Remember this old lady? Neiuw Amsterdam.

[partingwaters]

Maybe it is just nostalgia, but I can't forget my first short, inexpensive (we had little discretionary money then) cruise in the Caribbean. It was aboard the Neiuw Amsterdam. My DW surprised me with the trip on Christmas morning and we sailed a week later. Took off from Tampa, were we lived and sailed under the skyway bridge. We had an inside cabin. It was the most incredible experience! I wonder about that ship...many cruises later. It was small, like the Noordam, but beautiful! Do you have any memories of her? I know now she is called the "Patriot" sailing the Hawaiian Islands for her new owners. This is a brief description:

 

The 33,930 grt 1,350 passenger vessel was not considered small when built, but is dwarfed today by the megaships which have taken over the industry. Built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique in France, Nieuw Amsterdam entered service in July 1983. While many ships built in the early '80's looked ahead in their design, Holland America wanted the Nieuw Amsterdam to be traditional in style. Swimming pools were situated aft, on the navigation deck and lido; lifeboats were suspended away from the upper decks. The magnificent, full, teak promenade deck has always been a favorite with cruise aficionados. On board decor featured polished rosewood and teak with an absence of chrome, vinyl and plastic. Passengers enjoyed a comfortable cruise in elegant surroundings.

 

This Boat (I mean ship) got me hooked on Holland America lines...

[cp556]

On a ship's registry site I frequent, I find this info:

 

- 1983 - NIEUW AMSTERDAM launched by Holland America Line Westours

 

- 2000 - Sold to American Classic Voyages, Honolulu, renamed PATRIOT

 

- January 2002 - Sold to Holland America Line, renamed NIEUW AMSTERDAM

 

- May 2002 - Chartered to Louis Cruise Lines, renamed SPIRIT

 

- May 3, 2003 - Chartered to Thomson Holidays, adopted name of THOMSON SPIRIT

 

 

NIEUW AMSTERDAM 1983 was the sister ship of the previous NOORDAM, not the NOORDAM now sailing for HAL.

[Sage]

She too was my first introduction to HAL. We sailed on her twice, the Noordam once, and then the Westerdam three times. Thank you for bringing back such wonderful memories.

[obriendan]

We sailed the Nieuw Amsterdam on our first cruise in 1999. It was only a three day cruise from Vancouver to Skagway at the beginning of a 13 day cruise-land tour of Alaska. It hooked us on cruising as a great way to vacation. I remember that we had a rather strangely shaped oceanview stateroom, #50, next to a small elevator, just aft of the Crow's nest.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Although she was not our introductory to HAL, we did sail on her.

 

Out of Rio in 1998.

[MightyQuinn]

The Nieuw Amsterdam was the beginning of cruising for us as well. It was 1992 and I treated my Mom to an Alaska cruise, something she had long wanted. I was a 30-something working gal at the time, so we went in “shoulder season” (code: we froze) so I could afford an oceanview room. We had a blast. I had no idea that cruising could be that much fun! Of course, it was then an easy move to convince my DH to take a Caribbean cruise on the (old) Westerdam later that same year. And we’ve been hooked on HAL ever since.

[sail7seas]

She and Noordam III were sister ships.

 

Our very first HAL cruise was on Noordam III. :)

After having sailed on other lines prior to that Noordam cruise, we knew within two hours of boarding we had found our 'cruise home'.

 

[jaspersmycat]

Our first cruise was on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 1983 (her first year). Unfortunately, she had an oil leak problem and we had to stay at sea from Puerto Vallarta to San Francisco. We had great fun and had our sea leggs by the time we got to SF.

 

This year we are looking forward to our cruise on the ms Amsterdam.

[CowPrincess]

My friend and I sailed on her in 1999 :) She was my friend's intro to cruising. We had an inside cabin (budget travel) and nothing in the room matched anything else. My clearest memory of the cabin is the chair, which looked as though it had been retired from a doctor's waiting room. DH still has the t-shirt I bought him onboard, that shows "Nieuw Amsterdam, Holland America" near his heart.

 

We had a wonderful time (my friend and I) and loved every minute of being onboard. We had a wonderful dinner table, at the windows, with delightful dinner companions. The food wowed us, as did the service.

[dlbaqua]

my mother, (ex)dh & I sailed in a "suite" in 1996

there was no balcony and the view was obstructed, there was a couch bed that a curtain would enclose, that's where mom slept

they treated us like royalty, we stayed up late dancing in the disco and it was mostly the crew up there with us so we got to know them pretty well. My mom hooked up with a member of a German band that was on board for Oktoberfest and got to tour the crew areas of the ship.

[cruz chic]

Our very first HAL cruise was on Noordam III. :)

After having sailed on other lines prior to that Noordam cruise, we knew within two hours of boarding we had found our 'cruise home'.

 

That was my first cruise too (HAL or otherwise)

[Toad]

The Nieuw Amsterdam was my first cruise experience as well. CerTainly got me hooked on HAL! I was single, traveling alone and had a room with four bunk-like beds attached to the wall, a port hole window. The shower was so small I could hardly raise my hands to was my hair...... and I loved every minute of it!

[bob brown]

On a ship's registry site I frequent, I find this info:

 

- 1983 - NIEUW AMSTERDAM launched by Holland America Line Westours

 

- 2000 - Sold to American Classic Voyages, Honolulu, renamed PATRIOT

 

- January 2002 - Sold to Holland America Line, renamed NIEUW AMSTERDAM

 

- May 2002 - Chartered to Louis Cruise Lines, renamed SPIRIT

 

- May 3, 2003 - Chartered to Thomson Holidays, adopted name of THOMSON SPIRIT

 

 

NIEUW AMSTERDAM 1983 was the sister ship of the previous NOORDAM, not the NOORDAM now sailing for HAL.

Am I interpreting this correctly.....HAL sold and then repurchased this ship and still own it but charter it out? Surely a misprint?

[Cruising Carol]

What a delightful thread! My first cruise was on the Nieuw Amsterdam in July, 1985, roundtrip from Vancouver to Alaska. I reserved an inside room and when my mother and I arrived at the ship, having been traveling for two weeks, found we had been upgraded twice to a large outside double. It was my mother's only cruise and she had such good memories of the ship and Alaska.

[TCF]

bob....you'll find this kind of thing goes on a lot!

It is amazing how many trade marks that Holland America Lines have. Companies they own to channel money, income, payments etc.

It is not unusual for corporations to have separate, "holding companies" that legally own the ships...then lease them to the cruise line. I have no idea whether HAL does this kind of thing, but I understand it is quite common. Something about not having all your assets in one basket! So if the cruise line declares bankruptcy it doesn't lose the ships because it doesn't own them!

It's all perfectly ethical and legal by-the-way.

[Alexat2]

She too was my first introduction to HAL.

 

She was my first introduction to HAL and my first Introduction to cruising.:rolleyes:

[sail7seas]

On a ship's registry site I frequent, I find this info:

 

- 1983 - NIEUW AMSTERDAM launched by Holland America Line Westours

 

- 2000 - Sold to American Classic Voyages, Honolulu, renamed PATRIOT

 

- January 2002 - Sold to Holland America Line, renamed NIEUW AMSTERDAM

 

- May 2002 - Chartered to Louis Cruise Lines, renamed SPIRIT

 

- May 3, 2003 - Chartered to Thomson Holidays, adopted name of THOMSON SPIRIT

 

 

NIEUW AMSTERDAM 1983 was the sister ship of the previous NOORDAM, not the NOORDAM now sailing for HAL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

bob....you'll find this kind of thing goes on a lot!

 

It is amazing how many trade marks that Holland America Lines have. Companies they own to channel money, income, payments etc.

 

It is not unusual for corporations to have separate, "holding companies" that legally own the ships...then lease them to the cruise line. I have no idea whether HAL does this kind of thing, but I understand it is quite common. Something about not having all your assets in one basket! So if the cruise line declares bankruptcy it doesn't lose the ships because it doesn't own them!

 

It's all perfectly ethical and legal by-the-way.

 

 

 

This was no 'legal dodging'. The Nieuw Amsterdam was sold, outright left HAL to new owners, but they went bankrupt and still owed HAL money. HAL got the ship back.....not to their pleasure.

They had no intention of putting it back into the fleet so it is chartered out in order to get a revenue stream.

 

We watched when Captain Peter Bos and a handful of crew brought the ship back from Hawaii through the Panama Canal when HAL had to take back the ship.

[bishop84]

On a ship's registry site I frequent, I find this info:

 

- 1983 - NIEUW AMSTERDAM launched by Holland America Line Westours

 

- 2000 - Sold to American Classic Voyages, Honolulu, renamed PATRIOT

 

- January 2002 - Sold to Holland America Line, renamed NIEUW AMSTERDAM

 

- May 2002 - Chartered to Louis Cruise Lines, renamed SPIRIT

 

- May 3, 2003 - Chartered to Thomson Holidays, adopted name of THOMSON SPIRIT

 

 

NIEUW AMSTERDAM 1983 was the sister ship of the previous NOORDAM, not the NOORDAM now sailing for HAL.

 

Nieuw Amsterdam was not sold but chartered, basically leased, to American Classic Voyages. When they went bankrupt HAL repossessed her and then chartered her to Louis Cruises. That company later either bought or chartered the old Noordam as well. They now operate both ships on behalf of Thompson Holidays which is a British vacation company. I saw both ships in the Mediterranean recently they look to be in very good condition. They are apparently very popular with Thompson's clients.

[sail7seas]

Noordam's vibration was always a problem. I was one of those folks who were bothered by it. Others hardly noticed.

 

She was Captain Jack's ship and he (seemed) to love her.

Happy to hear they are both still sailing and seemingly well taken care of.

Noordam was a pretty ship IMO

[RustaRoo]

What fabulous memories I have of the Nieuw Amsterdam also - my first introduction to cruising and to HAL. Here I am 15 years ago just waiting to board.

 

And here's my delightful Inside Cabin.

[SeaRay48]

NIce picture Richard! Like you my first cruise was on this great ship and made HAL my cruise line of choice.:)

[RedmondCruiser]

The Noordam III is still our favorite ship. We sailed on her ten times and once on the Niew Amsterdam. We have many fond memories.

One interesting sidelight is that the A class cabins (which were the suites) had obstructed views and of coarse there were no verandas. Both ships had vibration problems that stem from her slow truning engines. Both the Niew

Amsterdam and the Noordam were designed with the fuel crisis of the 70's in mind and they could burn any type of fuel hence they were slow turning Salzer Engines.

Our first mariner party was held in the Explorers Lounge and they were giving awards and pictures with the captain for their second cruise. ( times have changed )

Twenty years ago they had caviar on the farewell dinner and the captains dinner. The lobsters were hugh and were an entire meal rather than the three bite ones you get today.

[PandCAV]

My wife and I took our very fiirst cruise last year aboard the Thomson Spirit (formerly the Nieuw Amsterdam).

We had a wonderful time, hence us coming back for more on her new sister the Noordam, to taste the "real thing" on HAL.

From what I have read on the threads, Thomson have based their style and servive on HAL, and give real value for money for the European market.

The old girl still suffers from Parkinson's disease, shaking away. Sometimes is quite reassuring and pleasant and reminds one that you onboard a ship and not locked in some anonymous landlocked hotel.

The old Noordam ( now the Thomson Celebration) also suffers with the vibration problem I understand.

Both are still lovely ships and Spirit will always have a special place in our hearts - she took our cruise virginity:) and made as want more.

Roll on September !!!!!!

Peter

[dlbaqua]

I'd forgotten how badly she shook. And our suite, being at the top of the ship, rocked and rolled like we were sleeping in a hammock!

[sail7seas]

We also had the Suite and the vibration was very pronounced for me....not for everyone. DH hardly noticed it.

 

I liked that cabin except for no verandah and I did wonder about the most costly cabins having the lifeboats in front of their windows but she was a beautiful ship. Very comfortable.

 

And then we 'met' Statendam and we knew we'd be sailing HAL as our favorite cruise line and it is still our favorite by far! :)