Koningsdam in Helsinki, 12 September 2016

As you may have noticed, I haven't been too active with photographing visiting cruise ships in Helsinki during the soon-to-end summer. Today, however, the weather was good and HAL's new(ish) Koningsdam made its last call of the season in the Helsinki. So it was time to dust off the bike and head to Lauttasaari for a spot of photography.

Koningsdam

IMO 9692557
Built 2013, Fincantieri Porto Maghera, Italy
Tonnage 99 836 GT
Length 299,57 m
Width 38 m
Draught 8,20 m
2 560 passengers
4 Caterpillar-MaK diesels, combined 50 400 kW
2 azipods
3 bow thrusters
Service speed 18 knots
Maximum speed 22,3 knots

So, the Koningsdam is Holland-America Line's newest and largest ship, delivered in March 2016. It is also the lead ship of what HAL call the Pinnacle-class, a further development of the older Signature-class. Her interiors, something of a departure from HAL's traditionalist outlook, are by Adam Tihany (who has previously worked on the interiors of the Solstice-class ships built for HAL's competitors Celebrity Cruises) and Bjørn Storbraaten. Since the ship has been in service only for a little over five months there's not much else to say, so let's go to the photos!

The photos below show the Koningsdam departing from Helsinki Länsisatama (West Harbour) on the afternoon of 12 September 2016, photographed from Vattuniemi. As per the usual, click on the images to see them in larger size.

While I do have a liking for HAL and the looks of their ships, I must admit the Koningsdam could look better, especially if you compare it to the older but very similar Vista-class ships.

By this time of the year, the light is already coming in very low in the late afternoon. I admit to some fiddling with the brightnesses of various hues to make the ship stand out better from the sky.

My wife's comment on the livery was 'I like the classic dark hull, but the white funnel looks a bit cheap'. I agree. It would look much superior if they simply reversed colours and put the company logo on white on a dark blue background.

Something a bit more atmospheric.

Next time: Fred. Olsen's classic Black Watch is due to call on Wednesday, giving me a chance to not only photograph the ship itself (I'm surprised I never have, actually!), but also Fred. Olsen's new livery for the first time. So if the weather is passable on Wednesday, look forward to that some time after.

Prinsendam in Helsinki, 27 August 2015

Prinsendam

IMO 8700280
Name history: Royal Viking Sun, Seabourn Sun, Prinsendam
Built 1988, Wärtsilä Marine Turku New Shipyard, Finland
Tonnage 37 983 GT
Length 205,50 m
Width 28,90 m
Draugth 7,20 m
840 passengers
4 Wärtsilä-Sulzer diesels, combined 21 120 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 22 knots

Holland America Line's Prinsendam remains one of my favourite ships in terms of exterior design. So here's some more photos of her, taken as she passes through the Kustaanmiekka strait on the afternoon of 27 August 2015. For a brief history of the ship, see this enty on her. And as per the usual, click on the images to see the ship in larger size.

In addition to the ship herself looking great, the black-hulled livery rather superb.

Dynamic.

After complimenting her looks, I have to say the additions to her aft superstucture do not improve her looks at all.

Rotterdam in Turkey, November 2013

I recently acquired a new computer. For the changeover into the new machine, I backed up everything on an external hard drive (something which I semi-routinely do anyway). Everything seemed to have worked perfectly, every folder I checked had the images it was supposed to and everything was accounted for.

I was wrong. For whatever reason, two folders had not been copied in full: the folder featuring images from my spring 2013 Baltic Sea cruise onboard St. Peter Line's Princess Anastasia, and the one with photos from my autumn 2013 Mediterranean cruise onboard Holland America Line's Rotterdam. The photos from the port of Piraeus, which I have been sharing with you during the winter, all originated from that trip. I had also been saving a large number of interior images from the Rotterdam to share with you at a later date, as well as a number of splendid exterior shots of the same ship. Well, I shan't be sharing the interior images with you, as they no longer exist, thanks to the wonders of computers. Fortunately I had copied some of the exterior images to a different folder for some reason. I'm not sure if these are the best selection, but they are the only surviving selection.

Rotterdam

IMO 9122552
Built 1997, Fincantieri Venice, Italy
Tonnage 61 849 GT
Length 237,95 m
Width 32,25 m
Draugth 7,80 m
1 668 passengers
1 668 berths
5 Sulzer Fincantieri diesels, combined 37 500 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
2 stern thrusters
Speed 25 knots

For a very brief history of the current Rotterdam, see the first entry on the ship. Those interested in an account of what it was like to cruise on her can read my four-part report at MaritimeMatters: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. The report also includes interior shots, albeit in a smaller resolution than what I normally use here.

The photographs below show the Rotterdam in the port of Kusadasi (15 November), Marmaris (16 November) and Alanya (17 November), respectively. As always, click on the individual images to see them in larger size.

Showing her scifi-sleek looks, with the equally futuristic (albeat rather differently designed) Celebrity Constellation berthed behind her.

Making her maiden call at Marmaris, which was definately the least interesting port in the itinery - though it did yield fine photos.

Alanya offered by far the best photo opportunities of the voyage. I'm a bit surprised one doesn't see more photos like this floating around.

Prinsendam in Helsinki, 9 July 2013

Prinsendam

IMO 8700280
Former names: Royal Viking Sun, Seabourn Sun
Built 1988, Wärtsilä Marine Turku New Shipyard, Finland
Tonnage 37 983 GT
Length 205,50 m
Width 28,90 m
Draugth 7,20 m
840 passengers
4 Wärtsilä-Sulzer diesels, combined 21 120 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 22 knots

For a brief history of the Prinsendam, see the first entry on her. The images below show the Prinsendam departing Helsinki on the afternoon on 9 July 2013, photographed from Kustaanmiekka. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

Foreground trees, volume 1.

Foreground trees, volume 2.

For next summer, I'd like to book evening some cruise ship evening arrivals, to get the most of this scene.

Overexposed with a foreground cannon.

Next time: Discovery.

Eurodam in Helsinki, 9. July 2012

Eurodam

IMO 9378448
Built 2008, Fincantieri Porto Maghera, Italy
Tonnage 86 273 GT
Length 285,30 m
Width 32,25 m
Draught 7,80 m
1 916 passengers
2 104 passenger berths
6 MaK diesels, combined 64 000 kW
2 azipods
3 bow thrusters
Speed 23,9 knots

Following this week's earlier entry featuring the 1980s Holland America Line ship Thomson Spirit (ex-Nieuw Amsterdam), today we look at a state-of-the art HAL ship, the Eurodam. The E-dam (geddit?) was the first ship in HAL's Signature-class, a further development of the company's extremely successful Vista-class (examples of which have also been built for P&O Cruises, Cunard Line and Costa Cruises). There's very little to say about the history of the E-dam so far; she entered service in 2008 and has apparently performed well ever since. What is interesting to notice however is the fact that since the Eurodam, HAL have taken delivery of just one further newbuilding (the E-dam's sister Nieuw Amsterdam in 2010) and HAL have no new ships in order. This is somewhat suprising when you remember that other major Carnical Corporation brands either have new ships currently in order or at least have taken deliveries of new ships within the past two years. One could therefore make the presumption that HAL is the weakest-growing Carnival brand at the moment.

But speculations aside. Below are photographs of the Eurodam departing from Helsinki West Harbour on the afternoon of 9. July 2012. She sailed out after the Thomson Spirit, but unfortunately it was practically impossible to get the two generations of HAL ships in the same photo. Photographed from Sisä-Hattu. Click on the images to see in larger size.

I've featured an increasing number of upright photos recently, which is somewhat surprising as my camera has a strong tendency not to focus properly if it's not held horizontally (yes, I do photograph with an aged, half-broken piece of crap).

I like the two funnels, but I do wish they'd paint them some other colour than white. But maybe that's just me.

Sisä-Hattu's foreground rocks featured again. What can I say, they look good there.

Two upright photos in one entry, probably a new record.

Lovely Pihlajasaari there in the background as well.

I wonder, is it always windy from the same direction when I photograph in the vicinity of Pihlajasaari, or are the trees there just permanently bent away from the open sea? Or is it just an optical illusion?

Next time: AIDAsol.

Prinsendam in Helsinki, 7 June 2012

Prinsendam

IMO 8700280
Former names: Royal Viking Sun, Seabourn Sun
Built 1988, Wärtsilä Marine Turku New Shipyard, Finland
Tonnage 37 983 GT
Length 205,50 m
Width 28,90 m
Draugth 7,20 m
840 passengers
4 Wärtsilä-Sulzer diesels, combined 21 120 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 22 knots

For a brief history of the Prinsendam, see this earlier entry. The photographs below show the Prinsendam departing from Helsinki on the afternoon of 7 June 2012. Click on the images to see in larger size.

Entering the Kustaamiekka strait and looking somewhat worse for wear: notice the rusty anchor and the dents in the forepeak.

Panoramic Kustaanmiekka.

The lens creating a little bit of fisheye-style distortion here.

Ramparts and ships and so on...

Not really sure about the design of the aft superstructure.

Rotterdam in Helsinki, 23 June 2011

Rotterdam

IMO 9122552
Built 1997, Fincantieri Venice, Italy
Tonnage 61 849 GT
Length 237,95 m
Width 32,25 m
Draugth 7,80 m
1 668 passengers
1 668 berths
5 Sulzer Fincantieri diesels, combined 37 500 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
2 stern thrusters
Speed 25 knots

The current Rotterdam is already the sixth ship with that name in the Holland-America Line fleet. Often she's referred to as the Rotterdam VI to differentiate her from the 1959-built Rotterdam V that remains in the city of Rotterdam as a floating hotel.

The Rotterdam (VI) is in essence a larger version of HAL's S-class (Statendam, Maasdam, Ryndam and Veendam). She was however built to be somewhat faster, with a top speed of 25 knots and service speed of 22,5 knots. Due to her high speed her codename during construction was Fastdam. (Personally I'd question how much utility a 25-knot top speed is in these days when fuel prices are ever-increasing). As a nod to the Rotterdam V, the Rotterdam VI was given side-by-side twin funnels.

In 2009 the Rotterdam was given a refit where her aft superstructure was re-modelled. Sometime before a new fitness center and thermal suite had been added above the bridge, both refits somewhat compromising the ship's scifi-sleek exterior looks.

The photographs below show the Rotterdam departing from Helsinki West Harbour on 23 June 2011. Photographed from Sisä-Hattu. Click on the individual images to view in them larger size.

It  was a busy day in the West Harbour (as I've written on Maritime Matters here). In the background you can see the Baltic Princess on the left and Oceania Cruises' Marina on the right.

Cousins? The Costa Luminosa (on the right) is an example of Carnival Corporation's Vista-class, which was originally designed for Holland America Line. Which at least theoretically makes her the younger cousing or something of the Rotterdam.

For whatever reason I find it hard to get excited about the 1900s HAL ships. Which is odd, I'm usually a fan of sleek scifi looks like on these ships... but for some reason I'm always looking at my own photos of them and thinking "meh, I don't know". But I guess these look alright.

This one called for a panoramic shot.

The rebuilt aft superstructure really looks quite odd, even more so than the added structure above the bridge. Or maybe it's just a matter of my brain having had the time to get used to the latter a bit more.

It's always a pleasure to photograph HAL ships together with sailboats. The boats are easy to dintinguish from the dark hulls and the resulting images always nicely reflect the HAL funnel symbol.

Prinsendam, 5 July 2010

Prinsendam

IMO 8700280
Built 1988, Wärtsilä Marine Turku New Shipyard, Finland
Tonnage 37 983 GT
Length 205,50 m
Width 28,90 m
Draught 7,20 m
840 passengers
4 Wärtsilä-Sulzer diesels, combined 21 120 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 22 knots

Prinsendam was built in 1988 by as the Royal Viking Sun the Wärtsilä Marine shipyard in Turku for Royal Viking Line, which was one of the most luxurious cruise lines of the time. The Royal Viking Sun was, at the time, rated as a five-star ship (today, following the ever-rising standard of the cruise industry, she's only 4+ stars). Royal Viking Line soon entered hard times, and in 1994 the company assets were split between the Norwegian Cruise Line and Cunard Line: Cunard took the Royal Viking Sun and the Royal Viking Line brand, while NCL took the rest of the Royal Viking fleet. Subsequently the Royal Viking Sun was marketed as a Cunard Royal Viking Line ship, with her funnel colours modified to be a combination of Cunard's Royal Viking's colours.

Following the sale of Cunard to the Carnival Corporation in 1998 the new owners decided reorganise Cunard's operations. As a part of this, the Cunard Royal Viking brand was shut down and the Royal Viking Sun was transferred to the fleet of Seabourn Cruise Line as the Seabourn Sun in 1999. The relatively large Seabourn Sun was ill-fitting in Seabourn's fleet of yacht-like ships, and in 2002 she was again transferred within the Carnival Corporation, now to the fleet of Holland America Line and renamed Prinsendam. As a smaller ship than most of HAL's fleet, she has been marketed their "elegant explorer", capable of entering ports that are too shallow for the line's larger ships.

Photographs below are of the Prinsendam on Kruunuvuorenselkä on 5 July 2010, shortly after departing the Katajanokka cruise quay in Helsinki. Click on the image(s) to view full size.

Passing behind the ex-fortification island Lonna.

Turning on Kruunuvuorenselkä towards the Kustaanmiekka strait.

Passing the Suomenlinna boat harbour.

Entering the Kustaanmiekka strait.

Eurodam, 8 July 2010

Eurodam

IMO 9378448
Built 2008, Fincantieri Porto Maghera, Italy
Tonnage 86 273 GT
Length 285,30 m
Width 32,25 m
Draught 7,80 m
2 104 passengers
6 MaK diesels, combined 64 000 kW
2 azipods
3 bow thrusters
1 stern thruster(?)
Speed 23,9 knots

Eurodam is the lead ship of Holland America Line's Signature-class, essentially a further refined version of their Vista-class ships that first appeared in 2002. Like the HAL Vista-class ships, the Eurodam is an unusual modern ship in the respect that she has two working funnels (although during the 00's multi-funneled ships designs have become fashionable again - certainly a welcome development).

The photo below is of Eurodam departing Helsinki West Harbour in the foggy eveniong of 8 July 2010. The picture has been heavily treated to give an agreeable-looking presentation of the Eurodam. The ships visible behind her are Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sun (left) and Royal Caribbean International's Vision of the Seas (right). Click on the image to view full size.