ssMaritime
With Reuben Goossens
Maritime
Historian
Memories
of the JVO
MS Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
The Pride of
the
Christiaan Huygens
Above Right:
JVO launched on Saturday 3 August 1929.
Above Left: JVO and the Marnix side by side during their
fitting out
The MS
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt had
two Sulzer diesel engines built by the brothers Sulzer of
The famed artist Carel Adolph
Lion Cachet (1864-1945) and sculptor
Lambertus Zijl (1866-947) created the fine interiors of the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt. Lion Cachet
designed his first SMN interior for the Grotius,
back in 1906 and had since undertaken many other projects for the company. He
took a delight in using the finest timbers and mixing them with tin and marble.
Décor throughout the ship reflected the colonial links of the
As
built, the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
had seven passenger decks. Her four classes offered a new level of comfort for
her day. Her deck space was vast and featured a unique swimming pool and bar on
Sports deck directly in front of the forward funnel. The pool could be enclosed
with a unique sliding glass roof that would be opened upon reaching warmer
climates. This was one of the first retractable pool enclosures on a liner,
which has become a popular feature on modern cruise ships. In 1998 the P&O
Princess Lines, super liner, the 109,000 tonne Grand Princess features a three story high retractable
"Clear Crystal Dome" over the Calypso Reef and Pool. The Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and her
sister ship were without doubt innovative for their time?
A deck was mainly occupied with
accommodations for the ships officers, including the Captain's quarters with a
fully equipped hospital located aft. B deck was chiefly occupied with first
class cabins. Located just aft of the cabins, was the first class nursery and
deck space. A second class sports deck being located further aft. C deck
featured the main public rooms and the spacious promenade deck for both first
and second-class passengers.
First Class Smoking Room
Public rooms on the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt were
elegantly decorated in an 
it
featured ebony with white marble panels. Wall panels featured reliefs of two
Javanese men and a variety of plant life from the region. The ceiling was
painted a light colour with fine decorations, and simple but elegant light fittings
and electric fans. Heavy lounge chairs gaily stripped and ebony chairs and
tables completed the room. Several writing desks were also placed along the
centre aft wall of the Smoking Room. Facing aft, starboard side of the Smoking
Room was a passageway and a service bar, which provided drinks for the Smoking
Room, Music Salon, and the promenade deck.
Aft again, was the main foyer and
grand stairwell up to B deck and down to F deck and the first class Restaurant.
The fine timber stairwell and large vestibules on all decks gave an impression
grace and of space. On the starboard side was the JVO's only passenger lift. The next room was the Music Hall or
Grand Social Hall. This spacious lounge was two decks high and featured fine
lead light panels on the upper level. These were lit from behind and were a
decorative feature in the first class passageways up on B deck. The ceiling of
the Social Room was covered in beaten copper with stainless steel stylised
chandeliers cascading down. This room was lined in fine padouk and featured
dark stained teak doors opening forward to the main foyer and grand stairwell.
This room also featured many panels with many fine carvings. One unique carving
by Zijl was forward over the games cupboard with the name of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt carved in 
script
form. Other carvings that lined the walls and side dividing partitions near the
bay windows featured Javanese women, a variety of fauna and insects, which are
found throughout
Social Hall and Music Salon
Just aft of amidships were the
second class lounges, comprising the Music Saloon, Smoking Room and bar and a
nursery further aft. These lounges also featured timbered panels highlighting
their unique grain rather than the fancy carvings of first class. Yet, these
were elegant yet bright and airy rooms with large windows to promenade deck.
The Smoking Room featured the timbered stairwell leading down to the
accommodations and the beautiful second class Dining Room. Between first and
second class there was a deck area covering the full width of the ship. It
served as a unique open deck area, being outdoors, yet undercover. This area
was often used for entertainment purposes for both classes as required.
Further accommodation was located
on D and E decks with another second class Lounge on D deck. The two main
Dining Rooms were located on F deck. First class could seat 270, and second
315. The third class lounge space and dining room were located on D deck with
the dining room providing seating for 64. Third class deck space was aft on C
and D decks. Accommodation, dining room, and a small lounge for sixty fourth
class passengers was located forward near the crew quarters on F deck, with
deck space provided on the fo’c’sle. Soon she would accommodate
only three classes with fourth class being withdrawn. Five cargo holds were
capable of holding over 1,000 tons of cargo and were served by 12 - 3-ton
"Stork Hijsch" deck cranes located on the upper decks.
On F deck, the first class
Restaurant was a grand and distinctive room, being two decks high in the
centre. It featured a fine balustrade and had a bandstand in an alcove on the
upper level being E deck. In the evening, diners would enjoy the gentle strains
of music provided by the ship's orchestra. The Restaurant, like all first class
public rooms, featured fine timbers with panels sporting marble and, rather
modern for its day, stainless steel inlays. All cabins on the JVO had portholes, a much needed item
those days, especially when reaching warmer climates. Those cabins, which today
would be considered to be inside, had a long narrow passage leading to the
porthole, allowing light and fresh air to reach the interior cabin. Later in
her career she was fitted with much needed forced air to all accommodation.
Johan
van Oldenbarnevelt looked
typical for her day when it comes to colour scheme. A black hull, white
superstructure with two British style short flat-topped funnels, painted buff
with black tops. She looked impressive with her two tall masts as she departed
on her Maiden voyage on Tuesday 6 May 1930.
A classical JVO, at full
speed
However, this voyage was short
lived. Whilst still in the North Sea canal, heading for
For nine years, she sailed the
companies’ route
Chapter 2 - JVO the Trooper
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