ONE MAN’S HOLLAND AMERICA LINE: A PERSONAL RETROSPECTIVE FROM NIEUW AMSTERDAM TO KONIGSDAM
Presented by Karl Zimmermann
November 18, 2016 @ 6:00 pm
On December 7, 1949, Karl Zimmermann boarded the S.S. Nieuw Amsterdam in Rotterdam with his parents, homeward bound to New York after three months in Germany while his father worked for the Economic Cooperation Administration. This began a relationship with the Holland America Line that has stretched over seven decades. Its most recent expression culminated on November 9, 2016 when he and his wife Laurel disembarked at Ft. Lauderdale after a 16-day crossing on Holland America’s newest ship, the M.S. Konigsdam. Between those events, Karl has sailed in ten Holland America Line ships, including both Rotterdam V and Rotterdam VI, and more recently the Prinsendam, plus five HAL vessels in subsequent cruising careers.
Though he’d crossed aboard the 1952 Maasdam as a Holland America ship, it was four transatlantic crossings in the 1980s with his family on that vessel as the Polish Ocean Lines’ Stefan Batory that rekindled Karl’s love of ships. As the only current cruise line other that Cunard that fully embraces its deep history, Holland America remains a favorite. Karl’s talk showcased the last century of the line’s history, with a personal slant. Karl Zimmermann is a travel writer and author of numerous books, including Ocean Liners: Crossing and Cruising the Seven Seas, intended for young readers.
(Photo credit: Karl Zimmermann)