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The ROTTERDAM IV – Holland America Line History

Excellent video on the ROTTERDAM

Cruise and Liner History – The ROTTERDAM IV – Holland America Line History

Harland and Wolff, Belfast built Holland America Line’s ROTTERDAM IV in 1908. She held 530 First, 555 Second and 2,124 Third Class passengers. She was a liner with two funnels, Holland America’s first, 650 feet in length and 77 feet wide. Her registered tonnage was 24,170 and displacement of 37,190 tons. She traveled at an average of 16.5 knots. She was sold in January of 1940 to Dutch breakers.

Pool – Ziegfeld Chorus Girls…

The ROTTERDAM was one the finest, largest and most popular ships crossing the Atlantic and cost about $5,000,000 to build. She became famous because of her exceptionally attractive features, so that many discriminating travelers choose her in preference to many other Atlantic steamer. In luxurious appointments, in extraordinary size of rooms, averaging much larger than on any of our ships on previous Cruises, as well as in her extreme steadiness, almost eliminating seasickness, she was unsurpassed. She had 56 suites and rooms with brass bedsteads and private baths, and over 100 single rooms, together with a beautiful Palm Court, Verandah Cafe, Elevator, Social Hall, Library, 3 Smoke Rooms, a glass enclosed Promenade Deck, electrically forced ventilation of hot and cold air, etc. Most of the outside staterooms had two, and in some cases three, windows or portholes, some being fitted with a device that admits fresh air freely, even when the porthole was closed. One of her most attractive features was an immense Dining Saloon, seating nearly 500 people at small tables, where all of her passengers took their meals, and where an orchestra of artists of high merit played during lunch and dinner, as well as in the Social Hall in the evening.

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Cruise History – Remembering Katherine Hepburn aboard Holland America Line’s great trans-Atlantic liner SS NIEUW AMSTERDAM. A “queen” of Art Deco design and style.

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE HISTORY – A SOCIAL HISTORY – LOOKING BACK AT THE SS NIEUW AMSTERDAM.

A wonderful Dutch film/video on the great liner.

Throughout the 1930s a remarkable period of growth was experienced by the merchant fleets of many nations. This growth occurred in spite of a depression that put a strangle-hold on the world-wide economy.  Remembering Katherine Hepburn aboard Holland America Line’s great trans-Atlantic liner SS NIEUW AMSTERDAM.  A “queen” of Art Deco design and style.

Our thanks to Reuben Goossens, 47 years in the Passenger Shipping/Cruise Industry, and one of the great authorities on maritime history. To see more of these wonderful photos of this great ship click here to visit his wonderful website.

The fabulous Nieuw Amsterdam.

National governments found it prudent to fund the construction of ocean liners such as the great liner Nieuw Amsterdam as a means of easing severe unemployment and providing national icons that would, hopefully, show those at home and abroad that somehow the bleak situation would soon improve. Into these circumstances was born the fabulously sleek Holland-America liner Nieuw Amsterdam.

The interior of the SS Nieuw Amsterdam First Class Dining Room, a luxury transatlantic ocean liner of the Dutch fleet, named by Queen Wilhelmina in 1937, and known for its modern decor.

Construction on the new liner was carried out at the Rotterdam Drydock Company. Christened by Queen Wilhelmina in April 1937, Nieuw Amsterdam was, at 36,000 tonnes, the largest liner ever constructed in Holland. Modern in every way, Nieuw Amsterdam followed the Art Deco trend of the day in both interior decorations and exterior design.

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A HISTORY OF SHIPBOARD EDUCATION – MV EXPLORER – 1910 TO 2010

Holland-America Line History – In 1926 the University World Cruise set out from the New York harbor (Hoboken) aboard the Holland America Line Ryndam for a seven month odyssey that visited 35 countries

A History of Shipboard Education

Click Here To Visit the SEMESTER AT SEA ORGANIZATION

Nearly 100 years ago, the idea for a floating university that would travel the world became the passionate pursuit of James Edwin Lough, a psychology professor at New York University. He believed changes needed to be made to traditional teaching methods of American universities and soon became a leader in a new educational movement. Travel and first-hand experience, he felt, must be part of every scholar’s education and he set out to find others who shared this vision.

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Holland-America Line History – SS NIEUW AMSTERDAM – THE MOST GRACIOUS OF ALL THE TRANSATLANTIC LINERS.

Holland-America Line History – SS NIEUW AMSTERDAM – THE MOST GRACIOUS OF ALL THE TRANSATLANTIC LINERS.

Queen Wilhelmina launches the Nieuw Amsterdam in the late 1930s. Video includes newsreel footage of the pre-war liner. Along with a trans-Atlantic crossing from Holland to New York. Then shots of the ship during WW II. Newsreel of cruising after the war from a Holland-America Line promo film.

(Left: Cary Grant was a big fan of Holland-America Line.)

The Nieuw Amsterdam, of all the Depression era ships of state, led a charmed existence. Introduced in recessionary 1938, her prewar service life consisted of a single brilliant year and can be seen as the final elegant flourish of the golden days day of travel before the war, postwar austerity and jet travel permanently altered the way people traveled. Neither the largest nor the fastest, the Nieuw Amsterdam earned her place in liner history by being the ultimate combination of elegance, comfort, and practical design in a three class ship.

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Newsreel footage of Holland-America Line’s TSS Rotterdam 1915 and SS Nieuw Amsterdam 1938

Cruising the Past: Newsreel footage of Holland-America Line’s TSS Rotterdam 1915 (seen above) and SS Nieuw Amsterdam 1938.


These are great scenes of Holland-America Liner’s TSS ROTTERDAM and the SS NIEUW AMSTERDAM.

The ROTTERDAM IV – 1908 – 1940.  -  Built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast, the ROTTERDAM IV featured service for 530 First, 555 Second and 2,124 Third Class passengers. She was a liner with two funnels, Holland America’s first, 650 feet in length and 77 feet wide. Her registered tonnage was 24,170 and displacement of 37,190 tons. She traveled at an average of 16.5 knots. She was sold in January of 1940 to Dutch breakers.

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