMSTELDIJK

AARDIJK

ARKELDIJK

AAGTEDIJK

ABBEDIJK

AKKRUMDIJK

AREMNDSDIJK

AXELDIJK

DUIVENDIJK

DIEMERDIJK

KLOOSTERDYKK

KAMPERDKK

KORENDYK

KATSEDYK

GREBBEDYK

 

Now, what were you saying about HAL names all starting with letters M to z? :rolleyes:

 

Stephen

 

Fabulous, Stephen. You are a bottomless source of great information.

 

Thank you for sharing with us.

 

This list is wonderful.

[Tinknock50]

Nicknames for ships of all types have been around for eons.

 

I can't see why giving a vessel an affectionate monicker would make one uptight. Case in point ... the crew on Berengaria called her the "Berry"

 

Queen Elizabeth the "Lizzie" ... QM the "Merry"

 

 

Who cares what they call the ship? You're on board having a good time,right?

 

;)

 

Vic,

You reminded me of something I read. During the depression, when the grand old ships were no longer used to cross the ocean, maintenance became very lax. The Berengaria got the nickname "Bargain-area". A sad end for a grand ship.

 

In better times the Majestic got the nickname "Magic-stick".

 

Then there was the Imperator's nickname. Because it was top heavy and had a pemanent list, it was called the Limperator.

 

Most of these nickname came from the dock hands, who were very fond of nicknames for all ships.

[Tinknock50]

AMSTERDAM

EDAM

LEERDAM

DIDAM

DUBBELDAM

 

And if you check the names of the DIJK cargo ships in the fleet... most names appear in the first half of the alphabet...

 

AMSTELDIJK

ANDIJK

GORREDIJK

EEMDIJK

KINDERDIJK

BLOMMERSDIJK

BEUKELSDIJK

BURGERDIJK

BLIJENDIJK

BLOMMERSDIJK

BOSCHDIJK

BREEDIJK

BEEMSTERDIJK

DINTELDIJK

DRECHTDIJK

GAASTERDIJK

GROOTENDIJK

AALSDIJK

ARNEDIJK

AVERDIJK

AMSTELDIJK

AARDIJK

ARKELDIJK

AAGTEDIJK

ABBEDIJK

AKKRUMDIJK

AREMNDSDIJK

AXELDIJK

DUIVENDIJK

DIEMERDIJK

KLOOSTERDYKK

KAMPERDKK

KORENDYK

KATSEDYK

GREBBEDYK

 

Now, what were you saying about HAL names all starting with letters M to z? :rolleyes:

 

Stephen

 

True Stephen,

But if you are talking purely passenger ships (not cargo or combi-liners), the M to Z point is pretty accurate,right?