- Captain Albert's Website and Blog -

Ocean Liner History and Stories from the Sea, Past and Present. With an In Depth focus on Holland America Line

09 May 2010; At Home in the study.

It might be awhile before you visit my blog again but I am still (slowly) working on adding bits and pieces to the blog site. Today I have uploaded the history of the Nieuw Amsterdam (III) of 1983. So hopefully, you will find this entry eventually.

Enjoy.

Captain Albert

15 Comments

  1. SourdoughSteve

    May 10, 2010 at 7:20 pm

    Captain Albert,

    Remarkable! Thanks for the excellent history lesson on the Nieuw Amsterdam III. I had lost track of her after the Patriot debacle.

    Enjoy your time at home!

  2. andrew johnson

    May 10, 2010 at 8:48 pm

    great albert – i read entry its was good thing to remember

  3. I get the email announcements when I am at work (1:30pm Pacific time). I am so happy to have a new post to read when I get home tonight! Thank you! I still remember the N.A.(III) from when I was 6 yrs old on the N.A.’s inaugural Panama Canal cruise.

  4. Captain, great job as usual! Being the HAL historical expert that you are, can you enlighten us as to who the godmother was for Westerdam II, the former Homeric when she joined HAL in 1988? I’m assuming there was a naming ceremony for her after she emerged from her refit as Westerdam, and before she was lengthened three years later. Thanks a bunch/Vriendelijk bedankt!

    • Hello Copper,

      Nice to see that you still follow each of my “literary eruptions”. Because the Westerdam was not new when it came to HAL, the whole affair was very low key. Nothing compared with the hype that surrounds each launch nowadays. No champagne bottle, just a party and speeches. The official Godmother was Mrs. Clara van der Vorm whose husband Mr. Nico van der Vorm was the President of HAL at that time. When the ship was stretched, she came back on board again to look the ship over (I remember that she was fussing over the curtains; much to the annoyance to the company’s interior designer) Again there was not much of an official happening. Mainly a cocktail party and open house for travel agents when the ship arrived in New York coming from Germany.

      Best regards

      Capt. Albert

  5. This is most interesting ! Thank you ! We had seen her in Hawaii, and had sailed on the sister ship Noordam just before she was “put out to pasture”.

  6. Calgon & SunFlower Star

    May 11, 2010 at 12:29 am

    We first sailed on the Nieuw Amsterdam on a 14-day Southern Caribbean honeymoon. What a fantastic introduction to Holland America Lines! By today’s standards, yes, she was small; but, we prefer the term ‘intimate’. Have been on many ships since, but our hearts will always be in Cabin 005! Thank you for showing us a wonderful way of life!

  7. Laurea Thornton

    May 12, 2010 at 5:47 pm

    I was onboard the Patriot when it was taken over by Carnival. The last day out at sea was very moving. The Patriot and The Independence met and played patriotic music while sailing together off the coast of Maui. If we had gone into port the ship would have been taken over that day so it was decided to stay at sea so passengers would not have to find a place to stay prior to their flights home at the end of the cruise. My dad passed away a few months later and this was the last trip we had together.

  8. Thanks very much for clearing that one up, Capt.! Enjoy the remainder of your vacation!

  9. Hello Captain, I discovered your blog this morning and have now read through your entire South America and Antarctica voyage. I love cruising and being at sea (though I haven’t tried Holland America yet) and I found your voyage description absolutely fascinating. I will look forward to reading all about your next voyage too. Thank you for sharing your adventures.

  10. Missed Career at Sea

    May 25, 2010 at 8:18 pm

    I never liked history; wots de matter for me now!
    Many thanks again, Captain. Simply refreshing, all the details you bring out in this most interesting story-telling way!
    Those Ghana stow-aways can count their blessings they didn’t choose to do that stunt after 2001! What a difference in time – they were sent home to Ghana … Amazing, the Nieuw Amsterdam III had even connections with Hawaii (and the Hawaiians and the Polynesian work ethics)!
    I’m also pleasantly surprised that ships ordered in the 1980’s were still looking like ships. If you have time, Captain; when did the ‘pidgeon-holes look’ start for newly ordered ships?
    And, if you have another spare minute for me, Captain; what years were you then Master on the Nieuw Amsterdam III?
    Much obliged, Captain.

  11. Hello Capt Albert

    Nice to see you are still alive and well as they say. Still living on wonderful memories of our SA Grand Voyage, and what a driver you were in those icy Antarctic waters!. Hope the new boiler has been successfully installed and it didn’t beak the bank. Regards to Lesley(spelt it right this time I hope!!!)

    Paul

  12. Enjoy the blog very much. Is there any way to find out we a ship
    is scheduled for dry docking?

  13. Since today is the start of another season for you, I hope that there will be fair winds, good weather, and no mechanical glitches. The ‘weather gods’ have not been kind this May to your fellow cruise ship captains in Seattle…I hope they will be kind to you and the ms Prinsendam.

  14. Wonderfully written and illustrated history…..tho many of the photos seem out of focus to me. Thank you so much for all your work.

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