Holland America Line was founded in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and from 1873 to 1989, it operated as a Dutch shipping line, a passenger line, a cargo line and a cruise line operating primarily between the Netherlands and North America. As part of the company's legacy, it was directly involved in the transport of many hundreds of thousands of emigrants from the Netherlands to North America.[2]
Holland America has been a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation since 1989.[3]
History
Early decades
Holland America Line was founded in 1873, as the Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij (Dutch-American Steamship Company), in short Holland-Amerika Lijn, a shipping and passenger line.[4] It was headquartered in Rotterdam, in the building which is now the Hotel New York.[5] The company was formed as a result of the reorganization of an earlier company, Plate, Reuchlin & Co. The company's first ship was the original Rotterdam (1872), which sailed its 15-day maiden voyage from the Netherlands to New York City on October 15, 1872. Cargo service to New York started in 1909.
HAL's main route was between Rotterdam and New York. Its "New York" terminal was in fact in Hoboken, New Jersey, on the opposite side of the Hudson River from New York City. By 1892, HAL ships sailing between Rotterdam and Hoboken were scheduled to call en route at Boulogne in France.[6]
In its first 25 years, the company carried 400,000 people from Europe to the Americas. Other North American ports were added during the early 20th century.[2]
In 1895 HAL offered its first cruise. Its second cruise, from New York to Palestine, was offered in 1910.
First World War
In July 1914 H&W launched a new Statendam that was 740 feet (230 m) and 32,120 GRT. However, a month later, the First World War started, and in 1915 the UK government requisitioned the new ship in H&W's shipyard and had her completed as the troopshipJusticia. A U-boat sank her in 1918, and HAL accepted the UK government's offer of 60,000 tons of steel as compensation.[15]
In the First World War the Netherlands were neutral, but numerous Dutch merchant ships were sunk. HAL lost five cargo ships, totalling more than 30,000 GRT. In 1915 two German mines sank Eemdijk,[16] and in 1916 U-53 stopped and sank Blommersdijk.[17] On 22 February 1917 U-21 sank an entire Dutch convoy, including the HAL ships Noorderdijk and Zaandijk.[18][19]
After the First World War began, Dutch capitalists bought HAPAG and NDL's shares in HAL. In December 1917, the same Dutch interests paid $3.5 million for half of IMM's shares in HAL. This amounted to about $800 per share, which was far more than IMM had paid for them in 1902. In 1916, IMM had received a dividend of 50 percent on its HAL shareholding.[20]
In March 1918 President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation seizing under angary 89 Dutch merchant ships in US ports. They included the HAL liner Rijndam, which was converted into a US troopship,[21] and eight HAL cargo ships. One of these, Oosterdijk, was sunk in a collision while being used by the United States Navy.[22] The United States Shipping Board returned Rijndam and the surviving cargo ships to HAL in the course of 1919.
In 1922 H&W launched two larger passenger liners for HAL's Rotterdam – Hoboken route: the 15,000 GRTVolendam and Veendam.[24][25] By 1925 the Rotterdam – Hoboken route included calls at Southampton and Halifax, Nova Scotia on westbound crossings only, and Plymouth, Devon on eastbound crossings only, as well as serving Boulogne in both directions.[6]
The third Statendam, built to replace Justicia, was also a turbine steamship, but building her took eight years. H&W laid her down in 1921 and launched her in 1924, but then stopped work because HAL lacked the funds to pay for her to be completed. In 1927 the Dutch government gave HAL a loan to get the ship towed to the Netherlands and completed at Wilton's Dok- en Werf Maatschappij in Schiedam. She was completed in 1929, on the eve of the Great Depression, but proved economical to run. She was HAL's flagship on the transatlantic run for most of the 1930s. Statendam also gave annual winter cruises from New York, usually to the Caribbean.[26]
In 1920 van der Giessen & Zonen in Krimpen aan den IJssel launched Burgerdijk,[27] which was HAL's first steam turbine cargo ship. She was the first of eight 6,850 GRT sister ships, all with a name beginning with "B", built between 1920 and 1922. In 1922 and 1923 Scheepsbouw-Maatschappij 'Nieuwe Waterweg' in Scheidam launched a pair of larger turbine cargo ships for HAL, the 8,350 GRTGaasterdijk and Grootendijk.[28][29] However, HAL sold both ships in 1931.[28][29]
In 1921 and 1922 H&W launched the 9,350 GRTDinteldijk and Drechtdijk, which were HAL's first motor ships. They were refrigerated cargo ships, and they also had berths for 18 or 19 first class passengers.[30][31] In 1929 and 1930 Wilton's in Schiedam launched two more motor ships for refrigerated cargo, the 10,200 GRTDelftdijk and Damsterdijk. These were cargo liners, with berths for 50 first class passengers.[32][33]
By 1930 HAL was operating routes between Rotterdam and the British Columbia Coast via London, Panama Canal and West Coast of the United States.[34] By 1937 HAL worked these routes jointly with Royal Mail Lines. This was mainly a refrigerated cargo service, but the ships carried some passengers. Damsterdijk, Delftdijk, Dinteldijk and Drechtdijk shared the route with RML's refrigerated cargo ships Lochmonar, Lochkatrine and Lochgoil. As well as London, they were scheduled to call at various other ports in Britain, the Caribbean, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, terminating at Vancouver. On westbound voyages Damsterdijk, Delftdijk and Lochmonar also served Guayaquil in Ecuador, whereas Dinteldijk, Drechtdijk, Lochkatrine and Lochgoil served Bermuda.[6]
In the Second World War, HAL lost five passenger ships and eight cargo ships: a total of more than 140,000 GRT. Three were while the Netherlands were still neutral. Mines sank Binnendijk and Spaarndam in October and November 1939,[38][39] and U-48 sank Burgerdijk in February 1940.[40]
On 10 May Germany invaded the Netherlands. A number of HAL ships were burnt out in the battle for Rotterdam, including the liner Statendam and cargo ships Boschdijk and Dinteldijk. Statendam was scrapped three months later.[26] German forces towed Boschdijk to the Baltic, where the Luftwaffe used her for target practice until she sank in April 1942.[41] German forces scuttledDinteldijk as a blockship in 1944.[30]
By 27 May, Germany had occupied the whole of the Netherlands. By 7 June, the Dutch government-in-exile and the UK government had formed a British-Netherlands shipping committee in London, and NASM announced that it would charter to the UK government all of its transatlantic ships except Nieuw Amsterdam.[42]Pennland became a troop ship.[37] The Dutch government-in-exile requisitioned Westernland, berthed at Falmouth, Cornwall. She became an accommodation ship for the Royal Netherlands Navy, and was later sold to the UK Admiralty.[36] By October 1940 Nieuw Amsterdam had also become an Allied troop ship. She sailed half a million miles and carried 400,000 military personnel.
Nearly 200 people were killed in wartime sinkings of HAL ships. The biggest loss of life was in November 1942, when U-174 sank the cargo-passenger ship Zaandam. 135 of her passengers and crew were killed.[43] 39 people were killed in January 1941, when a mine sank the cargo ship Beemsterdijk.[44]
In October 1940 U-38 sank Bilderdijk.[45] In 1941 U-564 sank the cargo-passenger liner Maasdam, and an air attack in German invasion of Greece sank the troopship Pennland.[37][46] In September 1942, U-34 sank Breedijk.[47] In 1940 German forces requisitioned Drechtdijk. In 1945 she hit a mine in the Baltic, and a week later was badly damaged in an air raid.[31]
Post-war era
After the war, HAL took part in transporting a great wave of immigrants from the Netherlands to Canada and elsewhere.[48] Its Rotterdam – Hoboken route continued to serve Southampton, but by 1948 the port of Boulogne was still not in a condition to resume handling large ocean liners. Instead, from February 1948 Nieuw Amsterdam started calling at Le Havre as well as Southampton. At first she was the only HAL ship to do so. Veendam made intermediate calls at Southampton only, and Noordam and Westerdam ran direct between Rotterdam and Hoboken.[49] By 1959 HAL ships were calling also at Cobh, and running a service to Quebec and Montreal. By 1963 they also served Bremerhaven.[6]
A notable ship in the post-war era was the fifth Rotterdam, launched in 1959. She was one of the first North Atlantic ships equipped for two-class transatlantic crossing and one-class luxury cruising.
By the late 1960s, the golden era of transatlantic passenger ships had been ended by the introduction of transatlantic jet air travel. HAL ended transatlantic service in the early 1970s.
In 1973, it sold its cargo shipping division, which continued to operate freight liner services with cargo ships, a Lighter aboard ship ('LASH' ship, MV Bilderdyk) and then container ships under the trade name Incotrans, with headquarters in Rotterdam, with some of its North American services operated in partnership with the French shipping line Compagnie Générale Maritime.
HAL ceased operating as a Dutch line in 1989, when Carnival bought it for 1.2 billion guilders (€530 million). The proceeds were put into an investment company (HAL Investments), the majority of which is owned by the van der Vorm family.
SS Rotterdam (III), 1897–1906 — Sold and renamed C. F. Tietgen. Sunk by torpedo by U-151 in 1918.[63]
SS Rotterdam (IV), 1908 — Scrapped in 1940. Largest HAL ship until Statendam (III) entered service in 1929.
SS Ryndam (II), 1951–73 — Sank in 2003 on her way to be scrapped.[58]
MV Sloterdijk (II) 1940 — Sister of Sommelsdijk (III). US troopship in the Second World War. Dutch troopship in the Indonesian National Revolution. Scrapped in 1966.[64][65]
SS Soestdijk (I), 1901–23 — Sold and renamed Callandia. Scrapped in 1931.[66]
MV Sommelsdijk (III) 1939 — Wartime service as US troopship. Scrapped in 1965.[64][67]
SS Spaarndam (II), 1922 — Combined passenger and cargo ship. Sunk by a mine in 1939 with the loss of six lives.[39]
SS Statendam (II) — Requisitioned before completion as the troopship SS Justicia[15]
SS Statendam (III), 1929–40 — Scrapped after being burnt out at Rotterdam[26]
SS Statendam (IV), 1956–82 — Last in service for Regent Star as Regency.[68]
SS Veendam (I) 1888. Built in 1871 as Baltic. Sank in 1898 after striking a submerged wreck.[69]
SS Veendam (II), 1923 — Sister of Volendam (I). In 1940, bombed in Rotterdam, repaired and requisitioned by German forces. Used as submarine tender in Hamburg. Returned to HAL service 1947, scrapped in 1953.[25]
SS Veendam (III), 1972–74, 1975–76, 1978–84 — Last in service for Commodore Cruise Line as Enchanted Isle[70]
SS Volendam (I), 1922–52 — 1940–45 Escaped to Britain in WW2, became troopship[24]
SS Volendam (II), 1972–76, 1978–84 — Sister of Veendam (III); Later Universe Explorer of World Explorer Lines.[72]
SS W. A. Scholten, 1874 — Sister of P. Caland. Sunk in a collision in 1887 with the loss of 122 lives.[73]
SS Waterman, 1951–63 — Launched in 1945, scrapped in 1970.[55]
MV Westerdam (I), 1940–65 — Cargo and first class passenger ship. Launched in 1940, but damaged by fire and not completed. Sunk in 1942, 1944 and 1945. Completed in 1946. Scrapped in 1965.[74]
In the summer of 2011, Rotterdam did two transatlantic crossings, the first traditional transatlantic runs made by the line in more than 40 years.[citation needed]
Beginning in September 2012, Rotterdam was based year-round out of Rotterdam, sailing to Europe, the Caribbean, as well as Asia, before returning to more varied itineraries and home ports by 2016.[citation needed]
Amsterdam makes annual "Grand Voyages" lasting more than 60 days, including a grand circle of the Pacific Ocean each fall and a World Voyage sailing around the world, usually ranging from January to April/May.
The line currently operates four different classes of ship: the R class, the Vista class, the Signature class, and the newest and largest Pinnacle class.[78]
All HAL ships have a dark blue hull with white superstructure, with the company's logo featured prominently on the functional smoke stacks.
Holland America also owns the following:
the Westmark hotel chain operating in Alaska and the Yukon[79]
On October 26, 2012, it was announced that a memorandum of agreement had been signed with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of a 2,660-passenger ship for Holland America Line scheduled for delivery in spring 2016. Koningsdam, which became a new class of ship for the line (The Pinnacle Class), and the first new Holland America ship since Nieuw Amsterdam, delivered in 2010. Also noted was that the addition of new ships would maintain passenger capacity if some of the older Carnival Corporation ships are sold.[80]
The Holland America Group of HAL and Princess Cruises have a letter of understanding to buy the White Pass and Yukon Route between Skagway, Alaska and the US-Canadian border. The purchase closed July 31, 2018.
On July 15, 2020, it was announced by Holland America that Maasdam, Veendam, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam were sold to two undisclosed buyers. The ships were sold in pairs, with the Maasdam and Veendam transferring to one company in August 2020, while the Amsterdam and Rotterdam moved to another company in fall 2020. One pair went to a new cruise brand and the other to an existing brand.[81]
Most cruise lines suspended their sailings because of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[82] As of January 6, 2021, all Holland America sailings were cancelled to at least April 30, 2021, according to an industry news item. That report listed no specific sailings for Holland America prior to the first week of June 2021.[83]
In October 2023, Holland America announced that it was about halfway through converting its fleet Wi-Fi to Starlink. The cruise line also announced that it expected to have Starlink fully operational across its entire fleet by mid-December 2023.[84] With the move, Holland America joined its sister-brands in Carnival Corporation & plc, including Princess Cruises and Cunard Line.[85]
Fleet
Current fleet
Ship name
In HAL service
Gross tonnage
Maximum speed
Passenger complement
Enclosed passenger decks
Flag
Image
Rotterdam class (R class)
Holland America Line's R-class ships did not all start out with identical layouts. Rotterdam, the first of the four, was similar to the previous S class, but slightly longer and wider, with a third set of passenger stairs/elevators, twin funnels, and some new facilities. The twin sister shipsVolendam and Zaandam followed, similar to Rotterdam, but with a different (single) funnel and larger because the aft pool was moved up one deck to the Lido level, creating more space for passenger accommodations below. The final R-class ship, Amsterdam, like a hybrid of Rotterdam and Volendam/Zaandam, incorporates Rotterdam's twin funnels as well as the Lido deck aft pool. Together, Rotterdam and Amsterdam were considered HAL's flagships.[citation needed] On July 15, 2020, it was announced by Holland America that MS Rotterdam and MS Amsterdam were sold to undisclosed buyers. The ships were sold as a pair, with the two joining an existing cruise brand in fall 2020.[81] It was further announced on the same day, that this pair would join Fred. Olsen Cruise Line.[81]
HAL's four Vista-class ships are named for the points of the compass in Dutch. Noord for north, Zuid for south, Oost for east and West for West. These ships were designed mainly for shorter (less than two weeks) cruises in the Caribbean, Alaska and Europe. These ships are notable because of the exceptionally great number of oceanview and verandah staterooms - more than 85% and 67% respectively. The first three Vista-class ships were built as identical triplets. Noordam incorporated a few design changes, including a more vertical aft profile, which makes her larger, with a slightly greater passenger capacity. The success of Noordam's revised design caused HAL to modify the other three Vista-class ships with aft expansions to mimic Noordam.[citation needed] In 2006, the Vista-class cruise ships were awarded the 2006 Green Planet Award for outstanding environmental standards by Kuoni Switzerland.[86]Zuiderdam, Oosterdam and Westerdam received the first phase of the line's Signature of Excellence upgrades between 2005 and 2006, while Noordam was built to SOE1 standards.[citation needed]
The Signature-class ships are essentially an enhanced Vista-class design. The main difference is the addition of a deck between the Lido and Observation decks. This allows for more cabins (mostly spa accommodations) and some additional facilities including the specialty restaurant, Tamarind, and the Silk Den lounge.[citation needed] Both Signature-class ships were built to the line's Signature of Excellence (first phase) standards.[citation needed]
Constructed at the Fincantieri shipyards, Koningsdam is the largest ship to be built for Holland-America, and is the size of the ex-Ryndam and ex-Statendam joined.[80] The new ship has a beam of 35 metres (114 ft 10 in), complying with the New Panamax dimensions and allowing it to cruise through the new wider locks currently under construction at the Panama Canal. It was launched on February 15, 2016.[87] All Pinnacle class ships were built to the line's Signature of Excellence (first phase) standards.
As the first ships ordered and delivered under the line's ownership by Carnival Corporation & plc, the S-class ships were the first new Holland America Line ships to incorporate features including the atrium, the two-deck main dining room and show lounge, and the Lido pool with retractable roof.[88] Sold to Seajets in 2020 and renamed Aegean Majesty.[81]
MS Ryndam for Holland America Line from 1994 to 2015. Pacific Aria for P&O Cruises Australia from 2015 to 2020. After the deal to sell to CMV failed due to their administration P&O sold Pacific Aria to Seajets.[89]
MS Statendam for Holland America Line from 1992 to 2015. Pacific Eden for P&O Cruises Australia from 2015 to 2019. Vasco da Gama for TransOcean Tours since 2019. After CMV entered administration in 2020 sold to Mystic Invest.[91]
Homeric for Home Lines from 1986 to 1988. MS Westerdam for Holland America Line from 1988 to 2002. Costa Europa for Costa Cruises from 2002 to 2010. Marella Dream for Marella Cruises from 2010 to 2020. Laid up from 2020 to 2022. Sold for scrap as Ella in 2022.
MS Noordam for Holland America Line from 1984 to 2005. Marella Celebration for Marella Cruises from 2005 to 2020. Laid up from 2020 to 2022. Sold for scrap as Mare in 2022.
MS Nieuw Amsterdam for Holland America Line 1983 to 2000. MS Patriot for American Classic Voyages from 2000 to 2002. Laid up as MS Nieuw Amsterdam by Holland America Line 2002. MS Spirit for Louis Cruise Lines from 2002 to 2003. Marella Spirit for Marella Cruises from 2003 to 2018. Sold for scrap as Mare S and La Spirit in 2018
SS Rotterdam for Holland America Line from 1959 to 1997. Rembrandt for Premier Cruises from 1997 to 2000. Laid up as Rembrandt from 2000 to 2003. SS Rotterdam for WestCord Hotels since 2013.
^"Soestdyk – ID 6033". Stichting Maritiem-Historische Databank. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
^Lloyd's Register of Shipping(PDF). Vol. II.–Steamers & Motorships of 300 Tons, Trawlers, Tugs, Dredgers, etc. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1943. Retrieved 18 December 2013 – via Southampton City Council.
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