The Late Great Ocean Liners - Netherlands: Holland America Line

Built as a running-mate for the Statendam of 1929, the Nieuw Amsterdam was laid down in January of 1936 and launched on 10 April of the following year. She made her first run to New York on 10 May 1938. She had been designed from the outset with part-time cruising in mind.

The following year, war broke out in Europe. The Nieuw Amsterdam continued crossings for a short time, but then was laid up in New York. She was then chartered by the British and refitted to carry 8,000 troops under Cunard - White Star management.

Surviving the war, she returned to Rotterdam in 1946 for repairs and resumed crossings the following year. In the winter she performed cruises from New York to the Caribbean. She continued in this manner, joined by the Rotterdam V and the Statendam in the late 'fifties, until 1971 when she began cruising full-time. This phase lasted until 1974, when she was retired and broken up.

The Ryndam was originally laid down at Schiedam in 1949 as a 60-passenger cargo liner named Dinteldyk (the names of all HALs passenger ships, you may have noticed, end in dam. Their cargo fleet's ships ended in dyk.). However, postwar traffic dictated that a full-fledged tourist liner would be more useful, so whilst still under construction, she was was reconfigured for this role and a sistership, the Maasdam, was also ordered.

Ryndam started a trend with HAL that extended to the Maasdam and Statendam... she had but 38 First Class berths, all one one deck, with the remainder of the ship given over to her 854 tourist passengers.

Both ships, were extremely popular, making the trip to New York in 8 days and continuing to Canada. They lasted in this role until Rotterdam came online, at which time HAL introduced service directly to Canada.

When the transatlantic trade had begun to decline, HAL experimented with other uses for the ships. In 1966 the Ryndam was reflagged to German registry and began student voyages as the Bremen. The Maasdam continued sailing to Canada until 1968, when she was sold to Polish Ocean Lines and became the Stefan Batory. With refreshed interiors, she was quite successful on their runs from Gdynia to Montreal (and later New York) until she was withdrawn in 1987.

Ryndam continued doing student cruises until 1971 and was sold to Epirotiki Cruise Lines of Greece. She was massively refitted, her new capacity being 731, all with private facilities. She remained with them until 1987, and then was converted to a casino ship named the Pride of Mississippi. In this guise, she would operate day cruises for three days, then carry high-rollers on a four-day trip to Cancun to satisfy the foreign-flag requirement then in effect.

In 1993 she was docked in Gulfport, MI, as a static casino, where she remained until 2002, when she was replaced with a purpose-built barge. She sank off the Dominican Republic enroute to Indian scrappers.

Launched at Schiedam on 12 June, 1956, the Statendam was from the outset primarily a tourist-class vessel, with just 84 First Class passengers accommodated on the top of the vessel, the rest being for nearly 900 in tourist class. She operated in tandem with the 1938 Nieuw Amsterdam and 1959 Rotterdam on the transatlantic run in the summer and made cruises, including 'round-the-world, in winter, until 1966 when she began cruising full time, first in the Pacific, then the Caribbean, and finally Alaska in 1981.In 1982, the Statendam was sold to the French Paquet Cruises and renamed Rhapsody. She continued to sail Alaska in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter, and during this period collided with a coral reef.In 1986, the ship was sold again, this time to Greek-owned Regency Cruises. Renamed the Regent Star, she was converted to diesel power at Piraeus and began cruising again.When Regency Cruises folded, she was laid up in Greece. She was scrapped in India in 2004.

Coming soon! Deck Plans and drawings of the Statendam from a 1958 brochure!