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VETERAN HOLLAND AMERICA LINE CRUISE SHIP CAPTAIN RETIRES
It was in 1960 when Captain Dijk made his first trip as a Holland America Line Cadet on the 12 passenger freighter SLOTERDIJK and first sailed into New York Harbor. He had attended the Nautical Academy at the Hague in Holland. Now he would make his last trip into the same harbor but as Master on a ship carrying 1,200 passengers. Over his years with HAL he has sailed on more than 500 cruises, logging some 3 million sea miles. Moving up the career ladder, Captain Dijk followed his father, who was also a captain with Holland America He achieved his own command in 1987 and took the present ROTTERDAM VI out of the shipyard from Venice, Italy as her Master in 1998. While guiding the ROTTERDAM VI into the New York Passenger Ship Terminal on the Hudson River, on Manhattan's west side, he asked the ship's agent if there was a car waiting for him to take him to Kennedy Airport. His relief captain was aboard and he was flying out that night from New York to return to Holland and his home in the village of Kerk-Grunwald to join his wife in retirement. He has two sons but they have no interest in a career at sea. This will be the first time in 70 years of Holland America Line history that the company would not have a Captain Dijk sailing as Master on one of their ships. Captain Dijk is not totally giving up the sea for he plans on taking trips in his own motor yacht in European waters. |
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50 Locust Avenue | New Canaan, CT 06840-4737 USA | Tel: 203.442.2800 |
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