Rotterdam of the 70's

[Flob1954]

Went on my first cruise back in the early 70's on Holland America Rotterdam.............where is she now ? Sold or scrapped?

[Copper10-8]

 

ss Rotterdam V (1959-present) Built in 1959 as ss Rotterdam by the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (Rotterdam Drydock Company), Rotterdam, the Netherlands for the Holland Amerika Lijn/Holland America Line for which she would become their very popular flagship known as "the Grand Dame". At 748 feet long, 94 feet wide and weighing 38,650 tons, she would be the largest ship ever built in the Netherlands and she would sail for HAL for 39 years! She would be the last great Dutch "ship of state".

 

Rotterdam V was conceived as running mate to HAL's popular Nieuw Amsterdam launched in 1937, but work was put on hold at the outbreak of World War II in Europe. When economic conditions once again became favorable for completion of the new ship in early 1954, the beginning of the end of ocean liners as basic transport was visible on the horizon. Her designers took this in mind and created a groundbreaking vessel, a two-class, horizontally divided ship with movable partitions and a unique double staircase allowing for easy conversion to cruising. Rotterdam's machinery was shifted aft, to the now-traditional two-thirds aft position, and in lieu of a funnel twin uptake pipes were fitted. To provide balance, a large deckhouse was built atop the superstructure in the midships position of a typical funnel. While very controversial at the time, Rotterdam's appearance became groundbreaking, and her unique design features can be found on cruise ships today.

 

 

She was the fifth ship in the line's history to bear the name of Rotterdam, the principal city in the Dutch province of Zuid (South) Holland, second largest municipality in the Netherlands and the largest port in Europe. The name 'Rotterdam' originally comes from a dam built on the river Rotte.

 

Rotterdam V was painted in the then HAL house colors of a dove gray hull with a thin yellow band. Due to the absence of a traditional funnel (she had the twin set of uptakes instead), the then HAL colors (buff funnel with green-white-green bands) were unable to be applied there. Instead, all of her lifeboats were painted in the line's buff yellow colors with green and white bands (the colors of the city of Rotterdam) painted on their gunwhales.

 

On 14 September 1958, Rotterdam V was launched by her godmother, HRH Queen Juliana of The Netherlands in the city of Rotterdam in front of some 60,000 spectators. Succesful sea trials were conducted on the North Sea between 1-6 August 1959. On 3 September 1959, Rotterdam V, the flagship of the Holland Amerika Lijn set out on her maiden voyage from Rotterdam to New York, via Le Havre, France and Southampton, England under the command of her master, Commodore Coenraad Bouman. One of her passengers was the then Crown Princess of The Netherlands, the twenty-one year old Princess (currently Queen) Beatrix.

 

Upon passing Tompkinsville on north-eastern Staten Island, Commodore Bouman had the national flag of the Netherlands, flying on his ship, dipped in a salute to Henry Hudson. Back on 10 September 1609, the English sea explorer and navigator employed by the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or Dutch (United) East India Company, had anchored his ship the Half Moon (found in the current HAL logo) in the general area.

 

She arrived at the Fifth Street Pier in Hoboken, New Jersey on 11 September 1959 receiving a welcome by water spraying fireboats. After the Princess (via cutter and then to the Royal Netherlands Navy destroyer Gelderland in Gravesend Bay) and all her remaining passengers (the 'normal way') had disembarked, Rotterdam V was towed across the harbor to HAL's new terminal at Pier 40 in Manhattan. Rotterdam departed New York for her east bound journey across the Atlantic on 22 September 1959.

 

She then departed New York on her first cruise on 11 December, 1959, a 49-day cruise circumnavigating South America. She undertook a second, seventy five-day cruise on 1 February 1960. She would make her first world cruise in 1961, a seventy seven-day roundtrip from New York, From then on, she would operate the company's world cruise each year until 1986, developing a loyal following.

 

In 1969, Rotterdam made her last regularly scheduled transatlantic crossing and was converted to a one-class cruise ship. A new Lido estaurant replaced her Cafe de la Paix and other, more minor, changes took place. She would, however, make four more world cruises in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1997.

 

 

From September until October 1989, she received a $15 million dollar (mostly interior) refit at the Northwest Marine Ironworks, a Portland, Oregon shipyard.

 

On 31 January 1996, HAL announced that the much loved ship would be taken out of service as of 30 September 1997. The reason given by her owners (later disputed) was the new SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) requirements coming into effect and the funds, supposedly U.S. 40 million, required to update the thirty-eight year old vessel. Rotterdam would make a farewell cruise at the end of her Alaska season from Vancouver, BC to Ft Lauderdale, Fl.

 

In October 1997, she was purchased by Premier Cruises who had her upgraded to SOLAS standards and renamed Rembrandt. Premier kept her classic ocean liner 'feel' and on 21 December 1997, she departed on her first cruise to South America. The summer of 1998 found her cruising in the Mediterranean. Premier however, also had grandiose plans to rename the ship 'Big Red Boat IV' and to paint her hull a bright red, an idea not very popular with her fans. As Big Red Boat IV she would sail out of Los Angeles on three and four-day party cruises to Mexico in the winter and out of Vancouver, BC on seven-day Alaska cruises in the summer.

 

As faith would have it, Premier Cruise Line ran into financial difficulties. On 13 September, 2000 during a northbound New England/Canada cruise, her captain was ordered to return his ship to Halifax, Nova Scotia. After off-loading her passengers, the ss Rembrandt was placed under arrest. As a special condition of her warrants, she was allowed to depart for Freeport, the Bahamas where she arrived on 30 December 2000 and was laid-up pending sale. Premier Cruise Lines filed for bankruptcy and went out of business.

 

 

On 7 May 2003 Rembrandt became the property of s.s. Rotterdam BV (part of RDM holding or Rotterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij, her original builders). On 17 June 2004, the Polish ocean-going tug 'Englishman' towed her from the Bahamas to the Camell Laird yard at Gibraltar where she arrived on 12 July 2004 and where renovation work was scheduled for her. She would remain docked at the British Crown Colony until October 2005 (see below). By that time, she also had new owner, 'Rederij De Rotterdam BV'.

 

 

On 25 October 2005, after a tow from Gibraltar by the Spanish tug 'V B Artico', she arrived at Cadiz, Spain, for additional (dry) dock maintenance including the repainting of her hull in her original light gray color. In addition, she was renamed Rotterdam and registered in the same city. 'V B Artico' would tow her again, this time from 10 to 27 February 2006, from Cadiz to Gdansk, Poland where her asbestos was removed and further renovating would take place (see below).

 

 

On 25 August 2006 she received yet another tow, this time to Wilhelmshaven, Germany (see below) where she stayed until August 2008 for additional exterior restoration work.

 

[Copper10-8]

 

On 2 September 2008, she left Wilhelmshaven and on 4 September 2008, she made her triumphant return (see above and below) to her city of birth, Rotterdam, where she was berthed at the “Katendrechtse Hoofd” (Head of Katendrecht) located on the northern edge of Rotterdam Zuid (South) in the Maashaven (River Maas harbor) and where she will serve as a floating hotel, static museum ship and conference center.

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

 

ss Rotterdam V alongside the Wilhelminakade, Rotterdam in 1961

 

 

ss Rotterdam V on her way westbound to New York - Taken from ss Statendam on her way eastbound to Rotterdam - somewhere in the Atlantic in 1962

 

 

ss Rotterdam in her 'Nieuw Amsterdam' blue livery in 1987

 

As Rembrandt in Rotterdam in 1998

 

As Rembrandt in Rotterdam in 1998

[TrentS]

She should be open as a hotel by the end of the year... https://www.cruisehotel.nl/en/sleep/

[JBM]

I sailed on the Rotterdam on December 4, 1972 -- a 10 night cruise to San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Marten for my honeymoon. Way back then, family and friends could come on-board for Bon Voyage parties---one of which we had.. My first experience cruising, a beautiful, stately and classic ship--very fond memories.

 

A few years later I did a 7 night, out of NY to Bermuda on the Statendam.

 

Many years passed before I resumed cruising, this time aboard Celebrity and RC and love it!

 

I enjoyed the pictures and was happy to see the Rotterdam back to its rightful name and still 'in-service' .:)

[Flob1954]

Thanks so much for the info!

[Rotterdam]

If anyone has pics from her interior - you'll see how special she is - the Dining rooms , teh Ritz Carlton Club & Ocean Bar are some of my favorite rooms of all time.....

 

I sailed on her many times & loved every second....

[Gablin]

I loved this ship! I sailed on her twice - Alaska in 1995 and from Miami to Vancouver in 1997. I toured the engine room in 1997. I think she was the only steam ship still in cruising at that time. The steam turbines were huge!

[Gablin]

Rotterdam was NOT the only steam ship then. She was just the only one I had been on. Fairsky was another and I've forgotten the other ones.

[DevilinaBluDress]

Wow, this was the only cruise ship I sailed on back around 1980. My father went on it and then two weeks later we sailed on it together as last minute passengers. It is a beautiful ship.

[sbhdmh]

Thanks for the memories... I did my second cruise on her as a child in the 70's. It was Christmas and I think of her everytime I hear "Thank Heaven for Little Girls." I was plucked from the audience to sit on Santa's lap while that song was sung...