GLORIOUS RETURN of ss

GLORIOUS RETURN of ss.ROTTERDAM

Thousands of spectators stood along the New Waterway when the ss. "Rotterdam" return home on Aug.4 - 2008 almost 49 year after her birthday. At about 4 pm. she entered the New Waterway. Towed by four Kotugs tugboats to her final destination at the 3e Katendrechtse Hoofd at Maashaven where she was moored at 8.45 pm. Obviously this is a great day for the maritime history of the Netherlands. The ship is the largest passenger liner ever built in the Netherlands and is one of the most successful liner / cruiseship in history. She was on sept.13 - 1958 launched, after being christened by Queen Juliana. A year later, on sept.3 departed the ship for its first trans Atlantic trip to New York. Until 1971 she was in service on the line Rotterdam-New York. In the quiet trans Atlantic winterperiods sailing as cruiseship. Her last cruise for the HAL took place in sept.-1997.In the same year the Rotterdam was sold to Premier Cruises. Renamed in "Rembrandt" and has visit under the new name her birthplace once. After bankruptcy of Premier Cruises she was laid-up from Sept. 2000 to May 2003 in Freeport - Bahamas. It was then bought by the s.s. Rotterdam BV, affiliated with the RDM, the builder of the ss.Rotterdam. Both went bankrupt in Dec. 2004. Due to a loan of the Havenbedrijf Rotterdam to the RDM, Havenbedrijf Rotterdam was suddenly the owner of the ss. ROTTERDAM. In 2005 the woningcorporatie Woonbron bought te ss.Rotterdam.
The ss.Rotterdam becomes a permanent tourist attraction, hotel with 260 rooms, restaurant, theatre with 550 seats, congress centre and museum. Open for public end of this year. The hotel will be open in first half of 2009.