Were Are The Old Ships Now

[rickcohen2]

We've sailed on a couple of ships in the past that are now no longer with that same line. So many (five of the seven), in fact, that we started thinking it was us responsible for their demise. One was from a fire (Windsong) long after we were aboard, but who knows....

 

I've often wondered, like old friends, "where are they now". I'm especially interested in hearing about the Nieuw Amsterdam and Rotterdam IV [grandparents sailed on her maiden world cruise voyage, we sailed on one of her last]. But, maybe others are interested in their "old friends" too.

[Esme]

Rick - I doubt that many of us would have sailed on the Rotterdam IV, as she was in service from 1908-1940. My Grandmother, who was born in 1878 sailed on her in 1910 on her way to America to join my Grandfather.

 

Did you mean Rotterdam V? If so, she is in Rotterdam Holland. I don't think they know exactly what they are going to do with her - maybe a museum or hotel/restaurant.

 

http://www.ssrotterdam.net/

 

Nieuw Amsterdam is with the Thompson Line and has been renamed Thompson Spirit.

 

Host Doug will know more of the history of these 2 ships and I am sure will have more answers for you.

[Druke I]

There is a whole forum dedicated to "where are they now".

 

Lots of interesting info there.

[TidePrideGA]

And it's here

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&f=56&page=1&pp=50&sort=lastpost&order=desc&daysprune=10

[rickcohen2]

Thanks everyone. Had no idea that board was out there.

 

Yes, I did mean the Rotterdamn V (had to change my signature too). Nice link.

[rickcohen2]

Thanks everyone. Had no idea that board was out there.

 

Yes, I did mean the Rotterdamn V (had to change my signature too). Nice link. And, Thank You too.

[Joanandjoe]

There's also a web site devoted to old ships and where they are now. Maybe someone on the where are they now board has the URL.

 

Three of my grandparents came to America on the Rotterdam IV, and I've sailed on the Rotterdam VI. My family seems to have missed the Rotterdam V.

[Candy]

The only one I have is for Retired and Laid-Up Ships.

 

Candy <-- know there's another one for sold and transferred ships, and will keep lookin'

[Grumpy1]

Check this link for some interesting information:

 

http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/hollandam.html

[TrentS]

Rick - I doubt that many of us would have sailed on the Rotterdam IV, as she was in service from 1908-1940. My Grandmother, who was born in 1878 sailed on her in 1910 on her way to America to join my Grandfather.

 

Did you mean Rotterdam V? If so, she is in Rotterdam Holland. I don't think they know exactly what they are going to do with her - maybe a museum or hotel/restaurant.

 

http://www.ssrotterdam.net/

 

Nieuw Amsterdam is with the Thompson Line and has been renamed Thompson Spirit.

 

Host Doug will know more of the history of these 2 ships and I am sure will have more answers for you.

 

Rotterdam V is not YET home, she's still in Gibraltar. This is another link to the website of the Steamship Rotterdam Foundation... http://www.stoomschiprotterdam.nl/EN/index.htm

 

And here are some (year old) pics of her in Gibraltar... http://www.fotorondleiding.nl/ssrotterdam.htm

[dougnewmanatsea]

Rick,

 

I only see four ships in your seven that are not with the same line. WIND STAR, WIND SURF and NORWEGIAN STAR all remain with their original owners.

 

ROTTERDAM (V) was sold by HAL to Premier in 1997. Premier went under in 2000, and she was laid-up at Freeport, Bahamas. In 2003 she was bought by her builders, the Rotterdam Drydock Company (Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij, or RDM), who towed her to the Cammell Laird yard in Gibraltar in July 2004 for preliminary refit work with the intention of returning her to Rotterdam as a hotel and museum. In September 2004, RDM, in financial difficulty, sold the ship to the Port of Rotterdam. The Port of Rotterdam in turn sold her to a new private company, De Rotterdam BV, in June 2005. Work is now under way in planning for her return to Rotterdam, possibly in 2006.

 

NIEUW AMSTERDAM (III) was chartered by HAL to American Classic Voyages in 2000, who allocated her to their United States Lines brand and renamed her PATRIOT for US-flag cruises in Hawaii. (Normally foreign-built ships cannot be used under the US flag in domestic traffic, but this was a temporary arrangement until the new US-built Project America ships - the first of which became NCL America's PRIDE OF AMERICA - were completed.) AMCV went bankrupt in 2001, 9/11 having been the final nail in the coffin of the financially troubled company. The ship was returned to HAL, who briefly renamed her NIEUW AMSTERDAM and put her up for sale or charter. Since 2003, she has been chartered by Thomson, the UK subsidiary of TUI, the world's largest inclusive tour operator, as THOMSON SPIRIT.

 

WIND SONG burned and sank in Tahiti in December 2002-January 2003.

 

After Renaissance's bankruptcy in 2001 - like AMCV, they already had financial problems when 9/11 hit, but Renaissance were in the midst of a recovery and reorganization at the time, and had their investors not chickened out after 9/11, they'd probably still be around today - all of the Renaissance ships were sold to Cruiseinvest, a company set up to buy the Renaissance ships from their creditors and then sell or charter them to cruise lines. R FOUR was chartered to Princess in 2002 and became TAHITIAN PRINCESS.

 

Anyhow, hope that helps!

[rickcohen2]

Rick, I only see four ships in your seven that are not with the same line...

You are so right, 4-of-7. Still, not a very good track record. The 14 of us must be "hard" on a ship.

 

Thanks for the info. Been out looking at some of the posted links and must say, I could have done without seeing the way Rotterdam V looked in those panaramas. But, again, Thanks.

[Joanandjoe]

We've finally found the link we referred to more than a month ago: http://www.maritimematters.com/shipnameindex.html This lists dozens of ships, and their history after leaving the original cruise line.

 

Our history with having ships "retired" is not much better than Rick's. We started cruising in 1998. Only two of the five ships Rick sailed on from 1998 to the present are gone from their original line: the Wind Song, which burned and sank, and the R4. Three of our six ships are gone, including three of the four that we sailed on between 1998 and last November: the old Noordam, Regal Empress, and the Horizon. Of the four, only the Rotterdam VI is still with its original line.

 

For links to additional ship history web sites, see http://cruiseclues.com/ocean_liner_history_memorabilia_websites.htm

[ROZO'SBEAU]

Saw Rotterdam in Gibralter on Oct 24 2005. Still in the shipyard and it didn't look close to being ready to go back to anywhere.

[RuthC]

Saw Rotterdam in Gibralter on Oct 24 2005. Still in the shipyard and it didn't look close to being ready to go back to anywhere.

This saddens me terribly. One of my fondest hopes is to see that ship again someday and have the chance to tour her inside at a slow' date=' deliberate pace. [/color']

There are so many memories from that special ship.

[flapr]

Ahhhh, Rotterdam V (Rembrandt) -- she was my very 'first.'

 

At least got to see her one final time in Nassau almost 3 years ago!

[dougnewmanatsea]

Saw Rotterdam in Gibralter on Oct 24 2005. Still in the shipyard and it didn't look close to being ready to go back to anywhere.

Regardless of what she looks like... She will be returning to Rotterdam. Perhaps she needs a lick of paint, but rest assured that she is not being neglected - the grand lady is in the capable hands of people who really care about her.

 

At the moment, her owners are in the process of selecting a yard where she will be drydocked in preparation for her new life.

[Host Walt]

Just to be sure, in addition to cohosting this Holland America board, Doug is the Cruise Critic Host of the What Ever Happened To...? board which discusses virtually everything from former cruise lines, retired cruise directors, old ships and just about anything else of that nature.

 

It's a fascinating place to stay current on the ships we all sailed on in the past and to reminisce about the history of cruising, of passenger ships and of ocean liners. (Yes, there's a big difference.)

[Druke I]

Maritime Matters is reporting that Rotterdam will be towed, on 11-23-05, to Cadiz, Spain, where her exterior will be repainted - original grey with gold piping!

[Druke I]

Odd - took my post re painting of Rotterdam, but left it back on page 4.

 

Board acting up again!

 

Well, that seems to have kicked it forward!!

[RuthC]

Thank you for the update, Michael. Any news on the ss Rotterdam is much appreciated. She was a grand old girl.

[wvdleek]

Thank you for the update, Michael. Any news on the ss Rotterdam is much appreciated. She was a grand old girl.

 

Just keep an eye on the website of the Steamship Rotterdam Foundation, http://www.ssrotterdam.net

You can also find info on my website http://www.vdleek.nl

Via my website you can access my photo-albums in which you find also photos of the arrival in Gibraltar last year.

 

The ship will stay in Cadiz until February 2006. At this moment the owners are negotiating where further refurbishment will take place.

 

If you have any questions about the ship, please do not hesitate to mail me on webmaster at vdleek dot nl ,as I am pretty much involved in the Foundation.

 

Willem van der Leek

"It's good to see a well_run site!"

http://www.vdleek.nl

[Copper10-8]

Vriendelijk bedankt voor de update Willem!;)

[wvdleek]

Rick,

 

ROTTERDAM (V) was sold by HAL to Premier in 1997. Premier went under in 2000, and she was laid-up at Freeport, Bahamas. In 2003 she was bought by her builders, the Rotterdam Drydock Company (Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij, or RDM), who towed her to the Cammell Laird yard in Gibraltar in July 2004 for preliminary refit work with the intention of returning her to Rotterdam as a hotel and museum. In September 2004, RDM, in financial difficulty, sold the ship to the Port of Rotterdam. The Port of Rotterdam in turn sold her to a new private company, De Rotterdam BV, in June 2005. Work is now under way in planning for her return to Rotterdam, possibly in 2006.

 

Now, if you read the story well, you will learn that RDM did NOT sell the ship to the Rotterdam Port Authority !!!

The ship was used as collateral for loans granted to RDM.

 

 

Bankruptcy ss Rotterdam BV (Ltd) (13-12-2004)

The court of justice of Rotterdam announced bankruptcy of the “s.s.Rotterdam BV”, the company that owns the s.s. Rotterdam. But the city of Rotterdam, who owns the “s.s. Rotterdam BV” is negotiating with several parties who want to buy the s.s. Rotterdam. The aim is still to use the s.s. Rotterdam in the port of Rotterdam as a hotel/restaurant/congress/casinoship as from 2005. In the meanwhile the s.s. Rotterdam still remains in Gibraltar, where the asbestos clean-up goes on.

 

 

For good information you can better rely on the Steamship Rotterdam Foundation.

 

 

Willem van der Leek

"It's good to see a well-run site!"

http://www.vdleek.nl

[dougnewmanatsea]

Now, if you read the story well, you will learn that RDM did NOT sell the ship to the Rotterdam Port Authority !!!

The ship was used as collateral for loans granted to RDM.

Well, I apologise for the misuse of the word "sold"... A minor transgression, I think you will agree.

 

But thanks for the correction. And I do urge all of our members who have not already done so to visit the excellent Steamship Rotterdam Foundation web site and also to sign up for their mailing list to keep apprised of the situation.

 

I also would like to add that I'm very pleased that she will return to her grey hull livery, as originally when she was bought by her present owners, their press releases indicated that she would be painted blue with yellow and red stripes (which sounds awful, not to mention historically inaccurate).

 

Congratulations to you and your colleagues at the Foundation on reaching this next stage of the project, and as always, may you have continued success in the future. Your efforts are greatly appreciated by all ROTTERDAM fans worldwide.