Ships, facilities and decor

Holland America Line ships are relatively intimate by current standards, with the smallest ship carrying just 794 guests, most ships under 1,450, and the largest carrying around 2,000.

Size matters: Especially with ships under 1,500 guests it is easy to get to know the people around you. Even on a ship of 2,000 it is not hard to find your friends. This creates a warmer social atmosphere than on larger ships.

Décor on Holland America Line ships typically fosters a feeling of cozy elegance. Lounges are designed to have intimate nooks. Brass fittings, rich colors and teak abound. All ships have an abundance of museum-quality artwork (including Capt. Stephen J Card's excellent nautical paintings), but Amsterdam and Noordam are particularly noteworthy for their exceptional art collections and richly nautical feel.

Ships are typically kept fastidiously clean, brass is constantly polished, and the teak decks are lovingly looked-after. Referencing a 1950s-era ad campaign, some ship buffs still refer to HAL as "the spotless fleet."

That said, on some occasions there are harmless but visible maintenance snafus - e.g., an out-of-order coffee machine, a missing light ornament. It seems that anything the onboard crew can address is fixed promptly, but the availability of "non-essential" (i.e., cosmetic) spare parts seems to be more constrained than on other Premium lines. This is an unusual black-mark for an otherwise excellent cruise line.

Facilities

You will not find a rock climbing wall on Holland America Line ships, but they do have a range of features that appeal to guests who prefer more intimate mid-sized ships. Features include...

• Tennis court (can also be used for volleyball or basketball)
• Well-equipped fitness center with classes and personal training available (use of the fitness center is free, classes and personal training are at additional charge)
• Wrap-around teak promenade deck for strolling
• At least one dance club: the Crow's Nest is on all ships, Vista-class and Signature-class ships also have Northern Lights
• Multiple bars and lounges, including a dedicated piano bar
• Movie theater separate from the main show lounge
• Demonstration kitchen for cooking demonstrations and lessons
• Main show lounge for evening entertainment, enrichment lectures and games (e.g., bingo)
• Swimming pool with retractable Magradome ceiling for cold-weather swimming (exception: Prinsendam). All ships except Prinsendam also have an additional pool at the back of the ship
• Full-service salon and spa with Thalassotherapy pool ($20/day) and saunas (complimentary)
• At least three restaurants: the main formal dining room, the casual Lido, and the Pinnacle Grill
• Explorations Café, a Starbucks-style coffee bar
• Well-stocked library with books, magazines and audio listening stations
• Dedicated youth facilities. All ships except Prinsendam have well-equipped facilities for youth of different ages. That said, there are relatively few children onboard except during school holidays

Ships Currently in the Fleet

Holland America Line currently has 13 ships in the fleet, with Eurodam coming Summer 2008. All ships in the same class are essentially the same. The decor will be different, but in most respects (size, facilities) they are the same, and are referred to as "sister" ships.

The Elegant Explorer

• Prinsendam - 794 guests

R-Class

• Amsterdam - 1380 guests
• Rotterdam - 1320 guests
• Volendam - 1440 guests
• Zaandam - 1440 guests

S-Class

• Maasdam - 1266 guests
• Ryndam - 1266 guests
• Statendam - 1266 guests
• Veendam - 1266 guests

Vista Class

• Noordam - 1918 guests
• Oosterdam - 1848 guests
• Westerdam - 1848 guests
• Zuiderdam - 1848 guests

Signature Class

• Eurodam (to be introduced Summer 2008)

About the names: Holland America Line follows a Dutch convention that passenger ships all have a name ending in -dam. For this reason, you may see HAL enthusiasts with hats, shirts and other items that say "Dam Ships". Most of the ships are named after places in Holland, though the Vista class are named after points on the compass (Noor = north, Ooster = east, Zuider = south, Wester = west).