May 16, 2003 -- Seems some classic ocean liners have guardian angels this year. Last month, Norwegian Cruise Line announced that it had purchased the classic SS United States and planned to refurbish the vessel and return her to service. Now, word comes that the Rotterdam Drydock Company (RDM; www.portofrotterdam.com) has purchased the classic Rotterdam V, built in 1958 for Holland America Line, and plans to develop her as a permanent attraction in her home city of Rotterdam, Netherlands.
One of the classiest ocean liners built toward the end of ocean travel's Golden Age, Rotterdam was a sort of miracle during her final decade of service, with an interior that had remained almost unchanged (though extremely well-maintained) from the time of her launch. Retired from Holland America in 1997, the vessel was purchased by Premier Cruises, which operated her as Rembrandt until the company went bankrupt in 2000. The ship has been laid up in the Bahamas ever since, while efforts have been underway to save her from the scrappers.
According to the Port of Rotterdam, neither the exact location of the ship's permanent berth nor final plans for her operation have been determined, but some combination of hotel, restaurant, theater, museum, and conference uses is likely. Significantly, she will be refurbished and restored by RDM, the company that originally built her, which should mean that her historical character will be maintained. This should save her from the fate of the old Queen Mary, whose conversion into a hotel/tourist attraction in Long Beach, CA, cost her most of her original interiors.
Interestingly, Rotterdam has been such a revered vessel over the years that designers of Cunard's new Queen Mary 2 -- the first real ocean liner built in three decades -- borrowed several of her notable features, including her topmost observation deck and semi-enclosed forward promenade, and used her famous two-level Ritz Lounge as an inspiration for the new ship's G32 nightclub.
Initial plans call for Rotterdam to be towed soon from the Bahamas to Rotterdam, with refurbishment expected to take up to two years.