We have two overnight stays in Hamburg as it is impossible to get to Hamburg early from Rotterdam. It is simply too far up river. Staying overnight also ties in with the company policy of trying to offer at least one evening’s long stay in a port which in this case translates into an overnight stay, with a bonus for a 2^nd one, as the Kieler Kanal is only 4 hours downstream. Those with a taste for German nightlife will be very pleased. For the sort of cruises that the Prinsendam makes – Explorer cruises – this is quite normal. You cannot see Hamburg in one day, even two days is not really long enough. So an overnight with a full afternoon and a full day is as best as one can do.

The good ship ms Prinsendam is in the capable hands of Captain Dag Dvergastein who has been commanding cruise ships for the last 30 years and came to us via Seabourn. The company is slowly starting to mix the officer teams from both company’s and we now have two HAL captains with Seabourn and a Seabourn Captain with HAL.  Late last evening the white curtain lifted and the Captain could switch off the fog horn much to the delight of the guests who occupied the suites right under the Radar Mast. You get the best cabins on the ship with the suites and also the best view from your balcony but you then also have to accept that you live close to the navigation part of the ship and that includes a lot of honking on the horn if weather or traffic so demands.

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And thus real life started again and I returned to sea by means of the ms Prinsendam. I was supposed to join the Koningsdam first, but the Prinsendam will be celebrating her 30^th. birthday on June 11 and I was asked by the ship to do a few lectures in relation to HAL and our Elegant Explorer. Thus we juggled the schedule around and here we are combining work and hobby-pleasure.  Before we dive back in the real world; a small side step with something that happened while I was at home. Also in relation to the history of the company and in relation to the original reason we have a Veendam sailing in the fleet.

Explaining who W.A Scholten was. This is the ship from 1874 with it’s first Master, Captain Hus Top right and its last Master Captain Taat Lower Left. (Photo courtesy Mr. Ruud van Deventer, son of ex HAL Captain Van Deventer)

Back in the grey mists of time, 145 years ago, Holland America was founded and went public with having a listing on the Dutch Stock Exchange. Out of nowhere a rich industrialist from the Northern part of the Netherlands popped up and bought so many shares that the company was able to finance a complete ship from it. Thus the company named this ship after him. Mr. W.A Scholten was inspired to invest in HAL because he only saw German shipping posters at the various railway stations he used while traveling between his various factories in the Netherlands and as far as Poland. The ss W.A Scholten sank in 1887 but the company replaced it very quickly. By that time the DAM naming system had come in vogue and thus they could not repeat the personal name.  But no problems here, Mr. Scholten was born in Veendam and thus in 1888 the ss Veendam (I) started sailing for the company.  And for most of our history we have had a Veendam in the fleet. The current Veendam being nbr IV.

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