Cruising on an ocean of luxury
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from August 1984.
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The impressive-looking gentleman with the New York accent was the first to affix a signature - then he and his wife organized a gathering of other signatures until they had more than 800 from a passenger list of nearly 1,200.
"We love this ship."
"Why should the beautiful new one go to the West Coast?" "What kind of management policy is that?" Passengers, many of whom had sailed with Holland America several times, were genuinely indignant that the magnificent new ship would leave Eastern waters.
They spoke of the West as though it were on another planet. I smiled as I listened, but, in truth, found it hard to blame them.
The Nieuw Amsterdam is $150 million worth of solid floating comfort. "Why," said Bob Pfizer from New Jersey, "every day I feel like a king." And well he might.
Holland America's $150 million has bought not only the state of the art in technology, but one of the handsomest, most comfortable interiors afloat.
Technically, the Nieuw Amsterdam is designed to replace the luxury liners of the past with such advances as engines which are 30 percent more fuel efficient than the steam-powered predecessors. Automatic and remote-operated controls for most of the ship's vital systems are concentrated on the bridge or in the engine room's glass-enclosed, air-conditioned central control room, and often in both these places. Naturally, the Nieuw Amsterdam has the latest satellite navigation and communication equipment.
Tours of the bridge and even the kitchen reveal only sleekly wrapped electronic marvels of machinery in shining clean surroundings.
Nothing has been sacrificed in luxury, comfort and style.
Whoever designed the public rooms deserves special praise. (Credit is given to a Holland America team of Jacob Van den Berg, senior vice president, with help of Gerard van Veen and Jack Toet.) No huge, high-tech, gaudy Las Vegas, Nev., style here. Instead, there are many cozy, warm and intimate gathering places. Soft colors, warm woods, unusual decorative objects abound.
Throughout the ship are displays of artifacts and a collection of paintings, sculptures and antiques which recall the warm ties which existed between Holland and America in the 17th and 18th centuries. The collection would thrill any curator and draws many favorable remarks from passengers.
(It would be helpful, though, if more of the objects were identified in the cases as well as in the printed guide available from the front desk.)
One group quickly labeled The Crow's Nest, the bar and lounge on the Sun Deck, as their own for cocktails and after-dinner drinks. Another drifted toward the Henry Hudson bar for "heart starters" each morning, and later for pre-dinner drinks and tasty Indonesian appetizers. Bridge lovers concentrate on lessons and tournaments in the bright and airy card rooms. The Book Chest is filled with well-stocked shelves and big leather chairs for the readers in the group. The Explorers' Lounge gathers the game players. At mid-afternoon, tea and sweets are served there, with a strolling string group supplying background music.
A well-equipped theater shows first-run films twice a day. (It also hosted a standing-room-only crowd for mass every morning on the passage I enjoyed.) Two swimming pools, (one is saltwater with a wave machine), a Jacuzzi, sauna and completely equipped gym with instructor are available for those who try to stay in shape despite the endless meals. One masseuse is available to help straighten out the kinks (they could easily keep two or three fully busy). And a well-staffed beauty salon adds the finishing touches.
There are decks and semi-decks with comfortable lounge chairs for those who prefer to idle in the sun. Traditional shipboard games such as skeet shooting, shuffleboard and such have their own deck space. (There are 11 decks in all.)
Cabins - or "guest staterooms" as Holland America terms them - 605 of them, range from superior deluxe suites with large windows to those on the lower decks with Pullman-style beds and portholes.
The decor leans largely on pale wood-finished walls to keep a light feeling, with bright chintzes in the coral and soft-green ranges for accent and warmth.
Cabins are remarkably large, even on the lower decks - with well-engineered closet space everywhere. The bedside table holds controls for the whole room lighting system, which is based on a new design very restful to the eyes but easy to read by. Closed-circuit color TV delivers an amazing variety of programs from current movies to exercise classes being held in other rooms aboard ship.
