HAPPY NEW YEAR!

From all of us at Eurodam News Blog, we wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2008.

Meet Executive Chef Robert Schumann

Executive Chef Robert SchumannAs executive chef of Eurodam, Robert Schumann oversees the menus, food preparation and culinary operations for all of the restaurants on board.

Hailing from a countryside village in Germany near Frankfurt, Schumann developed his culinary skills in a hotel and restaurant near where he was studying. Eventually he began splitting his time between Germany and Switzerland, where he worked in some of the country’s finest hotels. After a six-month contract in London, Schumann decided to spend time working in the Middle East, but family brought him back to Germany where he managed his own restaurant for six years. Yet Schumann missed traveling, and in 2004 he followed his dream to go to sea and joined the Holland America Line team aboard Volendam.

During his time off, he enjoys relaxing at home with his family and sampling cuisines from around the world.

New Dining Room Photos

Henry Veringa, HAL’s project manager at the shipyard, just sent these photos of Eurodam’s Main Dining Room taken from Deck 3. In the top image, you can see the open space in the middle that looks down on to the lower level (Deck 2) of the room. The bottom photo is facing the port side of the Main Dining Room. Note the riser on the right that extends around the room, elevating tables located near the windows.

Happy Holidays from Eurodam News Blog

Both Frank de Vries and Henry Verlinga sent us a photo of how the Fincantieri crew has decorated Eurodam for the holidays. We think it’s pretty festive.

Please note that Eurodam News Blog will not be posting again until Dec. 26. Until then, the whole ENB team wishes you and yours happy and healthy holidays.

Shore Excursion Desk Taking Shape

Since the last photo we posted in October, Eurodam’s shore excursion desk is starting to come together. Henry Veringa, HAL’s project manager in the yard, just sent us this image where we can see that the framework for the walls has gone up. Guests will use the desk to book shoreside arrangements, including shore excursions and private tours.

Miniature Theaters to Decorate Culinary Arts Center

VFD Architects of Utrecht commissioned two miniature theater sculptures for Eurodam. The artist is Rodolfo Sanz, who studied fine arts at the Manuel Belgrano School in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and now lives in the Netherlands.

The two theaters Sanz created will be placed near the Culinary Arts Center, located amidships on Lower Promenade Deck. Given the location, Sanz took food and cooking as themes.

The results are two richly decorated and whimsical theaters. One depicts a luxurious dining room decorated with gold, red curtains and baroque mirrors. On a table covered with a white tablecloth is an enormous apple. A small slice has been cut and served on a plate for an unseen guest.

The other piece shows us the interior of a large theater with red chairs, glamorous balconies and a beautifully hand-painted ceiling. A large chandelier hangs in the center of the room, and little lights can be seen on the balconies. The attentive watcher will detect a group of animals hidden on one of the balconies, curiously watching a lone figure sitting in the middle of the empty theater — a cook.

Dutch Chairs for a Dutch Cruise Ship

William Schuitema poses with an armchair (left), designed by NB-Seattle that will be used in Eurodam’s cabins, the chair in the middle was designed by Frans Dingemans and further developed by Frits Schuitema and used on Zuiderdam, and the art deco chair on the right also was designed by Frits Schuitema and used on Carnival Pride.

William Schuitema, CEO of Best of Europe Furniture Co., knows chairs. His company has supplied thousands of chairs to Holland America Line since 1996.

“I met someone collecting furniture for Holland America Line ships and other Carnival ships,” recalled Schuitema. “The architect was interested in four of our chairs, but he couldn’t promise me anything.

“So we sent four chairs. Some weeks later they called us and told us the architects chose three of the four chairs we sent out of 150 other chairs. They chose our chairs for the dining room and for some other areas.”

‘You can buy a cheap chair, but you have to replace it after two or three years. The Rotterdam still uses the chairs we supplied over 10 years ago.’
— William Schuitema

Since then, William Schuitema and his brother Frits, who designs the chairs, have put their chairs on every Holland America ship, including Eurodam. When they first started, Schuitema says, architects would choose an existing model, but then would want some changes made. But Frits Schuitema designs chairs with factory production in mind, and the requested alterations were usually impractical.

“Then the architect Franz Dingemans began to draw his own models and my brother translated these sketches into real drawings so we could use them in the factory to produce the chairs, also desks and all the kinds of furniture,” he said.

Most of the company’s chairs are made in Holland, but materials come from suppliers across Western Europe. “We use French oak from France and from Yugoslavia, Slovenian oak,” Schuitema said. “Beechwood we also use, but always from European sources, most of the time Holland. There is a lot of handwork, but what can be done with a machine, we do with computerized machinery.”

Schuitema said that his company produces high quality, but not inexpensive, furniture. “You can buy a cheap chair, but you have to replace it after two or three years. The Rotterdam still uses the chairs we supplied over 10 years ago. So when you are calculating, the chairs aren’t as expensive as you first think they are, because you can use them for many years.”

The Schuitemas have developed some tricks that help their chairs last longer. “We make the front legs a little bit tapered so the top is a little less wide than the chair’s feet. That way, when the chairs touch each other, it’s only at carpet level. If they are damaged, it’s only on the bottom of the leg, not at the armrest, where it would be more visible.

Schuitema says that selling chairs to cruise lines is a fascinating business, but it’s also very competitive. “We have to compete nowadays as a European manufacturer with countries like America, like China,” he said. “So we have to think very carefully about the way we produce chairs. We have to automatize as much as possible, otherwise, we can’t compete with lower-priced countries.”

Short Cruise Provides Prelude to Maiden Voyage

Holland America Line’s original Rotterdam headquarters is the Hotel New York today.

Eurodam sets sail on its 10-day maiden voyage July 5, 2008, bound for the Baltic and British Isles. Three days earlier, on July 2, 2008, guests will have a chance to board Eurodam in Rotterdam for a special prelude cruise.

Sailing from Rotterdam to Hamburg, Germany, and then on to Copenhagen, this short cruise will be the first time guests have an opportunity to experience the fully operational Eurodam.

As a special pre-cruise shore excursion in Rotterdam, guests can participate in the official naming ceremonies that are to be staged on the cruise pier where Holland America Line’s original headquarters were located.

While a godmother has not been confirmed, the ceremonies are sure to be dramatic, as Holland America Line returns to its roots in Rotterdam where it was founded in 1873 to celebrate the dedication of its newest and largest cruise liner.

More details are available here.

VFD Architects Reveals Ceiling Designs for Atrium, Dining Room

Sketch of the design of the dining room ceiling sculpture.

VFD Architects of Utrecht, The Netherlands, designed two large ceiling pieces for the atrium and the main dining room on Eurodam. The glass sculptures were created by Vincent Jansen for VFD in 2007.

“These sculptures are inspired by chandeliers,” said VFD’s Frans Dingemans. “Through the simplification of this form, the ceilings give an abstract and very intense experience.”

The atrium’s floral ceiling sculpture.

For the atrium Dingemans said he wanted a less abstract effect. “The ceiling will be filled with flowers,” he noted. “Transparent flower-shaped forms will form a cluster which comes down from the ceiling. Through this art decoration the atrium will become a harmonious and impressive space.”

Latest Eurodam Photo

We just received this photo of Eurodam. In the backgroud you can see Queen Victoria as it is preparing to leave the shipyard after being delivered to sister-company Cunard Line.