News

The ss Rotterdam departs from New York in April 1993 (picture Klaas Krijnen)

After the keel was laid on December 1956 the building of the new flagship of Holland America Line, then known as # 300, went prosperous. On March 28 1958 the front of the Promenadedeck was almost ready, as can be seen on the first picture. Next to the tent the two...

60 years ago the ss Rotterdam was launched by the Rotterdam Drydock Company. Half a year before a lot of work still had to be done to complete the hull. March 15 1958 the level of the Promenadedeck had been reached. On the first picture can be seen that the bow was...

When the ss Rotterdam left the Holland America Line fleet in 1997 some engineers took builders’ plates from the engine room as a souvenir. We are glad they did it, because who knows what had happened to the plates during the stay at the Bahama’s and during...

Our volunteers restored the lions in the arms of the city of Rotterdam on B-deck and polished the brass periscope on the bridge. The arms of the city of Rotterdam by Nico Witteman on B-deck    picture Klaas Krijnen During restoration   picture Jan-Willem Koene The...

The ss Rotterdam in the Maashaven. Picture Klaas Krijnen

© picture Jan-Willem Koene

On the bridge a Radio Direction Finder (RDF) is connected to an antenna on the wheelhouse top. The RDF was compulsory until the end of the nineties of the former century. It was introduced before Decca, Loran-C and GPS came into use. With the RDF one could find the...

Our volunteers have restored the magnetic compass on the wheelhouse top. It needed maintenance since a long time. The compass was dismounted, cleaned and varnished back to the original state. We are very proud that the compass stands in all its glory on the wheelhouse...

This summer our true contributor Leo Knape celebrated his fiftieth birthday. Overwhelmed by the many presents he received he decided to let us share in it. He handed over to the secretary-traesurer and chairman of the Friends of steamschip Rotterdam a cheque of 500...

Today 20 years ago the ss Rotterdam ended her career as flagship of Holland America Line. On September 12 the ship left Vancouver for Fort Lauderdale, where she arrived on September 30 1997.