iPod Art Tours Debut on HAL!
Ray Goldenberg
I received this information from Holland America and thought it would
be of interest. If you have missed any of my news' postings, they are
available on my web site.
Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com
Self-Guided iPod Art Tours Debuted on ms Westerdam July 30
Fleetwide Rollout to Be Complete by End of 2006
SEATTLE, July 31
Fine art goes high tech on the high seas when Holland America Line
debuted self-guided art tours using handheld iPod devices on ms
Westerdam on its July 30, 2006 sailing. Tours of the unique art and
antique collections on each of the line's five-star ships -- together
valued at tens of millions of dollars -- are to be available fleetwide
by the end of 2006.
The introduction of the tour on the Westerdam marks the first time a
cruise line has offered museum-quality self-guided tours to its
guests.
"These self-guided tours are just the latest addition to our
constantly expanding on-board enrichment programs," said Richard D.
Meadows, CTC, senior vice president of sales and marketing. "The tours
highlight the most interesting, historical and accessible pieces of
art and antiques to provide greater depth and context, and give our
guests a truly rewarding experience."
Guests desiring to take a tour simply sign out an iPod free of charge
and take the tour at their leisure, returning the device when they
finish. In addition, the tours will be available for download to a
home computer or handheld device from the Holland America Web site at
www.hollandamerica.com .
Narrated by well-known radio hosts Paul Lasley and Elizabeth Harryman,
the 40- to 50-minute tours include walking directions, interviews with
artists, background music and photo images displayed on the iPod
screen to help guests locate each piece. For convenience, tours are
confined to the main public decks to facilitate casual, unhurried
strolling from piece to piece.
Each tour begins with a welcome message from Holland America Line
President and CEO Stein Kruse and includes comments from ship
architect/designer Frans Dingemans, as well as others associated with
the line's art program. Two artists who have their work displayed on
every Holland America ship -- Susanna Holt, whose lifelike bronze
animal sculptures grace the pool areas, and Stephen Card, whose
classic maritime paintings of Holland America ships can be found in
the main stairwells -- provide insight into their artistic
inspiration.
According to Lasley, the tours seek to contextualize the precious
objects within the overall interior design of the ship. "Dingemans
does something unique," Lasley explains during the tour. "Instead of
just adding art works as decoration, he incorporates them as an
integral part of the decor. From the beginning of the design process,
he commissions new works from outstanding contemporary artists, and he
searches the world for appropriate antiques."
Dingemans, whose firm, VFD Architects in Utrecht, The Netherlands, has
worked with the cruise line for 32 years, offers commentary as well:
"Holland America Line always decorated their ships with contemporary
art, modern art and conventional art to bring together an art
collection, total environment of the ship and the rooms you're sitting
in. The way you do that is to follow your own heart."
The sheer scope of the shipboard art and antiques distinguishes these
tours from most landside museum visits. On Westerdam alone, the pieces
range from a huge Indian silver-overlaid wood palace doorway at the
entrance to the dining room that measures 92 inches by 69 inches to a
5-inch-long bone tobacco pipe carved in the shape of a woman's head.
The most valuable piece is a painting of the Port of Rotterdam, and
the oldest is a collection of 5,000-year-old pre-Columbian carved
limestone figures from Ecuador.
Although the tours only cover an estimated 20 percent of the art and
antiques on each ship, at the end of each tour the narrators encourage
guests to participate in a kind of scavenger hunt by suggesting they
seek out a list of pieces not included on the tour. On the Westerdam
tour those include tea caddies made into boxes, carved Meerchaum pipes
and a cardboard chair by artist Frank Gehry.
With the introduction of the 1,918-passenger ms Noordam in early 2006,
Holland America Line's fleet grew to 13 ships, offering nearly 500
cruises from more than 25 home ports. Itineraries range from two to
108 days and visit all seven continents, including new Australia/New
Zealand and Asia sailings, a world cruise and popular sailings to
several ports in the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico and Europe. The ms
Noordam also offers Caribbean sailings in the winter from new homeport
New York City.
Holland America Line's $225 million, fleetwide Signature of Excellence
enhancements feature new programs and amenities including the Culinary
Arts Center presented by Food & Wine magazine -- a state-of-the-art
onboard show kitchen where more than 60 celebrated guest chefs and
culinary experts will provide cooking demonstrations and classes --
Explorations Cafe powered by the New York Times, teens-only activity
areas and all new cabin amenities highlighted by flat-panel TVs and
plush-top Mariner's Dream Beds. Signature of Excellence enhancements
has been completed on 12 ships, with the final ship receiving
enhancements by the fall of 2006. For more information, consult a
travel agent.
World's Leading Cruise Lines
The highest-rated premium cruise line in the world, Holland America
Line is a member of the exclusive World's Leading Cruise Lines
alliance, which also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises,
Cunard Line, Seabourn Cruise Line, Costa Cruises and Windstar Cruises.
Sharing a passion to please each guest and a commitment to quality and
value, these lines appeal to a wide range of lifestyles and budgets.
The World's Leading Cruise Lines offer exciting and enriching cruise
vacations to the world's most desirable destinations.
--
Tom K
"Lee Lindquist" <n...@2.spam> wrote in message
news:27qvc2582i8l9t9ug...@4ax.com...
>
>>Westerdam on its July 30, 2006 sailing. Tours of the unique art and
>>antique collections on each of the line's five-star ships -- together
>>valued at tens of millions of dollars -- are to be available fleetwide
>
> at quite a bit more.
>
>
That's the ART and ANTIQUE collections. Not the ships. And for that
matter...compared to the 4 impressionist masterpieces (Renoir, Monet, Van
Gogh, Matisse) on the Norwegian Dawn, tens if millions doesn't come close to
"top shelf". I don't recall the exact amount, but thought those 4
paintings were valued over $200 million or so. And that's just one ship.
Ten's of millions over the entire fleet... having iPods for bottom shelf
work seems like an inflated opinion of the stuff they have
Me, I prefer to see my Vermeer's in either the Met or the Rijks. Or
Rembrandt's at the Rijks or Hermitage. Then we'll talk iPods.
--Tom
George Leppla
"Lee Lindquist" <n...@2.spam> wrote
> It's a poorly written sentence, where is isn't clear what the
> claus is modifying.
>
> I wouldn't have imagined anyone would take my comment literally.
You have to be more careful, Lee. Mention HAL and "antique" in the same
sentence and people might think you are talking about the passengers.
(insert rimshot here)
--
George Leppla http://www.countryside-travel.com
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