Ben Lyons, a lifelong fan of Holland America Line who has worked both as a writer and a deck officer, recently visited Rotterdam and Rotterdam in Rotterdam. Enjoy Part 4

While it would be a stretch to say I didn’t get any sleep Friday evening, I definitely felt a level of anticipation akin to a child on Christmas Eve…The next morning I would be heading over to see the ss Rotterdam. Long one of my favorite passenger ships, the Rotterdam had opened last year in a new role as a museum, conference center and hotel and I was eager to see first hand how she looked.

While I had only visited the ship, and never sailed, when she was in service for Holland America, I had taken three trips onboard when she was the ss Rembrandt of new defunct Premier Cruises. I always considered the physical layout of the ship to be almost perfect, with wide promenades, generous open deck space, and a wonderful, virtually untouched 1959 interior. From the ingenious double staircase that allowed first and tourist class passengers to pass by each other without seeing each other to the hard to reach observation deck perched at the very top of the ship, the Rotterdam was a beloved ship imbued with personality.

To reach the Rotterdam, I simply took a water taxi directly from the Hotel New York and was deposited within minutes right under the ship’s stern. From very first glance, it was obvious the five and a half years and 257 million Euro spent refurbishing the ship had paid off; she looked immaculate. I ended up walking along the pier both at midnight and in the early morning light just to look at the hull and take photographs.

Inside, I found the public rooms lovingly restored. During the refurbishment, the ship had been basically taken down to bare steel and all the asbestos removed. Then, the rooms were painstakingly restored. Walking around most decks seemed almost exactly like when she was in service. The Ambassador Lounge, Ocean Bar, Queens Room, Smoking Room and Tropic Bar remained essentially unaltered, and one of the most elegant rooms at sea, the two-storied Ritz Carlton, looked as stunning as ever. I was particularly delighted to still see a wire dangling from the ceiling of the Smoking Room. Hardly an overlooked piece of maintenance, the wire marked where Princess Beatrix, on the ship’s maiden voyage, requested an extra light fitted to allow her to work on her needlepoint, and the wire had been left throughout the ship’s life.

But economic realities require some modifications if the Rotterdam is to operate profitably in her new role for years to come. Cabins have been changed substantially to become modern hotel rooms. Modern conference rooms replaced cabins on three decks, and when I wandered into the space that used to be the two main dining rooms, an antique postcard show was going on. The Lido had been redone, although it was still being used as a more casual dining area. What was the casino at the end of the ship’s life was now turned back into the original reincarnation as the Club Room, although now it functioned as a formal dining room. (Along with about 20 members of the World Ship Society, Port of New York branch, I had a wonderful meal there that night. Sitting in the center of the room during dinner service might be the closest you can get to still feeling like the ship was in service, as all public rooms except the Ocean Bar and Lido are locked at night.)

Several areas of the ship that were off limits in service were now open as part of a ship-wide tour, including the bridge and engine room. (A squadron of volunteers help with the ship’s tour; we were taken around by Ap van ‘t Slot, who served as an engineer/fireman onboard for four years in the 1960s! His moustache and uniform looked the part, and he took us around down below with evident pride.)

I was also fortunate to attend a lecture by Klaas Krijnen, the head of the Steamship Rotterdam Foundation. More than anyone, he is responsible for the ship still being around to day. He lobbied and worked for ten years- all of it as a volunteer- to ensure the Rotterdam was preserved. He showed images of the renovation and I was amazed at the amount of detail he brought to the project. He pointed out individual clocks that had to be disassembled and re-assembled, showed us small pieces of artwork that had needed saving, and described successful efforts to track down pieces of artwork that had gone missing over the years. His was a true labor of love, and his dedication to the ship and the effect he has had can not be overstated.

Disembarking any ship is always tinged with sadness, but when I left the Rotterdam the next morning, I also felt very happy. The Rotterdam was in good hands, and well known throughout the city. No ocean liner fan could have ever hoped for a more accurate or thorough restoration job, and a night onboard prior to embarking a HAL cruise would make for a perfect pre-cruise journey into nostalgia.

There was one thing, however, that made leaving the ss Rotterdam easier— I was heading to the cruise terminal to embark the mv Rotterdam!!

To check out Part 3 click HERE, Part 2 click HERE and to check out Part 1 click HERE.

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