The Ryndam was christened by Mrs. C Tjarda van Stakenborgh Stachouwer-Marburg, wife of the prewar Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. Although announced she would introduce a new dove grey hull livery, RYNDAM was painted the traditional black with white stripe at launching. With up to 1,000 men working on her fitting-out, the new ship was ahead of schedule and in May 1951 her maiden voyage was changed to 16th July instead of 16th August. After trials in the English Channel, RYNDAM was handed over to Holland America on 10th July. On the 16th the new ship left Rotterdam's Wilhelminakade bound for New York via Le Havre and Southampton.
The RYNDAM's maiden arrival at Southampton on 17th July 1951 and at New York on the 25th caused more than the usual interest. Heralding a veritable armada of new ships in the "fifties", she introduced many new features. The grey hull livery with a gold riband was new to the fleet and her funnel, too, was an innovation. Initial drawings of the ship showed a conventional NOORDAM style funnel. However, it was decided to give her the new Strombos Aerofoil first fitted on the French liner PRESIDENT DE CAZALET in April 1950. The wafer thin Strombos reduced wind resistance with the slipstream carrying-away the smoke. At 15,015 grt, with an overall length of 503 feet and beam of 69 feet, RYNDAM was compact with a large superstructure atop a hull of freighter dimensions. Overall, the profile was more solid than sleek with the sturdy hull and stocky cargo masts imparting a business-like quality.
Usually, the focus of attention was First Class but the RYNDAM's most intriguing aspect was her Tourist Class. For the first time on the Atlantic, Tourist passengers had virtual run-of-the-ship instead of being relegated to the least desirable areas. The RYNDAM turned old conventions completely around with a token First Class for 39 berths (to satisfy the two-class requirement of the Trans-Atlantic Passenger Steamship Conference) secluded on Boat Deck. Such innovation was nothing new to HAL - in 1938 NIEUW AMSTERDAM was first with private facilities in all Cabin (First) Class staterooms and the 'combi' liner NOORDAM had all facility cabins. This time innovation benefited the economy passenger with RYNDAM's remaining decks (Promenade, Main, 'A' and 'B"' the domain of Tourist Class.
Holland America had created a amazing vessel from a freighter's hull. First Class had fifteen outside double staterooms with private bath or shower. Public rooms were limited to a cosy Lounge forward and Dining Saloon aft on Boat Deck. It was telling that when RYNDAM came alongside HAL's Hoboken, New Jersey pier for the first time, First Class was only 55% occupied (mostly with officials) whilst Tourist had but 33 empty berths. It was for these budget travellers that she was designed and built. Tourist Class public rooms on Promenade Deck comprised a large 'Palm Court' forward, suitably done in light woods, bamboo and greenery; a Card Room, Library, a snug 'American Bar' and Smoking Room aft. Young passengers enjoyed one of the nicest playrooms afloat aft on Boat Deck which doubled as a Veranda Cafe on cruises. The Dining Room, amidships on 'A' Deck, featured some attractive examples of marquetry. The decor was attractive but the spaciousness was the innovation. The 854 Tourist passengers were accommodated in six single-berth, 28 triples, 56 four-berth cabins and a then remarkable 63% in two-berth cabins. These were entirely air-conditioned but 'compact' and largely inside with washbasin only but public facilities were ample and convenient. Everything was typically Dutch; neat, pleasant and practical. The ship was also designed to cruise in the 'off-season' with an outdoor pool aft on Promenade Deck and 20,000 sq. ft. of deck space.
Heralded as one of 'The Economy Twins', the RYNDAM arrived at the crest of the postwar wave in steamship travel. With Tourist passage starting at 59 ($160), they were outstandingly successful. The RYNDAM developed a 'Friendly Ship' reputation appealing to budget vacationers, students, professors, emigrants, artist and cultural groups. The RYNDAM was an innovation in budget travel.
The Ryndam sailed between Rotterdam, Le Havre, Southampton with frequent calls at Cobh en route to New York.
With its bulky superstructures and short hulls, the RYNDAM could pitch heavily. In 1954 the Royal Dutch Navy designed a fin-like device that was fitted to RYNDAM's bow. On trials in the North Sea the fins caused her stern to swing so wildly they had to be removed in drydock at Southampton.
Indicative of the RYNDAM's success, Holland America ordered from Wilton-Fijenoord in November 1955 a larger and faster 19 knot, 21,000 tonner which entered service in June 1957 as STATENDAM. In July 1958 RYNDAM began regular calls at Galway, Ireland.
HAL opened a regular Rotterdam-Le Havre-Southampton-Quebec City-Montreal service with RYNDAM's 30th March 1960 sailing to Quebec City with the next voyage on 29th April proceeding to Montreal. In winter RYNDAM called instead at Halifax and occasionally Boston. She also inaugurated Canadian cruises with a 15 day voyage from Montreal on 26th July to Saguenay, Gaspe, Bermuda, New York and Quebec City.
By 1961 even budget travellers expected more luxury and the RYNDAM had a block of cabins amidships on Main Deck rebuilt with private shower and toilet, reducing Tourist capacity to 822 berths. The First Class Lounge was extended on the starboard side adding a 'Gents' Corner' bar.
By 1964, the Atlantic run was well into its final decline with seaborne passengers down to 17% from the 50% just seven years previously. Holland America embarked on a series of changes for the RYNDAN. The RYNDAM was dispatched from Rotterdam on 7th November 1964 on an 'experimental voyage' to Southampton, Suez, Fremantle, Melbourne, Sydney, Wellington, returning on 30th January 1965 via the Pacific coast and the Panama Canal with 860 one-class passengers.
To make her more suitable for longer voyages, RYNDAM arrived at Norddeutschen Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven on 3rd December 1965 for a two month refit. This included a new cinema-theatre for 280 on 'D' Deck in the forward hold, a launderette, and a new bar in the Lounge. On 6th February 1966 RYNDAM departed Rotterdam on what would prove her final HAL world voyage.
More changes were in store for the RYNDAM with rising losses because of a devalued guilder, inflation and the high labour costs of their Dutch crews. In early 1966 it was decided to transfer RYNDAM to HAL's German flag subsidiary Europa-Kanada Linie GmbH of Bremen (renamed that year ECL Shipping Co.) replacing SEVEN SEAS, a converted American C3 class freighter used for low-cost student voyages. The RYNDAM's last Montreal sailing was on 20th August 1966. Re-registered in Bremen, her buff funnel was given a green band with white diamonds. Her Dutch officers and crew were replaced by lower salaried Germans. The RYNDAM departed on her first student voyage, Bremerhaven to New York on 8th October. On the 20th she sailed on her first round-the-world student cruise chartered to Chapman College of Orange, California. On these, she was one-class with self-service in the dining room. Between her extended 'floating university' cruises, she made Atlantic crossings for various student organisations.
The RYNDAM's career under the German flag was short-lived. Apparently NASM were unhappy with the ship's management (including accidental damage to a boiler) and profits. On 28th August 1967 she was transfered to another affiliated company, the Dutch flag Scheepvaart Maatschappij Trans-Oceaan. The RYNDAM made her final crossing for ECL from Bremerhaven on 29th September 1967. Arriving at Pier 40 on 9th October, she sported Trans-Oceaan's narrow red-white-blue funnel bands and with Dutch officers and crew. Her duties remained the same, sailing on another Chapman College world cruise on 11th October. It had been intended to give her a 'Constellation' name, WATERMAN (Dutch for 'Aquarius') but this waited until the completion of this cruise. Back at Pier 40 on 24th May 1968 she was renamed, sailing the next day on the first of seven voyages to Southampton and Rotterdam for the Netherlands Office for Foreign Student Relations. To confuse things a bit more, HAL retook control of the vessel on 10th October which reverted to her original name and livery. The RYNDAM, however, continued her student cruises and did not again feature in HAL schedules.
Updated: August 3, 2003
