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MSWesterdam

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WesterdaminSan Juan,Puerto Ricoin 2015
History
NameWesterdam
NamesakeWestern compass point
OperatorHolland America Line
Port of registryNetherlands
BuilderFincantieri
Yard numberMarghera
Launched16 July 2003
ChristenedApril 2004
In service2004–present
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics (as built)
Class and typeVista-classcruise ship
Tonnage81,811GT
Length936 ft (285.3 m)
Beam105.8 ft (32.2 m)
Decks11 passenger decks
PropulsionDiesel-electric;ABBAzipods
Speed
  • 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph) (maximum)
  • 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) (service)
Capacity1,964 passengers
Crew800
General characteristics (following April 2007 refit)
Tonnage82,500GT
Capacity1,964 passengers

MSWesterdamis aVista-classcruise shipowned byHolland America Line.She is the third ship of the class to be operated by the line, as well as being the third ship to bear the nameWesterdam.Hersister shipsareOosterdam,Zuiderdam,andNoordam.The beginning of the four ships' names represent the four directions of the compass in Dutch.

Construction and career

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Westerdamat a terminal in Hafen von Piräus
WesterdamatKaohsiung,Taiwanin 2023

Westerdamwas christened on 25 April 2004 inVenice, Italyby Dutch actressRenée Soutendijk.[1]As with all Vista-class ships,Westerdamis equipped with aCODAGpower plant and anAzipodpropulsion system. The theme of her art collection is Dutch heritage in theNew World.Paintings of historic Dutch ships, such asHenry Hudson'sHalve Maen(Half Moon), and various sculptures and statues are displayed throughout the ship. Contemporary pieces include an originalAndy Warholportrait and sculptures bySedonaartistSusanna Holt.[2]In an April 2007 refit 34 cabins were added as well as modifications to several public areas of the ship.[3][4]

On 10 May 2011 while maneuvering throughYakutat Bay,south ofKluane National Park,British Columbia,Westerdamstruck ice and incurred hull damage 15 feet (4.6 m) below the waterline.[5]

On 28 June 2014,Westerdamsuffered aboiler room[clarification needed]fire after leaving thePort of Seattle.There were 2,086 passengers and 798 crew members on board, with no reported injuries. She returned to Seattle and was cleared the next day by theUnited States Coast Guardto return to sea.[6][7]

On 25 June 2015, aPromech Airde Havilland Canada DHC-3 Ottercarrying a pilot and eight passengers fromWesterdamon a Holland America Line sightseeing excursion over southeasternAlaskacrashed into the face of agranitecliff nearElla Lake,20 miles (32 km) northeast ofKetchikan,killing all nine people on board.[8]

2019–20 coronavirus pandemic

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See also:COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships

In February 2020, the cruise ship, departing after a stop inHong Kongon 1 February, was denied to call in thePhilippines,Japan,andGuamover concerns regarding coronavirusSARS-CoV-2.[9][10]After initially receiving approval on 10 February to let the passengers disembark in Thailand, as the ship was heading to Laem Chabang port near Bangkok, permission to dock was refused the next day. However, the ship was still maintaining its course to Bangkok and at around 10:30 amCETon 11 February,Westerdamsailed around the southern tip of Vietnam.[11][12][13]According to Flip Knibbe, a Dutch passenger on the ship, all the passengers have had their temperatures checked a second time. Speaking toNOSon 11 February, Knibbe said "Dit schip is virusvrij":'This ship is virus free'. Unlike the cruise shipDiamond Princess,which is located in the port of Yokohama in Japan, those on board are not in quarantine. Everyone can move freely, shops and restaurants are open and the entertainment program continues.[13]

On 13 February, the ship was allowed to dock inSihanoukville,Cambodia.[14]On 15 February, Malaysia reported that an 83-year-oldUS citizenwho disembarkedWesterdamand flew into Malaysia on 14 February had tested positive for COVID-19.[15]In a second test, requested both by the Holland America Line and Cambodian authorities, the woman tested positive again.[16]Despite these findings, Cambodian Prime MinisterHun Senvisited the ship, discouraged use of masks, and encouraged the passengers to tour the city, sparking concerns that another spoke was being added to the contagion network.[17]

On 19 February, the last 233 passengers of theWesterdamcruise were cleared to disembark after all tests to determine the infection of COVID-19 in the 781 passengers ofWesterdamgave negative results;[18]the 747 crew members remain on board pending a final decision from the ownerHolland America Line.[19]

It is thought that about 650 of the guests on board the ship were from the US, 270 from Canada, 130 from the UK, 100 from the Netherlands, 50 from Germany and several passengers from Australia. The crew consisted largely of Indonesians and Filipinos.[20]

PastWesterdamships

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The firstWesterdamsailed for Holland America Line from 1946 to 1965. It was a combined cargo/passenger ship with accommodations for 143 first-class passengers. While being constructed during World War II, this ship was sunk three times before making its maiden voyage. It was bombed and sunk byAllied forceson 27 August 1942 in the shipyard inRotterdam.TheGermansraised the ship in September 1944, but it was quickly sunk by theDutchunderground forces. After being raised a second time, theresistanceagain sank it on 17 January 1945. The ship was finally completed and operated on the transatlantic run making two eight-day crossings each month between Rotterdam and New York.[21]She ended her career on 4 February 1965 when she was sold to Spain as scrap.[22]

The secondWesterdambegan service asHomericforHome Linesin 1986. Holland America Line acquired the ship in 1988 where the ship was lengthened in 1989 by 130 feet. After 643 cruises spanning over 13 years with Holland America, she was transferred to sister company,Costa Crocierein 2002, and renamedCosta Europa.[21]Since then, she has been placed on a ten-year lease toThomson Cruises,active as of April 2010, and renamed once more asThomson Dream.

References

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  1. ^"Holland America Names Dutch Actress Renée Soutendijk As Godmother To MSWesterdam".News release.Holland America Lines.9 April 2004.Retrieved3 August2008.
  2. ^"MSWesterdam".Holland America Line. Archived fromthe originalon 12 November 2016.Retrieved25 September2007.
  3. ^"Holland America Line's Investment in Signature of Excellence Surpasses $425 Million".News release.Holland America Line. 1 November 2007.Retrieved3 August2008.
  4. ^"Fast Fact Sheet – MSWesterdam"(PDF).Holland America Line. September 2007. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 11 June 2011.Retrieved3 August2008.
  5. ^"Cruise ship hits fixed ice; some damage but hull not breached".The Anchorage Daily News.Associated Press. 11 May 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 14 May 2011.Retrieved12 May2011.
  6. ^"Boiler Room Fire Forces Cruise Ship Back to Port".Chicago Tribune.Reuters. 30 June 2014.Retrieved1 July2014.
  7. ^"Boiler room fire forces cruise ship back to port".New York Post.Associated Press. 29 June 2014.Retrieved30 June2014.
  8. ^Varandani, Suman, "Alaska Plane Crash: 9 People Killed After Sightseeing Plane Carrying Cruise Ship Passengers Crashes," ibtimes.com, June 26, 2015, 12:27 AM EDT.
  9. ^"Cruise ship that visited Hong Kong searches for a port after Philippines, Japan deny entry".USA Today.6 February 2020.Retrieved6 February2020.
  10. ^Jerick Sablan (7 February 2020)."Guam denies entry to ship over coronavirus concerns".Pacific Daily News.Retrieved9 February2020.
  11. ^"Thailand bars Westerdam cruise ship, China virus toll tops 1,000".Bangkok Post.11 February 2020.Retrieved11 February2020.
  12. ^"Thailand refuses entry to cruise ship with no coronavirus cases".Reuters.11 February 2020.Retrieved11 February2020.
  13. ^ab"Nederlanders vast op cruiseschip Westerdam: 'We hebben behoorlijk spijt'".nos.nl(in Dutch). 11 February 2020.Retrieved11 February2020.
  14. ^"Cruise ship rejected by five ports docks at last".BBC News.13 February 2020.Retrieved13 February2020.
  15. ^"Coronavirus: Westerdam cruise passenger infected, Malaysia confirms".South China Morning Post.15 February 2020.Retrieved15 February2020.
  16. ^"American Woman from Cruise Ship Tests Positive Again for Coronavirus in Malaysia".The New York Times.16 February 2020.Retrieved16 February2020.
  17. ^Beech, Hannah (17 February 2020)."Cambodia's Coronavirus Complacency May Exact a Global Toll".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved18 February2020.
  18. ^"Last passengers leave the cruise ship in Cambodia after discarding COVID-19".La Vanguardia.19 February 2020.Retrieved20 February2020.[permanent dead link]
  19. ^"Updated Statement Regarding Westerdam".hollandamerica.20 February 2020.Retrieved20 February2020.
  20. ^"Coronavirus: How did Cambodia's cruise ship welcome go wrong? - BBC News".BBC News.20 February 2020.Retrieved31 March2020.
  21. ^ab"What's in a Name: Vista Ships Reflect Tradition"(PDF).Holland America Lines. January 2006. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 11 June 2011.Retrieved29 July2008.
  22. ^"The History of Holland America'sWesterdamShips ".ships of the past.shipsandcruises.com. Archived fromthe originalon 12 March 2015.Retrieved1 April2010.
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