Our volunteer Jan Fahner restored two wooden boxes on the bridge wings. The boxes were used to store nautical instuments. One of the boxes was found in a bad condition when the renovation of the ship was finished. Jan restored it and made a new second one.
Today Captain Victor Stoica of the ms Borealis handed over the original painting of Martinus Schouman to the chairman of our foundation. The painting came from the ss Rotterdam V where it decorated the captains dayroom since 1959. When the ss Rotterdam left the fleet of Holland America Line in 1997 the painting was transfered to the ms Rotterdam VI. In 2020 Fred Olsen Cruise Lines bought the ship and gave her the name of Borealis. Mr. Fred Olsen sr. has agreed that the painting should be brought back to its original place on the ss Rotterdam. We are very grateful to him and to captain Victor Stoica and his staff to give us the opportunity to bring the painting back to the ss Rotterdam. We also thank captain Albert Schoonderbeek who realized in cooperation with our foundation the return of the painting.
The artwork Het Zonneschip (The Sunship) of the artist Willem Akkermans is an eye catcher in the Skyroom on Bridge deck of the ss Rotterdam. Through the years parts of the metal wires have disappeared. Our volunteers Henk Salij and Ton Lenselink have restored the metal wires carefully.
Picture Henk Salij
In November 1984 Mr and Mrs George Wilde made a cruise in the Caribbean on the ss Rotterdam. They documented their cruise perfectly on a website that presents an extensive impression of life on board the ss Rotterdam in the eighties. We really appreciate all the work they have done and their courtesy to share it with us. Please visit the website: Wilde Adventures
65 years go, on December 14 1956, the keel of the ss Rotterdam was laid at the Rotterdam Drydock Company. In fact the first two sections of the ship, then known as yard number 300, were placed on the slope.
Following the tradition our volunteers mounted the Christmas star between the smokestacks of the ss Rotterdam.
Picture by Henk Salij
Pictures by Jan Egberts