"Out to sea"

[BaMARox1991]

I'm just curious to see if anybody around here traveled on the previous Westerdam, the ship that the movie "Out to Sea" took place on. I watched it for the first time yesterday and wondered how much of the ship was actually the Westerdam and what was realistic and/or fabricated.

[Druke I]

We sailed Westerdam, 9-97, Montreal to NYC.

Sorry, I don't remember which parts were actually filmed on the ship.
At one time, there were a couple of threads which did detail the filming and did differentiate between sets and ship.

Perhaps a detailed search might be fruitful.

[mr green]

Yes that ship WAS the Westerdam in parts of Out to Sea. She was a nice ship. NO balconies, but she had what is I believe the first retractable roof over a swimming pool on any cruise ship.
She was originally the Homeric, HAL purchased her from Home Lines in the 'eighties.
This Homeric replaced the original Homericin the early '70s, I sailed on her in 1955. She was a great little ship, free wine at lunch and dinner, and REAL duty free prices, 10c Canadian for a shot of rum. She was not a cruise ship in the true sense of the word, BUT, I know I will upset some cruisers when I say that I enjoyed that ship more tha I did The Norway.

john

[wdw1972]

My first HAL cruise was on that old Westerdam. I also intentionally watched the movie, and didn't recognize much at all of the ship - it was mostly "made up".

Sue/WDW1972
Eurodam 11/07/09

[DFD1]

Our first HAL cruise was on the old Westerdam. Nice Ship! We loved the size of her and the warmth of the HAL crew and staff.

The impression left with us from that ship and that cruise has kept us coming back to HAL again and again.

We saw the movie and recognized the ship, but I believe many of the shots were likely done on a sound stage.

[mr green]

If you look, you will notice that HAL playing cards,are being used.

john

[Essiesmom]

I believe Oceanic (also Home Lines) had/has the first retractable dome over the swimming pool. EM

[dot73]

My very first cruise was aboard the old Westerdam to Alaska and I have fond memories of the ship. The decor was very classic with lots of wood and brass. I don't remember much about the movie but I do remember seeing some pictures of Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon on the ship.

[Himself]

I did a cruise on that ship from Ft. Lauderdale to Vancouver B.C. in 1998. The outdoor scenes and the deck scenes were definately from the ship. As you will recall the two main actors were on there as dance partners for the ladies. There were other dancers on there also in the film. One of the "other" ballroom dancers was doing the same job on the Westerdam in 1998. I recognised him from the movie. This man was a "regular" on the Holland America Line at least on the old Westerdam. I was on it about 9 months after I saw it in the moivie house.

[cmdchiefthom]

My wife and family had three fantastic cruises aboard the old Westerdam, and have a DVD of the movie. There are two several specific shots from the movie that were filmed onboard. There is a scene around the central pool area, before the Matthau character sits down and plays poker for the first time. That was the midships pool. The dancing scenes with the bar in the background was done in the Ocean Bar, the one where Elaine Strich shows off her archaeologist escort to Jack Lemmon at the dance lesson, was filmed around the aft pool, and the scene where Walter Matthau falls on the deck and is attended to by Lemmon was filmed in front of the hamburger grill station just outside the Lido. Other than the obvious exterior shots, such as Walter Matthau singing on the forward exterior deck, the rest of the movie had to have been shot on a sound stage.;)

[tomc]

Are you speaking of the HAL commercial?

:D

[PCruzer]

I remember the old Westerdam fondly. If I'm not mistaken, she was purchased from Home Lines and "stretched." I haven't seen the movie "Out to Sea" in a long time but remember recognizing parts of the ship in it. One of my favorite areas on the old Westerdam was the great movie theater they had!

[Druke I]

Yes, she was stretched after being purchased from Home Lines. The stretch job on that ship was much better designed/accomplished than the stretching of NCL's Dreamward/Windward, which became Norwegian Dream and Norwegian Wind.

The cinema aboard was very designed, in my opinion.

[Susie51]

I enjoyed that movie. Thank you for sharing your experiences. When I watched the movie, I thought the dance floor seemed large for a cruise ship. In reality was the dance floor on the old Westerdam that big?

[Himself]

Her original name was the HOMERIC and after HAL purchased the ship she was sent into drydock and the ship was literally cut in half and a new third section was added. It was put in the middle and connected to the other parts of the ship. In the added section the window size was a bit larger than the others. This ship is now with the Italian branch of the Carnival Coporation.

[Atomica]

The shot of Jack Lemmon racing up the staircase to get off the ship before it leaves port, as well as the officers on the ships bridge, were also filmed onboard the Westerdam.

Many scenes were shot onboard the RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach (such as the ballroom scenes, and most of the stateroom/reception scenes were shot on a soundstage.

Plenty of HAL logo items hiding in the background - tickets, playing cards, posters (in their 'deluxe accomodation'...)

[Vic The Parrot]

One of my favorite areas on the old Westerdam was the great movie theater they had!


Sadly, the theater has been replaced with cabins. :(

[Copper10-8]

http://media.shipspotting.com/uploads/thumbs/rw/8274_800/Ship+Photo+Homeric.jpg (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/"http://media.shipspotting.com/uploads/photos/rw/8274/Ship+Photo+Homeric.jpg")

Homeric (1986-present) Built by Jos. L. Meyer GmbH shipyard, Papenburg, (then) West Germany and delivered in 1986 as "Homeric" for Italian-based Home Lines for New York to Bermuda cruising in the Summer and Caribbean cruising in the Winter months. Homeric was planned during the first half of the 1980s as a replacement for the ageing ss Oceanic in the Home Lines' fleet. The ship was named in honor of the company's earlier ss Homeric, a popular ship for the line that had been destroyed by a fire in 1973.

http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/homeric_1986_1.jpg

She left Emden, West Germany on 12 May 1986 for New York. She then departed on her maiden voyage from New York City to Hamilton, Bermuda on 31 May 1986.

http://media.shipspotting.com/uploads/thumbs/rw/39135_800/Ship+Photo+WESTERDAM.jpg

In March 1988, Home Lines (Homeric and Atlantic) was purchased by Holland America Line. Following their final season in Bermuda. HAL sold Atlantic to Premier Cruise Line and moved Homeric into a drydock and refit at the Norshipco yard in Norfolk, Va. Homeric was renamed Westerdam II on 2 November 1988 and departed Ft.Lauderdale, FL on her first HAL cruise, an alternating seven-day run to the Eastern, followed by a seven-day run to the Western Caribbean on 16 November 1988.

She was the second ship in Holland America Line history to receive the name Westerdam. The first Westerdam sailed for Holland America Line from 1946 to 1965. She was a combination cargo-passenger ship with accommodations for 143 first-class passengers. While being constructed during World War II, Westerdam I was sunk three times: On 27 August 1942, she was bombed and sunk by Allied aircraft while in the shipyard in Rotterdam. The German occupiers raised the ship in September 1944, but she was quickly sunk again, this time by Dutch resistance fighters. After being raised a second time, the resistance again sank her on 17 January 1945. After the Netherlands were liberated in May, 1945, Westerdam I was raised a third time and finally completed. She would go on to be a regular on the transatlantic run, making two eight-day crossings each month between Rotterdam and New York. Her name translates to one of the four directions of the compass in the Dutch language; wester meaning, well, westerly.

In the winter of 1989, Westerdam II was sent back to her place of birth, Jos. L. Meyer GmbH, Papenburg, West Germany for lengthening, emerging in 1990 with a new overall length of 243 meters (originally 204 meters) and a new passenger capacity of 1,476 souls (originally 1,132). She was primarily assigned to Ft. Lauderdale, Fl cruising the Caribbean in the winter and to Vancouver, BC for Alaska cruising in the summer months.

In 1997, the romantic commedy "Out to Sea" starring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Rue McClanahan, Dyan Cannon, Gloria DeHaven and Brent Spiner was partially filmed onboard Westerdam II. Compulsive gambler Charlie Gordon (Matthau), hiding out from his various bookies and loan-sharks, cons his brother-in-law Herb Sullivan (Lemmon) into an all expenses-paid luxury cruise in search of rich, lonely ladies to fleece. The catch, which Charlie does not reveal to Herb until the ship has left port, is that they are required to be dance hosts and must sleep in a cramped cabin in the bowels of the ship.

Ruled over by tyrannical, control-freak Cruise Director Gil Godwin, "a song and dance man raised on a military base" (Spiner), they do their best, despite Charlie's not actually being able to dance. They each meet a lady of interest. One is the luscious heiress Liz LaBreche (Cannon), whose wealth attracts Charlie every bit as much as the rest of her does. The other is lovely widow Vivian (DeHaven), who is under the impression that Herb is a doctor, not a dancer. By the time Charlie literally drags ship owner Mrs. Carruthers (McClanahan) across the dance floor, the boys aren't sure if they will find true love or need to abandon ship.


http://media.shipspotting.com/uploads/thumbs/rw/95900_800/Ship+Photo+Costa+Europa.jpg (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/"http://media.shipspotting.com/uploads/photos/rw/95900/Ship+Photo+Costa+Europa.jpg")

In March 2002, After 643 cruises spanning over 13 years with Holland America, she was internally transferred within the Carnival Group to Italy-based Costa Crociere/Costa Cruise Lines. After a drydock in Genoa, Italy, she was christened Costa Europa and in April 2002 commenced cruising for the Italian company. She is still sailing for them as of this time.

http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/costa_europa_1986_3.jpg


http://media.shipspotting.com/uploads/thumbs/rw/119083_800/Ship+Photo+Costa+Europa.jpg (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/"http://media.shipspotting.com/uploads/photos/rw/119083/Ship+Photo+Costa+Europa.jpg")

[Vic The Parrot]

Hi John ... thanks for the trip down memory lane.


Even tho I liked Westerdam after her stretching (it improved her profile somewhat) I loved the original livery when she was Homeric. A very beautiful ship.

[wilsonqbc]

Some of the officers, crew and also executive chef are actually in the movie too. very very fond memories of this vessel.

[Sage]

We had the pleasure of sailing twice on the Westerdam and loved her. Thanks for the photos of this lovely ship.

[Copper10-8]

Hi John ... thanks for the trip down memory lane.


Even tho I liked Westerdam after her stretching (it improved her profile somewhat) I loved the original livery when she was Homeric. A very beautiful ship.

Howdy Vic! Agreed, she looked very nice in Home Lines' livery

Some of her former HAL crewmembers swear that she's haunted :eek:

[Sage]

John, most interesting tidbit that the Westerdam may be haunted. I wonder just how many other ships have that same distinction. I bet it is more than a couple.

[Copper10-8]

John, most interesting tidbit that the Westerdam may be haunted. I wonder just how many other ships have that same distinction. I bet it is more than a couple.

The Queen Mary here in Long Beach harbor is supposed to be haunted:eek: There's probably more. Pretty sure Brian (Bepsf) wrote about some 'supernatural experiences' while on a dam ship not too long ago.

I'm one of those people who has to see it with my own eyes but that doesn't mean that type of activity doesn't exist. Having said that, one of the guys I worked with had a supernatural experience while handling a call at a residence involving a grandma and her two grand daughters. Two coppers saw stuff flying through the house with no one else inside except them and the three individuals who lived there. Spooky!

[Atomica]

John, most interesting tidbit that the Westerdam may be haunted. I wonder just how many other ships have that same distinction. I bet it is more than a couple.

More cruiseships than you'd probably care to know. Crews can be very superstitious - a lot of things at sea are considered bad omens - construction mishaps, accidents etc.

Chances are you've sailed on more than a few of these 'haunted ships'.

[Atomica]

OK, John, here's a question for you:

I noticed in the two pics of Homeric that the observatio deck below the bridge, as well as the observation deck below that have huge, bay windows. On the pics of Westerdam, and Costa Europa, that area has been covered over, and the windows no longer exist.

Any idea what those two areas used to be when she cruised for Home Lines?

[Vic The Parrot]

OK, John, here's a question for you:

I noticed in the two pics of Homeric that the observatio deck below the bridge, as well as the observation deck below that have huge, bay windows. On the pics of Westerdam, and Costa Europa, that area has been covered over, and the windows no longer exist.

Any idea what those two areas used to be when she cruised for Home Lines?


Hi Aaron ... LTNS


Obviously, I'm not John, but allow me to answer your question.


The fwd windows that used to be on the promenade deck belonged to an observation lounge/cafe room. Breakfast was served in the morning, while at night it featured a small dance combo.

On the deck below, that was the Galaxy Lounge. (A forward facing Queens Room, if you will ...)

Both rooms on each deck were gutted to create the new showroom (Admirals Lounge, I think) and the windows were removed for the conversion.

That was one of the changes that left me heartbroken. Both rooms were my personal faves.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. :)

[Copper10-8]

Thanks Vic! Aaron, I had no clue but Vic obviously did!:)

[Atomica]

Hi Aaron ... LTNS


Obviously, I'm not John, but allow me to answer your question.


The fwd windows that used to be on the promenade deck belonged to an observation lounge/cafe room. Breakfast was served in the morning, while at night it featured a small dance combo.

On the deck below, that was the Galaxy Lounge. (A forward facing Queens Room, if you will ...)

Both rooms on each deck were gutted to create the new showroom (Admirals Lounge, I think) and the windows were removed for the conversion.

That was one of the changes that left me heartbroken. Both rooms were my personal faves.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. :)

Hey Vic!

Thanks for the answer - it's too bad those rooms were gutted - I'll bet the views forward were tremendous.

I always thought the forward superstructure of the ship looked odd, but it wasn't until I saw the pics John posted that I realized some additional modification had been done.

[laser110]

John,

Thanks for the history. I sailed on the Homeric's 6th Voyage July 4th, 1986 from NYC. If the date stands out it was because it was Statue of Liberty's 100th Birthday celebration that weekend and the harbor was nuts. It was our first cruise and we had a great time. Fly-overs, a cruise ship parade, thousands of small boats in the harbor, the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy, Lady Liberty herself, all made for a memorable departure.

We also sailed on one of her last voyages for Home Lines, we booked the cruise before the news was made she and Atlantic were sold. Mood on the ship was still pleasant, but somber. We took alot of souvenier's including the room key from our suite, #2. We actually had a real key back then, no card or sail and sign card thing like nowadays.

When the movie "Out to Sea" came out I immediately recognized areas of the ship and watched it many times to see familar places I knew. A great movie. John you however forgot to mention that "Out to Sea" also starred Donald O'Connor as one of the dance hosts in his final movie. Donald was a famious actor during the 50's who starred with Gene Kelly in "Singin' in the Rain" as Cosmo, where he gave a some of his most notable performances including this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW02c5UNGl0

Scott

[michmike]

For anyone who hasn't seen "Out To Sea" (and I highly recommend it for a good laugh) take a look at Dyan Cannon and keep in mind that she was in her early 60s when she made this film. Doesn't look like any 60 yr olds that I know.

Maybe I'm traveling in the wrong circles *L*

[CtheW0rld]

I'm just curious to see if anybody around here traveled on the previous Westerdam, the ship that the movie "Out to Sea" took place on. I watched it for the first time yesterday and wondered how much of the ship was actually the Westerdam and what was realistic and/or fabricated.

i sailed on costa europa last year (2008). still a nice ship, however i did not recognize any of the interior scenes from the movie. some areas of the ship still looked like "HAL" including much of the artwork. there are some photos posted here (http://family.webshots.com/album/562887188epBbwL)

[MrsMuir]

mitchmike, I have news for you.

60 is the new 40.

[RetiredMustang]

Our second HAL cruise was on Westerdam II, in 1996, before the movie was made. I remember that it was a very pleasant experience, and a great ship. IIRC, it did have two main quirks that were different from the other HAL ships, though.

One was that the main dining room was on a lower deck, and had no windows. Our wonderful companions more than made up for no view, as the conversation was always animated.

The second quirk was, if memory is still the least bit reliable, there were two forward stairwells right next to each other, one from the original and a second one that had been put in the front of the extension. That was odd enough by itself, but on at least one deck, I think the one that the gym was on, you could not pass from the mid-section to the forward section, and vice versa of course. More than once we found that we had taken the "wrong" staircase, and would have to go down a deck, cross to the "right" staircase and go back up to get where we wanted to go.

Dave

[RuthC]

Dave, both of those little quirks bring back fond memories of the ss Rotterdam.

On older ships it was customary to find the dining room low, and mid-ship. This was (still is :rolleyes:) the place to find the smoothest ride on the ship, so this was the most comfortable place for dining.
And the lack of windows reflected the idea that your dining companions were so charming and interesting that you would be too absorbed in conversation to look outside. :)

I also remember on the Rotterdam how some of the forward elevators went to the Sky Room, and others didn't. I was always getting on the wrong one! :o