MS Zaandam
Encyclopedia
MS
Zaandam is a cruise ship
owned and operated by Holland America Line
, named for the city of Zaandam
, Netherlands
near Amsterdam
. It was built by Italy’s Fincantieri
yard in Venice
and was delivered in 2000. She is part of the 'R-Class' and a sister ship to MS Volendam
, MS Rotterdam
, and MS Amsterdam
.
MS Zaandam has a musical theme and is decorated with artifacts and memorabilia from different musical genres. Items such as a Baroque
-style Dutch
pipe organ
and guitars signed by the Rolling Stones, Carlos Santana
and Queen can be seen.
One of the aft stairways also has a saxophone signed by former US
President Bill Clinton
.
MS Zaandam was christened by the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate
and Ashley
, in May 2000.
Several earlier vessels also carried the name Zaandam: A single-funnel steam ship known as SS Zaandam (1882–1897) and MS Zaandam (1938–1942). The latter was torpedoed by German submarine U-174 and sank.
Motor ship
A motor ship or motor vessel is a ship propelled by an internal combustion engine, usually a diesel engine. The name of motor ships are often prefixed with MS, M/S, MV or M/V.- See also :...
Zaandam is a cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
owned and operated by Holland America Line
Holland America Line
The Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line...
, named for the city of Zaandam
Zaandam
Zaandam is a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad, and received city rights in 1811...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
near Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. It was built by Italy’s Fincantieri
Fincantieri
Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. is a shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. It was formed in 1959 and is the largest shipbuilder in the Mediterranean, and one of the largest in Europe...
yard in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and was delivered in 2000. She is part of the 'R-Class' and a sister ship to MS Volendam
MS Volendam
MS Volendam is a cruise ship belonging to Holland America Line and named for the city of Volendam. It is an identical sister ship to the . Some features include mini-suites with verandahs, an Internet center, and boutique shopping....
, MS Rotterdam
MS Rotterdam
MS Rotterdam is a cruise ship, the sixth Holland America Line vessel to bear the name, and is one of the two Atlantic flagships of the fleet. Built in Italy in 1997, Rotterdam features fine art and antiques, an internet center, and a spa and fitness center...
, and MS Amsterdam
MS Amsterdam
MS Amsterdam is a cruise ship owned and operated by Holland America Line and is named for the city of Amsterdam in northern Holland. She is the line's "Pacific Flagship" and is a sister ship to . She is the co-flagship of Holland America Line along with the Rotterdam.As with Rotterdam, Amsterdam...
.
MS Zaandam has a musical theme and is decorated with artifacts and memorabilia from different musical genres. Items such as a Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
-style Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
and guitars signed by the Rolling Stones, Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
and Queen can be seen.
One of the aft stairways also has a saxophone signed by former US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
MS Zaandam was christened by the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate
Mary-Kate Olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen is an American actress, producer, author and fashion designer. She made her career debut in 1987 alongside her twin sister Ashley Olsen in the television series Full House...
and Ashley
Ashley Olsen
Ashley Fuller Olsen is an American actress, fashion designer, producer, and author. She co-founded luxury fashion brand The Row and the more affordable line Olsenboye with her twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen and started her own fashion company called Elizabeth and James...
, in May 2000.
Several earlier vessels also carried the name Zaandam: A single-funnel steam ship known as SS Zaandam (1882–1897) and MS Zaandam (1938–1942). The latter was torpedoed by German submarine U-174 and sank.