Thanks to Robert Matthew, Amsterdam’s 2nd engineer, for sending in this cool time lapse video of the ship at Glacier Bay, Alaska! If you look close enough, you’ll catch a glimpse of ms Volendam.

Topics: Alaska, ms Amsterdam, Videos | | No Comments

Congratulations to Ryndam’s Photo Manager Constantin Paduraru, the winner of the recent crew photo competition held in conjunction with HAL’s 140th anniversary. Paduraru’s photo (below) of Amsterdam was taken from Ryndam’s deck as the two ships crossed paths in Alaska in May 2010. The time was approximately 3:30 a.m. and the moon was starting to set. Paduraru managed to snap the photo before the glowing orb disappeared. “I felt that night was a bit magical, and I want to dedicate this picture to all Holland America employees who are working together and through excellence manage to create magical days and nights for their guests and fellow crew,” he said.

Constantin Paduraru, Photo Manager, Ryndam

Below we have included other photographs that were submitted to the contest.

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Topics: Alaska, ms Amsterdam, ms Maasdam, ms Nieuw Amsterdam, ms Ryndam, ms Statendam, ms Volendam, Postcards from..., Staff & Crew | | 1 Comment

Here is a bear behind! This one was just feet away when I first saw it. I don’t know who was more startled, him or me.

Jonathan Bailey was Amsterdam’s safety, environmental and health officer when this was taken. He is now on Rotterdam.

Topics: Alaska, ms Amsterdam | | No Comments

Guest Marijane Carlos has sailed with us many times, and she shared some of her special memories.

Passing Great Piton Mountain as we sail away from St. Lucia on the Noordam.

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Topics: Caribbean, Grand Voyages, Half Moon Cay, ms Amsterdam, ms Noordam | | No Comments

Here are pictures of the recent safari crew tour we went to Inverdoon Nature reserve. A two-hour drive from Cape Town, Inverdoon is well known for its Cheetah Reserve.

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Topics: Grand Voyages, ms Amsterdam, Staff & Crew | | 1 Comment

Dear readers, my apologies for not contributing for several days. Towards the end of one’s contract, there never seem to be enough hours in a day. What with social functions, endless paperwork, (reports in various guises) and the everyday responsibilities of commanding a cruise ship, time to sit and write to you seems to be at a premium.

I write from the Atlantic, we are enroute towards Castries, St. Lucia, where we arrive tomorrow, Saturday. Since writing to you, we have called at Fortaleza and Belem, Brazil, and Devil’s Island, French Guyana. We have been blessed with relatively nice weather, being near the equator we have seen increasing humidity, temperatures and rain, nevertheless, our guests seem to have enjoyed it all.

Fortaleza is Brazil’s 11th most populated city in Brazil and lies on its north-eastern coast. Like many ports we call at, it is mainly commercial, however they are building a new cruise-ship berth which will be completed by 2014. The challenge with this port is the swell, it can roll into the harbour and make docking, or more to the point, staying alongside, difficult. Our pilot informs me that we are the first cruise ship to make it for some time, others having to cancel because of the conditions. Even so, with the swell we ranged up and down on the dock and moorings lines had to be tended all day. I spent the day on board, too much to do and hence the photos come from my ‘roving reporter’, Karen.

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Topics: Captain's Log, Grand Voyages, ms Amsterdam, South America | | 13 Comments

Special thanks to HAL’s Director Mariner Society Gerald Bernhoft for this post.

Spring in Seattle brings with it two Dutch treats: Beautiful tulips of every color of the rainbow and soon the return of Holland America Line ships to our fair city. A sight that rarely graces Seattle’s Elliott Bay was the arrival of the ms Amsterdam and ms Zaandam on the same day which was May 13, 2011. A beautiful sight indeed!

Our Alaska season is beginning. Sister ships ms Oosterdam and ms Westerdam will sail two stunning Southeast Alaska cruises this Spring and Summer. The ms Westerdam will sail every Saturday seven-day roundtrip from Seattle cruises with visits to the state capital of Juneau; famed Glacier Bay; Sitka, which is known for its Russian history; Ketchikan, known as the Salmon Capital of the World, and Victoria, B.C., before returning to Seattle.

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Topics: Alaska, ms Amsterdam, ms Oosterdam, ms Westerdam, ms Zaandam | | 2 Comments

Since we left Fort Lauderdale in January, the Project Linus team has been hard at work. More than 170 blankets, not to mention countless hats and bears, have been made. That is twice as many as last year! (Thanks to Brad Elliott for some of the below photos.)

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Topics: Captain's Log, Good Deeds, Grand Voyages, ms Amsterdam | | 4 Comments