MS Zaandam

MS Zaandam is a cruise ship owned and operated by Holland America Line, named for the city of Zaandam, Netherlands near Amsterdam. She was built by Italy’s Fincantieri in Venice, and delivered in 2000. Zaandam 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 United States President Bill Clinton.

MS Zaandam was christened by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, in May 2000.

Several earlier vessels also bear 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.

Current Cruises

Zaandam sails out of Alaska during the summer and during the winter sails Mexico and Hawaii. In December and January, the Zaandam cruises the Antarctic and South America.

Zaandam

Zaandam (Dutch pronunciation: [zaːndɑm]) is a city 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. It is located on the Zaan, close to the North Sea Canal, and is close to Amsterdam.

The statistical district Zaandam, which covers the city and the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 72,597.

Zaandam was a separate municipality until 1974, when it became a part of the new municipality of Zaanstad.

History

Zaandam (formerly called Saenredam) and the surrounding Zaan River region, called the Zaanstreek, have a history that is intimately connected with industry.

In the Golden Age, Zaandam served as a large milling center. Thousands of windmills powered saws that were processing Scandinavian wood for the shipbuilding and paper industries. A statue was commissioned from the Bosnian Serb sculptor Slavomir Miletić in honor of this era, and the statue, “The Woodworker” (“De Houtwerker”), was installed on 20 June 2004.