The North Atlantic's 'Great Liners' are usually thought of in terms of size and speed. Yet, many of the most innovative and influential ships have been of moderate dimensions. More pace-setting than pretentious were Allan Line's VICTORIAN and VIRGINIAN of 1905 (first turbine powered liners) and GRIPSHOLM of 1925, the pioneer Atlantic motorliner. In 1951/2 Holland America Line introduced two ships unremarkable in size and speed yet, by virtue of their accommodation arrangement, revolutionary. By giving Tourist Class virtual 'run of the ship' the RYNDAM and MAASDAM were among the most influential and successful liners ever built. Remarkably, three and a half decades later both remain in service: RYNDAM as the Epirotiki cruise ship ATLAS and MAASDAM as the last classic Atlantic liner - Polish Ocean Lines' STEFAN BATORY.

Holland Amerika Lijn N.A.S.M. (Holland America Line) recovered quickly from the devastation of The Second World War. As early as June 1946 the New York service had been re-opened with the new passenger-cargoliner WESTERDAM followed by NOORDAM and therefitted VEENDAM. The return of the flagship NIEUW AMSTERDAM in October 1947 was an emotional symbol that Holland America were 'back'. In 1948, their 75th anniversary, H.A.L. ordered the first of a projected trio of 60 passenger cargoliners for their North Pacific service from Wilton-Fijenoord's Schiedam yards. The first, DIEMERDYK, entered service in 1950 and her sister, slated to be DINTELDYK, was laid down as Yard #732 on 17th December 1949.

Meanwhile, Atlantic traffic was showing unprecedented strength with a heavy demand for Tourist berths for which the postwar 'combi' liners were ill-suited. The replacement of the ageing 1922/3 VOLENDAM and VEENDAM took on a new urgency. Rather than design and build new ships from scratch, H.A.L. decided to redesign DINTELDYK as a liner and immediately lay down a sistership. On 30th October 1950 the Line's Director Willem H. de Monchy announced in Rotterdam that DINTELDYK would be renamed RYNDAM (II) and enter service on the Rotterdam-Channel Ports-Southampton-New York run that following summer with a sister named MAASDAM (IV) coming in 1952. Both ships would introduce a revolutionary two-class layout favouring Tourist. This idea came about, it is told, when Director de Monchy's daughter (married to a former Canadian officer and living in Canada) wrote her father bemouning the high costs of passage to Europe.

The MAASDAM was laid down at Schiedam as Yard #733 on 19th December 1950. Exactly a year later, 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 and her sister were 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 H.A.L. - 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 H.A.L.'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. Both ships were also designed to cruise in the 'off-season' with an outdoor pool aft on Promenade Deck and 20,000 sq. ft. of deck space.

The MAASDAM, launched on 5th April 1951 by Mrs. Adriaan Gips, was handed over to N.A.S.M. on 10th August 1952. Like her sister (the two were almost identical except for decor), MAASDAM was delivered early and was to have made her first trip on 24th September. Her maiden voyage from Rotterdam on 11th August to New York was via Le Havre and Southampton with a special call at Montreal on the 20th. This was arranged in recognition of 'the ever-closening ties between Canada and the Netherlands', the role of the Royal Canadian Army in the liberation of Holland and the large numbers of Netherlanders who emigrated to the Dominion. Indeed, most of her 880 passengers landed at Montreal. She continued to New York via the Cape Cod Canal; one of the largest ships to transit the waterway. New York welcomed MAASDAM on 27th August; the last of three new Atlantic liners in 1952 - preceeded by UNITED STATES and FLANDRE.

Heralded as 'The Economy Twins', RYNDAM and MAASDAM arrived at the crest of the postwar wave in steamship travel. With Tourist passage starting at 59 ($160), they were outstandingly successful. During her first year, MAASDAM averaged 85% capacity on crossings and 96% on cruises. On these, 550 one-class passengers were carried to the Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda. The low fares were derived from economical operation. They retained the freighter machinery of two cross-compound General Electric steam turbines (built in 1945) developing 8,500shp double-reduction geared to a single screw. The service speed was only 16.5 knots with an eight day run from Britain to New York but the daily fuel consumption was just 53 tons. Offering 'Comfort with Economy' each had only 228 stewards, limited menus and uncomplicated cuisine. Both developed a 'Friendly Ship' reputation appealing to budget vacationers, students, professors, emigrants, artist and cultural groups. The RYNDAM and MAASDAM were innovations in budget travel whose success was emulated by Greek Line's OLYMPIA and Cunard's SAXONIA class.

'The Economy Twins' sailed between Rotterdam, Le Havre, Southampton with frequent calls at Cobh en route to New York running with NIEUW AMSTERDAM, NOORDAM and WESTERDAM. The MAASDAM soon displayed an unfortunate propensity for bumping into things. Outbound in fog in the Nieuw Waterweg (linking Rotterdam with the Hook of Holland) she collided with and sank the 268 ton German tanker ELLEN on 10th December 1952. Six of tanker's crew were lost although MAASDAM was undamaged. Eastbound on 3rd October 1954 she struck the freighter TOFEVO in thick fog off Rhode Island. The MAASDAM's stem was crumpled and the two ships returned to New York. There was a further embarrassment when some 200 passengers angered at H.A.L.'s refusal to pay hotel and meal bills whilst the ship was repaired, staged a 'sit-down' strike. The passengers won their point and MAASDAM sailed on 27th October. Also in the mid-fifties the ship hit the Wilhelminakade, damaging her bow above the waterline.

With their bulky superstructures and short hulls, both ships 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. A more conventional approach was taken during MAASDAM's 1955 overhaul when she was the first H.A.L. ship fitted with Denny Brown stabilizer fins and her sister was equipped the next year.

Indicative of RYNDAM and MAASDAM'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. Unlike the earlier pair, 90% of STATENDAM's Tourist cabins had private facilities. In July 1958 RYNDAM began regular calls at Galway, Ireland. In September 1959 the new flagship ROTTERDAM entered service, introducing a horizontal arrangement giving each class its own complete decks.

With STATENDAM and ROTTERDAM on the New York run, H.A.L. 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 MAASDAM and 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.

The MAASDAM's run was extended to Bremerhaven in 1963 but her first call on 15th February was rather unfortunate. In dense fog, she was off the Weser Lightship en route to a welcoming ceremony at the Columbus Quay. Among the 230 passengers were 150 invited guests and the Royal Dutch Marine Band. At 8:05am she struck the wreck of the British freighter HARBOROUGH which herself had rammed the sunken Soviet KHOLMOGORY in 1959. Shifting ice-floes had moved the marker buoys. A ten foot gash was torn into MAASDAM's hull and she developed a twelve degree list. The passengers were lowered in lifeboats and picked up by the Weser pilot steamer. There were no injuries and MAASDAM limped into port and repaired at Nordeutschen Lloyd Werft, missing two voyages. Her first Bremerhaven-Rotterdam-Le Havre-Southampton-Galway (alternatively Cobh)-New York voyage departed on 16th April. The last sailing that year proved almost as eventful; on 22nd December an ice coated MAASDAM docked at New York two days late with 200 passengers (and 18,000 sacks of Christmas post!) after encountering 35 foot seas, snow, ice and sleet driven by 75 mile an hour winds. The MAASDAM was still very much an Atlantic mailboot. That year, H.A.L.'s New York terminus was relocated to Pier 40 in Manhattan ending a long association with Hoboken.

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 Economy Twins'. With the withdrawal of the Royal Rotterdam Lloyd-Nederland round-the-world service operated by WILLEM RUYS and ORANJE, H.A.L. tried to fill the gap, during the winter. 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. On 20th October 1965 MAASDAM sailed Rotterdam-Southampton-Port Said-Colombo-Fremantle-Melbourne-Sydney-Wellington-Papeete-Los Angeles-Acapulco-Balboa-Cristobal-Kingston-New York-Cobh-Southampton-Rotterdam. These voyages met with some success against the faster P&O-Orient mailships.

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 H.A.L. world voyage although MAASDAM continued the service for two more seasons.

More changes were in store for RYNDAM and MAASDAM 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 H.A.L.'s German flag subsidiary Europa-Kanada Linie GmbH of Bremen (renamed that year E.C.L. 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 MAASDAM, which had on occasion 'filled-in' on the St. Lawrence run, was transfered to that service upon her 12th October 1966 sailing to Montreal.

The RYNDAM's career under the German flag was short-lived. Apparently N.A.S.M. 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. Like Europa-Kanada, Trans-Oceaan had specialised in student and migrant traffic with their 'Three Constellations'; ZUIDERKRUIS, WATERMAN and GROOTE BEER (see 'SM' January 1986). The RYNDAM replaced this trio after her final crossing for E.C.L. 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, H.A.L. 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 H.A.L. schedules.

The MAASDAM's final world voyage was from 7th January - 3rd April 1968. That season's Canada sailings maintained a load factor of 85% in the absence of Cunard and Canadian Pacific down to two 'Empresses'. Only the Eastern Block lines were expanding; the Soviets introduced the new ALEXANDR PUSHKIN in 1965 and Polish Ocean Lines were planning to replace the thirty-year-old BATORY. Coinciding with a re-trenching of N.A.S.M.'s trans-Atlantic service, the Poles were looking at 'used' tonnage having shelved ambitious plans for new ships. The search led to MAASDAM and on 15th May 1968 came the surprising announcement that she had been sold for 'better than book value' to Polish Ocean Lines with handing over at the end of her final N.A.S.M. Atlantic season. Twelve planned winter cruises from Southampton were cancelled. On 20th September MAASDAM departed Montreal on her last crossing under Dutch colours and was paid-off at Rotterdam on the 29th.

The author wishes to thank Laura Brown, SSHSA Library; Charles Dragonette, Richard Maxwell, Laurence Miller; E. Zelezik, Polish Ocean Lines, Gdynia; M. Garraway and John Smith, Gdynia America Shipping Lines, London. Special thanks to L.W.C. Lamers for his generous cooperation.