Opening new museum on the ss Rotterdam

On January 30 Ton Wesselink, general-manager of the ss Rotterdam, opened the new museum in the former linen room. The museum has been designed and built by the volunteers of Friends of steamship Rotterdam. The museum is part of the engineroom tour that can be done daily on the ss Rotterdam.

Pictures by Jan-Willem Koene

Pictures by Klaas Krijnen

New carpet in the Grand Ballroom

In the Grand Ballroom new carpet has been laid by WestCord Hotels. After 13 years of intensive use the carpet had to be renewed. Recently the carpet in the Ambassador Room has been renewed.

Picture by Ryan Derks

Picture by Reinier Paping

New museum in former linen storage

Our volunteers have been building and decorating a new museum in the former linen storage on C deck. Guests who visit the guided tour through the engineroom can visit the new museum fairly soon.

Several original uniforms are shown as well a many other materials from the past that have ben donated to us.

Former HAL-employee Brian Porter donated to us an original lamp from the Lido-restaurant on Promenade deck as it was between 1968 and 1986. Our volunteers have rebuilt the furniture after the original and adapted the electricity to the Dutch system.

50 years ago the ss Rotterdam has got a blue hull

During drydocking in October 1973 in Lisbon the color of the hull of the ss Rotterdam has been changed from grey to blue. After sailing with a grey hull during 14 years the blue hull lasted from 1973 until 2006.

The removal of the grey paint by hand caused a lot of noise (picture by Roel Valbracht)

The ship in minium (picture by Roel Valbracht)

In drydock next to the river Tagus (picture by Joep Fluitsma)

The ss Rotterdam in service with a blue hull (picture by Roel Valbracht)

ss Rotterdam launched 65 years ago

On September 13 1958 the ss Rotterdam was launched by Queen Juliana at the Rotterdam Drydock Company. The keel was laid at December 14 1956 and the maiden voyage to New York started on September 3 1959. The ss Rotterdam still is the biggest passenger liner ever that has been built in the Netherlands.

Picture taken by Mr. J. Wijdenes