---

February 15, 2025

Nicko Cruises‘ Vasco Da Gama is the company’s only ocean cruise ship. However, it has a loyal following and has become a well-established presence in the German cruise market.

It is said that cats have nine lives, and the Vasco Da Gama, built in 1992, is already on its fourth. After finishing its career as Statendam for Holland America Line in 2015, it sailed as Pacific Eden for P&O Australia. In 2019, it was transferred to Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) under its current name, but just a year later, it vanished in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the company that operated it. In 2021, it had a new revival, retaining the name Vasco Da Gama but under a new flag.

Until now, only the ship’s name was Portuguese, but it now also has a Portuguese owner. Mário Ferreira, the owner of the cruise company Mystic Cruises, purchased the Vasco Da Gama at auction in October 2020 for 10 million euros after the collapse of CMV. Ferreira had been involved with the German river cruise operator Nicko Cruises since 2015 and wanted to expand the business to include ocean cruises as well. For this reason, in 2021, the Vasco Da Gama began operating for Nicko Cruises, along with the expedition cruise ships World Explorer (2019) and World Voyager (2021-2023), initially managed under the Nicko Cruises brand with the motto “Small ships, great experiences.” However, in 2024, the former Statendam became the company’s only ocean cruise ship, and in its market segment, it faces strong competition not only from Plantours’ Hamburg but also from the entire fleet of Phoenix Reisen. So, what can a cruiser expect from the Vasco Da Gama?

Bremerhaven

On August 1, 2024, the Vasco Da Gama was docked at the Columbus quay in Bremerhaven, the port of departure and arrival for most of the ship’s cruises in Northern Europe during the summer months. Right under its name, in a position perhaps not entirely ideal, the motto “Time to discover” is displayed, with which Nicko Cruises promotes its voyages. The literal German translation, “Schöner kann man die Welt nicht bereisen,” would sound much less fluid, but the message is clear: the Vasco Da Gama—affectionately nicknamed Waschko—is not a party ship, but a classic cruise ship where the focus is on the destinations visited rather than the ship itself. On that day, the competition was not far away: just a few meters down the Weser River, Phoenix Reisen’s Deutschland was also docked, far from being a ship for young partygoers in search of floating nightclubs.

Even cabin 4142 aboard the Vasco Da Gama, a standard outside cabin with two beds on Deck 4, makes no concessions to the Aida generation. With its dark blue carpet speckled with white and dark wood furniture, the atmosphere immediately feels cozy. It’s a space where one can comfortably spend time, and sometimes it’s even necessary to do so: once a year, in October, the Vasco Da Gama embarks on a grand three-month world cruise. Of the 629 cabins aboard, more than half (352) are outside cabins like this one; 129 are interior cabins, and 148 (25%) are balcony cabins or suites. This configuration reflects the design of 1990s cruise ships, an era when the trend for balcony cabins had already begun, but hadn’t yet fully taken hold in the design of new vessels.

On the nightstand, there is an adjustable reading lamp, while the bed and sofa are adorned with soft cushions for added comfort. Among the informational materials provided for the cruise, a handy foldable deck map in credit card size stands out— a detail that is often missing on ships three times larger, where it would be even more useful. Here, however, attention to detail is well maintained. Even Yogi and Wilmer, my cabin stewards for this short break off the Dutch coast, left a brief welcome message on a card.

A Special Layout

There are still four hours until the departure of our “home on the sea” (as Nicko Cruises describes it), scheduled for 18:00, which provides the perfect opportunity for an initial exploratory tour of the ship. What immediately catches the eye is that the layout of this class of ships – which also includes the Renaissance (formerly Maasdam), the Celestyal Journey (formerly Ryndam), and the Aegean Majesty (formerly Veendam) – has a rather unique configuration.

For instance, Deck 7 suddenly ends in a dead-end midway through the ship, despite the fact that this is where the reception, excursion office, and photo gallery are located, all arranged around the atrium decorated in shades of blue, black, and brass. The Waterfront Restaurant, located at the aft on the same deck (along with the corresponding rear staircase), is therefore only accessible by passing through Deck 6 or Deck 8. On Deck 8, the public spaces are found on both sides of the ship, a feature typically found only on much larger cruise ships compared to the Vasco Da Gama. To reach the aft sun decks, one must cross a corridor of cabins (on Decks 9 and 10) or pass through the Club Bistro buffet restaurant on Deck 11. Finally, to go from Deck 11 to Deck 12, the only option is a narrow spiral staircase inside a tiny glass-walled stairwell, where crossing paths with someone coming down is practically impossible.

Once you get used to these quirks, though, navigating the ship becomes easy. And then, how can one not fall in love with the Vasco Da Gama? With its authentic teak decks, wooden staircases that constantly smell of polish, and the magnificent promenade deck (Deck 6) that goes all around the ship, it has truly become a classic. Here, you won’t find windbreaks several meters high or exclusive areas reserved for passengers in higher classes with higher prices. The former Statendam instead retains the aft sun decks of a true ocean liner, as only a shipyard capable of building vessels like the Raffaello and Eugenio C could have designed in 1992.

Departure

As the departure time approaches, the sun shines over Bremerhaven, the “charming port city on the North Sea” (as described in the day’s program). The Vasco Da Gama can now showcase another one of its strengths: the crew opens the retractable roof over the pool on the Lido Deck, effectively transforming it into a second outdoor pool. (Interestingly, it’s not the captain who decides whether to open the roof or not, but the bartender at the Pool Bar. If the greenhouse effect under the glass canopy becomes too intense for him and his guests, a quick call to the bridge solves the problem.) The pool water is heated to 28°C, and the outdoor pool can also be heated; in short, no one on this ship risks freezing while enjoying a relaxing swim. Overseeing the scene between the Alfresco Grill and the Cappuccino Bar is an elegant dolphin sculpture, although the turquoise sunbeds – in perfect Phoenix Reisen style, the main competitor – seem a bit out of place aesthetically.

There isn’t much time to relax, though, because at 5:00 PM, the mandatory safety drill is scheduled. Immediately after, Adrian Firsov, the Romanian captain of the Vasco Da Gama, takes center stage. Right on time at 6:00 PM, he orders the mooring lines to be cast off at Columbuskaje and steers the ship past the Deutschland and the Aroya (formerly World Dream), entering the lower stretch of the Weser River. After passing the imposing MSC container ships at Eurogate, the North Sea finally opens up before us, and with it, three days of pure relaxation aboard a ship that, despite having only recently entered the German market, already seems to have won many admirers.

Restaurants

On the Vasco Da Gama, the classic model of fixed dinner times with an assigned table for the entire duration of the voyage is no longer in place; this system has gradually been phased out. Instead, passengers have the option to choose from four restaurants, all with open seating: the Waterfront Restaurant on deck 7, located at the rear of the ship; the Fusion and Mediterran restaurants, which are located next to each other on deck 8; and finally, the buffet restaurant Club Bistro on deck 11. At lunch and dinner, you can dine flexibly between 12:00 PM and 2:30 PM or between 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM, choosing from various menus offered, while at the buffet restaurant, portions are served directly on the plate upon request. In any case, the portions are quite modest. What might be a cost-saving measure for the company and a way to reduce food waste, could, for some passengers (perhaps hungry ones), result in long queues to get a sample portion or a second serving. As for the dress code, this also reflects the modern spirit of cruising: on a Nicko ship, formal attire is not required, as it is on other ships. “Casual and comfortable is the motto aboard,” says the company, and even for dinner, “neat attire” is sufficient.

The only restaurant on board that requires a reservation and an additional charge is the intimate The Grill on deck 8, which is also frequently used for private events. It is here that I have the pleasure of being invited on the first day of the short cruise, along with a group of journalists. On the menu, an extraordinarily tender venison fillet stands out, which, paired with a delicious (and naturally Portuguese) red wine, is truly unforgettable.

The Lounges

Those who want to start the second part of the evening after a good meal are spoiled for choice between several lounges and bars, each more inviting than the last. Whether it’s the “Ocean Bar,” the “Captain’s Club,” the “Sports Lounge,” or the “Blue Room” (all located on deck 8), or the Panorama Bar The Dome, located above the bridge on deck 12, the Vasco Da Gama offers plenty of spaces to retreat and stop for a drink. Another highly recommended spot is the reading room with its gigantic beach chair-shaped armchairs, oriented towards the large panoramic windows. Because what could be more relaxing than reading a good book while gazing at the sea?

The entertainment program on board is more subdued. On this ship, it would be out of place for live bands to try to outdo each other in terms of volume, creating a single “musical chaos” with no escape. Instead, in the Blue Room, Alex plays sweet melodies on the piano, while the two-person band Hitback moves between the Ocean Bar and Captain’s Club. The songs vary from “Take Me Home, Country Roads” to “Beyond the Sea,” ensuring no one’s sensibilities are upset. Meanwhile, DJ Aurel has settled into the “Dome,” while a sand artist creates sand paintings to the music of Hans Zimmer, projecting her works onto the large screen in the Hollywood Show Lounge. The latter can host up to 500 people but is designed to provide a sense of intimacy with the audience, as we are told by an enthusiastic hotel director.

The good thing about all of this is that no one is forced to retire early, because there are no early morning excursions tomorrow. Our arrival in Amsterdam has been postponed to 1:00 PM due to heavy naval traffic in the lock and the North Sea Canal, so there’s no rush aboard, neither tonight nor tomorrow morning.

After Amsterdam

Even the relatively late breakfast at 7:30 the next morning leaves enough time to explore additional areas of the Vasco Da Gama, which might otherwise be missed. This inevitably brings you into contact with the ship’s past as a transatlantic vessel for Holland America Line. For example, all the cabin corridors are decorated with images that evoke Dutch themes: while one corridor displays historic views of cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, another bridge higher up is adorned with photographs of old sailing ships, while elsewhere there are black-and-white images of past transatlantic ships of Holland America Line. To find traces of its Australian or British past, however, requires a bit more effort. In front of the children’s game room, there’s an old carpet with the Cruise & Maritime Voyages logo, but aside from this, it’s mostly the crew who can tell you what it’s like to work on a ship with such a varied history, which includes American, Australian, and British experiences. For example, adapting the electrical outlets on board, with their different standards, is a challenge that sometimes feels more like a Sisyphean task…

At 9:30, the Vasco Da Gama reaches the IJmuiden lock. In the meantime, Yogi, my cabin steward, has already greeted me in the hallway by calling me by my second name and a cheerful “Hello Mr. Oliver.” Yogi is one of the 538 crew members currently aboard (out of a maximum of 560), from 33 different countries. In front of them, this morning, are 999 passengers, so the ship does not reach its full capacity of 1,260 passengers (in double occupancy). Even so, the passenger-to-crew ratio of 2.2 remains a value that companies like Aida, TUI Cruises, and others can only dream of. This also makes it easier to tolerate the fact that the famous cruise expert Douglas Ward, in his reference book “Cruising and Cruise Ships,” downgraded the Vasco Da Gama from ***+ to **+ in 2019, when the ship changed from Australian to British ownership. A sign of the continuous modernization and renovations the ship has undergone since then is the fact that in the new edition (2025), it has returned to the three-star category, once again playing in the same league as ships like the AidaDiva or the Ambience.

A Word from the Hotel Director

Further information about the operation of the Vasco Da Gama is provided during the morning crossing of the English Channel by Hotel Director Stefan Ohme and Restaurant Manager Matthias Dobrzinski, who are happy to answer questions from journalists onboard. The Vasco Da Gama, as part of its voyages for Nicko Cruises, is obviously a completely German or German-speaking product. However, when it departs Bremerhaven in the autumn for a world cruise, the onboard audience becomes more international. The individual segments of this world cruise can, in fact, be booked separately, and in this case, the Portuguese owner Mystic Cruises comes into play with its network of international agencies and tour operators. This means that, for example, 200 Britons might suddenly board in Valletta, with sauna habits that have nothing in common with those of the traditional German audience onboard…

The Portuguese flag, under which the Vasco Da Gama sails, ensures that European and EU standards are maintained onboard. Additionally, on a Portuguese ship, a regular wine tasting is a must, and of course, Portuguese culinary specialties are also brought on board when the Vasco stops in Porto, Lisbon, Setúbal, or Funchal. Some of the officers onboard are also Portuguese sailors.

Currently, there are 55 children on board, 22 of whom are teenagers. However, they are not the main audience for the Vasco Da Gama, which is why special programs for them are usually not created. But this is not necessary either, as younger children already find the ship and the surrounding environment fascinating, while the older ones are capable of entertaining themselves and certainly do not want to follow a pre-made program created by the adults. The most represented passengers onboard the Vasco Da Gama are thus the “Best Ager” (over 50), especially on the voyages to/from Bremerhaven. The further the journey and the more complicated the transportation, the younger the audience typically is. However, some walkers are still part of the regular decor of the ship, even on this journey.

While outside, along the channel crossing, fields and meadows pass by on both sides of the ship, the crew prepares the Lido Deck for the first (for many) big moment of the cruise: at 11:00, the “Frühschoppen auf dem Lido-Deck” (aperitif on the Lido Deck) begins, which, of course, almost no one on an (almost) German ship wants to miss. The soundtrack is the inevitable German songs, which will accompany the passengers until their arrival in Amsterdam, with no escape. Skillfully, the onboard lecturer’s presentations have been scheduled for 8:30 and 10:00, otherwise, the poor man with his knowledge of “canals, red lights, and half-timbered houses” would have had a hard time. The same applies to the bocce tournament on the sports field on deck 12, where controversial situations are resolved with the “infallible measuring device,” as the onboard program guarantees. In short, a German ship.

The Rijksmuseum

The transformation of the international cruise industry becomes immediately evident when the Vasco Da Gama docks at the Amsterdam Passenger Terminal at 1:00 PM. In the city, there is another enormous cruise liner, and in comparison, the Vasco Da Gama looks like a luxury excursion ship: it’s the gigantic Norwegian Prima from Norwegian Cruise Line, launched in 2022, which can host and entertain over 3,000 passengers across 20 decks. Currently, three oil tankers are docked next to it, fueling the ship for the next leg of its cruise, while several water slides snake across its decks—features that are nowhere to be found on the Vasco Da Gama (and that no one here misses). In awe and disbelief, we watch from the dock as our “small” ship makes its way between the Norwegian Prima and carefully positions itself at the Veemkade pier in Amsterdam.

On my schedule (and that of the press) for the afternoon is a visit to the famous Rijksmuseum, with a boat ride along the canals to the museum. It is as crowded as always on a summer day, and its vast array of artworks spanning nearly 900 years impresses us with its richness. Spread across four floors and divided into eight sections, the collection housed in this late 19th-century building is a true paradise for any art lover. Several days would be needed to appreciate it in all its magnificence. Rembrandt’s The Night Watch takes up an entire room, and other world-renowned works housed here include The Milkmaid by Jan Vermeer, The Merry Drinker by Frans Hals, a self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh, and much more. Two hours at the Rijksmuseum are barely enough for a quick glance, but it certainly sparks the desire to return for a more in-depth experience.

An Evening at the Port

Returning aboard, my evening takes me to the Fusion restaurant, with its Asian-inspired décor and furnishings. However, the menu here is no different from that of the other onboard restaurants, so don’t be misled by the setting, with its wall murals of Japanese geishas and Chinese carriages, when it comes to choosing your meal.

The Norwegian Prima already left Amsterdam at 5:30 PM, so the Vasco Da Gama has the dock all to itself for the evening. Passengers take advantage of this with a constant flow of movement, as it’s not often during a cruise that one can explore the port of call on their own, without having to constantly watch the clock. The central location of the ship in Amsterdam is a true privilege, as within just a few minutes’ walk you can reach Amsterdam’s central station, the famous red-light district, or Rembrandt’s house.

For those who prefer the peace and quiet of the Vasco Da Gama over the hectic and colorful bustle of Amsterdam’s streets, there is still plenty of variety and distraction onboard. At 9:00 PM, the ship’s entertainment group invites guests to a “Glamour Night” with the “Hollywood Forever” show at the theater, and at the Ocean Bar, the band has changed. Now called “Rhythm & Mix,” they, like the previous band, move between the bar and Captain’s Club from 7:00 PM to midnight. The Lido Deck, with its retractable roof and summer temperatures, also invites guests to relax, although the pool is already covered late in the evening.

Goodbye to Amsterdam

The following morning, a special moment calls for special measures: my alarm rings at 5 AM because today the Vasco Da Gama will meet a special ship. It’s the Nieuw Statendam, which will take the spot in front of us at the dock at 6 AM, practically the successor of our old Statendam. After 23 years in the Holland America Line fleet, the current Vasco Da Gama had to make way for a larger new ship in 2015 and left the HAL fleet. On time, a tugboat guides the 2018-built cruise giant (99,000 tons, 300 meters long) to the dock, but aboard the “small” Statendam, hardly anyone notices, except for me.

Even at breakfast time (today at 7 AM), there’s still a calm atmosphere aboard, so finding a nice window seat in the buffet restaurant “Club Bistro” on Deck 11 is no problem. The bread and rolls are delightful – it’s immediately noticeable that the Vasco Da Gama has a small bakery on the lower deck of the ship. Many passengers take advantage of the morning for a second (or third) excursion ashore in Amsterdam; today there’s plenty of time for a visit to a museum or a walk around the city before departure. I also head outside and take the morning hours for a short ferry ride across the city to Ijplein on the other side. Here, the world feels completely different. Instead of crowds of tourists, city tour buses, and street vendors, there are urban gardens, ice cream parlors, and sailboats. It’s magnificent. The sight of the old and new Statendam side by side is impressive, and the summer sun makes it even harder to say goodbye to Amsterdam at noon. After 24 hours in the Dutch capital, the Vasco Da Gama sets sail again at 1 PM and begins the return journey through the two-hour passage of the North Sea Canal to IJmuiden. Two hours of peace and serenity in the middle of the Dutch plains, before, after the lock closes at 3 PM, the stormy waves of the North Sea take over once again.

Behind the Scenes

When the pilot leaves the ship half an hour later, the crew has time for a guided tour behind the scenes of the Vasco Da Gama. We begin with the domain of the Romanian head chef Casius Ichim: the immaculate kitchen, where a wall display shows in real-time which menu orders have been taken by the waiters in the restaurants on an upper deck and in what quantities, directly on their tablets. Here, we also find the famous escalator, where the waiters transport their trays loaded with food up to the restaurant tables.

We then move on to the storerooms, which are packed to the ceiling, where every inch of space matters, as explained to us by the responsible crew members. The crews of the company’s smaller expedition cruise ships view things a bit differently, convinced that the large Vasco Da Gama can always accommodate excess goods or give up some of its own in case it meets ships like the World Explorer & Co. at a port. However, as the F&B manager tells us, everything is strictly monitored, so much so that even the sauces on board are made with fresh ingredients because there’s not enough space for pre-made canned products.

From the fresh goods area, we experience a real thermal shock as we enter the laundry department. While the first area is at -20°C, the laundry room has an ambient temperature of +40°C. In both cases, working must not be easy at all, despite the appropriate clothing—difficulties that passengers, in the comfortable public spaces and air-conditioned upper decks of the ship, have no idea about.

At the end of the tour, we reach the sanctuary of every ship: the bridge. Located on Deck 10, we are warmly greeted by Captain Firsov. “A captain never sleeps, he just rests,” he says jovially, immediately answering his own question about what the most important machine on board is: of course, the coffee machine. What stands out on the bridge walls are especially the numerous plaques from various ports, far outnumbering those already displayed in the corridors on Deck 8. Among the flag container, general maps, and fire displays, it’s primarily the mementos from the ship’s Australian era as Pacific Eden that show the Vasco Da Gama is a true world traveler. Even the original ship’s bell has a place of honor in the command room. According to old sailor superstition, it’s bad luck to tamper with or take away the original bell of a ship, so the impeccably polished bell still bears the inscription “Statendam 1992,” a piece of highly valued Italian craftsmanship.

Moreover, Captain Firsov proudly talks about the various onboard treatment facilities that contribute to environmental protection, so that everything eventually returns to its starting point. This applies to seawater, which is purified to become drinking water and, after use, is treated and returned to the sea, as well as food waste, which is pressed, dried, and, for example, turned into fish feed or used for agriculture, thus re-entering the cycle. Finally, for 2025, the installation of technologies on board is planned to use shore-side electricity in ports, thus reducing emissions from the ship.

Return to Bremerhaven

In the evening, the cruise director Ann-Christin Eichel introduces the senior officers and the ship’s Department Heads to the guests in the onboard theater, an event that is no longer a given, especially on such a short trip as this one. This is followed by the “Rock On” show, featuring rock classics, which is very entertaining, even though the music is unfortunately not live, but recorded.

For dinner, today we change things up and head to the Waterfront Restaurant on Deck 7, where there is, also becoming a disappearing tradition, a large table for solo travelers. I quickly realize that this comes with some challenges, as while half of the solo travelers gathered here are having a great time, engaging in pleasant conversations and making new acquaintances over dishes accompanied by a delicious homemade Portuguese wine, the other half chews silently, probably hoping to finish the meal as quickly as possible.

Elsewhere on board, however, there is no sign of such social conventions. The Vasco Da Gama is an informal ship, where it’s easy to connect with other passengers if desired, but one can also enjoy an hour or two of tranquility by retreating to a bar or a lounge. In fact, the ship impressively manages to combine the classic cruise experience with onboard offerings that are either no longer available or only available for a fee on other ships, providing a modern and accessible maritime travel product that meets the desires and expectations of today’s cruisers, who might not feel at ease on a large cruise liner with three or four thousand passengers. A representative of this generation is the Mein Schiff 4, docked at the Columbuskaje in Bremerhaven, when the Vasco Da Gama also returns there on the fourth and final day of its “coastal break in the Netherlands.” It has covered 381 nautical miles since the previous Thursday, which is nothing compared to the more than 30,000 miles the ship travels on its world cruises. But this short cruise on the charming Nicko Cruises ship has certainly sparked the desire to experience more.

Don’t miss the latest news from the world of cruising on Cruising Journal, with photos, videos, and offers for cruises.

Kai Ortel

Comments