Summary
MS Volendam is a Rotterdam-class (R-class) cruise ship belonging to Holland America Line. It was built in 1999 and sails out of Australia, Asia, and conducts cruises of the Inside Passage, traversing British Columbia and Alaska.[2] She is the third ship in the fleet with that name, after SS Volendam (1922-1952) and SS Volendam (1972-1984).
 MS Volendam departing from Fremantle Harbour, Western Australia.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Netherlands | |
| Name | Volendam |
| Owner | Carnival Corporation & plc |
| Operator | Holland America Line |
| Port of registry |  Netherlands |
| Builder | Fincantieri |
| Launched | 18 September 1998 |
| Christened | 12 November 1999 |
| In service | 1999 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | Operational |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Rotterdam-class (R-class) cruise ship |
| Tonnage | 60,906 GT |
| Length | 237.0 m (777.6 ft) |
| Beam | 32.3 m (106 ft) |
| Draft | 8.1 m (27 ft) |
| Decks | 10 |
| Speed | 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) |
| Capacity | 1,432 passengers |
| Crew | 647 |
Design and construction edit
Built by Fincantieri, Italy in 1999, Volendam is a Rotterdam-class (R-class) cruise ship, with three sister ships in the Holland America Line fleet; Zaandam, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. She follows the Rotterdam, the lead ship of her class, as the second ship launched in 1999. Volendam is 237 m (778 ft) long, has a 32.3 m (106 ft) beam, and an 8.1 m (27 ft) draft.[3] She has ten decks, and contains cabins for passengers (called staterooms) on six decks,[4] with a ship's capacity of 1,432 guests.[2]
The ship's theme is flowers, and she features floral designs throughout. The atrium contains a sculpture spanning three decks which was created by Luciano Vistosi.[5] Volendam was christened by former professional tennis player Chris Evert on 12 November 1999, who became the ship's godmother.[6]
Volendam was refurbished in 2006 and in 2011, when she entered dry dock for a refit in Singapore.[5][7]
Service history edit
Volendam first entered the Australian market in 2009.[3] A visit to Batemans Bay during a trip circumnavigating Australia in 2010 was cancelled with 48 hours' notice due to "operational issues" which was interpreted by local media as a failure by the town's council to meet the requirements set out by Holland America regarding the town's wharf some twelve months prior to the expected arrival of the ship.[8] During 2011 she was chartered to visit match relevant destinations during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which was hosted in New Zealand.[9]
In 2016, Volendam sails out of Australia/New Zealand and South Pacific, and during the Northern Hemisphere summer sails out of Vancouver, Canada, conducting cruises of the Inside Passage to Alaska.[10] She hosted an Inside Passage cruise in September 2012 to celebrate a hundred years of the Vancouver Sun.[11] In 2013 when Volendam returned to Australian waters, she visited Kangaroo Island for the first time, after a new landing pontoon was installed on the island to allow for it to become a cruise ship destination.[12] After she left Australia for Asia, she visited a variety of Asian countries including Japan, China, South Korea and Vietnam.[13]
On 9 March 2016 she witnessed a total solar eclipse in the Makassar Straight while sailing through Indonesia as part of an extended tour of Asia, hosting a number of astronomy groups and eclipse followers.[14]
edit
On 20 March 2020, due to port restrictions and border closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Volendam was forced to return to Port Everglades in Florida two days ahead of schedule, where passengers debarked,[15] With crew stuck on board, the ship initially remained near the coast of the Bahamas.[16] The pause in cruising was extended multiple times and eventually scheduled to end in May 2022.
Accommodation for Ukrainian refugees edit
In May 2022, as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the City of Rotterdam chartered MS Volendam to be used as a refugee shelter for Ukrainian refugees for three months, with Holland America Line staff providing meals and services.[17][18] Docked in the Merwehaven, the ship's charter was later extended to 14 September 2022.[19]
In popular culture edit
In the 2005 film Into the Blue, Volendam makes a brief cameo when she was docked in the Prince George Wharf port of Nassau, Bahamas.
References edit
- ^ "Advanced Masterdata for the Vessel Volendam". VesselTracker. 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
- ^ a b Knego, Peter. "Cruise ship tour: Holland America Line's Volendam". USA TODAY.
- ^ a b "Carnival Australia Submission to the Independent Review of Enhanced Cruise Ship Access to Garden Island (the Review)" (PDF). Carnival Australia. Australian Government, Department of Defence. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
- ^ "MS Volendam Deck Plan" (PDF). The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 13 May 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "MS Volendam refitting - Drydock" (PDF). HMS Service. 8 June 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
- ^ "Tennis Star Chris Evert to Dedicate Holland America's Newest Ship". South Florida Business Journal. 5 November 1999. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ^ "Holland America names Joe Palermo director, ship refurbishments". MarineLog. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ^ Foy, Sally (19 March 2010). "Cruise market in jeopardy". Batesman Bay Post. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ^ "Adventure World charter Volendam for Rugby World Cup 2011". eTravel Blackbird. 3 May 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ^ Saunders, Aaron (22 April 2012). "Getting up close, personal with Alaska". The Province. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ^ "The Vancouver Sun Anniversary Cruise". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
- ^ "12,500 to arrive on cruises". The Islander. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ^ "Holland America Line's ms Volendam to Sail a Series of Far East Itineraries in Early 2013". PR Newswire. 8 December 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ^ "A Spectacular View of the Total Solar Eclipse". March 9, 2016.
- ^ "Cruise ships crews: Stuck at sea, paydays dwindling and searching for a way home". Stuff. 14 April 2020.
- ^ "'Significant number' of US crew still stuck on cruise ships, State Dept. says". ABC News.
- ^ "2022 News | Ship Will Become Temporary Home for Ukrainian Refugees". www.hollandamerica.com. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
- ^ "Dutch government extends charter contract for housing Ukrainian refugees on HAL's Volendam". 2022-05-13. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
- ^ chrisowen (2022-05-23). "City of Rotterdam Extends Charter with Holland America Line Ship Through September 14 to House Ukrainian Families". Chris Cruises. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
External links edit
- HAL official site