VOLENDAM
May 10, 2023 | Vancouver, British Columbia
Volendam (Holland America Line) is docked at Canada Place in Vancouver on May 10, 2023. The R-class ship was photographed on the day we disembarked Norwegian Spirit following our 16-night Fire & Ice voyage from Hawaii through the Pacific and Alaska.
Volendam is docked at Canada Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 10, 2023. We photographed the Holland America Line ship on the day we disembarked Norwegian Spirit at the conclusion of our 16-night Fire & Ice voyage from Hawaii through the Pacific and Alaska.
Built by Fincantieri in Italy, Volendam entered service for Holland America Line on November 12, 1999. She is an R-class ship and belongs to a generation of smaller Holland America vessels that preceded the significantly larger Vista, Signature and Pinnacle classes.
At approximately 61,000 gross tons and with a double-occupancy capacity of 1,432 guests, Volendam represents a notably different scale from many newer cruise ships. Her size has allowed Holland America to use the ship for destination-focused itineraries and longer voyages throughout a career extending across more than a quarter century.
Information List
Name: Volendam
Operator: Holland America Line
Class: R class
Builder: Fincantieri, Italy
Entered Service: November 12, 1999
Gross Tonnage: Approximately 61,000 GT
Length: Approximately 780 feet / 238 meters
Beam: Approximately 106 feet / 32 meters
Double-Occupancy Capacity: 1,432 guests
Maximum Passenger Capacity: Approximately 1,839
Crew: Approximately 604
Gallery Date: May 10, 2023
Gallery Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Photography Context: Conclusion of our Norwegian Spirit Fire & Ice voyage
History and Features
R-Class Development:
Volendam was built by Fincantieri in Italy and entered Holland America Line service on November 12, 1999.
Holland America identifies the ship as a member of its R class.
The R-class ships developed the general approach of Holland America’s earlier S-class vessels while providing additional passenger and public space.
Volendam entered the fleet during a period of significant expansion for Holland America in the 1990s.
Her smaller scale compared with later generations of cruise ships has remained an important part of her role within the fleet.
Design and Scale:
Volendam is approximately 780 feet long and around 61,000 gross tons.
Holland America lists her double-occupancy capacity at 1,432 guests.
That capacity is considerably lower than the company’s newer Vista, Signature and Pinnacle-class ships.
The ship retains a traditional wraparound promenade deck, an increasingly uncommon feature on newer passenger ships.
Her moderate dimensions allow Volendam to operate itineraries where a smaller ship can provide greater flexibility.
Interior Theme and Public Spaces:
Floral themes have long been associated with the interior design of Volendam.
Floral artwork and decorative elements appear throughout the ship.
Public spaces include dining rooms, lounges, observation areas and entertainment venues arranged on a scale characteristic of Holland America ships from the late 1990s.
The ship also carries an extensive art collection.
Refurbishments throughout her career have updated passenger spaces while retaining the basic character of the vessel.
Holland America Service:
Volendam has operated a wide range of itineraries during her career.
Her deployments have included Alaska, Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and extended international voyages.
Holland America has frequently used the ship for longer itineraries where destination variety and time at sea are important parts of the experience.
The ship continues to play a role in Holland America’s Grand and extended-voyage programs.
More than two decades after entering service, she remains one of the smaller ships in the current Holland America fleet.
An Unusual Chapter in 2022:
Volendam had an unusual role before returning fully to passenger service following the cruise-industry shutdown.
In 2022, Holland America chartered the ship to the City of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
For approximately six months, the vessel provided temporary accommodation for Ukrainian families displaced by the war.
Holland America reported that the ship housed up to 1,500 refugees during the charter.
Volendam returned to regular passenger cruising in September 2022.
May 10, 2023 – Vancouver:
These photographs show Volendam docked at Canada Place in Vancouver on May 10, 2023.
Canada Place is one of the principal gateways for cruises to Alaska and places visiting ships directly alongside downtown Vancouver.
The terminal provides views of passenger ships against Burrard Inlet and the mountains of the North Shore.
Volendam was photographed during the early portion of the 2023 Alaska cruise season.
The End of Our Norwegian Spirit Fire & Ice Voyage:
May 10, 2023 was Day 17 and disembarkation day of our Norwegian Spirit Fire & Ice journey.
We had boarded Norwegian Spirit in Honolulu on April 24 for a 16-night voyage ending in Vancouver.
After visiting several Hawaiian islands, the ship crossed the Pacific before reaching Southeast Alaska.
The Alaska portion included Icy Strait Point, Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan.
We arrived in Vancouver and disembarked Norwegian Spirit on May 10.
Seeing and photographing Volendam at Canada Place therefore became part of the final day of that larger journey.
The following day, we also photographed Radiance of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas in Vancouver.
A Smaller Generation of Holland America Ship:
Volendam provides an interesting comparison with the larger generations of Holland America ships that followed.
The Vista class began arriving with Zuiderdam in 2002.
Signature-class ships followed later in the decade, while the Pinnacle class began with Koningsdam in 2016.
Despite that growth, Holland America has retained Volendam and her smaller scale within the fleet.
Her continued operation gives the company a ship suited to itineraries and voyage styles that do not require the capacity of its larger vessels.
Continued Modernization:
Holland America has continued to invest in Volendam throughout her career.
The ship underwent significant updates before the 2023 photographs and has continued receiving technical improvements.
Later in 2023, Volendam became the final ship in Holland America’s fleet to receive full shore-power connectivity.
The installation was completed in Vancouver, allowing the ship to connect to shoreside electricity at equipped ports and reduce the need to operate onboard generators while alongside.
Legacy:
Volendam represents an increasingly uncommon generation of late-1990s cruise ship still operating for its original company.
Her R-class design, moderate passenger capacity and long service history distinguish her from Holland America’s newer and larger vessels.
Her career has included conventional cruises, extended international voyages and the unusual humanitarian role she performed in Rotterdam during 2022.
The May 10, 2023 Vancouver gallery documents Volendam nearly 24 years into her career while also preserving part of the final day of our Norwegian Spirit Fire & Ice journey.
OLP Social: We encountered this smaller R-class ship on the final day of our Fire & Ice voyage, where her traditional wraparound promenade and moderate passenger capacity contrasted with newer generations of larger cruise ships.
