124-469: MS Koningsdam is a Pinnacle-class cruise ship operated by Holland America Line (HAL), a division of Carnival Corporation & plc . Koningsdam is the lead vessel of HAL's Pinnacle class, which includes Nieuw Statendam (2018) and Rotterdam (2021), all of which were built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri . Two years after the first steel was cut in February 2014 to commence construction, she
248-736: A museum ship , still gets underway several times a year for six-hour "Living History Cruises" that take the ship through Baltimore Harbor, down the Patapsco River , and into the Chesapeake Bay, and she is also the largest cruise ship operating under the American flag on the United States East Coast. Currently the three largest cruise line holding companies and operators in the world are Carnival Corporation & plc, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings . As an industry,
372-524: A Council of Ministers found itself suddenly facing a new and unfriendly parliament. When the inevitable clash came, it was an established political trick for the Prime Minister to attempt to resolve the problem by dissolving the parliament in name of the monarch in the hope that new elections brought a more favourable parliament (but it was also possible for the trick to backfire, in which case the new, equally hostile and far more angry parliament would suspend
496-410: A French bistro, an Italian restaurant, a cooking demonstration venue, a winemaking venue, a dining room, and a café. Atop the ship, features include a spa, pools housed under a magrodome , and a cruise ship poolside theater , as well as additional dining venues, including a buffet and a pan-Asian restaurant. Koningsdam features a total of 1,331 passenger cabins across 12 decks and 588 crew cabins for
620-458: A North American clientele added every year since 2001, as well as others servicing European clientele until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 saw the entire industry all but shut down. The average age of a cruise ship in 2024 is 17.5 years. Operators of cruise ships are known as cruise lines, which are companies that sell cruises to the public. Cruise lines have a dual character; they are partly in
744-450: A ceremonial role. The monarch has a role relating to the formation of a new government after parliamentary elections . This power is not directed in the constitution. After the parliamentary election, there follows a period of time in which the leaders of the political parties in parliament seek to form a coalition of parties that can command a majority of the newly elected parliament. The current nationwide party-list system, combined with
868-411: A claim to the throne by children born out of wedlock. If the king dies while his wife is pregnant: the unborn child is considered the heir at that point, unless stillborn – the child is then considered never to have existed. As such, if the preceding king dies while his wife is pregnant with their first child, the unborn child is immediately considered born and immediately becomes the new king or queen. If
992-417: A combined capacity of 664,602 passengers. Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, with an estimated market of $ 29.4 billion per year, and over 19 million passengers carried worldwide annually as of 2011 . The industry's rapid growth saw nine or more newly built ships catering to a North American clientele added every year since 2001, as well as others servicing European clientele until
1116-448: A crew deck with a swimming pool and hot tubs. The International Labour Organization 's 2006 Maritime Labour Convention is also known as the "Seafarers' Bill of Rights". Most cruise lines since the 2000s have to some extent priced the cruising experience à la carte , as passenger spending aboard generates significantly more than ticket sales. The passenger's ticket includes the stateroom accommodation, room service, unlimited meals in
1240-531: A day, making it the second largest concentration of Olympic accommodation behind the Olympic Village. This hosting solution has been used since then in Games held in coastal cities, such as at Sydney 2000 , Athens 2004 , London 2012 , Sochi 2014 , Rio 2016 and was going to be used at Tokyo 2020 . Cruise ships have been used to accommodate displaced persons during hurricanes. For example, on 1 September 2005,
1364-451: A diverse range of ethnically themed restaurants aboard each ship. Ships also feature numerous bars and nightclubs for passenger entertainment; the majority of cruise lines do not include alcoholic beverages in their fares and passengers are expected to pay for drinks as they consume them. Most cruise lines also prohibit passengers from bringing aboard and consuming their own beverages, including alcohol, while aboard. Alcohol purchased duty-free
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#17330856165681488-427: A few hundred passengers". After 1980, they offered increasing amenities. As of 2010, city-sized ships have dozens of amenities. There have been nine or more new cruise ships added every year since 2001, including the 11 members of the aforementioned Vista class, and all at 100,000 GT or greater. The only actual ocean liner to be completed in recent years has been Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 in 2004. Following
1612-500: A government formation without monarch should take place, it was initially feared the subsequent government formation would be chaotic. However, a new government coalition was formed within 54 days – surprisingly early for Dutch standards. Instead of the monarch, the Speaker of the House of Representatives appointed the informateur – whose function was renamed to 'scout'. After the negotiations,
1736-683: A large affair with much pomp and circumstance, in which the States-General and other major bodies of government assemble in the Ridderzaal to hear the King deliver the speech from the throne after having arrived from the Noordeinde Palace in his golden carriage . Both in constitutional aspects and in ceremony the event has much in common with both the British State Opening of Parliament and
1860-436: A low threshold for getting a seat (two-thirds of one percent of the vote), makes it all but impossible for one party to win an outright majority. Thus, the bargaining required to put together a governing coalition is as important as the election itself. This process of negotiations, which can last anywhere from two to four months (more on occasion), is coordinated in the initial stages by one or more informateurs , whose duty it
1984-423: A maximum capacity of 4,173 passengers and crew. Of the total amount of cabins, 78.4% have an outside view, and 68.5% have a balcony. She has a length of 299.65 metres (983 ft 1 in), a draft of 7.95 metres (26 ft 1 in), and a beam of 35 metres (114 ft 10 in). She is powered by a diesel-electric genset system, with four MaK engines, each producing 12.6 MW (16,900 hp) to produce
2108-452: A new 2,660-passenger vessel for HAL, initially scheduled for a fall 2015 delivery. At a planned gross tonnage of approximately 99,000 GT , the ship would lead a new class of ships for HAL, dubbed Pinnacle class. On 4 February 2014, the first steel was cut for the ship at Fincantieri's shipyard in Marghera . On 22 August 2014, the keel-laying ceremony was performed, in which a 680-ton block
2232-520: A perimeter accessible only by passengers and not by locals. Ports of call have often oriented their own businesses and facilities towards meeting the needs of visiting cruise ships. In one case, Icy Strait Point in Alaska, the entire destination was created explicitly and solely for cruise ship visitors. On "cruises to nowhere" or "nowhere voyages", some cruise ships make two- to three-night round trips without visiting any ports of call. Travel to and from
2356-414: A representative of the united government. And when the government decides, the monarch is in agreement (even if the monarch personally disagrees). As an ultimate consequence of this, it is not possible for the monarch to refuse to sign into law a proposal of law that has been agreed to and signed by the responsible minister. Such a disagreement between the monarch and his minister is a situation not covered by
2480-501: A reputation as "party ships" for younger travelers, but have become large, modern, yet still profitable, as well as Holland America Line and Cunard Line, whose ships cultivate an image of classic elegance. In 2004, Carnival had merged Cunard's headquarters with that of Princess Cruises in Santa Clarita, California so that administrative, financial and technology services could be combined, ending Cunard's history where it had operated as
2604-663: A series of fires burned on the island. Most cruise ships sail the Caribbean or the Mediterranean. Others operate elsewhere in places like Alaska , the South Pacific, the Baltic Sea and New England . A cruise ship that is moving from one of these regions to another will commonly operate a repositioning cruise while doing so. Expedition cruise lines, which usually operate small ships, visit certain more specialized destinations such as
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#17330856165682728-453: A situation in which there is no monarch. This is because there must be a head of state in order for the government to function, as there must be someone who carries out the tasks of the constitutional role of the King/Queen. For this reason, the new monarch assumes the role the moment the previous monarch ceases to hold the throne. The only exception is if there is no heir at all, in which case
2852-558: A standalone company (subsidiary) regardless of parent ownership. However, Cunard did regain some independence in 2009 when its headquarters were moved to Carnival House in Southampton. The common practice in the cruise industry in listing cruise ship transfers and orders is to list the smaller operating company, not the larger holding corporation, as the recipient cruise line of the sale, transfer, or new order. In other words, Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line, for example, are
2976-428: A total output of 50.4 megawatts (67,600 hp). Main propulsion is via two ABB Azipods , each driven by a 14 megawatts (19,000 hp) electric motor. The system gives the vessel a service speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) and a maximum speed of 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph). Koningsdam was designed to operate at an optimal service speed, with an extended hull and modified bulbous bow to improve
3100-427: Is being stripped of his authority will probably not agree to sign the act of his removal, and—in the case of the States-General removing a monarch who has become unfit due to mental or physical incapacitation—may not be able to). Since neither ceding nor removal is permanent, neither triggers succession. Instead, the States-General appoint a regent. This must be the heir apparent if he or she is old enough. In order for
3224-427: Is defined for the ship, often suits and ties or even tuxedos for men, and formal dresses for women. The menu is more upscale than usual. Besides the dining room, modern cruise ships often contain one or more casual buffet-style eateries, which may be open 24 hours and with menus that vary throughout the day to provide meals ranging from breakfast to late-night snacks. In recent years, cruise lines have started to include
3348-467: Is formulated in such a way as to be decreed by the monarch. The final involvement of the monarch with the States is dissolution . Constitutionally, the government is empowered to dissolve either house of the states by royal decree. This means that a minister (usually the prime minister) makes the decision and the monarch countersigns. The signing of such a royal decree constitutionally implies new elections for
3472-459: Is one, the monarch abides by the decision of the ministers. In fact, the monarchs of the Netherlands rarely make any executive decisions at all and practically never speak in public on any subject other than to read a statement prepared by the Prime Minister (since an unfortunate off-the-cuff remark could get a minister into trouble). The practical consequence of this limit on the power of the monarch
3596-472: Is sealed and returned to passengers when they disembark. There is often a central galley responsible for serving all major restaurants aboard the ship, though specialty restaurants may have their own separate galleys. As with any vessel, adequate provisioning is crucial, especially on a cruise ship serving several thousand meals at each seating. For example, a quasi "military operation" is required to load and unload 3,600 passengers and eight tons of food at
3720-428: Is that the monarch never makes a decision on his own. Every decision, every decree must be countersigned by the responsible minister(s). Technically, the monarch has a lot of practical power. For instance, no proposal of law actually becomes law until signed by the monarch – and there is no legal requirement for the monarch to sign. In practice, the monarch will always give assent since most proposals of law are made by
3844-579: Is the head of state and the de jure head of government of the Netherlands . The once-sovereign provinces of the Spanish Netherlands were intermittently ruled by members of the House of Orange-Nassau from 1559, when Philip II of Spain appointed William the Silent (William of Orange) as a stadtholder , until 1795, when the last stadtholder, William V, Prince of Orange , fled the country. William
MS Koningsdam - Misplaced Pages Continue
3968-417: Is the basis of the full power and influence of the monarch and makes him beyond reproach before the law, but also limits his practical power, as he can take no responsibility for it. The first paragraph of Article 42 determines that the government of the Netherlands consists of the monarch and his ministers. The monarch is according to this article not the head of government; the ministers are not answerable to
4092-526: Is there to investigate possible coalitions and report on them. He could technically seek "favourable" coalitions, but the political parties involved are usually quite clear on what they want and do not want and the first choice for coalition almost always is the coalition of preference of the largest party in the new parliament. Besides, the monarchs and (particularly) the queens have traditionally known better than to appoint controversial informateurs, usually settling for well-established yet fairly neutral people in
4216-527: Is to investigate and report upon viable coalitions. After a likely combination is found, a formateur is appointed to conduct the formal coalition negotiations and form a new Council of Ministers (of which the formateur himself usually becomes the Prime Minister). If the negotiations fail, the cycle starts over. The informateurs and formateur in question are all appointed to this task by the monarch. The monarch makes his own decision in this, based on advice from
4340-480: The Senate . As in most parliamentary democracies , the States-General are dually responsible for overseeing the government in its executive duties as well as approving proposals of law before they can become as such. In this respect, it is vital for the government to maintain good relations with the States-General and technically the monarch shares in that effort (although the monarch never officially speaks to members of
4464-431: The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 saw the entire industry all but shut down. The average age of a cruise ship in 2024 is 17.5 years. The construction market for cruise ships is dominated by three European companies and one Asian company. Operators of cruise ships are known as cruise lines. Cruise ships are organized much like floating hotels, with a complete hospitality staff in addition to the usual ship's crew. Traditionally,
4588-550: The Council of State assumes the role of the monarch pending the appointment of a monarch or regent. The monarch is expected to execute his duties and responsibilities for the good of the nation. The monarch must therefore swear to uphold the constitution and execute the office faithfully. The monarch must be sworn in as soon as possible after assuming the throne during a joint session of the States-General held in Amsterdam . Article 32 of
4712-677: The Dutch royal family to christen HAL ships. She christened the vessel on 20 May 2016 in Rotterdam . On 19 November 2014, HAL announced that Koningsdam would sail her maiden voyage from Rome , following her re-positioning from the shipyard, on 20 February 2016, calling in Dubrovnik , Corfu , Olympia , and Naples . From then, Koningsdam would continue to sail in the Mediterranean and also cruise from Amsterdam to Northern Europe . In March 2015, with
4836-472: The French Line 's SS France (1961), and Cunard Line 's RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969) were designed to serve the dual purposes of ocean liner during the northern hemisphere summer months and cruise ship in the winter, incorporating doors and baffles that could be open or closed to divide classes or open the ship to one class, wherein all passengers received roughly the same quality berthing and most of
4960-550: The Oasis -class ships is the split, atrium structure, made possible by the hull's extraordinary width, with the 6-deck high Central Park and Boardwalk outdoor areas running down the middle of the ship and verandas on all decks. In two short decades (1988–2009), the largest class cruise ships have grown a third longer (268 to 364.75 m, 879 ft 3 in to 1,196 ft 8 in), doubled their widths (32.2 to 65.7 m, 105 ft 8 in to 215 ft 7 in), nearly tripled
5084-729: The South Pacific , and the Baltic Sea . Large cruise ships have been identified as one of the major causes of overtourism . Italy, a traditional focus of the Grand Tour , offered an early cruise experience on the Francesco I , flying the flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies . Built in 1831, the Francesco I sailed from Naples in early June 1833, preceded by an advertising campaign. Nobles, authorities, and royal princes from all over Europe boarded
MS Koningsdam - Misplaced Pages Continue
5208-602: The "megaships" of Carnival and Royal Caribbean—designed such that virtually all of their suites are balconies. Several specialty lines offer "expedition cruising" or only operate small ships, visiting certain destinations such as the Arctic and Antarctica, or the Galápagos Islands . John W. Brown , which formerly operated as part of the United States Merchant Marine during World War II before being converted to
5332-488: The 1960s, intercontinental travelers switched from ships to planes, sending the ocean liner trade into a terminal decline. Certain characteristics of older ocean liners made them unsuitable for cruising duties, such as high fuel consumption, deep draught preventing them from entering shallow ports, and cabins (often windowless) designed to maximize passenger numbers rather than comfort. In the late 1950s and 1960s, ships such as Holland America Line 's SS Rotterdam (1959),
5456-432: The 1990s led to many cruise lines being bought by much larger holding companies and continue to operate as "brands" or subsidiaries of the holding company. Brands continue to be maintained partly because of the expectation of repeat customer loyalty, and also to offer different levels of quality and service. For instance, Carnival Corporation & plc owns both Carnival Cruise Line , whose former image were vessels that had
5580-545: The American State of the Union . Lawmaking is the area in which the monarch has the most frequent involvement with the States-General (although he still has very little to do with it in practice). Laws in the Netherlands are primarily proposed by the government "by or on behalf of" the monarch (this phrase is repeated often in the constitution). Technically, this means that the monarch may propose laws in person, hearkening back to
5704-551: The Arctic and Antarctica, or the Galápagos Islands . Monarchy of the Netherlands The monarchy of the Netherlands is governed by the country's constitution , roughly a third of which explains the mechanics of succession, accession, and abdication; the roles and duties of the monarch; the formalities of communication between the States General of the Netherlands ; and the monarch's role in creating laws. The monarch
5828-508: The Dutch constitution describes a swearing-in in "the capital Amsterdam", which incidentally is the only phrase in the constitution that names Amsterdam as the capital of the Kingdom. The ceremony is called the inauguration ( inhuldiging ). The Dutch monarch is not crowned—although the crown, orb, and sceptre are present at the ceremony—the monarch's swearing of the oath constitutes acceptance of
5952-475: The Netherlands as well as a Prince or Princess of Orange-Nassau. After their death, legally the deceased monarch (abdicated or not) has no titles. However, after death, the abdicated monarch is traditionally referred to as king or queen again. For example, Queen Juliana became queen on 4 September 1948 and princess again on 30 April 1980 following her abdication, but has been referred to as Queen Juliana since her death on 20 March 2004. There are two ways in which
6076-450: The Netherlands that serves two purposes. First, it is an advisory council to the government which advises on the desirability, practicability and constitutionality of new proposals of law. Second, it is the Supreme court for the Netherlands in matters of administrative law . The position of the monarch as constitutional head of this Council means two things for the constitutional position of
6200-516: The Silent became the leader of the Dutch Revolt and of the independent Dutch Republic . Some of his descendants were later appointed as stadtholders by the provinces and, in 1747, the role of stadtholder became a hereditary position in all provinces of the thus " crowned " Dutch Republic. The Kingdom of the Netherlands (not to be confused with the constituent country of the Netherlands ) has been an hereditary monarchy since 16 March 1815. Following
6324-421: The States-General on policy matters due to ministerial responsibility). Constitutionally, the monarch deals with the States-General in three areas: lawmaking, policy outlining at the opening of the parliamentary year and dissolution. Of the three, policy outlining is the most straightforward. The parliamentary year is opened on the third Tuesday of September with a joint session of both houses. At this occasion
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#17330856165686448-553: The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contracted three Carnival Cruise Lines vessels ( Carnival Fantasy , the former Carnival Holiday , and the Carnival Sensation ) to house Hurricane Katrina evacuees. In 2017, cruise ships were used to help transport residents from some Caribbean islands destroyed by Hurricane Irma , as well as Puerto Rico residents displaced by Hurricane Maria . The cruise ships have also been used for evacuations. In 2010, in response to
6572-511: The abdication of his mother Queen Beatrix , Willem-Alexander has been King of the Netherlands since 30 April 2013. The monarchy of the Netherlands passes by right of succession to the heirs of William I (see House of Orange-Nassau ). The heir is determined through two mechanisms: absolute cognatic primogeniture and proximity of blood . The Netherlands established absolute cognatic primogeniture instead of male-preference primogeniture by law in 1983. Proximity of blood limits accession to
6696-486: The addition of a casino and other entertainment amenities, the crossing was advertised as a vacation in itself. The 1977–1986 television series The Love Boat helped to popularize the concept as a romantic opportunity for couples. Industry experts credit the series with increasing interest in the cruise industry, especially for those that weren't newlyweds or senior citizens, and for the resulting demand to spur investment in new ships instead of conversions. The influence
6820-472: The appointment of his ministers. Ministers are appointed by royal decree, which has to be countersigned by the responsible minister. The royal decree to appoint a minister, however, is countersigned by two responsible ministers rather than one: the outgoing minister responsible for the ministry and the Prime Minister . Though the powers of the monarch of the Netherlands are limited, he or she does not have
6944-438: The appointments that the monarch makes. These discussions usually turn (to varying degrees) on the argument that a decision by a monarch is undemocratic and there is no parliamentary oversight over the decision and the monarch might make use of this to push for a government of his or her liking. On the other hand, it is somewhat questionable that the monarch really has much opportunity here to exert any influence. The informateur
7068-869: The base fare on Regent Seven Seas ships includes most alcoholic beverages on board ship and most shore excursions in ports of call, as well as all gratuities that would normally be paid to hotel staff on the ship. The fare may also include a one-night hotel stay before boarding, and the air fare to and from the cruise's origin and destination ports. Many cruise lines have loyalty programs . Using these and by booking inexpensive tickets, some people have found it cheaper to live continuously on cruise ships instead of on land. Cruise ships and former liners sometimes find use in applications other than those for which they were built. Due to slower speed and reduced seaworthiness, as well as being largely introduced after several major wars, cruise ships have also been used as troop transport vessels. By contrast, ocean liners were often seen as
7192-652: The beginning and end of each cruise, for the Royal Princess . Modern cruise ships typically have aboard some or all of the following facilities: Some ships have bowling alleys, ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls, sky-diving simulators, miniature golf courses, video arcades, ziplines, surfing simulators, water slides, basketball courts, tennis courts, chain restaurants, ropes obstacle courses, and even roller coasters. Crew are usually hired on three to eleven month contracts which may then be renewed as mutually agreed, depending on service ratings from passengers as well as
7316-417: The budget to force the resignation of the government). Even though the monarch never speaks with members of the States-General formally, it was tradition until 1999 that the queen would invite the members of parliament a few times a year for informal talks about the general state of affairs in the country. These conversations were held in the strictest confidence due to ministerial responsibility. The tradition
7440-459: The case of the monarch ceding royal authority, the required act is a law. In case of removal, it is a declaration by the States-General. Formally, both require the normal procedure for passing a new law in the Netherlands. The former case is signed into law by the monarch himself, the latter is not, so technically it is not a law (this is allowed explicitly in the Constitution since the monarch who
7564-428: The company's group insurance plan. The direct salary is low by North American standards, though restaurant staff have considerable earning potential from passenger tips. Crew members do not have any expenses while on board, because food and accommodation, medical care, and transportation for most employees, are included. Bard College at Simon's Rock professor Francisca Oyogoa states that "Crewing agencies often exploit
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#17330856165687688-404: The constitution and is automatically a constitutional crisis . The second paragraph of the article, though, is what really renders the monarch powerless. This paragraph states that the monarch is inviolable. He is beyond any reproach, beyond the grasp of any prosecution (criminal or otherwise) for any acts committed or actions taken as monarch. If anything goes wrong, the minister responsible for
7812-412: The constitution mentions neither possibility explicitly, it does describe what happens after the monarch dies or abdicates. Abdication is a prerogative of the monarch, but it is also irreversible as the person abdicating cannot return to the throne, nor can a child born to a former monarch after an abdication has occurred have a claim to the throne. The abdicated monarch is legally a Prince or Princess of
7936-706: The cruise lines from this common industry practice point of view; whereas Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Group , for example, can be considered holding corporations of cruise lines. This industry practice of using the smaller operating company, not the larger holding corporation, is also followed in the list of cruise lines and in member-based reviews of cruise lines. Some cruise lines have specialties; for example, Saga Cruises only allows passengers over 50 years old aboard their ships, and Star Clippers and formerly Windjammer Barefoot Cruises and Windstar Cruises only operate tall ships . Regent Seven Seas Cruises operates medium-sized vessels—smaller than
8060-473: The cruise ship business has been volatile. The ships are large capital investments with high operating costs. A persistent decrease in bookings can put a company in financial jeopardy. Cruise lines have sold, renovated, or renamed their ships to keep up with travel trends. Cruise lines operate their ships almost constantly. If the maintenance is unscheduled, it can result, potentially, in thousands of dissatisfied customers. A wave of failures and consolidations in
8184-472: The cruise ship, which sailed in just over three months to Taormina , Catania , Syracuse , Malta , Corfu , Patras , Delphi , Zante , Athens , Smyrna and Constantinople , providing passengers with excursions and guided tours. P&O first introduced passenger-cruising services in 1844, advertising sea tours to destinations such as Gibraltar , Malta and Athens, sailing from Southampton . The forerunner of modern cruise holidays , these voyages were
8308-405: The cyclical nature of the cruise line operator. Most staff work 77-hour work weeks for 10 months continuously followed by two months of vacation. There are no paid vacations or pensions for service, non-management crew, depending on the level of the position and the type of the contract. Non-service and management crew members get paid vacation, medical, retirement options, and can participate in
8432-404: The days of the first monarchs of the Netherlands when monarchs really could and did control this. However, this possibility is at odds with ministerial responsibility and modern monarchs have always avoided the issue by never proposing laws personally. The monarch must still sign proposals into law though, as historical deference to the fact that the law of the land is decreed by the monarch. While
8556-422: The death of the reigning monarch, even by the monarch himself (in case it is clear that the monarch will die without leaving an heir). Second, some people are excluded from the line of succession. They are: Princess Beatrix * Princess Margriet * Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven * As with most monarchies, the Netherlands cannot be without a monarch – the constitution of the Netherlands does not recognise
8680-486: The delivery date of Koningsdam would be postponed by approximately one month, from 16 February 2016 to 31 March 2016, after a joint decision made with Fincantieri. Koningsdam was successfully presented and delivered to HAL in Marghera on 31 March 2016. HAL revealed the godmother of Koningsdam would be Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands on 18 April 2016, following a long line of HAL tradition of inviting members of
8804-465: The desperation of potential employees." Living arrangements vary by cruise line, but mostly by shipboard position. In general two employees share a cabin with a shower, commode and a desk with a television set, while senior officers are assigned single cabins. There is a set of facilities for the crew separate from that for passengers, such as mess rooms and bars, recreation rooms, prayer rooms/mosques, and fitness center, with some larger ships even having
8928-405: The details of certain laws. Royal decrees create ministries , dissolve the houses of the States-General, and appoint & fire ministers. However, royal decrees are made by the responsible minister. And while the monarch must sign laws and royal decrees before they come into effect, the constitution determines that the responsible ministers and state secretaries must countersign. That, given
9052-622: The early planning stages, HAL had initially slotted a new ship to become a sister ship to Signature-class fleet-mate, Nieuw Amsterdam . However, with the adoption of the Safe Return to Port requirements and the aging concept of the Signature-class design, HAL decided to develop a new prototype. On 26 October 2012, Carnival Corporation announced that it had ordered two cruise ships from the Italian shipbuilder, Fincantieri , with one of them being
9176-668: The event and helped to weld two gold coins bearing the image of Willem-Alexander. Shortly after, in early-March 2015, Koningsdam was floated out from the dry dock and transferred into the outfitting dock for final construction and interior furnishing. In January 2016, Koningsdam performed two sets of sea trials. She first left Marghera on 2 January for three days before arriving at Fincantieri's shipyard in Trieste for standard hull maintenance and evaluation. She then left on 10 January for her second trial and returned to Marghera on 16 January for her finishing touches. In March 2015, HAL announced
9300-517: The fact that the ministers have the authority, really means that they decide and it is the monarch who countersigns (the minister asks the monarch for permission, that is, royal authority, and as an upholder of the Constitution, the monarch signs first; the minister is politically responsible for the Act and countersigns. This is an Act of the Crown: monarch and minister together). Even that is a formality. Also, while
9424-422: The first "mega-cruise ship". The main exception was Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 : although being put on more cruises, she maintained the regular transatlantic crossing tradition throughout the year, but with a stronger focus on leisure passengers, catering to a niche market of those who appreciated the several days at sea. International celebrities were hired to perform acts on board, along with cabarets , and with
9548-424: The first of their kind. P&O Cruises is the world's oldest cruise line . The company later introduced round trips to destinations such as Alexandria and Constantinople. It underwent a period of rapid expansion in the latter half of the 19th century, commissioning larger and more luxurious ships to serve the steadily expanding market. Notable ships of the era include SS Ravenna built in 1880, which became
9672-519: The first ship built with a total steel superstructure, and SS Valetta built in 1889. The cruise of Augusta Victoria in the Mediterranean and the Near East from 22 January to 22 March 1891, with 241 passengers including Albert Ballin and wife themselves, is often stated to have been the first ever cruise. Christian Wilhelm Allers published an illustrated account of it as Backschisch . The first vessel built exclusively for luxury cruising
9796-480: The government "by or on behalf of the King". And while proposals of law must be approved by the States-General, a lot of the practical running of the country is done by royal decree (in Dutch: Koninklijk Besluit ). These royal decrees are used for all sorts of things, ranging from appointments of civil servants and military officers to clarifications of how public policy is to be executed to filling in
9920-602: The house in question and the formation of a new house within three months of dissolution. The constitution prescribes a number of cases in which one or more houses of the States are dissolved (particularly for changes to the constitution); this is always done by royal decree. In addition, traditionally a collapse of the government is followed by dissolution of the House of Representatives and general elections. Before World War II , before it became common to form new governments with each new parliament, it would happen from time to time that
10044-513: The installation ceremony of ministers – the only duty still left to the monarch – was held in public for the first time in history. The one branch of government over which the monarch has no control is the legislative branch, formed by the States-General of the Netherlands . This parliamentary body consists of two chambers, the House of Representatives (also commonly referred to as Parliament ) and
10168-413: The king has no practical involvement anymore in lawmaking other than a signature at the end, one might get a different impression from reading the communications between the government and the States-General regarding such affairs. All communication from the States-General to the government is addressed to the monarch and correspondence in the opposite direction formally from the monarch (it is also signed by
10292-589: The late-19th century, Albert Ballin, director of the Hamburg-America Line, was the first to send his transatlantic ships out on long southern cruises during the worst of the North Atlantic winter seasons. Other companies followed suit. Some of them built specialized ships designed for easy transformation between summer crossings and winter cruising. In 1897 three luxury liners, all European-owned, offered transportation between Europe and North America. In 1906
10416-399: The leaders of the different parties in parliament, as well as other important figures (the speakers of the new parliament and the senate are among them). There is usually some popular discussion in the Netherlands around the time of these negotiations about whether the authority of the monarch in this matter should not be limited and whether or not the newly elected parliament should not make
10540-744: The main dining room (or main restaurant) and buffet, access to shows, and use of pool and gym facilities, while there is a daily gratuity charge to cover housekeeping and waiter service. However, there are extra charges for alcohol and soft drinks, official cruise photos, Internet and wi-fi access, and specialty restaurants. Cruise lines earn significantly from selling onshore excursions offered by local contractors; keeping 50% or more of what passengers spend for these tours. In addition, cruise ships earn significant commissions on sales from onshore stores that are promoted on board as "preferred" (as much as 40% of gross sales). Facilitating this practice are modern cruise terminals with establishments of duty-free shops inside
10664-501: The mass cruising market. They also were the first series of cruise ships to include a multi-story lobby with a glass elevator and had a single deck devoted entirely to cabins with private balconies, instead of oceanview cabins. Other cruise lines soon launched ships with similar attributes, such as the Fantasy class , leading up to the Panamax -type Vista class , designed such that two-thirds of
10788-487: The monarch addresses the joint states in a speech in which he sets forth the outlines for his government's policies for the coming year (the speech itself is prepared by the ministers, their ministries and finally crafted and approved by the prime minister). This event is mandated by the constitution in Article 65. Tradition has made more of this occasion than a policy speech though, and the event known as Prinsjesdag has become
10912-431: The monarch but the constitution stipulates that custody and parental authority of the minor monarch will be determined by law; any person might be appointed as regent, as legal guardian or both. There are also a number of special cases within the Constitution. First, if there is no heir when the monarch dies, the States-General may appoint a successor upon the suggestion of the government. This suggestion may be made before
11036-441: The monarch is part of the government of the Netherlands . The role of the monarch within the government of the Netherlands is described in Article 42 of the constitution: 1. De regering wordt gevormd door de Koning en de ministers. 2. De Koning is onschendbaar; de ministers zijn verantwoordelijk. 1. The government consists of the King and the ministers. 2. The King is inviolable; the ministers are responsible. This article
11160-450: The monarch may technically propose laws ("by or on behalf of the King"), ministerial responsibility means that he never does. And even though the government may refuse to sign a States-General approved proposal into law, this is practically unheard of and the monarch refusing to sign on his own is even rarer (and would cause a constitutional crisis). There is one special case in which the monarch has, if possible, even less power than normal:
11284-410: The monarch to cede royal authority or be removed from it, both monarch and council are deemed to act responsibly and not leave the execution of the office vacant unnecessarily. Both cases are intended to deal with emergency situations such as physical or mental inability to execute the office of the monarch. In both cases, an act of the joint States-General is needed to strip the monarch of authority. In
11408-405: The monarch to resume his duties, a law (which is signed by the regent) must be passed to that effect. The monarch resumes the throne the moment the law of his return is made public. Although the monarch has roles and duties in all parts of the government and in several important places in the rest of society, the primary role of the monarch is within the executive branch of the Dutch government:
11532-445: The monarch within the government. There is no distinction, no dichotomy, no segregation or separation: the monarch and his ministers are the government and the government is one. This fact has practical consequences, in that it is not possible for the monarch and the ministers to be in disagreement. The government speaks with one voice and makes decisions as a united body. When the monarch acts in an executive capacity, he does so as
11656-467: The monarch, foreign ambassadors represent foreign heads of state to the monarch. It is the monarch that makes official state visits to foreign heads of state as representative of the Netherlands. He or She represents the monarch whose face is shown on Dutch stamps and Dutch euro coins . Constitutionally, the monarch is the head of the Dutch Council of State . The council is a constitutional body of
11780-434: The monarch, without a ministerial countersignature – such communication is not a decision or decree, so does not require a countersignature). The formal language still shows deference to the position of the monarch, with a refusal of the States-General to approve a proposal of law for example becoming "a request to the King to reconsider the proposal". The constitution prescribes a number of the forms used: A law, once passed,
11904-460: The monarch, without ceasing to be monarch, can be stripped of his or her royal authority: These cases are both temporary (even if the monarch dies while not executing his office it still counts as temporary) and are described in detail in the constitution. A monarch can temporarily cease to reign for any reason. This can be at his own request or because the Council of Ministers deems the monarch unfit for office. Although there can be any reason for
12028-583: The number had increased to seven. The British Inman Line owned City of Paris , the Cunard Line had Campania and Lucania . The White Star Line owned Majestic and Teutonic . La Lorraine and La Savoie sailed for the French Compagnie Générale Transatlantique . Modern cruise ships tend to have less hull strength, speed, and agility compared to ocean liners. With the advent of large passenger jet aircraft in
12152-401: The oceanview staterooms have balconies. As the veranda suites were particularly lucrative for cruise lines, something which was lacking in older ocean liners, recent cruise ships have been designed to maximize such amenities and have been described as "balcony-laden floating condominiums". Until 1975–1980, cruises offered shuffleboard , deck chairs, "drinks with umbrellas and little else for
12276-465: The political arena (the deputy chairman of the Dutch Council of State is a common choice). Once a potential coalition has been identified the monarch technically has free rein in selecting a formateur. However, the formateur almost always becomes the next prime minister, and in any case, it is a strong convention that a government must command the support of a majority of the House of Representatives in order to stay in office. These considerations mean that
12400-539: The port of departure is usually the passengers' responsibility, although purchasing a transfer pass from the cruise line for the trip between the airport and cruise terminal will guarantee that the ship will not leave until the passenger is aboard. Similarly, if the passenger books a shore excursion with the cruise line and the tour runs late, the ship is obliged to remain until the passenger returns. Luxury cruise lines such as Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Crystal Cruises market their fares as "all-inclusive". For example,
12524-518: The postponement of the ship's delivery, HAL announced that the maiden voyage would be delayed until 8 April 2016. The remainder of her inaugural season was unchanged and she continued sailing European voyages before she made her North American debut in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in the fall of 2016, sailing round-trip Caribbean itineraries. Through early-2020, Koningsdam sailed round-trip Caribbean itineraries from Fort Lauderdale. In March 2020, she
12648-402: The pregnancy ends in stillbirth, his or her reign is expunged (otherwise the existence of the stillborn king/queen would add a degree of separation for other family members to the throne and might suddenly exclude the next person in line for the throne). If the monarch is a minor, a regent is appointed and serves until the monarch comes of age. The regent is customarily the surviving parent of
12772-563: The pride of their country and used to rival liners of other nations, and have been requisitioned during both World Wars and the Falklands War to transport soldiers and serve as hospital ships . During the 1992 Summer Olympics , eleven cruise ships docked at the Port of Barcelona for an average of 18 days, served as floating hotels to help accommodate the large influx of visitors to the Games. They were available to sponsors and hosted 11,000 guests
12896-568: The retirement of her running mate Queen Elizabeth 2 in November 2008, Queen Mary 2 is the only liner operating on scheduled transatlantic service, though she also sees significant service on cruise routes. Queen Mary 2 was for a time the largest passenger ship before being surpassed by Royal Caribbean International 's Freedom -class vessels in 2006. The Freedom -class ships were in turn overtaken by RCI's own Oasis -class vessels which entered service in 2009 and 2010. A distinctive feature of
13020-580: The same facilities. (Passengers in cabins in certain grades on the Queen Elizabeth 2 had access only to certain dining rooms). Ocean liner services almost ceased in the 1970s and 1980s. The Rotterdam was put on permanent cruise service in 1968, while the France (at the time the largest passenger vessel in the world) was mothballed in 1974, sold to Norwegian Cruise Line in 1979, and after major renovations relaunched as SS Norway in 1980, thus becoming
13144-524: The selected formateur is always the party leader of the largest party in the potential coalition. However, in March 2012 the States-General altered its own procedures, such that any subsequent government formation is done without the monarch's influence. No more than a month later, the government coalition collapsed, triggering early elections in September 2012 . As no formal procedures had been outlined as to how
13268-576: The ship's efficiency and glide and reduce resistance. The ship is powered by heavy fuel oil and marine gas oil and equipped with scrubbers from Ecospray Technologies. Enhancements such as fan coil units used to maintain temperatures in public spaces, instead of centralized air conditioning, have allowed the ship to use 20% less power than Nieuw Amsterdam , despite carrying 20% more passengers. In addition, there are 16 150-person lifeboats and six tender boats , all provided by Hatecke. All infrastructure and IT systems are provided by Lufthansa Systems . In
13392-560: The ship's events (such as shows and performances) for the late diners, but this problem is usually fixed by having a shorter version of the event take place before late dinner. Cunard Line ships maintain the class tradition of ocean liners and have separate dining rooms for different types of suites, while Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises have a standard dining room and "upgrade" specialty restaurants that require pre-booking and cover charges. Many cruises schedule one or more "formal dining" nights. Guests dress "formally", however, that
13516-487: The ships' restaurants organize two dinner services per day, early dining and late dining, and passengers are allocated a set dining time for the entire cruise; a recent trend is to allow diners to dine whenever they want. Besides the dining room, modern cruise ships often contain one or more casual buffet-style eateries. Most cruise ships sail the Caribbean or the Mediterranean . Others operate elsewhere in places like Alaska ,
13640-401: The ships' restaurants organize two dinner services per day, early dining and late dining, and passengers are allocated a set dining time for the entire cruise; a recent trend is to allow diners to dine whenever they want. Having two dinner times allows the ship to have enough time and space to accommodate all of its guests. Having two different dinner services can cause some conflicts with some of
13764-472: The shutdown of UK airspace due to the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, the newly completed Celebrity Eclipse was used to rescue 2,000 British tourists stranded in Spain as an act of goodwill by the owners. The ship departed from Southampton for Bilbao on 21 April, and returned on 23 April. A cruise ship was kept on standby in case inhabitants of Kangaroo Island required evacuation in 2020 after
13888-400: The source. The monarch has several functions in addition to the duties and responsibilities described in previous sections. Some of these are (partly) constitutional; others are more traditional in nature. The monarch is the head of state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . As such, the monarch is the face of the kingdom toward the world: ambassadors of the Netherlands are emissaries of
14012-433: The throne to a person who is related to the current monarch within three degrees of kinship. For example, the grandchildren of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands (sister of Princess Beatrix ) have no succession rights because their kinship with Beatrix when she was queen, was of the fourth degree (that is, Princess Beatrix is their parent's parent's parents' daughter). Succession is limited to legitimate heirs, precluding
14136-438: The throne. Also, note that this ceremony does not equal accession to the throne as this would imply a vacancy of the throne between monarchs which is not allowed. The monarch ascends immediately after the previous monarch ceases to reign. The swearing-in only constitutes acceptance in public. The monarch's reign can end in death or abdication. Both of these events cause the regular mechanisms of succession to go into effect. While
14260-413: The topic at hand is responsible for the failings of the monarch. This sounds like it makes the monarch an absolute tyrant, but in fact, the opposite is true: since the ministers are responsible, they also have the authority to make the decisions. The ministers set the course of the government and the country, and the ministers make executive decisions and run the affairs of the state. And since the government
14384-419: The total number of cabins on all of the world's cruise ships amount to less than 2% of the world's hotel rooms. Cruise ships are organized much like floating hotels, with a complete hospitality staff in addition to the usual ship's crew. It is not uncommon for the most luxurious ships to have more crew and staff than passengers. Dining on almost all cruise ships is included in the cruise price. Traditionally,
14508-582: The total passenger count (2,744 to 7,600), and more than tripled in volume (73,000 to 248,000 GT). Also, the "megaships" went from a single deck with verandas to all decks with verandas. As of November 2022 there were 302 cruise ships operating worldwide, with a combined capacity of 664,602 passengers. Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, with an estimated market of $ 29.4 billion per year, and over 19 million passengers carried worldwide annually as of 2011 . The industry's rapid growth saw nine or more newly built ships catering to
14632-451: The transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business, a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain, and a hospitality staff headed by the equivalent of a hotel manager . Among cruise lines, some are direct descendants of the traditional passenger shipping lines (such as Cunard), while others were founded from the 1960s specifically for cruising. Historically,
14756-654: Was Prinzessin Victoria Luise of the German Empire, designed by Albert Ballin, general manager of the Hamburg-America Line . The ship was completed in 1900. The practice of luxury cruising made steady inroads into the more established market for transatlantic crossings . In the competition for passengers, ocean liners – Titanic being the most famous example – added luxuries such as fine dining , luxury services , and staterooms with finer appointments. In
14880-589: Was delivered to HAL in March 2016 and began operating the following month. At 99,863 GT , she became the largest ship ever commissioned for HAL upon her delivery. Much of Koningsdam , including the passenger decks, stairwells, and passageways, is influenced by music in naming, decor, and entertainment. Centered on the lower decks are the ship's main entertainment venues, including the main theater and three stages and lounges designed to offer different genres of live music. Dining establishments are also located nearby and cater to different tastes and purposes, including
15004-450: Was lowered into the building dock, marking the beginning of hull assembly. On 15 September 2014, HAL announced the name of the ship would be Koningsdam , in honor of Willem-Alexander , the first King of the Netherlands in over a century. Koningsdam is the first ship in HAL's history to bear the name. On 26 February 2015, the coin ceremony was performed. Tineke Schroder served as the madrina for
15128-489: Was particularly notable for Princess Cruises , a line that partnered with the series and received a great deal of attention as a result. Contemporary cruise ships built in the late 1980s and later, such as the Sovereign class which broke the size record held for decades by Norway , showed characteristics of size once reserved for ocean liners. The Sovereign -class ships were the first "megaships" to be built specifically for
15252-1211: Was scheduled to circumnavigate South America from Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver , before beginning her maiden Alaska season with weekly round-trip itineraries from Vancouver. However, all cruises through fall 2020 had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . After a 19-month operational pause, Koningsdam returned to cruising in October 2021. In December, passengers were prohibited from disembarking in Puerto Vallarta after 21 crew members tested positive for COVID. Cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing . Unlike ocean liners , which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on tours known as "shore excursions". Modern cruise ships tend to have less hull strength, speed, and agility compared to ocean liners. However, they have added amenities to cater to water tourists , with recent vessels being described as "balcony-laden floating condominiums". As of November 2022 there were 302 cruise ships operating worldwide, with
15376-471: Was suspended in 1999 though, after repeated incidents in which MPs divulged the contents of the conversations, despite agreeing not to (and embarrassing the Prime Minister in doing so). In 2009, an attempt was made to resume the tradition, this failed however when Arend Jan Boekestijn disclosed to the press contents of a private conversation he had with the Queen . Boekestinjin resigned shortly after being exposed as
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