Introducing The Patriot: United States Lines Is Reborn In The Hawaiian Islands

Cruise Travel, Dec, 2001 by Theodore W. Scull

Deep-sea cruising under the Stars & Stripes got a big boost in tonnage when American Classic Voyages purchased Holland America Line's 33,930-gross-register-ton Nieuw Amsterdam for $114.5 million. Then on October 27, 1999, the company (parent corporation of Delta Queen Steamboat Co. and American Hawaii Cruises) announced that the ship would be renamed the Patriot and operate under a new brand, United States Lines. The original U.S. Lines once owned a large fleet of cargo ships and such famous trans-Atlantic liners as the United States and America and, prior to World War II, the Manhattan, Washington, and Leviathan. But with the company no longer trading, the name again became available.

The decision not to place the 1,214-passenger Patriot under the American Hawaii Cruises' banner is a wise one. United States Lines implies a much broader context that will allow the company to market itself well beyond the Hawaiian trade, following the introduction of two 72,000-grt purpose-built ships for the Hawaiian market currently under construction in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

On October 18, 2000, during the trans-Pacific passage to Portland, Oregon, the 1983-built Nieuw Amsterdam was officially handed over to United States Lines and reflagged. She entered drydock and underwent the start of a major refit and alterations to comply with strict U.S. Coast Guard regulations. The decorative makeover was by no means largely Hawaiian, as was the case for the AHC's Independence, a veteran of 20 years of service in those islands. A broader series of design themes will allow the Patriot to be marketed elsewhere when the time comes. Onboard, the ship exhibits a tri-part personality, with significant vestiges of the Dutch Holland America Line, an enhancing of Nieuw Amsterdam into a New York theme, and some Hawaiiana, the aspect that sets both AHC and USL apart from other cruise ships that visit those fair isles.

Following the makeover, the Patriot sailed south to Los Angeles, then back north to San Francisco to embark the first paying passengers for the delivery voyage to Honolulu, where the ship arrived on Pearl Harbor Day. Common to many newly re-introduced ships, there were mechanical problems and staff unaccustomed to shipboard routine, so several weeks passed before the was truly up and running.

I was lucky to have experienced the ship operating close to the expected levels, and as a direct comparison, I have sailed aboard the Independence twice, in May 1997 and November 2000. While the Indy is now 50 years old, she remains a very happy ship and exudes lots of character not found on today's newbuilds. Her streamlined profile represents the height of American naval architecture, and her interiors are a delightful combination of 1950s modernism and traditional Hawaiian decor. Her twin stacks are adorned with AHC's hibiscus-flower logo.

On the other hand, the Patriot is a good example of a transition ship offering traditional broad open promenade decks furnished with varnished-wood deck chairs, a handsome ocean-liner appearance, and relatively modern 1980s-style accommodations and layout. For her funnel marking, the oval Holland America Line emblem was removed, and the stylized logo of United States Lines appeared--a bald eagle semi-surrounded by a field of nine gold stars set on a deep blue background with narrow white and red stripes at the top.

When boarding the Patriot in Honolulu, my wife and I accepted the traditional welcome of a pretty floral lei, and a steward led us up to Mariner Deck, where we entered a large twin-bedded B-grade cabin offering a nearly unobstructed two-window view between lifeboats. I recognized the Indonesian batik bedspreads and curtains reflecting the ship's origin as Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam. While no cabins have private verandas, ours had lots of space (219 square feet), built-in sets of cabinets and drawers, and attractive faux-wood paneling. The great majority of cabins, both inside and out, measure 152 square feet, while the parlor suites are approximately 294 square feet, and the single Presidential Suite is an expansive 464 square feet.

Beginning at the highest deck, the Crow's Nest was renamed after another fine feathered friend and became the Eagle's Watch, a big-window observation lounge with leather-style chairs, foot stools, and benches. Decoratively, it has changed very little and remains a quiet place to read during the day and an intimate piano bar in the evening.

On Promenade Deck, the upper level of the two-level show lounge became Quincy's, a bar with perch-style seating overlooking the stage and dance floor below. At night, the entertainment could be Polynesian or mainstream, the latter being the well-received Ray Kennedy singers and dancers. More unusual, and the strength of both American Hawaii Cruises and United States Lines, are the local performers who present a cultural kaleidoscope from the South Pacific--Tahitian, Samoan, Fijian, Maori, and Hawaiian--especially the spirited young Hawaiians who come aboard at the Big Island port of Hilo.