At Sea with Doug Newman

Yesterday I enjoyed a lovely visit and luncheon aboard Holland America Line’s Veendam. The 55,758 gross ton, 1,266-passenger Veendam was built in 1996 as the last of the four Statendam-class ships, following sisters Statendam (1993), Maasdam (1993) and Ryndam (1994). The first ships built for HAL after the company was acquired by Carnival Corporation and its first new ships in a decade, they can be considered to be the first “modern” HAL ships, and they introduced concepts like the atrium and private balcony to the fleet for the first time. Virtually identical except for decor and artwork, the success of the four Statendam-class ships inspired the design of the Rotterdam-class ships that followed (Rotterdam in 1997, Volendam in 1999, and Zaandam and Amsterdam in 2000); while they are longer and have a different hull design, their accommodation design borrows heavily from the Statendam-class ships creating a continuity between these eight ships that make up almost two thirds of the HAL fleet.

Despite the similarities between the two classes, many who have experienced both strongly prefer either the smaller, more intimate Statendam-class ships or the more spacious Rotterdam-class ships. The latter has long been one of my favorite modern ship designs but I hadn’t yet made it aboard one of the Statendam-class ships so I was eager to compare the two and see which I would prefer. Given the similarities between the two classes I knew I’d like Veendam; it was just a question of which I liked more. Given my very strong affection for Rotterdam in particular, that would give Veendam a tall order to fulfill.

After spending a day aboard Veendam, I would say I still give the edge to the Rotterdam-class, but only just. The Rotterdam-class ships feel just that little bit more spacious to me, and I much prefer the layout of their main lounges - one of the few areas that was completely redesigned - to that of the Statendam-class ships. Otherwise, there is little to choose between the two: the Statendam and Rotterdam classes are very, very similar from a passenger’s perspective. It’s the rare person who likes one but not the other, and for good reason. The Statendam-class ships do feel ever so slightly smaller, but just slightly - they are still quite close in size and have a very similar overall feel. Once on board, aside from the obvious lack of a third main staircase, there isn’t a great deal to make it obvious that you’re on a Statendam-class ship rather than a Rotterdam-class one; I suspect many would never even notice the difference. That’s fine with me - all eight of them share a lot of features I really like, yet unlike some other lines’ ships, each one has distinctly different decor (it’s all easily identifiable as being on a HAL ship of this particular era, but by no means it is all the same), creating a nice balance between giving each ship a unique personality and making returning HAL passengers feel at home no matter which vessel they’re aboard.

So what is it I like so much about these ships? Well, for one thing, there’s that special atmosphere that makes me feel at home whenever I step aboard a Holland America ship. You can feel it on the newer, larger Vista-class ships, but on the Statendam- and Rotterdam-class ships it seems stronger and more pronounced, as though these ships represent a purer version of HAL than their larger siblings. (It probably helps that I really don’t like very large ships all that much, not that the Vista-class ships are big by today’s standards.) But of course it goes beyond the fact that I like the company that built and operates them - you won’t find me this enthusiastic about the Vista-class, after all, and those are HAL ships too! These ships simply have an awful lot of very desirable features, including great deck space (their promenade decks are still the best I’ve seen anywhere), the biggest cabins of any ships in their price range, a very generous passenger-space ratio, a logical, manageable layout and an unusually wide variety of public areas for ships their size, including such non-revenue-generating spaces as a real cinema and Explorers, a “quiet” lounge for after-dinner classical concerts. Inside and out, they look like ships rather than floating hotels, and they’re some of the last North American-market ships of this size (under 1,500 passengers) you can sail without paying an arm and a leg. They may not have any attention-grabbing “headline features” but they do provide an excellent job of providing a very comfortable, moderately traditional, moderately upscale cruise experience, and all at very reasonable fares.

Holland America’s ships are always well-kept and Veendam is no exception; many ships look shabby by the time they’re her age but she was spotless inside and out. Following a major refit in 2006 to implement HAL’s Singature of Excellence initiative, she features the latest amenities including a brand-new spa, a wine bar, heavily refurbished cabins with fantastic luxury bedding, flat-panel LCD televisions, DVD players and other goodies, and my favorite feature of all, the Explorations Café. I first experienced this on 2005 aboard Rotterdam and this combination library, internet café and coffee bar - which replaces the ship’s formerly adjacent library, internet café and card room (the latter has now been moved into the Queens Room, a small room just aft of Explorations that originally served as a private dining room) - is truly the “living room” of the ship. It’s a great place to sink into a comfy leather chair with a cup of coffee and your laptop or a good book. (Pity they charge for the coffee.)

My lunch in the two-deck Rotterdam Dining Room, a room that still impresses 14 years after its design was introduced on Statendam, confirmed that HAL continues to maintain the high level of food and service its passengers expect. I haven’t had a chance to sail with HAL in two years but it is certainly good to see that the line is keeping up its usual standards. Veendam is certainly a delightful ship - a true modern classic - and one I would gladly sail aboard any time.