Farcus also created the interior design for the Statendam’s Crow’s Nest, a 360-degree observation lounge that was located above the ship’s navigation bridge and featured floor-to-ceiling windows that wrapped around the entire structure. Here, Farcus based his design on concepts pioneered by Piet Mondriaan, but still chose to execute them in a restrained fashion, with only a single instance of snaking, brass-mounted neon lighting placed atop the ceiling along the ship’s centreline.

Another area that benefited from some restrained yet forward thinking was the ship’s main dining room. At a time when many cruise ships still had dining rooms situated low in the hull (Westerdam’s, for example, was positioned on a lower deck and featured porthole windows), Statendam’s Rotterdam Dining Room was positively stunning. Situated at the very stern of the ship, the dining room spanned the height of two decks (Promenade and Upper Promenade) and featured a large, open central area accented by dual staircases that allowed for dramatic entrances. What’s more, the entire room featured floor-to-ceiling wraparound windows that gave diners 180-degree views of the ocean. This was a huge hit during Statendam’s first Alaska season, particularly during Inside Passage scenic cruising. Suddenly, dining at first or second sitting didn’t have to mean compromising that beautiful sunset, or departure from port.

One of the defining features of any Holland America Line ship is its multimillion-dollar on-board art collection, and Statendam would be no exception. In fact, so numerous were the antiquities on Statendam that Holland America even offered a guided tour of all the artwork, or a do-it-yourself version that came complete with a printed map of locations and objects. Nearly fifteen years later, the line would offer an iPod Podcast that would allow guests to properly tour and admire all the artefacts, such as the intricate model of an 18th century sailing ship valued at over US$ 80,000.

But arguably the most imposing piece of artwork was the commissioned sculpture that anchored the base of Statendam’s Atrium. Standing 26 ft in height and dubbed Fountain of the Sirens, this centrepiece depicted various tales about the sea associated with Greek mythology, symbolising the gods Triton, Aphrodite and Poseidon.

Spanning three decks in height, the Atrium was situated in a circular fashion, with a staircase mounted along the port side. More subdued than those on the Carnival and Royal Caribbean megaliners, this intimate space gave way to passenger cabins situated on the Lower Promenade Deck, which was the lowest level of the Atrium. One deck up on the Promenade Deck was the ship’s Reception and Shore Excursion desks, and these gave way to some of the ship’s primary entertainment spaces. But it was the uppermost level of the Atrium, on Upper Promenade Deck, that housed the majority of Statendam’s bars, lounges and restaurants.

The Atrium was indicative of a conscious effort on the part of the entire design team to avoid creating cavernous, impersonal spaces and to create, in their place, intimately-designed rooms that used non-standard angles and subdued colours in order to affect a warmer, more inviting ambience.

While approval of Statendam’s staterooms ultimately fell to Ted Arison and Kirk Lanterman, presidents of Carnival and Holland America respectively, they were largely the brainchild of Kym Anton, Holland America’s senior interior designer. While every stateroom on Statendam would, on average, be 30 per cent larger than those found on other cruise ships of similar size, an entire two decks would be dedicated to staterooms featuring private balconies.

Statendam churned through the water with the assistance of two four-blade, variable-pitch propellers that derived their power from two Sulzer 12ZAV40S diesels coupled with three Sulzer 8ZA40S diesels for a top cruising speed of 22 knots. Actual propulsion was made possible via two 12,000 kW motors.

To assist with docking and undocking operations, she had two 1,720 kW ABB thrusters mounted near her bow, with a single 1,720 kW thruster mounted near her stern. Twin double-flapped, high performance rudders gave Statendam an extraordinary amount of manœuvrability, and sea trials confirmed she could perform a ‘crash stop’ (an immediate stop while travelling at full speed, with the propellers put in reverse) in as little as 171 seconds, covering a distance of just under 3,000 feet.

Statendam was also the first Holland America Line ship to feature a fully-enclosed wheelhouse concept rather than an enclosed centre with bridge wings that remained opened to the elements. Small windows were cut into the floor of both port and starboard-side wings that would allow the officers on the bridge to see directly below their feet for better manœuvring while docking and undocking. Because her bridge was fully enclosed, microphones were placed outside the wheelhouse to allow the duty watch to monitor outside sound.

Over the next two decades, Statendam would sail a fairly routine schedule of Alaskan cruises from Vancouver, Canada during the summer months while dividing her winters between the South Pacific, Caribbean, and sailings that transited the Panama Canal. Frequent refits would continue to refresh Statendam’s décor, which would become the recipient of an entirely new Crow’s Nest design and layout, an expanded Greenhouse Spa, the new Explorations Café coffee and library concept, and expanded teen and youth facilities.

In November 2012, rumours began to circulate on numerous internet-based cruise message boards that the 1993-built Statendam could be up for sale, after a sale and purchase broker put the following information up on its website:

1,600-PASSENGER CRUISE SHIP FOR SALE

630 cabins – all with private facilities

Built 1/1993 by Fincantieri Monfalcone

Class LR

55819 Grt – 26279 Nrt

219,21m loa × 185, 00m lbp × 30, 80m beam × 7,72m Draft

Main engines 2 × Fincantieri, Sulzer (12zav40s) – 46,987 bhp

Speed 20 Knots

Price USD 180 million with delivery end 2013 or beginning 2014.

Alternatively earlier delivery against higher price.

If earlier delivery the price would have to increase substantially due to cancellation of bookings etc.

The figures weren’t exact (passenger count and gross tonnage were off slightly), but the remainder of the specifications including the yard, year built and technical specifications were so close that it could only be Statendam.

As quickly as the information was posted, by 6 November of that year it had been removed from the website. It stated that an undisclosed cruise line was looking to ideally sell what could be Statendam by winter 2013, but that an earlier sale was possible if financial compensation was given to reduce the knock-on effect that would result in the cancellation of previously scheduled sailings.

Regardless of where she is or who she sails for in the future, she will always be remembered as Statendam: the ship that brought renewed profitability to Holland America Line and paved the way for legions of new ‘dam ship’ fans around the world.