If not the greatest certainly one of the very top! You know she has to be special for Holland America Line to put new boilers in a nearly 30 year old ship at the end of the age of liners.
Great tribute to a beautiful ship, if I might make a suggestion for a other Dutch liner to cover. What about the Willem Ruys , the build was started in 1939 ,during the war it lay unfinished on the slipway of my hometown. In the war the water supply in the city got destroyed,the ship used its desalination machine to supply the city with water. In 1944 the city was flooded because of fighting,the ships boats were used to move people and supplies. It was finally launched in 1946 and was sold to a Italian shipping line in 1964. From that moment on it was called the Achille Lauro , yes that one.
It's an..average liner, essentially THE basic design of ocean liners during the 1930s(aka, short funnels, etc). I like liners as much as the next guy, but this ain't the greatest liner ever.
My uncle served on her from the maiden voyage through the war years until her last , my Father,Mother & I immigrated from the Netherlands to America and came across on the Nieuw Amsterdam in November 1960. I remember some of the crew playing games with me and taking me into the food storage walk in refrigerator for oranges. Back in those days you had to tip everyone as you received services, when we got off the ship in NYC my uncle took us out for a steak dinner and handed my father a pouch with money …..it was a gift from the crew to us ….every tip my father gave was given back to wish us luck in our new home . It brings tears to my eyes remembering that love . Thank you so much for producing this wonder documentary.
I think that about most classic liners, but it’s just not financially viable. Look at the Queen Mary at the minute, the QE2 is lucky that it’s in Dubai where it will have a constant injection of cash. Though I do agree with you, it would have been cool.
Remember we Dutch almost lost the Rotterdam at the final moment, due to faul play, corruption and bad politics. But she is still among us serving the city she is named after.
Yes, but loot at the Queen Marry. If no one is going to invest in her she will sink. It's in a very bad state. So bad that they even considering towing her and scuttle her. That is how bad her state has become. All the ships that have become Hotels after the service suffers the same state. GREED. No maintenance.
I fully agree with Richard Smeets a quick death by scrapping is better then rotting and rusting away of which the SS United States is a good example,look at the sorry state she is in at her pier in Philadelphia what a sorry sight to see,once the flagship of the U.S merchant navy and for sure part of U.S history. Billions literally Billions are spend on space exploration or oversees wars but a ship like the SSUnited states is neglected and forgotten,all it needs is a $20 million back up from the federal Govt to bring her back to her former glory and put her on a permanent mooring in Lower Manhattan as a hotel ship tourist attraction wedding and conference centre and let her look glamorous as she did before,as that where she belongs and should be for the sake of future generation to follow
My father played guitar on this ship for the passengers. While there, he met a yellow haired girl, who became my mom. He also met his lifelong friend, Mr. Jones, on board this ship.
Those were the days my friend, I thought it would never end..............................!!!!!!!!!!1 work & sail on it in the 1960's, thank you for the memory of this GRAND OLD DAME!!!!!
My uncle was head of first class passenger bookings in NYC and this enabled me to visit the great Holland America Line ships in New York harbor. While never getting to sail on them these visits left a lasting impression on me as a young boy. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
A great video about a practically perfect little ship. The Dutch didn't go for the biggest or the fastest, but Nieuw Amsterdam and Rotterdam had some brilliant design details that made them the rivals of any of the great ships of state. Maybe even more successful looking at it objectively as the superliners went to the breakers one by one and the little Dutch ships sailed on.
The first ship I sailed on as an employee of HAL, our crew cabin was below the water line. It was at HAL where i learned to work hard, serve the pasengers as a doctrine. Never felt any regret will always cherish my working memories, later as a passenger I felt abused by the agressive selling techniques of the oriental crew. "Buy one tin of beer on the deck and yoyu will be allowed to take the rest to your cabin" Oh and you got a cap for free! Where are the days that we could shop in Snt Thomas and walk aboard with enough bottles to last us through the rest of the cruise, nowadays all goes through the inspection ment to deter terrorists and screens your illigal purchases of drinks ashore, to ensure you buy them aboard. Oh how i wish that the Holland in the name of the brand was'nt just a spin from Carnival but a return to the roots
Wonderful Video !! The Nieuw Amsterdam was truly Beautiful ocean liner !! Pride of the Dutch nation. Loved your parting comments! Sometimes” Good “ is enough !!! A point that seems passed over in these modern times!!! Keep up the good work, your videos are Fantastically Entertaining and Intelligent!! This is Easily the best ocean liner blog on RU-vid!!
I loved this video! I'm from The Netherlands so it was really cool seeing this. She's a beautiful ship, and in my opinion one of the few that really pulls of the grey paint well.
I get so much joy out of every upload you make. Liner history always fascinates me no matter how big or small and you cover it beautifully. Thank you for all of the hard work!
No frills, just a good ship! My brother and a friend of ours worked on the ship in its last years. They could see exciting places like New York in the late sixties. Many times my mother and I waved the "Nieuw Amsterdam" off from the pier of Hoek of Holland! Thanks so much for this video, brings it all back!
I own an old 1st class ash tray from this ship. Cool to know i own a little piece of history. It's literally the best designed ash tray in history it's got a handle and all.
I was on it three times: two Caribbean cruises in the 60s, and a transatlantic in 1970. Dutch crew the first cruise, replaced by a Filipino crew the next voyages. Remember seeing the film "Kind Hearts and Coronets" in the movie theater. She was my favorite ship.
What a beautiful tribute to our countries most beloved cruise liner. I've seen her in Rotterdam when my grandmother was boarding in the '50s to see her daughter in the US. Such a beautiful and elegant lady she was! As you said, she was just really good, thanks for the video.
When I was a young teenager I remember when I was fishing on my 14' fiberglass flats boat out of the Tampa Shrimp Docks when I was slowly passed by the Nieuw Amsterdam (this was back in roughly 1996 or 1997) and just stopping to watch her pass. I wasn't concerned about the crazy wake from her or the tug that was following her, but I sure was when it got closer! Still, I wonder what happened to that beautiful ship. I'm sure she's been scrapped, but my first cruise when I was 15 was on the Grandeur of the Seas on her 50th voyage and she's still in service! Heck, I still have the VHS with both of my parents on it. I wasn't, but it was my only cruise and I really loved it. The captain even invited me up on the bridge, gave me his hat, and let me steer the ship from the tiny wheel...with autopilot engaged obviously.
I travelled from Liverpool to Halifax on the Statendam as a young boy and remember it well. The family was heading to Canada above the ocean while my father followed suit bringing over the new submarine for the Canadian navy ,The HMCS Ojibwa.
Her last voyage date 12•7•73, I remember well. Not for the ships sake, but for mine. I was 12, and later that night, I woke up, and was having trouble breathing, my mom called the ambulance. When leaving our house, they dropped my gurney down, the front steps (this was the days of volunteer, ambulance service). I remember the ride to the hospital. I had come down with bronchial, pneumonia. I recall the next few days, being in an oxygen tent, with nurses standing around me, smoking cigarettes🚬!! What's this got to do with this story? Nothing, it's just my story🙄!!
I recently discovered your channel, and am really enjoying it. Your narratives are always informative and your tone of voice is very relaxing, perfect for talking about the grand ladies of the seas. I have always been fascinated with things nautical, hailing from the coast of Maine, USA it almost a requirement, and have found many channels and videos about warships, and of course Titanic and other very famous ships, but as far as I know your channel is unique. My dream trip has always been a trans Atlantic crossing aboard a true ocean liner. Cruising on a barge with a gigantic hotel on top has never held any appeal. My partner and I had planned on flying to Germany (he works for an airline) where we would tour Germany, then board Queen Mary II in Hamburg and make the crossing back to New York ( first class of course hehe). Unfortunately I was diagnosed with a tumor in my head and neck and was forced to retire with a major reduction in income. I didn't want my partner to spend his life in rural Maine caring for me, so while I returned home, he went to Houston and received a nice promotion with his airline. I have survived longer than i expected and i enjoy looking out on t hff e Atlantic ocean and thinking about a trans Atlantic crossing. A channel like yours helps the dream, so thank you for taking the time to bring us these stories. I look forward to your next sailing .
Very nice with your carefully curated content and a presentation style that holds interest. Are you a professional writer I wonder. A lot of archival work went into this. I would have loved this ship, thanks for the telling.
My aunt, uncle, and cousins sailed on the Nieuw Amsterdam in the mid-60s when they moved to the Netherlands for a year. I saw them off in New York. The ship then was very much as you describe: modest, cozy, and homelike, more like the Furness Line cruise ship, Queen of Bermuda, in spite of its larger size.. As a youngster, I thought biggest meant best, so was enamored of the Cunard Queens Mary and Elizabeth. Still, the "Darling of the Dutch" was a beauty and my relatives raved about their crossings to and from Europe.
I listen to your stories over and over and still find myself engrossed in your telling of the ships and the crews, captains and passengers. You’ve done so much research that each story is as good as the first. I’ll always be waiting for more. Thank you very much.
Wonderful video! Thanks for the background of HAL. It's always my favourite cruise line. Every ship I have been on has been consistent with this philosophy.
My parents were born and raised in Rotterdam. Mom was only ten in 1936, but she watched the Nieuw Amsterdam being launched. Dad told me that on April 1st, a few days before the launch, the newspaper had a front-page story that engineers had determined that the ship was too big to be launched into the Maas River and would hit the opposite side so they were going to use huge balloons to lift the incomplete hull off the slipway and deposit it gently in the river. Hundreds of people showed up to see this amazing feat before realizing it was an April Fool's joke. 😄
You emigrated to the #1 nation, but needed 100 flavors of hagelsslag? No Choices? Whnt back, why that? Rotterdam??? mad video it is...hail who? Royalties?
Dad, grandparents, and even my great aunt and uncle chose to emigrate to the USA during the summer of 1955. This beautiful ship provided the transport, lol. Amazing! (It is to me, anyway) In fact, my great grandparents came over the year before, onboard another storied liner -; the “Ile De France.” Amazing video, love to see these ships getting some the well-deserved attention they deserve!
She was a beautiful lady. Beautiful history and more than a little poignant towards her latter years. Sort of like I feel at times. Thank you for sharing her with me.
This video is actually genuinely underated and damm and why do the music near the start actually sound like the dramatic irony from honkai star rail. ❤😂🎉
Wonderful tribute. She was, indeed, a beauty, her decor the perfect midpoint between Queen Mary’s somewhat goopy middle class approach to modern decor, and Normandie’s intimidating chic. Her popularity is easy to understand.
Another well done video story. Such a great ship. I got to see her only once. It was a glittering autumn day, she was sailing out of NY harbor, and we got to see her from the hill in St George and the ferry terminal ❤️❤️
On 8 November 1971 SS Nieuw Amsterdam departed from Rotterdam for her final North Atlantic crossing. I was, with my parents and siblings, in the crowd watching from the Parkkade. It was a windy, rainy day.
I have a video topic suggestion: The story of Royal Mail Lines's greatest ship, the RMS Andes. She was a 1939 ocean liner also meant for cruising, she had a career like no other, she started her career in ww2 as a troop transport.
On the 9th of january 1974, she made her final passenger voyage. A farewell cruise to LA. She had already been pulled out of service and docked by december, but such were the fond memories of both passengers and crew, that they paid their respects by sailing her one last time....
Wonderful!! I love the background you give and the context in which these ships are working. History and ships are my favourite subjects so you’ve got hooked!! Great job and thanks for all your hard work and research!! 😊👌
Fantastic video as always. Do you have a patreon by any chance? These productions values are far too good, to not have a way to show our appreciation haha
*YES, YES, YES, YES, YES. :D* I absolutely adore this ship, and she is 100% in my top 10. It's remarkable the effort she put up in WW2 when she was never meant for hostility in the first place. In some ways, it brings me back to the saying “There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.” In this case, a gentle lady. Additionally, I also learned a few new things about Dutch history. Did not know that New York used to be Nieuw Amsterdam (or maybe I did 'cause it sounds kinda familar, but I forgot), or that the Queen whose name I will not try to spell was the first female billionaire in American dollars. Today was not wasted in the least. I wish that rather keeping her in service longer than she was able that Holland America retired her earlier. Maybe they would've been in a better financial situation to save her. You put it very well. Like the Mary, she represented the best of her nation. And while she wasn't the largest or the fastest or even the grandest, end of the day, she was all I could really ask for in a ship. :) Btw, I think now would be a good time to tell you about the Linerlympics. It's a tournament on Reddit which has been going on for a few weeks now, and as the name suggests, we have some of the greatest liners throughout history throwing down for the title of ultimate champion. A few no-brainers, but also a few upsets. We're currently in the quarter finals, and while I hate to say Nieuw Amsterdam fell short of qualifying - she was soundly beat by none other than the Aquitania - she did very well for herself getting this far and lost nothing in defeat. She did her people proud. :D www.reddit.com/r/Oceanlinerporn/comments/pzs7rm/linerlympics_2nd_quarter_final_united_states/
I moved to America as a baby aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam. My parents were American teachers who'd been teaching in the Netherlands, then Denmark, where I was born. My Dutch born toddler brother explored the decks on a long leash and harness; deigned for young human kids, to not fall in the cold North Atlantic. He has a family-famous photo of himself, so exploring the deck on his harness-leash.
I sailed on the Nieuw Amsterdam from Rotterdam to NYC in 1957. Saw my first movie onboard, The Vikings (with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis). As I recall, my brother and I had a small inside cabin without a window. That's about all I remember.
My favorite ship. Oh how I love her. Thank you for this wonderful tribute. Now, what’s this “Titanic” of which you speak? I’m intrigued. Does she have a story?
My grandfather worked with the holland america line as a summer job, he worked on the Maasdam as a cleaner and one day after the drydock company had installed new sprinklers he and his friends wanted to test them, so what they did was genius. They held a lighter underneath a fire detector and everything went off, the drydock company was confused so rhey had to check the whole system, but now we know fire supression systems onboard HAL ships are really good.
My grampa and us were invited over to have lunch on board while anchored off Pampatar coast in Margarita Island, Venezuela, back in early 70s if I remember well
I get teary eyed thinking of her return to the Netherlands after the war. Must have been quite a moment for the citizens to welcome her home. So sad to have her tore apart in foreign waters - dismantling in the Netherlands would have allowed for better preservation of her components.
Would love to see you do a Sitmar Ship or two. The Fairstar springs to mind as their last operating ship but there are many older ships that got a new lease of life under Sitmar
It's fascinating how the great ships of this era (and I'm thinking specifically of Cunard Queens, the Normandie, and the United States) really reflected their home countries.
Truly a beautiful ship, I think she might have looked better if her funnels were a different color (or if she had one more funnel or if the funnels were just a little bit bigger), but she is a beauty and has a special place in my heart now.
@@stephenhemingway8218 yes it is at least geographically part of Ireland, as the name suggests. It's not part of the Republic of Ireland. Same way it's part of the UK but not geographically part of Britain, regardless of how people their might identify themselves.
Hey there, i have a question. I probably have one of the chandeliers of one of the dutch ocean liners but i cant find pictures of this lightfixture. Its made of copper and was painted to look like marble (had to remove the flaking lead paint) and it has brass curls on it. How do you find resources for these ships?
const. critisims here: A. Love the music choice at 1:28 B. I feel like it could have been just that little bit sweeter if you had sinced up the film transitions to thd piques of the music. If done right, it looks professional af. I think it's why SAD-ist was so successful with her animations on the DSMP (a minecraft server w/ a giant fanbase because of it's thick and developing plot). But especially with these musical pieces with dramatic scales up and down and quick note succession, sincing it up could emphasize the sheer pleathura of different factors in a situation or series of events since it (usually) shows so much in a short period of time. Edit: ok after rewatching the scene, you did alright with it in some areas, like the guy on the balcony. But towards the middle and early end, it looses it a lil bit.
