Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands served as godmother to Holland America Line's newest ship, the ms Oosterdam (pronounced OH-STER-DAM), in a lavish ceremony dedicating the ship in Rotterdam on Tuesday, July 29. More than 5,000 people attended the gala event. Princess Margriet broke the traditional bottle of champagne against the hull to officially name the ship, assisted by Captain Johannes van Biljouw, master of the Oosterdam. The event capped a three-day celebration of Holland America Line's 130 years in business in the city that was the Seattle-based line's original headquarters through the 19th and early 20th centuries.
