Thread: ms Oosterdam - history

(ms Oosterdam (2003-present) Built in 2003 as ms Oosterdam by Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A., Marghera (Venice), Italy for Holland America Line.She is the second vessel of HAL’s four Vista class ships (her sisters are Zuiderdam, Westerdam and Noordam). The names of the four ships translate to the four directions of the compass in the Dutch language; Zuid meaning south, Oost (rhymes with “toast”) for east, Noord is north and West means, well, west.

The only previous ship with the ‘Ooster’ prefix in the Holland America Line historical roster was the 8,251 ton one-propeller freighter Oosterdijk (or Oosterdyk) which began service with the line in May 1913, sailing on a regular service from Rotterdam to Savannah, GA. When the United States entered World War I (the Netherlands remained neutral), Oosterdyk was in Baltimore, MD. She was subsequently seized by the U.S. Government and, after a nine-month period in lay-up, pressed into service, carrying military supplies for the allied war effort. Sadly on 20 July 1918, Oosterdijk was lost at sea, sinking in the North Atlantic after a collision with a U.S. troop transport.

After successfully running technical trials in the Adriatic and having been accepted by her new owners on 27 June 2003, Oosterdam made her way to Rotterdam, the Netherlands under the command of HAL Captain Johannes ‘Hans’ van Biljouw, arriving on 27 July 2003. Prior to this, she spent two days in Southampton, England on 25 and 26 July with open houses plus an overnight gala for travel agents, media and local VIPs. She would remain in Rotterdam for three days, since from 28 through 30 July, HAL celebrated its 130th anniversary year in the city of its founding. HAL’s ms Rotterdam VI joined the new Oosterdam in Rotterdam with both ships berthed bow-to-bow at the Wilhelminakade (Wilhelmina Quai), the original company pier. Scheduled events during the celebration included visits from former HAL employees, a luncheon for HAL World War II veterans, a Royal maritime gala, a HAL Society of Mariners luncheon and ship’s tours for local dignitaries.

The festivities included the launch and naming of the new Vista-class ship on 29 July 2003 by her godmother, HRH Princess Margriet of The Netherlands, also Rotterdam VI’s godmother, in a moving ceremony complete with a red carpet lined with hundreds of officers and crew, the release of 130 white doves and the breaking of a six-liter bottle of champagne against Oosterdam’s bow. Also present were Holland America Line employees, dignitaries from Holland and throughout Europe, and hundreds of travel agents and past guests. Some of the dignitaries present for the naming included Princess Margriet’s husband Pieter van Vollenhoven, Carnival chairman and CEO Mickey Arison, his wife Madeline, HAL president and CEO A. Kirk Lanterman and his wife Janet, Fincantieri’s chairman Corato Antonini, Rotterdam’s Alderman for the Port and Economic Affairs Wim van Sluis and the City’s Mayor Ivo Opstelten.A fireworks show closed out the festivities that evening attended by more than 150,000 people.

On 3 August, 2003 Oosterdam and Rotterdam departed the city on her (Oosterdam’s) maiden voyage to European ports (Hamburg, Germany was first with a two-day stay) under the command of Captain van Biljouw. Tens of thousands of spectators lined the banks of the river Maas as well as the Nieuwe Waterweg (New Waterway) on the way to the North Sea, waving flags, towels and bed sheets. A flotilla of official and non-official vessesls formed an escort while Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 Falcon fighter jets made several passes over the two ships, providing an aerial escort out to sea.




Oosterdam spent the first half of her inaugural season cruising around Europe withBaltic cruises between London and Copenhagen 8 September. Her 12-day itineraries included Oslo, Norway; Arhus, Denmark; Warnemunde, Germany; Visby, Sweden; Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia; Helsinki, Finland; and Stockholm, Sweden. On 20 September, she sailed a 12-day "European Capitals" cruise from London to Civitavecchia/Rome, Italy, followed by four Western Mediterranean sailings between Civitavecchia and Lisbon, Portugal or Venice, Italy to Lisbon on 2, 14 and October and 7 November. Her "European Capitals" cruise highlighted the history-steeped cities of Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Lisbon, Seville and Monte Carlo. Oosterdam concluded her European cruise season with a 14-day transatlantic sailing on 19 November from Lisbon to Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. and the start of her Caribbean itineraries. The last several years, her “winter home” has been San Diego, CA. for Mexican Riviera cruising. Summers have found her in Alaska (out of Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC) and back to Europe.

At 81,769 grt, Oosterdam is almost 30% larger than HAL's "R" class and almost 35% larger than the "S" class of ships. There were originally five Vista’s planned for HAL but that fifth hull was first transferred to Cunard Line in 2003 to become their Queen Victoria but then a second time to P&O Cruises to become their ms Arcadia in March 2005. The four HAL ships were designed mainly for shorter (less than two weeks) cruises in the Caribbean, Alaska, and Europe. The four Vista’s are equipped with a diesel-electric power plant and an Azipod propulsion system. This basically consists of two pods as opposed to traditional screws that operate like giant outboard motors underneath the ship’s hull. The Azipod propulsion system gives the ship outstanding maneuvering ability, making rudders and stern thrusters obsolete when negotiating smaller ports and allowing full turns at high speed. Oosterdam has two azipods made by ABB in Finland.

Eighty-five percent of Oosterdam’s staterooms have ocean views and sixty-seven percent have verandas. The extensive use of glass in the superstructure of the Vista-class ships is also reflected in the class name. They feature "exterior glass elevators," located on both sides of the vessels and vertically traversing 10 decks, providing guests with panoramic sea views.

Prominent “HAL-marks” familiar to Holland America Line passengers such as the Crow’s Nest observation lounge with Oak Room smoking area, a Magro (sliding) dome-covered mid-ship Lido pool and aft Sea view pool, two-level Vista main dining room, (buffet) Lido Restaurant, an Explorers Lounge for classical chamber music, Ocean Bar for dancing to life music, Piano Bar, Photo Gallery, Shopping Arcade, three meeting rooms that can be combined in one large room; the Hudson, Half Moon and Stuyvesant rooms, Java Corner, Erasmus Library, a practice volleyball and basketball court, and the HAL trademark fully-encircled teak promenade deck are still found on Oosterdam. However, like her sister Zuiderdam before her, Oosterdam came out with new innovations such as an expanded Greenhouse Spa & Salon offering thermal suite treatment, a hydrotherapy and thalassotherapy pool and heated ceramic lounges, large Gym overlooking the ships’ bow, a 867-seat three (as opposed to two) deck Vista show lounge, a 170-seat cabaret-style Queens Lounge which doubles as a movie theater, a dedicated “Northern Lights” disco/nightclub, a Windstar gourmet coffee and pastry shop, an alternate restaurant called the Odyssey serving Pacific Northwest fare, a Sports Bar, a much larger Internet Center, a dedicated Art Gallery, Golf Simulator, Game Room and a greatly expanded Club HAL children’s facility called the Wave Runner and Kid Zone.

Oosterdam pays homage to the 130-year legacy of Holland America Line as well as to the traditions of Dutch maritime history, mot notably the Dutch East India Company. Artifacts and artwork from Holland, Italy, India and China are very visible onboard. Prominently displayed in a three-story atrium, a revolving Waterford crystal globe sets the mood for several art pieces which can be found throughout the ship. At the forward end of the main Lido Pool are a British artist’s Susan Holt’s life-sized family of six adult penguins and one pup. The penguins are complemented at the opposite end of the pool by cartoon-like fish who, while “standing on their heads” support the bar stools of the Lido Bar with their elevated tails.



In November 2003, Holland America Cruise Line announced a U.S. $225 million program of up-scaling their cruise ships, cruise line image and passenger cruise experience called the 'Signature of Excellence program'. This enhancement program included stateroom amenities: Sealy PosturepedicPremium Plush Euro-Top mattresses, 100% white cotton woven bed linens, waffle-weave and terry cloth bathrobes and extra-fluffy Egyptian cotton towels to all cabin categories; new massage-type showerheads and professional-grade quiet hair dryers in all bathrooms; new flat-screen LCD televisions, 5x magnifying make-up mirrors with halo lightning, fresh flowers, complimentary fruit baskets and stainless-steel ice buckets with serving trays in all cabins; plus comfortable bed duvets, fully-stocked mini-bars, personalized stationary, DVD players and access to a well-stocked DVD library in all suite-category staterooms.

Also new would be a Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine magazine with a state-of-the-art show kitchen (on the Vista’s inside the Queens Lounge) equipped with plasma video screens and on-stage counters for gourmet cooking demonstrations, tasting events and interactive classes; the introduction of the Pinnacle Grill alternative restaurant and private Neptune concierge lounge on all ships, two additional dining times in the main dining room, a casual dinner option with table-side waiter service inside the Lido Restaurant; an Explorations Café “powered by the New York Times”, basically a combination internet café, coffee shop and library.

In addition, changes were made for non-adults, including newly expanded youth facilities within the "Club HAL" program and the creation of the interior “Loft” and exterior “Oasis” (on the "S" and "R"-class ships) for teens. The younger cruisers (ages 3-7) can enjoy supervised, age-specific activities in a more comprehensive Youth Program (arts and crafts, face painting, candy bar bingo, a pajama party, story-telling, board games, drawing contests, ice-cream sundae parties, etc.) in Club HAL. Their room has art theme with paint can stools, palette tables, and vibrant colors. Tweens (ages 8-12) have their own arcade area with their own stage, a jukebox, air hockey, foosball, Karaoke, Sony Playstations, a Digital Dance Revolution machine (DDR), vending machines, miniature golf, ping pong, dance parties, sports events, scavenger hunts, etc. The Loft is a teens-only (ages 13-18) lounge designed to resemble a New York artist's loft and comes complete with dance floor, state-of-the-art sound and laser light system, big screen TV, music videos, DVDs, Sony Playstations, a DDR, comfortable couches, and Internet access. On the "S" and "R"-class ships, a spiral staircase leads up to the Oasis, a secluded, teens-only sun deck with covered snack areas where teens can soak up rays in hammocks and then cool off in a one-of-a-kind cave and wade pool complete with nine-foot high tropical waterfall.

Shipboard program changes under SOE #1 included an expanded Exploration Speaker series, unique Medallion and Collection shore excursions, iPod art tours of all ships, new wine packages, an early embarkation program (as early as 11:30 am) for guests, flexible As You Wish dining, expanded Pinnacle Grill menu, exclusive flatware, china and stemware in all restaurants, and a broad expansion of the Greenhouse Spa and Salon facilities and treatments, the renaming and re-branding of the original Odyssey and Marco Polo restaurants to the new Pinnacle Grill. Oosterdam had her SOE part 1 enhancements (with the exception of her Explorations Café and Pinnacle Bar) installed while in dry-dock from 23 September through 3 October 2006 at the Victoria shipyards at Esquimalt, BC. Upon completion, Oosterdam sailed to San Diego to begin her 2006-2007 Mexican Riviera season.

On 8 October 2006, during her only her first Mexican Riviera cruise after the dry-dock, Oosterdam developed a mechanical problem with her port-side azipod which, during the morning hours of the first sea day out of San Diego, quit working. HAL sent engineers out to the ship however, all possible remedies during the following weeks and months failed to get the ailing azipod back to working at a full 100%. As a result, Oosterdam was unable to cruise at her normal operating speed resulting in less time spent in two of her three ports of call for that entire Mexican Riviera season. Eventually, an emergency dry-dock too place back at Esquimalt, BC between 14-22 April 2007 to remove her ailing port-side Azipod and replace same with a smaller spare pod that had been transported in by sea from Norway. Upon completion, Oosterdam headed to Vancouver, BC to start her 2007 Alaska season.

On 1 April 2009, after finishing her trans-Atlantic cruise in Civitavecchia, Italy, an army of subcontractors and dry-dock workers as well as construction material was embarked on Oosterdam. She then departed Civitavecchia that afternoon bound for dry-dock in Palermo, Sicily for her SOE phase II upgrade. Upon her arrival there on 2 April 2009, a new block of thirty-four prefabricated cabins was lowered into place and installed on her stern increasing her passenger capacity from 1,848 to 1,916 and her gross registered tonnage from 81,769 to 82,305. Her existing Internet Center was moved to the starboard side of the Crow's Nest becoming part of her new Explorations Café. A dedicated small-size 36-seat movie theater (six rows of six theater-style reclining leather seats with small tables in between) called the "Screening Room" was added in place of where the Internet Center used to be.

Also there on Deck 3 partly in place of her original Erasmus library and partly in the Stuyvesant room, a new Digital Workshop was installed (Oosterdam had initially gained the Digital Workshop during her 2008 Alaska season). The Digital Workshop program by Microsoft is comprised of complimentary classes led by a Microsoft-trained “techspert”. As part of the program her passengers can learn to use computers to enhance photos, produce and publish videos onto a DVD and create personal web pages or blogs. In addition, one-on-one coaching, called “Techspert Time” is available for more than 20 hours each week.

Oosterdam gained a second alternative restaurant when “Canaletto”, serving Italian cuisine, was added to her Lido restaurant starboard side, forward. Canaletto, named for the famous 18th century Venetian artist, which debuted on the ms Eurodam in 2008, will come to life for dinner nightly between 5:30 and 9:30 pm when a section of the ships' Lido restaurant is transformed into the Italian restaurant. Canaletto's menu begins with an antipasti plate that changes nightly, followed by soup choices, salad, four pasta dishes and entrees like veal Milanese, chicken Marsala.



On Deck 2 (LP) starboard side, a new Pinnacle and Wine Bar was added in place of her original Windstar Café, outside and across from her 130-seat Pinnacle Grill restaurant (The Windstar Café Coffee Bar was moved to Deck 10 forward to become part of the Explorations Café). A high-end jewelry shop called “Merabella” as well as a viewing room was added on Deck 3 in front of the existing shops. That existing shopping arcade was expanded and upgraded. The part of Oosterdam’s Ocean Bar that was originally hidden from view behind walkway panels was “opened up”. Lastly, regular upkeep maintenance was performed and her original, now repaired, port-side azipod, the one that had developed mechanical problems back in October 2006, was reinstalled. Oosterdam emerged from the Sicilian yard on 23 April 2009 and picked up her European sailing schedule.

I miss being able to give frubals - good stuff here, John!

Originally Posted by MCcruiser

I miss being able to give frubals - good stuff here, John!

Hey, thank you Ma'am! Good to see ya!