Noordam (IV)

Below, Noordam enters her berth at the Rotterdam cruise terminal for the first time, after her overhaul at the Blohm & Voss yards at Hamburg. This picture is dated the 14th of july 2010.

In the beginning of 2006, the fourth HAL-vista was delivered to the company from the Marghera yards of Fincantieri, Italy where she was built as yardnumber 6079. With a tonnage measurement of 82.318, the ship is just slightly bigger than her earlier sisters. She has a lenght of 285,30 meters and she is 32,20 meters wide. On her 11 passengerdecks, some 1916 passengers and 800 crewmembers can be accomodated. Her normal service speed is 22 knots, although her maximum is said to be 24 knots.She is, like most modern giants, propulsed by two ABB Azipods which are powered by a CODAG arrangement of 5 diesel-electric generators and one gas turbine. After delivery, the ship sailed for New York to be named by the 1965-born Marlee Beth Matlin on the 22nd of february of 2006. Matlin is an actress, who has been deaf since she had the age of 18 months. She performed in movies like 'Children of a lesser god'(1986), 'Hear no evil' (1993) and Excition (2012). She also performed in several television series.

Like all Holland America liners, she is a floating museum also, one of the centerpieces is a large painting of the Dutch city of Utrech, painted in 1842, but she also has more contemporary art aboard, like a series of photographs of Dizzy Gillespie and BB King.

The fourth Noordam sailed the Med in her inaugural season, after being repositioned to North America and the Caribbean. In july 2010, Noordam came over for a ten day overhaul at the Blohm & Voss-wharf in Hamburg, before sailing her first Northern European cruise. Originally, it was planned to use her as an accomodationship during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, but due to overcapacity there she was directed to Hamburg for her overhaul. The day after she left Hamburg, she sailed for Bremerhaven where she arrived at the 12th of july to start the cruise. Sadly, a tragic accident occured when a diver who was supposed to free the ship from some fishingnets at her props lost contact with the people on shore. A rescueoperation was put into action, but in the strong currents of the river Weser the man was not found. Noordam's cruise started though, and she sailed for her homeport Rotterdam for the first time. Her arrival in early morning of the 14th of july did not bring many spectators out to bring her in, sadly, because it was a beautiful summermorning. Also, no spraying tugboats were there to accompany the ship to her berth.