 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| HOLLAND AMERICA LINE |
| NOORDAM |
NOW ENTERING
THE RING
By Richard H. Wagner
(Originally published in The Log, Navy
League of the United States, New York
Council, Spring 2006)
CLICK HERE FOR PDF VERSION
OF THE ARTICLE
THE RING
By Richard H. Wagner
(Originally published in The Log, Navy
League of the United States, New York
Council, Spring 2006)
CLICK HERE FOR PDF VERSION
OF THE ARTICLE
There were patches of ice by the aft
pool when MS NOORDAM, Holland
America Line's (HAL) newest ship,
arrived at the Passenger Ship Terminal
for the first time on President’s Day. This
was only appropriate because unlike
numerous other cruise ships that have
paid a maiden courtesy call in New
York on their way from the builder’s
yard to taking up residence in sunnier
climes, NOORDAM was here not just
for her dedication but to enter the
market for winter cruising out of New
York. For the last few years, this
market has been all but owned by
Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) with
other lines only making occasional
appearances during the period January
through March. The market has proved
lucrative enough that NCL recently
assigned a second ship to year-round
cruising out of New York. (See, The
Log, Winter 2005 at 7). But now, New
Yorkers will have a choice with
NOORDAM offering 10 and 11-day
cruises to the Caribbean during February
and March and then returning in the fall
to resume regular sailings from Gotham
to the sunshine.
From a technological point of view,
NOORDAM appears similar to NCL's
principal New York offering, the
NORWEGIAN DAWN. Both ships
have azipod propulsion systems and a
similar maximum speed (24 knots for the
HAL ship and 25 knots for NCL).
NOORDAM is 935 ft. long with a 105-
foot beam whereas the DAWN is 965
ft. long with a 105-foot beam.
However, as reflected in the ship's gross
tonnage figures, NCL packs more
revenue producing area into essentially
the same physical space than HAL
(92,250 grt. vs. 81,769 grt.). As a
result, when one is sailing on the DAWN
on a sold-to-capacity cruise one can
encounter 2,223 fellow passengers
whereas on the NOORDAM, one
would only be sharing the ship with
1,917 other passengers. Indeed, the
NOORDAM's passenger capacity is
less than the smaller of NCL's offerings,
the NORWEGIAN SPIRIT.
The difference in passenger capacity is
emphasized by HAL as an indication of
what differentiates HAL from its
competitors. "Simply put, our ships
carry fewer guests in higher style,"
commented Tracey Kelly, HAL's CTC
Vice President, Sales, during THE
LOG's visit to the ship during her maiden
call in New York. Whereas NCL sells
informal "free-style" cruising, HAL
regards itself as offering "the last word in
premium cruising." According to Kelly,
"You can feel a sort of dignity that recalls
the glamour of timeless ocean
travel."
HAL began sailing to the Port of New
York even before there was a HAL. In
1872, the ROTTERDAM of Plate,
Reuchlin & Company made a 15-day
crossing from the Netherlands to
Hoboken. However, that company ran
into financial trouble and was
reorganized as the Netherlands-America
Steamship Company the following year.
Because it was headquartered in
Rotterdam and provided service to the
Americas, it became known as the
Holland America Line. The new
company did much better than its
predecessor and, by the turn of the
century, it had a fleet of passenger and
cargo ships that were providing service
not only on the Atlantic but also between
the Netherlands and the Dutch East
Indies.
During the 20th Century, HAL entered
the front ranks of the transatlantic
passenger trade with ships such as the
luxurious STATENDAM of 1929 and
the 36,000-ton art deco designed NIEU
AMSTERDAM of 1938. At the same
time, it continued its cargo trade and
vacation cruises, which it had begun
offering in 1895. Reflecting the fact that
commercial jet liners had taken away
most of the transatlantic business, HAL
stopped offering regularly scheduled
transatlantic crossings in 1971 in order
to concentrate on cruises. In 1989,
HAL became a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. The
company now has 13 ships (a 14th is on
order for delivery in 2008) offering
nearly 500 sailings to all seven continents.
"We've been respected for so long
because everyone of us keeps trying to
honor our proud tradition of excellence,"
Kelly explained and indeed HAL's
heritage is reflected in the NOORDAM
in several ways. At the most basic level,
the ship sails under the Dutch flag rather
than a flag of convenience. Along the
same lines, the officers are Dutch or
British (the current captain is British).
Echoing the days when the line served
the Dutch possessions in the East Indies,
60 percent of the waiters and crew are
Indonesian. (HAL points out that it
requires its employees to speak English.
It not only teaches standard English but
also slang expressions and coaches
employees on the cultural peculiarities
that distinguish North Americans)
Tradition is also reflected in the dining
onboard. As in the days of the
transatlantic liners, dining centers upon
the main dining room. A two-story
room located aft, there are two seatings
in each tier, thus giving passengers a
choice of four times for dinner. The line
prides itself on its attentive service and
its five course menus. Indeed, both the
service and the cuisine were very good
during THE LOG's visit onboard, which
was impressive considering the room's
1,114 person capacity. There are also
officer-hosted tables, which is an
excellent traditional touch that helps to
build a connection between the
passengers and the ship.
Also as in the days of the transatlantic
liners, there is an ala carte alternative
restaurant, the Pinnacle Grill. Such
restaurants were very popular on the old
QUEEN MARY and QUEEN
ELIZABETH, and is popular on the
QM2 although the one on the QE2
proved a failure. For a fee of $20 per
meal and an advance reservation,
passengers can dine in a more intimate
room (148 person capacity) on
"distinctive Bulgari china, elegant Riedel
stemware and Frette linens" with two
servers per table. It is a pleasant room
opening onto the central atrium and
extending over to the port side
windows. The look is that of an upscale
Manhattan restaurant. Reflecting the
line's current connection to Alaskan
cruising (8 of its 13 ships do Alaska
cruises), its menu features Pacific
Northwest cuisines such as Alaskan king
salmon and northwest clam chowder, as
well as premium cuts of beef.
.
pool when MS NOORDAM, Holland
America Line's (HAL) newest ship,
arrived at the Passenger Ship Terminal
for the first time on President’s Day. This
was only appropriate because unlike
numerous other cruise ships that have
paid a maiden courtesy call in New
York on their way from the builder’s
yard to taking up residence in sunnier
climes, NOORDAM was here not just
for her dedication but to enter the
market for winter cruising out of New
York. For the last few years, this
market has been all but owned by
Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) with
other lines only making occasional
appearances during the period January
through March. The market has proved
lucrative enough that NCL recently
assigned a second ship to year-round
cruising out of New York. (See, The
Log, Winter 2005 at 7). But now, New
Yorkers will have a choice with
NOORDAM offering 10 and 11-day
cruises to the Caribbean during February
and March and then returning in the fall
to resume regular sailings from Gotham
to the sunshine.
From a technological point of view,
NOORDAM appears similar to NCL's
principal New York offering, the
NORWEGIAN DAWN. Both ships
have azipod propulsion systems and a
similar maximum speed (24 knots for the
HAL ship and 25 knots for NCL).
NOORDAM is 935 ft. long with a 105-
foot beam whereas the DAWN is 965
ft. long with a 105-foot beam.
However, as reflected in the ship's gross
tonnage figures, NCL packs more
revenue producing area into essentially
the same physical space than HAL
(92,250 grt. vs. 81,769 grt.). As a
result, when one is sailing on the DAWN
on a sold-to-capacity cruise one can
encounter 2,223 fellow passengers
whereas on the NOORDAM, one
would only be sharing the ship with
1,917 other passengers. Indeed, the
NOORDAM's passenger capacity is
less than the smaller of NCL's offerings,
the NORWEGIAN SPIRIT.
The difference in passenger capacity is
emphasized by HAL as an indication of
what differentiates HAL from its
competitors. "Simply put, our ships
carry fewer guests in higher style,"
commented Tracey Kelly, HAL's CTC
Vice President, Sales, during THE
LOG's visit to the ship during her maiden
call in New York. Whereas NCL sells
informal "free-style" cruising, HAL
regards itself as offering "the last word in
premium cruising." According to Kelly,
"You can feel a sort of dignity that recalls
the glamour of timeless ocean
travel."
HAL began sailing to the Port of New
York even before there was a HAL. In
1872, the ROTTERDAM of Plate,
Reuchlin & Company made a 15-day
crossing from the Netherlands to
Hoboken. However, that company ran
into financial trouble and was
reorganized as the Netherlands-America
Steamship Company the following year.
Because it was headquartered in
Rotterdam and provided service to the
Americas, it became known as the
Holland America Line. The new
company did much better than its
predecessor and, by the turn of the
century, it had a fleet of passenger and
cargo ships that were providing service
not only on the Atlantic but also between
the Netherlands and the Dutch East
Indies.
During the 20th Century, HAL entered
the front ranks of the transatlantic
passenger trade with ships such as the
luxurious STATENDAM of 1929 and
the 36,000-ton art deco designed NIEU
AMSTERDAM of 1938. At the same
time, it continued its cargo trade and
vacation cruises, which it had begun
offering in 1895. Reflecting the fact that
commercial jet liners had taken away
most of the transatlantic business, HAL
stopped offering regularly scheduled
transatlantic crossings in 1971 in order
to concentrate on cruises. In 1989,
HAL became a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. The
company now has 13 ships (a 14th is on
order for delivery in 2008) offering
nearly 500 sailings to all seven continents.
"We've been respected for so long
because everyone of us keeps trying to
honor our proud tradition of excellence,"
Kelly explained and indeed HAL's
heritage is reflected in the NOORDAM
in several ways. At the most basic level,
the ship sails under the Dutch flag rather
than a flag of convenience. Along the
same lines, the officers are Dutch or
British (the current captain is British).
Echoing the days when the line served
the Dutch possessions in the East Indies,
60 percent of the waiters and crew are
Indonesian. (HAL points out that it
requires its employees to speak English.
It not only teaches standard English but
also slang expressions and coaches
employees on the cultural peculiarities
that distinguish North Americans)
Tradition is also reflected in the dining
onboard. As in the days of the
transatlantic liners, dining centers upon
the main dining room. A two-story
room located aft, there are two seatings
in each tier, thus giving passengers a
choice of four times for dinner. The line
prides itself on its attentive service and
its five course menus. Indeed, both the
service and the cuisine were very good
during THE LOG's visit onboard, which
was impressive considering the room's
1,114 person capacity. There are also
officer-hosted tables, which is an
excellent traditional touch that helps to
build a connection between the
passengers and the ship.
Also as in the days of the transatlantic
liners, there is an ala carte alternative
restaurant, the Pinnacle Grill. Such
restaurants were very popular on the old
QUEEN MARY and QUEEN
ELIZABETH, and is popular on the
QM2 although the one on the QE2
proved a failure. For a fee of $20 per
meal and an advance reservation,
passengers can dine in a more intimate
room (148 person capacity) on
"distinctive Bulgari china, elegant Riedel
stemware and Frette linens" with two
servers per table. It is a pleasant room
opening onto the central atrium and
extending over to the port side
windows. The look is that of an upscale
Manhattan restaurant. Reflecting the
line's current connection to Alaskan
cruising (8 of its 13 ships do Alaska
cruises), its menu features Pacific
Northwest cuisines such as Alaskan king
salmon and northwest clam chowder, as
well as premium cuts of beef.
.
Despite the respect shown for
tradition, NOORDAM also has what
has become a standard feature in
modern cruise ships - - a cafeteria a.k.a.
food court. While there is a fundamental
inconsistency about having a self-serve
food venue on a luxury ship, these food
courts have proven so popular that they
are omnipresent. The one on
NOORDAM is a cut above the
average. There are a number of stations
each featuring a different cuisine, e.g.
Asian, Italian. Not only is the food good
but once you have your food, you can
take it to a table area that looks as if
someone actually thought about the
surroundings. Thus, rather than having
the feel of sitting in the food court of the
local mall, one can enjoy the food in
comfort in what looks like an upscale
informal restaurant.
In fact, one of the most striking features
of the public rooms in NOORDAM is
that they look as if someone engaged in
some thinking. A flaw on some modern
ships is that one can stand at the bow
end of the public room decks and have
an almost unobstructed view of the stern
end. The bars and other public rooms
follow one after another along a corridor
submarine-style. Of course, when one is
working with a confined, essentially-
rectangular area such as the interior of a
cruise ship, the rooms do have to follow
one after the next. However, on
NOORDAM, there are curves and
subtle angles along the connecting
corridor that break-up the feeling of
being in a parade of rooms.
The interior of the ship was designed by
a Dutch firm, VFD Interiors, headed by
Frans Dingemans, who has designed and
decorated the interiors of all the new
HAL ships since the STATENDAM of
1993. The rooms have the feel of a
post-modern hotel with high quality trim
and fabrics. In addition, placed
unobtrusively around the ship are some
good pieces of art including paintings by
maritime artist Stephen Card and as well
as pieces of Asian statuary. "My
experience in the architectural world is
that when you make a very modern
room you can easily add some antique
items to give interest and a reference to
the past. You can add modern art to a
very conventional room as well. That
really adds something to the experience
in a room," Dingemans has said.
Two of the public rooms are particularly
noteworthy because they reflect life in
the early 21st century. First, the library
is not merely a collection of books but
rather incorporates an internet café
("powered by the New York Times")
with computer portals and a coffee
bar. Second, reflecting the
popularity of cooking shows on
television, HAL has built a
demonstration kitchen with theater-style
seating and large television screens for
those passengers who want to think
about food between meals. A series of
celebrity chefs is scheduled to give
demonstrations on upcoming cruises.
Like the public rooms, the cabins look
like a nicely-appointed, post-modern
hotel. Eighty-five percent offer ocean
views, with 67 percent of all staterooms
sporting verandas. Unusually for a
modern ship, a few single-occupancy
cabins were included as one HAL
official said "as an experiment." The
cabins include enhancements such as flat-
panel televisions and DVD players that
are part of HAL's $225-million
“Signature of Excellence” initiative to
improve the quality of its service fleet-
wide.
On the outside, NOORDAM looks like
a modern cruise ship rather than a
traditional passenger ship. Indeed, the
design is essentially a rectangle with a
small curved bow area added at one
end. There is relatively little open deck
area. However, appropriately for a ship
that will be traveling from cold weather
to warm, the ship’s main pool is located
under a retractable glass dome. This
feature has proven very popular on the
other ships of the class.
NOORDAM is the fourth and final
Vista-class ship built for HAL by Italy's
Fincantieri shipyard. Named (in Dutch)
after the points of the compass, the other
ships in the class are: ZUIDERDAM
(2002), OOSTERDAM (2003), and
WESTERDAM (2004). They are the
largest, most advanced and luxurious
vessels ever built for the line.
NOORDAM differs from her
predecessors in that she has
approximately 30 more cabins and thus
can accommodate 70 more passengers.
All of the Vista-class ships have
traditional diesel-electric power plants as
well as a gas-turbine unit to serve as a
second power source. According to
HAL, gas-turbine technology reduces
visible emissions and can be used
together with the diesel-electric system
when cruising in particularly sensitive
environments and while in port. In
addition, the azipod propulsion system is
estimated to reduce fuel consumption - -
and thereby emissions - - by as much as
40 tons of fuel per week.
The $400 million NOORDAM will be a
formidable competitor in the New York
cruise market. While she is not a
destination ship, i.e., a ship that is so
distinctive that one books a cruise on her
just to be on her regardless of itinerary,
she is nicely designed and there has been
attention to detail. Perhaps just as
importantly, the line exhibits a
commitment to service, which, at the end
of the day, is what differentiates a luxury
ship from an ordinary one.
tradition, NOORDAM also has what
has become a standard feature in
modern cruise ships - - a cafeteria a.k.a.
food court. While there is a fundamental
inconsistency about having a self-serve
food venue on a luxury ship, these food
courts have proven so popular that they
are omnipresent. The one on
NOORDAM is a cut above the
average. There are a number of stations
each featuring a different cuisine, e.g.
Asian, Italian. Not only is the food good
but once you have your food, you can
take it to a table area that looks as if
someone actually thought about the
surroundings. Thus, rather than having
the feel of sitting in the food court of the
local mall, one can enjoy the food in
comfort in what looks like an upscale
informal restaurant.
In fact, one of the most striking features
of the public rooms in NOORDAM is
that they look as if someone engaged in
some thinking. A flaw on some modern
ships is that one can stand at the bow
end of the public room decks and have
an almost unobstructed view of the stern
end. The bars and other public rooms
follow one after another along a corridor
submarine-style. Of course, when one is
working with a confined, essentially-
rectangular area such as the interior of a
cruise ship, the rooms do have to follow
one after the next. However, on
NOORDAM, there are curves and
subtle angles along the connecting
corridor that break-up the feeling of
being in a parade of rooms.
The interior of the ship was designed by
a Dutch firm, VFD Interiors, headed by
Frans Dingemans, who has designed and
decorated the interiors of all the new
HAL ships since the STATENDAM of
1993. The rooms have the feel of a
post-modern hotel with high quality trim
and fabrics. In addition, placed
unobtrusively around the ship are some
good pieces of art including paintings by
maritime artist Stephen Card and as well
as pieces of Asian statuary. "My
experience in the architectural world is
that when you make a very modern
room you can easily add some antique
items to give interest and a reference to
the past. You can add modern art to a
very conventional room as well. That
really adds something to the experience
in a room," Dingemans has said.
Two of the public rooms are particularly
noteworthy because they reflect life in
the early 21st century. First, the library
is not merely a collection of books but
rather incorporates an internet café
("powered by the New York Times")
with computer portals and a coffee
bar. Second, reflecting the
popularity of cooking shows on
television, HAL has built a
demonstration kitchen with theater-style
seating and large television screens for
those passengers who want to think
about food between meals. A series of
celebrity chefs is scheduled to give
demonstrations on upcoming cruises.
Like the public rooms, the cabins look
like a nicely-appointed, post-modern
hotel. Eighty-five percent offer ocean
views, with 67 percent of all staterooms
sporting verandas. Unusually for a
modern ship, a few single-occupancy
cabins were included as one HAL
official said "as an experiment." The
cabins include enhancements such as flat-
panel televisions and DVD players that
are part of HAL's $225-million
“Signature of Excellence” initiative to
improve the quality of its service fleet-
wide.
On the outside, NOORDAM looks like
a modern cruise ship rather than a
traditional passenger ship. Indeed, the
design is essentially a rectangle with a
small curved bow area added at one
end. There is relatively little open deck
area. However, appropriately for a ship
that will be traveling from cold weather
to warm, the ship’s main pool is located
under a retractable glass dome. This
feature has proven very popular on the
other ships of the class.
NOORDAM is the fourth and final
Vista-class ship built for HAL by Italy's
Fincantieri shipyard. Named (in Dutch)
after the points of the compass, the other
ships in the class are: ZUIDERDAM
(2002), OOSTERDAM (2003), and
WESTERDAM (2004). They are the
largest, most advanced and luxurious
vessels ever built for the line.
NOORDAM differs from her
predecessors in that she has
approximately 30 more cabins and thus
can accommodate 70 more passengers.
All of the Vista-class ships have
traditional diesel-electric power plants as
well as a gas-turbine unit to serve as a
second power source. According to
HAL, gas-turbine technology reduces
visible emissions and can be used
together with the diesel-electric system
when cruising in particularly sensitive
environments and while in port. In
addition, the azipod propulsion system is
estimated to reduce fuel consumption - -
and thereby emissions - - by as much as
40 tons of fuel per week.
The $400 million NOORDAM will be a
formidable competitor in the New York
cruise market. While she is not a
destination ship, i.e., a ship that is so
distinctive that one books a cruise on her
just to be on her regardless of itinerary,
she is nicely designed and there has been
attention to detail. Perhaps just as
importantly, the line exhibits a
commitment to service, which, at the end
of the day, is what differentiates a luxury
ship from an ordinary one.
| NOORDAM |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |