Holland America Line

Holland America Line N.V. (HAL) is an American cruise line operating as a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. Founded in 1873 in Rotterdam, Netherlands as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company (NASM), the company operated regular transatlantic passenger and cargo services between Rotterdam and North America until 1971. As a dedicated cruise line, the company expanded through multiple acquisitions including Westours in 1971, Windstar Cruises in 1988, and Home Lines in 1988. In 1989, the company was acquired by Carnival Corporation.

Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the line's cruise ships carry the names of former transatlantic ocean liners operated by the company. Its current flagship, ''Rotterdam'' (2020), is the seventh ship to bear such a name. As a major operator of cruises and overland tours in Alaska, the company owns multiple hotels and two railroads throughout the state. The line also offers an annual world cruise and cruises throughout the Caribbean, South America, Europe, Asia, and Antarctica.

History

Early decades

Holland America Line was founded in 1873 as the Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij (NASM). Known colloquially and advertised as Holland-Amerika Lijn (HAL), the company was founded after ''Rotterdam'' (I) operated its first crossing from Rotterdam to Hoboken in October of 1872. ''Rotterdam'' (I) operated regular fifteen-day crossings with intermediate stops in Boulogne, France and Plymouth, United Kingdom until she sank in 1883. By that time, the line's fleet had grown to include the combination liners SS ''W.A. Scholten'', SS ''P. Caland'', SS ''Leerdam'', and SS ''Edam''. In 1885, ''Rotterdam'' (II) was acquired to replace the original. HAL's first house flag was introduced at around this time, featuring a tri-band of green-white-green derived from the flag of Rotterdam. This design, which was also replicated on ships' funnels, remained unchanged until 1971.''Rotterdam'' (II) operated the line's first pleasure cruise in 1885, transiting the Kiel Canal to Copenhagen. ''Rotterdam'' (III) followed in 1897 as the company expanded rapidly. ''Statendam'' (I) of 1898 was HAL's first ship of greater than 10,000 gross register tons (GRT) and by the line's 25th anniversary that year, the company had successfully carried over 400,000 immigrants from Europe to North America.

Larger ships

A trio of large ships built at Blohm+Voss entered service starting with SS ''Postdam'' in 1899, ''Rijndam'' (I) in 1901, and ''Noordam'' (I) in 1902. Each ship measured at greater than 12,000 GRT, increasing the line's capacity significantly. In 1902, the independent line was acquired by the International Mercantile Marine Company (IMM). Owned by American industrialist J.P. Morgan as a price-fixing cartel, Holland America was approached by Harland & Wolff shipyard chairman William Pirrie in a transaction that did not disclose his IMM connections.

As an unwitting member of IMM, the line introduced ever-larger ships including the 16,967 GRT ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (I) of 1905 and the 24,129 GRT ''Rotterdam'' (IV) of 1908. Both ships were built by Harland & Wolff.

First World War

''Statendam'' (II) launched in July of 1914 and was due to be HAL's largest-ever ship at 32,120 GRT. However, World War I ignited one month later and the ship was requisitioned by the United Kingdom during outfitting at Harland & Wolff. Reconfigured as the ''Justicia,'' she became the largest troopship to serve in the war and was torpedoed by a U-boat in 1918. NASM eventually accepted compensation in the form of 60,000 tons of steel from the UK Government. Dutch neutrality throughout the war did not spare multiple HAL ships, and the line lost five ships totalling over 30,000 GRT. Two German mines sank SS ''Eemdijk'' in 1915, and in 1916 sank SS ''Blommersdijk''. In February of 1917, sank an entire Dutch convoy including the SS ''Noorderdijk'' and SS ''Zaandijk''.

During the war, Dutch capitalists progressively purchased large shares of HAL from IMM and its subsidiaries. By 1917, these investors had successfully acquired half of IMM's shares in Holland America Line for over $3.5 million. In 1918, American president Woodrow Wilson issued authorization to sieze 89 Dutch ships under angary. Nine of the line's ships were seized by the United States Shipping Board, including ''Rijndam'' (I) who survived the war as a troopship under the name USS ''Rijndam.'' Of these nine ships, only SS ''Ossterdijk'' did not return after sinking due to a collision.

Between the World Wars

''Maasdam'' (I) and ''Edam'' (III) introduced steam turbine power to the Holland America fleet in 1921, entering service as 8,800 GRT ships serving ports including Antwerp, Bilbao, Santander, Gijón, Vigo, and Havana. ''Volendam'' (I) and ''Veendam'' (I) followed in 1922, both of which served the flagship transatlantic route to Hoboken via Southampton, Halifax, and Boulogne.

Also in 1921, the line introduced its first motor ships with MV ''Dinteldijk'' and MV ''Drechtdijk''. The 9,350 GRT refrigerated cargo ships had berths for up to 19 first class passengers and were followed by the larger MV ''Delftdijk'' and MV ''Damsterdijk'' in 1929 and 1930.

''Statendam'' (III) was commissioned at Harland & Wolff for completion in 1924, but Holland America Line ordered work to stop due to a lack of funds. After being laid up in an incomplete state for three years, the Dutch government issued NASM a loan for the ship's completion. After being towed to Wilton's Dok- en Werf Maatschappij in Schiedam, work was finally completed in 1929. Despite the onset of the Great Depression, ''Statendam'' (III) proved economical to run and served on the transatlantic run coupled with cruises to the Caribbean throughout the 1930s.

By 1930 Holland America had expanded as far as the West Coast of the United States via the Panama Canal. In collaboration with Royal Mail Lines, HAL's refrigerated cargo ships (as indicated by the -dijk suffix) ran tandem routes with RML ships including the ''Lochmonar'' and ''Lochgoil''. New destinations for the line on these services included London, Vancouver, Guayaquil, and Bermuda.
In 1937 the line introduced ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (II) as its new flagship. The 36,287 GRT liner cost the line 20 million guilders and immediately became the largest ship in the Dutch merchant fleet. Variously hailed as the 'Darling of the Dutch' and a 'Ship of Tomorrow', ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (II) earned prestige as the new Dutch ship of state, rivaling contemporaries such as the RMS Queen Mary, SS Normandie, and SS Rex. The line's modern logo, in use from 1983 to present day, is an artistic depiction of ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (II) at sea.

Second World War

In World War II, Holland America lost thirteen ships totaling over 140,000 GRT. Early in the war MV ''Binnendijk'' and SS ''Spaarndam'' were lost to mines, and MV ''Burgerdijk'' was sunk by ''U-48'' in 1940. During the German invasion of the Netherlands, multiple HAL ships were burnt out during the battle for Rotterdam. ''Statendam'' (III), MV ''Boschdijk'', and MV ''Dinteldijk'' were lost in the initial battle, with MV ''Boschdijk'' later towed to the Baltic Sea as target practice for the Luftwaffe. MV ''Dinteldijk'' was eventually scuttled in Rotterdam harbor as a blockship.

After the establishment of the Dutch government-in-exile, Holland America announced its intention to charter all of its transatlantic ships to the UK Government with the exception of ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (II). SS ''Pennland'' and SS ''Westernland'' were quickly recquisitioned as troopships, and ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (II) eventually joined the war effort in October of 1940. She survived the war, sailing over half a million miles and transporting over 400,000 military personnel for the allied forces as a troopship.

It is estimated that nearly 200 people were killed in wartime sinkings of HAL ships. The largest loss of life occurred in November of 1942 when sank ''Zaandam'' (II), taking 135 souls. In January of 1941, 39 souls were lost when MV ''Beemsterdijk'' struck a mine. More casualties occurred during the sinking of MV ''Bliderdijk'' by ''U-38'' in October of 1940, ''U-564'''s sinking of ''Maasdam'' (III) in 1941, and the sinking of SS ''Pennland'' during the German invasion of Greece. Another U-boat sinking occurred in September of 1942, when MS ''Breedijk'' was sunk by ''U-34''. Allied forces inflicted losses on board MV ''Drechtdijk'' during an air raid after she had been captured by German forces.

Post-war era

After the war, HAL transported a large wave of immigrants from the Netherlands to Canada and elsewhere. The Rotterdam to Hoboken route continued to serve Southampton, but by 1948 the port of Boulogne was still unable to resume handling large ocean liners. Instead, from February 1948 ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (II) started calling at Le Havre. At first she was the only HAL ship to do so. ''Veendam'' (II) made intermediate calls at Southampton only, and ''Noordam'' (II) and ''Westerdam'' (I) ran direct between Rotterdam and Hoboken. By 1959, Holland America ships were also calling at Cobh, Quebec and Montreal. By 1963, they also served Bremerhaven.

In 1958 Holland America launched ''Rotterdam'' (V), who quickly replaced ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (II) as the new Dutch ship of state. Equipped for both two-class transatlantic service and one-class luxury cruising, her distinctive architecture and modern interior design placed her among the most innovative ships of the era. However, by the late 1960s, air travel began to displace transatlantic liner crossings. ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (II) operated the line's final scheduled transatlantic service in 1971 as the line pivoted to cruising exclusively. To coincide with this change, the line introduced a new dark blue hull color for the entire fleet and rebranded the line's house flag for the first time in its history.

In 1973, the line introduced its first purpose-built cruise ship with ''Prinsendam'' (I) and retired ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (II). Through the line's 1971 acquisition of Westours, an Alaskan tour group, HAL's cruise schedule increasingly prioritized sailings throughout the Pacific Northwest. Rebranded as Holland America Line-Westours, the company built multiple hotels throughout Alaska and acquired the Rocky Mountaineer train line. In 1978, the line reincorporated in the United States and moved its headquarters to Stamford, Connecticut. New purpose-built cruise ships followed in the 1980s, including running mates ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (III) and ''Noordam'' (III). In the late 1980s, the line introduced a new house flag and logo featuring a depiction of ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (II) with Henry Hudson's ''Halve Maen''. An iteration of this logo still exists today as the line's modern logo.

After relocating to Seattle, Washington, the company diversified into luxury cruising through an acquisition of Windstar Cruises in 1988. In that same year, Holland America purchased the struggling Home Lines and renamed the MS ''Homeric'' to ''Westerdam'' (II). In 1989, Carnival Corporation purchased the entire organization for 1.2 billion guilders. The former Dutch owners used the proceeds of the sale to establish the HAL Trust and HAL Investments, both of which are owned by the van Der Vorm family. The logo for these organizations is the line's original tri-band NASM house flag.

US-based cruise line (1989–present)

After being acquired by Carnival Corporation, HAL received a significant cash injection to overhaul and lengthen the newly-acquired ''Westerdam'' (II). A quartet of new purpose-built ships was ordered from Fincantieri in Italy, the first of which entered service in 1993 as the 55,000 GRT ''Statendam'' (V). To much surprise, Carnival Corporation chose not to invest in the popular flagship ''Rotterdam'' (V), selling her to Premier Cruise Lines in 1997. Another quartet of new-build ships soon followed, dramatically increasing HAL's overall capacity. The first ship in the class was the 61,000 GRT ''Rotterdam'' (VI), who enjoyed co-flagship status with running mate ''Amsterdam'' (I). Both ships were distinguished by unique twin-uptake funnels designed to evoke ''Rotterdam'' (V).

In 1996, the line acquired Little San Salvador Island in the The Bahamas for $6 million from Norwegian Cruise Line. After spending over $16 million in renovations and renaming the island to Half Moon Cay, the island opened to HAL and Carnival passengers as a private destination island. At the turn of the century, the line began to sell older tonnage including ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (III) in 2000 and ''Westerdam'' (II) in 2001. ''Noordam'' (II) was bareboat chartered to Thomson Cruises in 2002 but remained under Holland America ownership until being sold in 2018. At around this time, the company's name reverted back to Holland America Line.

The Vista-class quartet of ships entered service starting with ''Zuiderdam'' (II) in 2002. Each of the four ships features a verandah stateroom ratio of 67% and twin funnels. The slightly-enlarged Signature class entered service with ''Eurodam'' (I) in 2008 and ''Nieuw Amsterdam'' (IV) in 2010. In 2015, one year before the introduction of the Pinnacle class, the first Carnival-commissioned ships left the fleet starting with ''Statendam'' (V) and ''Ryndam'' (III). In 2018, HAL acquired another rail line, the White Pass and Yukon Route between Skagway and Whitehorse. In 2019, the line's smallest ship ''Prinsendam'' (II) was sold to German tour group Phoenix Reisen.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, ''Zaandam'' (III) and ''Rotterdam'' (VI) made international headlines due to large numbers of infected passengers, causing them both to be denied passage through the Panama Canal. Both ships were eventually granted passage, returning to Port Everglades, Florida after conducting ship-to-ship transfers of healthy passengers to isolate infected guests. In July of 2020, HAL announced that four ships would leave the fleet, amongst which included co-flagships ''Rotterdam'' (VI) and ''Amsterdam'' (I), ''Maasdam'' (V), and ''Veendam'' (IV). This reduction in force left the ''Zaandam'' (III) and ''Volendam'' (III) as the only remaining small ships in the fleet. Due to the sale of the sixth ''Rotterdam'', the in-progress ''Ryndam'' (IV) was renamed to ''Rotterdam'' (VII), eventually entering service in 2020.

Fleet

Current fleet

Former fleet

See also

* Carnival Corporation & plc

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

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* – routes and ships of the line during the 1950s and 60s.
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{{Authority control

Holland America Line
Carnival Corporation & plc
Companies based in Seattle
Cruise lines
Dutch companies established in 1873
History of Rotterdam
Shipping companies of the Netherlands
Shipping companies of the United States
Transatlantic shipping companies
Transport companies established in 1873
1989 mergers and acquisitions