Meet Chief Officer Andre van Schoonhoven

Chief Officer Andre van Schoonhoven

As chief officer aboard Eurodam, Andre van Schoonhoven is responsible for all of the safety and lifesaving systems on board, as well as developing testing and maintenance instructions for each system.

Van Schoonhoven also orders all of the spare parts for maintenance of the safety and lifesaving systems, assists in planning Eurodam’s bridge layout, looks after the mooring decks and paint store, implements the evacuation plan in the event of an emergency, oversees the lifesaving and firefighting plans, and as crew teams arrive at the ship he trains them in safety, security and lifesaving.

During Eurodam’s outfitting, van Schoonhoven will order safety equipment like fire extinguishers, lifejackets, personal protective equipment for all three on-board departments and all of the nautical and security equipment needed for gangway and tender operations.

Born in Harlingen, a small port city on the north coast of the Netherlands, van Schoonhoven attended nautical college on the island of Terschelling. In 1988 he joined Holland America Line on Rotterdam, and from there he sailed mainly on Nieuw Amsterdam and Noordam, where he met his wife, Claudine, who was working in the front office.

In 2000, van Schoonhoven got his first assignment as chief officer on Wind Surf, and eventually he became part of the inaugural team of Prinsendam when the ship transferred to the line in 2002.

Van Schoonhoven told ENB that he is excited and honored to be part of Eurodam’s newbuild team and is confident the ship will exceed all expectations.

He and Claudine reside in Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines — Claudine’s home country — with their three sons: Alexander, 13, Willem, 9, and Lucas, 3.

Dutch Art: Bas Sebus Blends the Real and Surreal

Original art plans for Eurodam called for all inside staterooms to be adorned with a beautiful collection of giclee prints (pronounced zhee-clay; a recently invented ink-jet printing process that is a high-quality method of art reproduction) of the work of Dutch painter Bas Sebus. But Holland America Line President and CEO Stein Kruse liked Sebus’ work so much he suggested the artist’s prints be used in all of the ship’s staterooms.

Sebus says the content of his images originates from philosophical and literary sources, resulting in paintings that illustrate an idea and are highly communicative and often whimsical.

Despite his talent, Sebus did not start out as a painter; the 46-year-old originally studied medicine in Amsterdam. He taught himself how to paint in oil and tempera by reading books. As a result, Sebus developed a unique style that shares the technical merits of the traditional Dutch school of realistic painters, but blends in a touch of the surreal.

Sebus’ work is in great demand by private collectors as well as large companies. He has created large-scale panels for several restaurants on Holland America Line ships, including Statendam and Amsterdam.

Making Progress on Crow’s Nest, Aft Lido Pool

As you can see from the photos, Eurodam is taking shape at a solid pace despite the rainy weather. This image is the aft Lido pool area. The open square is the pool, of course. Once the teak and tiles are put into place, it will look more recognizable. This area also has a whirlpool.

The Crow’s Nest is one of the most popular hangouts on Holland America Line ships. On Eurodam, the Explorations Café, powered by “The New York Times.” will be located on the starboard side of the lounge, providing a scenic backdrop for guests wishing to enjoy specialty coffees, surf the Internet and take advantage of the café’s music listening stations.

Thanks to Henry Veringa, HAL’s project manager at the yard, for the photos.

Eurodam News Blog Nominated for Blogger’s Choice Award

ENB has been nominated for the 2008 Blogger’s Choice awards in the category of Best Corporate Blog. Now, we don’t consider ourselves to be corporate, but a fan in Miami nominated us, so we’d like to win. To do that, we need your help.

Please go to the Bloggers’ Choice site and vote for us. You’ll have to register, but it only takes a few moments. Oh, and ask all your friends and neighbors to vote for us, too.

The contest will run through September 2008, so, as the famous mobster Al Capone said, “Vote early and vote often.”

Thanks!

A View From Tamarind

Eurodam’s Chief Engineer Frank de Vries got creative with his camera over the weekend. He took a series of eight images from the inside of Tamarind looking out and merged them into one panoramic shot (we had to crop a bit off of the sides to make it fit on the blog). His idea was to capture the view that guests will enjoy when dining in the pan-Asian specialty restaurant — overlooking the Lido Deck and pool area.

‘Dream Park’ to Be a Night on a Magical Midway

Stage mock-ups for ‘Dream Park’ illustrate the whimsical midway with rollercoaster backdrop (above), circus wagon (below left) and carousel that descends from the ceiling.

The new show under development for Eurodam has the working title of “Dream Park.” According to Blog Board member Bill Prince, director of entertainment for Holland America Line, the show depicts a “night on an abstract, whimsical midway.”

ENB caught up with Prince recently for an update about what guests on Eurodam can expect from the after-dinner entertainment. He said the show, the third of five to be performed on the newbuild, features hit songs from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.

“In the opening, everybody arrives on a Ferris wheel,” Prince told us. “It’s going to have everything you’d expect on a classic fair midway. There’s a Tunnel of Love, a shooting gallery, a haunted house, a really cool number in a hall of mirrors, and for the finale, a carousel drops down from the ceiling with showgirls as horses.”

The show currently is being blocked and rehearsed in Los Angeles. It is slated to debut on Zuiderdam six weeks before Eurodam’s July 2008 introduction.

Specialty Restaurant Names Announced

Holland America Line has announced the names of the three specialty reservations-only restaurants on Eurodam.

The popular Pinnacle Grill, featuring Pacific Northwest cuisine, will be open for lunch and dinner. The 140-seat restaurant will be located on Deck 2.

The new pan-Asian Tamarind Restaurant will have an adjacent Silk Den Bar. The 142-seat restaurant and 52-seat bar will be located on Deck 11 overlooking the pool.

Canalettos will serve fine Italian food for dinner only. The 66-seat restaurant will be located on Deck 9 in a special section of the Lido Restaurant created by installing movable screens.

Stay tuned for more info on menus and deco, which we will post as soon as it becomes available.

Eurodam to Have High-Tech Poker Table

Poker anyone? Eurodam is to feature the PokerPro Texas Hold’Em table

This Texas Hold‘Em dealer never gets tired, never misdeals and always keeps track of split pots. It’s called PokerPro, and it is a poker table with an inset touchscreen for each player.

PokerPro shuffles, deals, splits pots and generates side pots instantly. It’s manufacturer, PokerTek of North Carolina, claims it is the fastest and most accurate dealer in the world. Players can sign up for games on their own and will never again complain of a misdeal, accidentally mucked cards or incorrectly split pots.

You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.

The Electronic Shuffler has been certified by Gaming Laboratories International as a mathematically random process with equal probability for each card. In addition to the Shuffler, PokerPro burns a card before each round of betting.

For players who are accustomed to online poker games, PokerPro provides an easy transtion from the computer to a live game. For beginners, the table removes the intimidation factor some might feel with a live dealer.

New Interior Photos

These photos were just sent to ENB from Henry Veringa, project manager for Holland America Line at the yard. We asked for some interior images of Eurodam to see how the ship is coming along. While it’s mostly steel and wires at the moment, the yard works quickly and it won’t be long before the rooms are complete.

The Shore Excursion Desk, above, is where guests will come to book their shoreside arrangements, including shore excursions and private tours.

The Neptune Lounge, above, is reserved for the use of Deluxe Verandah Suite or Penthouse Verandah Suite guests. While it may not look like much at the moment, when the ship enters service it will be a private place to relax, socialize with other suite guests and enjoy the personalized service of a concierge.

Kunst&Ko Cut Up and Recombine the Masters

‘17th Century Old Masters Collage’ is a digital work of art

The father-son team of Peter and Sven de Ru are known for startling juxtapositions of images in their work, and “17th Century Old Masters Collage” is firmly within their oeuvre. The digital collage, made up of images lifted from works by Dutch masters and recombined, is destined to adorn Eurodam’s Pinnacle Grill. The pair, who live in Leiden — hometown to many of the great Dutch painters — have been creating together under the brand Kunst&Ko since 1996. Peter was an architect and self-taught painter until 1975, when he became a full-time artist. Sven studied graphic art and worked in advertising before joining his father to create both original and commissioned art.

Ship designer Frans Dingemans of VFD Architects, who selected the piece for Eurodam’s collection, said that because the artists hail from Leiden it is no coincidence that, while their collage might appear unorthodox, it truly is an inspired homage to world-famous artworks produced during the Dutch Golden Age.

“Their way of making art doesn’t fit these old techniques at all,” said Dingemans. “The most modern equipment is used to bring new life to the Old Masters’ works.”

‘Saskia with Staircase’ is from the Rembrandt Project Kunst&Ko did in 2006

He noted that Kunst&Ko’s digital collages are selections of the best and most famous details of the 17th-century works.

“Don’t be prejudiced that their work is only a copy of the Old Masters’ works, because we find an enormous creativity in their work,” said Dingemans. “The use of many surrealistic jokes makes their work a pleasure to view. Every new look at it will be a different experience.”