MS Oosterdam is a Vista-class cruise ship cruise ship of the Holland America Line, a division of Carnival Corporation & plc. Launched in 2002 as the line's second Vista, Oosterdam is sister to MS Noordam, MS Westerdam, and MS Zuiderdam. The ship's name is a portmanteau of the Dutch word oost, meaning 'east,' and the suffix -dam, a common Dutch placename suffix used in the names of all Holland America Line ships.
Christening
Oosterdam was christened by Princess Margriet of the Netherlands in Rotterdam on 29 July 2003, Holland America Line's founding city. The event was held over three days of celebrations marking the company's 130th anniversary. The joint flagship of the fleet, MS Rotterdam, joined Oosterdam "bow-to-bow" in welcoming her.