HAL and Viking’s recruitment road show
13/08/2007
Holland America Line and its UK recruiting partner, Viking Recruitment Ltd, have initiated a ‘Recruitment road show - bringing a HAL ship to a port near you!’
With HAL’s European summer cruise programme in full swing, Maasdam, Prinsendam and Rotterdam will be visiting a range of UK ports in the coming weeks showcasing careers on board, including deck, technical and hospitality officer positions.

Ports include Plymouth, Leith, Liverpool, Cork, Dublin and Dover culminating in a two-day event at Greenwich in September.

In conjunction with Merchant Navy Training Board groups such as Plymouth University, Mersey Maritime, Sea Cadets, Seavision UK and Connections, career advisors have been invited to the vessels to sample ‘life on board’ giving those organisations a snapshot of careers available in the expanding cruise industry.

If successful, further visits will be planned for the 2008 summer season, says Viking.

HAL will also be replicating these visits in the Southern Hemisphere. Its recruiting partners, Viking Maritime Recruitment Australia and New Zealand, are working with maritime and hospitality academies to bring students on board Statendam in ports such as Auckland, Tauranga, Burnie, Melbourne and Sydney to showcase career opportunities.

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This have nothing to do with Carnival. Simply there is a shortage of Dutch seaman and with the expending HAL fleet the have to look outside of the Netherlands. And Great Britain with there excellent maritime schools is a good choice. Actually the Dutch and British schools are quite similar. And so the best solution the have the best crew a/b the fleet.

I myself found this a good move.

Greetings Ben.

[ 08-13-2007: Message edited by: Maasdam ]

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Originally posted by Maasdam:
As die hard HAL fan this is actually old news.
HAL have fore some years British officers a/b the fleet.

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Originally posted by Globaliser:
This was my understanding as well.

In any event, as HAL ships are under Dutch flag, it is probably illegal to require Dutch nationality to become an officer on a HAL ship. EU-wide anti-discrimination legislation usually prohibits any discrimination in favour of one EU nationality over any other EU nationality.

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Therefore they must apply fore a Dutch seaman license. So they can sail work a/b Dutch flag vessels without adopting fore Dutch nationality.

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Originally posted by NAL:
Veendam had an English captain for many years early in her career. I haven't been on Veendam in several years so I am unaware if this is still so. The reason given was a lack of Dutch captains at the time.

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The first English Officer to serve on the Veendam was Peter Harris, who is now on the Westerdam. James Russell Dunsford, another Brit, rotates with Dutchman Albert Schoonderbeek on the Veendam.

Another English Captain is John Scott. I am not sure but I think Chris Turner, Prinsendam, is a Brit. Don't quote me on this.

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Originally posted by lasuvidaboy:
Since HAL is American owned could they also have American officers?

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American owned. But ships are registered in the Netherlands and are under Dutch law. So if Holland America Line want to employ America officers they have to apply for a Dutch license as any other non Dutch citizens.

The Veendam was the only vessel in the fleet not re-flagged to the Dutch flag 11 years ago. This was not possible because she then have a English captain. The Veendam finally hosted the Dutch flag in 2006.

Greetings Ben.

[ 08-13-2007: Message edited by: Maasdam ]

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Originally posted by Norfolk Boy:
What HAL are not advertsising quite so loudly is the fact that they have recently recruited a number of Indian deck and technical junior officers as well. There are simply not enough Europeans to go around anymore.

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I asked this question of a senior HAL Officer who is visiting his family near me, and he said he knew nothing about HAL recruiting Indian deck and technical junior officers. He knows of only one American deck Officer.

He'd like to know where did you got this information?

[ 08-20-2007: Message edited by: sympatico ]