The MS Eurodam is one of the largest ships in the Holland America Line fleet and is the company’s first Signature-class ship in its fleet of 14 vessels. The 2,104-passenger ship has 929 crew members. Launched on 28 September 2007, completed on 16 June 2008 and christened on 1 July 2008 by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, the Eurodam spent its first summer season in European inaugural events and cruising the Baltic regions.
The ship embarked on its first transatlantic crossing in August 2008 and will sail Canada/New England itineraries in the autumn, followed by a Caribbean schedule for the remainder of 2008. The ship will then return to Europe in summer 2009. With an estimated building cost of $447m (€285m), the 86,700GRT Panamax Eurodam was constructed at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard.
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The Eurodam will further the evolution of Holland America Line’s mid-sized ships, being its first ship that can carry over 2,000 passengers.
Holland America has also exercised its option to order another ship from Fincantieri (a sister ship to the Eurodam), which will be launched in 2010 at a cost of over $563m.
Staterooms
The ship’s staterooms and suites feature a distinctly different décor to the rest of the Holland America fleet. The staterooms, suites and corridors feature a mono-chromatic design, enhanced with wood tones and burnished nickel fixtures. NB Design Group of Seattle was the interior designer for the ship.
Holland America president and CEO Stein Kruse said: “To create this stylish new décor we sought a design firm capable of providing a fresh look while retaining a tailored, Euro-classic aesthetic…NB Design Group has succeeded wonderfully by introducing different woods and textures and fresh colour combinations.”
Nancy Burfiend, principal designer and founder of NB Design Group, added: “The intent was to transform each stateroom and suite into a calming oasis where guests could relax and rejuvenate…There is so much taking place aboard a cruise ship – diverse activities, exciting dining, theatre shows, and more – that we wanted the guest rooms to reflect a soothing environment.”
The deluxe veranda suites feature walnut furniture, charcoal grey seating, crisp white draperies and a patterned grey tip sheared. Staterooms have a recessed area behind the beds painted sky-blue and covered by sheer curtains with a burn-out, wave pattern that allows hints of blue to show – in effect, creating the sense of a window. For the first time on any Holland America ship, staterooms have been added to the top decks.
State room features
Staterooms feature all the Signature of Excellence premium amenities: plush Euro-top Mariner’s Dream beds, deluxe waffle/terry cloth robes, Egyptian cotton towels, flat panel televisions, DVD players, make-up mirrors with halo lighting, massage shower heads, professional grade hair dryers, fresh flowers and complimentary fruit baskets. There are also spa cabins with private access to the Eurodam spa via their own private stairway.
Facilities
With one more deck than Holland America’s ten-deck Vista-class ships, the Eurodam features three alternative dining venues, including a pan-Asian restaurant called the Tamarind (144 seats) on Deck 10. New innovations include a 50-seat lounge with panoramic ocean views.
Other additions include an African-themed Explorer’s Lounge Bar, an Italian restaurant called the Caneletto, the Pinnacle Grill, the main dining room (formal), Lido Restaurant, Silk Den Lounge, Terrace Grill and the Explorations Café.
The Explorations Café, powered by The New York Times, will be located on the starboard side of the Crow’s Nest, offering speciality coffees, internet access and music listening stations. Other options for passengers include elegant luxury jewellery boutiques, an atrium bar area, enhanced show lounge with theatre-style seating, and a photographic and imaging centre.
Accomodation
The Eurodam will have 63 staterooms more than the latest Vista-class ship, 47 of which are veranda staterooms and ten featuring ceiling-to-floor and wall-to-wall panoramic windows. In total, the Eurodam will carry 1,022 staterooms, with 86% outside staterooms, 67% with verandas. Including double cabins there are 110 suites with sizes ranging from 28m² to 53m².
Over two thirds of staterooms have a 5m² veranda. Deck 11 features ten veranda staterooms, while Deck 10 offers 28 staterooms with verandas and four, forward-facing ‘panorama’ rooms. There are also two penthouse suites of 93m² floor space.
The ship will continue several Holland America Line features, including glass elevators at midship; the Pinnacle Grill and Pinnacle Bar; the innovative Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine Magazine, where culinary experts provide cooking demonstrations in state-of-the-art onboard show kitchens; an expanded Greenhouse Spa and Salon with thermal suites and hydro-pool, the largest gymnasium ever built for Holland America Line; and a youth facility that includes the teens-only The Loft and Club Hal.
The Lido pool has private cabanas that can be rented by the day while The Crows Nest functions as a 270° viewing platform during the day and a night club in the evening.
Technical
The Eurodam features the latest state-of-the-art navigation and safety systems including dynamic positioning abilities to hold the ship in a precise location. The vessel is powered by six diesel generators (64 MW MaK M43C) and propelled by Azipod propulsion technology.
The ship, registered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, has an overall length of 935ft (285m), a beam of 105.8ft (32.2m) and is able to make a maximum speed of 23.9kt with a cruising speed of 22kt.
