Holland America Oosterdam Ship to Antarctica

Part Two

Oh the people you meet when traveling

A conversation with Captain Kevin Beirnaert

Holland American Oosterdam ship is one of my favorite ships in their fleet. I’ve sailed on it two times and each time with Captain Kevin. He was born in Gent in Northwest Belgium, and moved to Antwerp to attend the Maritime Academy.  He shared that he has been around ships all of his life and was inspired by his father who also sails the deep blue sea.   In 2004, he was employed with the world’s largest dredging company, “Jan de Nul,” and worked on the dredger Alexander von Humboldt in Dubai to build a new city, now world famously named Palm Island.

Captain Beirnaert joined Holland America Line in 2006 and rotated on several ships, including Rotterdam as third officer, Rotterdam VI through 2011, as first officer and was promoted to chief officer / staff captain in 2012, after having sailed on Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, and Veendam. On Eurodam for three years, he met his now-wife, Amber, who was vacationing with friends but had also been a cast member with the 2010 Holland America Line Revue shows, performing on Zuiderdam and Prinsendam.

Captain Beirnaert’s experience on Eurodam propelled him to the supervisory team of the company’s first Pinnacle Class ship, Koningsdam, then the second in the class, Nieuw Statendam V, and finally as staff captain to oversee the building of the third ship, Ryndam IV.

I had a chance to sit down and chat with Captain Kevin – take a listen.