Eurodam??? Not a catchy name!

[RevNeal]

I'm sure once Seattle reads this thread, the name will immediately be changed to something more acceptable to the "board":rolleyes:

 

Don't hold your breath (but, I'm sure you were being factitious).

HAL committed themselves to this name before floating it with trial tests among the Mariners. They don't give a crap. They're breaking with traditions left and right ... why not this one?

 

:( In keeping with the modern "Euro" Theme, and the violation of all traditions, they should make the ship ultra-ultra-ultra modern, with no representational or historic art. All surfaces should be metal, glass, or plastic and there should be no right angles and no straight lines. Why not? If they can break with all the traditions they've already tossed overboard, why not those of a comfortable historic, conservative, traditional nautical decor??

 

I'm just glad I'm not Captain Card ... Stephen (Oh Captain, My Captain!) is going to have to paint this piggy ... AND figure out which historic ships to paint for hanging her forward stairwell. Perhaps he can keep with the modern Euro theme by doing all the ships in an impressionist style???

 

How about it, my Captain??? You COULD do a collection of the most un-HALishly named ships in the Line's 134 years. Ships like:

 

P. Caland (1874-1897)

Pennland (1939-1941)

Prinses Margariet (1964-1970) -- yes, I know you've already painted one of her

W.A. Scholten (1874-1887)

Warszawa (1920-1926)

 

Sorry ... I can't shake the bad taste this name is leaving in my mouth. With so many wonderful historic cames -- both dam names and possibly convertible dyke names -- WHY break with tradition and go with Eurodam???? And, if they were going to break with the tradition of using an historic name, why not also break with the tradition of putting the suffix "dam" on it????? In for a penny, in for a pound! They should just break ALL the dam traditions, while you're at it!!!!!! :( :mad:

 

If they want one that starts with E, why not "Edam V" ???

[peaches from georgia]

I agree totally with Greg. Not only is there nothing attractive about the sound of the name itself, it completely loses the uniqueness and Dutch heritage of the cruiseline which is what makes HAL ships special. What is HAL thinking? :(

[jhannah]

Aw, c'mon Greg. Don't hold back with your friends here. Tell us how you really feel! :D

 

I agree that it's certainly a break with tradition.

[RevNeal]

Having a Euro Name is vital to sell Euro Bonds easier .

:eek:

 

Having the name "Euro" may well depress cabin sales in the North American market. Many Americans think the "Euros" hate them (and, based upon rhetoric coming from Paris they may be right). Also, many Americans who love the Dutch history and traditions of the Holland America Line may think twice about sailing on a ship which lauds European unity at the expense of the line's century-old naming tradition. Indeed, it seems to me that tacking "dam" on the end may be construed as an insult to HAL tradition and long-time mariners ... as if Kruse just thought "we'll stick a dam on the end and the boobs will never know the difference."

 

:(

[Tinknock50]

I knew when they actually designated a cabin category "VD" they were headed downhill in the naming department!

[tomc]

"We'll stick a dam on the end and the boobs will never know the difference."

Hmmmm.... Brystdam ... Byuubdam ... Knauyckrdam.

[RevNeal]

Aw, c'mon Greg. Don't hold back with your friends here. Tell us how you really feel! :D

 

I agree that it's certainly a break with tradition.

 

Pardon me, Jim, for coming right out and saying what I think and feel on this matter. Perhaps I'm not being rational? Perhaps I'm over-reacting? Could be. Perhaps "Eurodam" will grow on me? I don't know ... but I doubt it.

 

In the past I've been wrong about some changes (the conversion of the Library on the S and Rs into the Explorations Cafe comes to mind), however I've also been RIGHT about other changes being HORRIBLE (for instance, downright mutilation of the S and Rs in the extension forward of the Lido deck Spa at the expense of (1) the view from the Crows Nest, and (2) the exterior appearance of the ship. I bet it also plays havoc with wind resistance).

 

So ... who knows? Perhaps the "Eurodam" will become one of my favorite damship? I doubt it, but anything is possible. Yes ... and I could become French.

[Seago2]

I can only think of Eurotrash...

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=eurotrash

[Tinknock50]

I think what I dislike most about it is that it is a made up name......not a real word. But then didn't this start with the "direction ships" like Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, etc. Kind of broke the mold of using place names.

 

Once that was done Eurodam is the logical progression of using fanciful names.

[PRINSENDAM]

Way back when... 1972 I was appointed 3rd Officer to the 'fastest cargo ship under the Red Ensign'. She was the 28.5 knot, 30,000 grt containership EUROLINER. She was one of a set of four container ship owned by Scarsdale Shipping Company of London, J&J Denhom of Glasgow were managers and she was under long term charter to the US firm SEATRAIN.

 

The four ships in the group were:

 

EUROLINER

EUROFREIGHTER

ASIALINER

ASIAFREIGHTER

 

EUROLINER was the world's first gas turbine powered container ship. Only QE2 and FRANCE could beat us on an Atlantic crossing.

 

 

It was originally intended that the two EURO ships would run from US to Europe and the two ASIA ships would do the Pacific run... as it turned out all four ships were put on the Atlantic run.

 

Just thinking back to another ship named EURO.....

 

J&J Denhom were ship managers and there were many groups within the company and their names reflected the individual owners:

 

Denholm ships....

 

SCOTSPARK

GLENPARK

MOUNTPARK

HOPEPARK

CLUNEPARK

BROOMEPARK

WELL PARK

 

TeamShip Tankers

 

SEVONIA TEAM

ANGLIA TEAM

LONDON TEAM

SUECIA TEAM

BRITANNIAA TEAM

SCANDIA TEM

 

 

Buckingham Tankers

 

WARWICK FORT

FORT ST CATHERINE

 

H. Clarkson & Co.

 

AVON BRIDGE

EDEN BRIDGE

SPEY BRICGE

CHELSEA BRIDGE

JERSEY BRIDGE

 

 

NAESS GROUP

 

NAESS PIONEER

NAESS CHAMPTION

NAESS SOVERIGN

NAESS CLANSMAN

NAESS CLIPPER

NAESS CLARION

NAESS TRADER

NAESS ENDEAVOUR

and many more!

 

Scottish Ore Carriers

 

CLARKEDEN

CLARKAVON

CLARKSPEY

CLARKFORTH

 

DUNADD

DUNGRAIG

DUNKYLE

 

 

Willemsen Group

 

TROLL RIVER

TROLL LAKE

ARCTIC TROLL

 

Burmah Oil

 

BURMAH ENTERPRISE

BURMAH ENDEAVOUR

BURMAH OPAL

BURMAL JADE

BURMAH ZIRCON

BURMAH PEARL

 

Brostrom Reefers:

 

LOCH LOMOND

LOCH LONG

LOCH MAREE

 

 

 

 

As you can see..... a large fleet. About eighty ships when I was there. I think now the fleet is up to about 120.

 

 

Stephen

[localady]

Pardon me, Jim, for coming right out and saying what I think and feel on this matter. Perhaps I'm not being rational? Perhaps I'm over-reacting? Could be. Perhaps "Eurodam" will grow on me? I don't know ... but I doubt it.

 

In the past I've been wrong about some changes (the conversion of the Library on the S and Rs into the Explorations Cafe comes to mind), however I've also been RIGHT about other changes being HORRIBLE (for instance, downright mutilation of the S and Rs in the extension forward of the Lido deck Spa at the expense of (1) the view from the Crows Nest, and (2) the exterior appearance of the ship. I bet it also plays havoc with wind resistance).

 

So ... who knows? Perhaps the "Eurodam" will become one of my favorite damship? I doubt it, but anything is possible. Yes ... and I could become French.

 

I have got to admit, I stand with RevNeal on this one. I think it's unbefitting of the 80th ship in a line.:(

I guess I don't "get it" because I don't have a marketing degree from an Ivy League establishment ...:rolleyes:

I do have to say though, the PesoDam sure does have a ring to it!;)

[dougnewmanatsea]

But then didn't this start with the "direction ships" like Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, etc.

ZUIDERDAM, WESTERDAM and NOORDAM were all old names dating back to the 1940s or earlier.

 

OOSTERDAM was a new one - to complete the quartet - but there had previously been an OOSTERDYK.

 

To be quite honest, I mostly dislike EURODAM just because I don't like the way it sounds, not because of any deeply-held ideological convictions ;) .

 

Apparently a requirement for the new name was that it be easily pronounceable in English. My favorite, SPAARNDAM, might not be judged to be, but I think LEERDAM or EDAM would have been...

[Copper10-8]

ZUIDERDAM, WESTERDAM and NOORDAM were all old names dating back to the 1940s or earlier.

 

True except that Zuiderdam I, which was supposed to be a sister to Westerdam I (1946-1964), was never completed

[matterless]

The tradition is still there with the ….dam signature, true eurodam does not exist as a place or a point on the compass or even a dyke (that’s a new one on me) but what connection do they all have. Could your average cruiser find Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Zaandam or Maasdam on a map – could they even point to Holland without the aid of google?

I think we are getting a little xenophobic here. Even the French :rolleyes: (so I am told) can be a pleasant and cooperative nation. It is also possible to be in the European Community and not part of the euro - we Brits still have our Pound Sterling. It is also possible to be in Europe and not in the EC or part of the euro – as in Norway and Switzerland

Also the problem with some dam names is that we are uncertain on how to pronounce them. Is the Oosterdam, “oo” as in shoe or “oo” as in post?

HAL has not in the past chosen its names to conjure up an image you will get – apart from old world traditions and timeless elegance that comes from the Holland part of the name reinforced by an obviously foreign name. I don’t think that Eurodam really contradicts that tradition.

Having said alllllll that, I have distaste for the “marketing speak made up names” and Eurodam comes into that category. There must be at least one more village, town or city in Holland that has a pronounceable name that ends in dam!!!

[Copper10-8]

The tradition is still there with the ….dam signature, true eurodam does not exist as a place or a point on the compass or even a dyke (that’s a new one on me) but what connection do they all have. Could your average cruiser find Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Zaandam or Maasdam on a map – could they even point to Holland without the aid of google?

 

I think we are getting a little xenophobic here. Even the French :rolleyes: (so I am told) can be a pleasant and cooperative nation. It is also possible to be in the European Community and not part of the euro - we Brits still have our Pound Sterling. It is also possible to be in Europe and not in the EC or part of the euro – as in Norway and Switzerland

 

Also the problem with some dam names is that we are uncertain on how to pronounce them. Is the Oosterdam, “oo” as in shoe or “oo” as in post?

 

HAL has not in the past chosen its names to conjure up an image you will get – apart from old world traditions and timeless elegance that comes from the Holland part of the name reinforced by an obviously foreign name. I don’t think that Eurodam really contradicts that tradition.

 

Having said alllllll that, I have distaste for the “marketing speak made up names” and Eurodam comes into that category. There must be at least one more village, town or city in Holland that has a pronounceable name that ends in dam!!!

 

Matterless; good post especially on the French;) !

I think what some of us here that don't care for the new name are trying to say is that HAL, a cruise line with a 124 year history, has so many traditional names available such as Leerdam – Spaarndam - Dubbeldam – Edam - Monnickendam - Potsdam - Schiedam – Obdam - Werkendam - Didam. Just for the sake of tradition, it would have been nice to have used one of those instead of coming up with a name with no historic significance whatsoever. Disappointing but, like everything else, we'll get over it

By the way, Oosterdam is pronounced as in "toast" but take away the "t"

[Mary Ellen]

I'd never thought about the name mattering - until this. But face it, it does. Would any of us want to sail on the: Garbagedam, Sinkingdam, Smellydam, Fartingdam (sorry, but I'm trying to make a point), :eek: ....?

[dakrewser]

Strange. This is not among the news releases on the HAL website. You'd think they would have issued a news release once a name was decided. :confused: But then, they're not known for having things on their website up-to-the-minute.

 

I think the name is a good choice. While all the others that we guessed about earlier are very Dutch, most would be a little more difficult for the average person to roll off their tongue. Eurodam's okay by me.

 

It's a real press release, though - see http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061108/sfw136.html?.v=15

[dougnewmanatsea]

like everything else, we'll get over it

I don't know about that. There are some people who simply refuse to get over anything ;) ...

[matterless]

quote

Having the name "Euro" may well depress cabin sales in the North American market. Many Americans think the "Euros" hate them (and, based upon rhetoric coming from Paris they may be right). Also, many Americans who love the Dutch history and traditions of the Holland America Line may think twice about sailing on a ship which lauds European unity at the expense of the line's century-old naming tradition. Indeed, it seems to me that tacking "dam" on the end may be construed as an insult to HAL tradition and long-time mariners ... as if Kruse just thought "we'll stick a dam on the end and the boobs will never know the difference."

 

C'mon Greg you should be bigger than this.

There is no such thing as a "euro". Are you seriously suggesting that an Icelander has the same culture and traditions as a Greek, or the Portugese are the same as a Ukrainian?

Your "euro's" do not hate you, but they sometimes may disagree with your policies. As an aside it appears many of your recent electors also dislike your governments policies!! Many cruisers are north american and I have personally always found them friendly and generous.... although one US citizen did confide to me on my last cruise - "We don't like texans":eek: Are they the american equivalent of the French?

[Copper10-8]

"We don't like texans":eek: Are they the american equivalent of the French?

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the games begin!":rolleyes:

[cruisnfool]

I'm new to HAL and ay least I won't mispronounce Eurodam!

I am booked on the Zuiderdam and keep saying it so I won't say it wrong on the ship......all of the names are said differantly than they look except for Westerdam....

 

I don't like Werkendam....sounds too much like "workin"

 

Do you think they pick similiar names for ships so people WILLl be confused....like book a cruise on the Freedom, you will love it and they pick the Carnival ship one?

[hammybee]

News Flash... HAL announces that the Signature Class Ship to be launched in 2010 will replace the Oosterdam on the Mexican Riviera Cruises. In keeping with the name chosen for the first ship in this series, the Eurodam, and its itinerary, the new ship will be named the Pesodam...

 

clever

[hammybee]

Reading in between the Lines HAL_____________CCL:NYSE___ CUK:LSE

 

LONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Carnival Plc (CCL.L: Quote, Profile, Research) (CCL.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the world's largest cruise operator, plans to issue a benchmark-sized 7-year euro bond, an official at one of the banks managing the sale said on Tuesday.

 

Having a Euro Name is vital to sell Euro Bonds easier .

:eek:

 

You know AAAAmerican, your theory may not be as far fetched as it initially seems, kind of a " built by Euros" thing.

[visagrunt]

OK, I will be a contrarian and say that I like the name.

 

Rhythmically, it's an dactyl, (EUR-o-dam) which is easy to say. The name is international, and easy to say in almost any language. (And less likely to be mispronounced that Oosterdam).

 

I even believe that the name is very Dutch--especially given the important role that the Netherlands has played in the history of the European Community.

 

Finally, I am not at all disappointed to see a name that stands in contrast to the jingoistic names adopted by RCI and NCL. Although HAL is an American company, it adopts a name that demonstrates an internationalist sensibility.

[AWED23]

I don lak it, I don lak it ,I just plain do not like it!:(