MS Noordam

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Noordam Grand Turk Island, March 2007
Career
Name: MS Noordam
Namesake: Named for the northern compass point
Operator: Holland America Line
Port of Registry: Rotterdam, Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands
Builder: Fincantieri Marghera shipyard, Italy
Christened: February, 2006
In service: 2006 - present
Status: in service
General characteristics
Class and type: Vista class cruise ship
Tonnage: 82,500 gross register tons (GRT)
Length: 935 ft (285.0 m)
Beam: 105.8 ft (32.2 m)
Decks: 11 passenger decks
Installed power: diesel-electric
Propulsion: Azipod
Speed: 24-knot (44 km/h) maximum,
(service at 22 knots)
Capacity: 1,918 passengers
Crew: 810 crew

MS Noordam has been the name of several ships run by the Holland America Line. The latest ship to bear the moniker Noordam (in Dutch Noord = North) is a member of Holland America's Vista class. The ship was christened on February 22, 2006, in New York City by the actress Marlee Matlin. The Noordam is a sister ship of the MS Oosterdam, MS Westerdam, MS Zuiderdam and P&O Cruises' MS Arcadia. All of the HAL ships are named for the four compass points.

The ship is powered by a CODAG arrangement of five diesel generators (3 x 16,000 HP units, and 2 x 12,000 HP units) and one gas turbine (18,000 HP), for a total power output of approximately 62.6MW (84,000 HP). The power generated is used both for propulsion, via two 17.5MW (23,467 HP) ABB Azipods, and the ship's "hotel load," which includes HVAC and freshwater production. She is capable of producing 1,700 tons (450,000 gallons) of fresh water daily via desalinization, although average consumption is only around 750 tons/day (200,000 gallons). The ship consumes approximately 216 tons/day (57,000 U.S. gallons) of heavy fuel oil, and 90 tons/day (23,000 U.S. gallons) of marine gas oil, at peak power production. She can achieve a maximum speed of approximately 24 knots.

[edit] Past Noordams

The Noordam first ran a transatlantic route from Rotterdam to New York, primarily delivering immigrants, between 1902 and 1928.

The second, built in 1938 by P. Smit Jr. in Rotterdam, had a cruising speed of 18 knots. Her gross tonnage was 10,704 tonnes. She was renamed Oceanien in 1963, and was scrapped in Yugoslavia in 1967.

The third Noordam was the first for luxury cruise service. Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in 1984, had a gross tonnage of 33,933 tonnes and was 704 ft (215 m) long. The ship's beam was 89 ft (27 m) and draft was 24 ft (7.3 m); her cruising speed was 21 knots. Her standard capacity was 1,214 with all 607 cabins at double occupancy; her maximum capacity was 1,350 passengers and she had 560 crew members. In 2005, the ship was acquired by Louis Cruise Lines and was immediately chartered to Thomson Cruises; she was rechristened the MS Thomson Celebration. Her sister ship, the MS Thomson Spirit, was originally the Holland America ship MS Nieuw Amsterdam.

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