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Maasdam (V) Maasdam was built by Fincantieri at Monfalcone, Italy as yardnumber 5882. Her tonnage is 55.451 and she can accomedate 1692 passengers in one go. She is 219,21 meters long, 30,80 meters wide and her draft is7,50 meters. She has 10 passengerdecks and recieved a four-star plus rating by Berlitz. 
Maasdam as she sails past the Euromast at Rotterdam, at the 18th of july 2006. This was her first visit to her homeport since 1995. The old Holland America Line was taken over by Carnival Corporation in the early days of 1989 and so came an end to the passengerdivision of The Netherlands. Actually, the end was already there in the mid 1970's when the linevoyages were discontinued by all companies flying the Dutch flag. Some companies did survive, but only few still used passengerships. Rotterdamsche Lloyd, VNS, KJCPL, KNSM and de Nederland Lijn became the combined Shipping Union, later Nedlloyd, only for freightservices. Most old passenger-carring companies were part of this Union and they survived as P&O Nedlloyd untill this part of P&O was taken over by Maersk. Their connection with Holland is just their history. The HAL reflagged their ships, first to the Dutch Antilles, so it was still a little bit Dutch, but after that to the Bahamas. Their headoffice moved to Seattle, after some time in a not very obvious place named Stamford, Connecticut. But allthough, the HAL remained a Dutch company untill the takeover by Carnival in 1989. HAL was not doing well in the 1980's. It was really close to become bankrupt because it was not easy at all for a company to stay alive alone. The only thing the HAL had to offer their passengers was their big history, but that was not enough. After some takeovers, Westours in Alaska and Windstar Cruises, HAL grew and they ordered the N-class ships in the 1980's (Noordam and Nieuw Amsterdam) just before they ordered two big ships of 65.000 tons to compete with Carnival, the main new player. This was just before 1989.  After the Carnival takeover, their new parentcompany cancelled the newbuilds but they planned to built a new three-ship class called the 'S'-class. The first one of these 55.451 ton ships floated out as the fifth Holland America liner named Statendam on the 3rd of april 1992. The massive ship was totally different from the past HAL-ships but with these ships HAL was likely to survive. The design was based on the design of Costa Classica and Costa Romantica, both ships sailing for the Italian Costa Crociere, that became also part of the Carnival Corporation a little after Holland America Line did. Luckily, Carnival did not want HAL to become just a part of themselves. The ship got a classic Holland America Line inside decor designed by the Dutch company VFD and she also got a traditional darkblue hull instead of the all-white of modern cruiseliners. Originally, three ships were planned in this new 'S'-class. This name was chosen because all three names of these ships would start with an 'S'. The second ship was supposed to be called Stellendam followed by Schiedam. When the second ship was launched, this naming was changed and there was a fourth ship added to the class. The new naming was now based on well-known shipnames from the companies history, so the second one became the fifth Maasdam. The theme for her interiours is the old Dutch East India company and the West India Company trought the 17th and 19th centuries. The ship does have a classic feel about her, combining the historic strenght of the old Holland America Line with all modern needs for todays passenger. Especially because ships of the big companies seem to grow in size to monstreous proportions, these Holland America liners are truly of a midsize that everone could like. Not too small but certainly not big as well. Maasdam was named by actress June Allyson, who was born in 1917 and has starred in many films like LittleWomen (1949) and The Glenn Miller Story (1954). Her fame as its peak during the 1940's and 1950's. She also played Broadway shows and had her own televisionshow. June Allyson passed away in 2006, aged 88. Maasdam's first cruise was from Port Everglades to St. Thomas on the 3rd of december 1993. After her, Ryndam and Veendam followed. They were mostly used for Caribbean and Alaskan cruises, because that was the main region for the company since the 1970's. But when more and more ships were added to the growing fleet in the 1990's, Holland America Line became an important player in the industry just about everywhere in the world. They even celebrated this in their Vista-class of ships, named after every region that they are present at this time. Of course these are east, west, north and south. In 1995, for the first time in decades, the HAL visited Rotterdam again with Maasdam and this was becoming her homeport just one year later. All HAL-ships but Veendam were reflagged that year to the red, white and blue of Holland and with all new ships also under the Dutch flag, Carnival made it possible for the Dutch people to be proud of a fleet of great passengerliners under our own flag. It is not the same company, but their history is still vividly alive. The s-class was recently updated to the 'signature of excellence'-standards, so they can keep up with their bigger and newer fleetmates for hopefully many more years to come. |
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