Marcia Levin is currently sailing on Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam.
Marco Van Belleghem is hotel manager on the Nieuw Amsterdam. The 39-year-old Dutch native has been with Holland America since 1995 and begain his training on the Maasdam in Information Services and has worked as assistant comptroller and comptroller. He is currently one of three hotel managers rotating between Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam and is fortunate to have his wife and their four-year-old son traveling with him.
As Nieuw Amsterdam prepares to complete its Caribbean season with a Western Caribbean sailing Sunday, the ship will begin to provision for her crossing to Barcelona on April 3. Marco will go on leave April 18 and then report to Eurodam.
Marco, who has traveled extensively through Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, China, Malaysia, China and India, will spend time in Europe and relishes the thought of “going home.”
He’s a dedicated photographer, shooting landscapes and a lot of travel photography. “I have the best job I’ve ever had,” he says. “Every day is different — and even offers a different view. I adore what I do.”
The two ships are almost identical:
Eurodam has an atirum bar, which was eliminated on Nieuw Amsterdam,
providing more space on Deck 1. Cabanas, installed on the starboard
side of Lido Deck on Eurodam, have been moved to port side on the new
ship, and Nieuw Amsterdam has one more cabin than its two-years older
sister.
One of Marco’s duties at the end of the cruise, shared with Captain Jonathan Mercer, is hosting a reception and lunch for members of the Mariners Society, HAL’s repeat passenger program. He says 790 passengers on the current sailing are Mariners and expects upwards of 1,300 on the crossing.
As hotel manager he oversees the hotel side of shipboard operations and a largely Filipino and Indonesian crew. numbering approximately 750.
Heidi, Editor-In-Chief
