Photo location: The ss Rotterdam
Sunday 4 February 2018, 15:30 by Michelle Peeters | 9,803 views | 7 commentsThis article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.
The ss Rotterdam is a former Holland-America Line ship. It is a perfect location for taking beautiful photos, with various indoor and outdoor locations, each with its own atmosphere and character, such as the magnificent Grand Ballroom or outside on the Grand Ballroom Deck.
Dutch pride since 1959
The legendary former flagship of the Holland America Line, 228 metres long, 28 metres wide and 61 metres high, rich in history and renowned for its cultural and historical value, the ss Rotterdam.
With a silver axe, Queen Juliana cut the cord from which a champagne bottle was hanging and spoke the historic words: I give you the name Rotterdam and wish you a safe voyage.
The tens of thousands of spectators standing along both sides of the Nieuwe Maas to admire the half-completed ship clapped and cheered. This little axe can still be admired in the Captains Lounge.
On 3 September 1959, the ship made her maiden voyage to New York. For more than 40 years, the ship sailed the world's oceans.
For many people, crossing the Atlantic Ocean to America meant a journey to “the new world”. Sailing across the Atlantic was not always a pleasure, though. The sea was and is rough, and the climate unpredictable.
Specific design requirements
Shipping company HAL therefore set specific requirements for the design of its newest ship. An elegantly shaped hull and a sharp, high bow had to further improve seaworthiness and speed compared with its predecessors.
The machinery was installed in a different location, and the ship was given two modern funnels next to each other. Where other ships traditionally had a chimney, there was now a large deckhouse. This created the distinctive, streamlined profile of the ss Rotterdam.
This layout was copied many times on later ships. HAL brought in well-known architects and artists for the interior. The famous interior designer Van Tienhoven, for example, was responsible for important parts of the ship's interior, which had to be both luxurious and functional.
He designed exciting furniture for the time and used modern materials such as plastic, ceramic and aluminium.
The ss Rotterdam was therefore the former flagship of the Holland America Line (HAL). Hotel New York was the former head office of HAL. Both were part of the rich, 140-year history of the Holland-America Line and are now within walking distance of each other. Hotel New York is now also a hotel and restaurant.
Rescue operation successful
The Foundation for the Preservation of the Steamship Rotterdam began a rescue operation in 2001 to preserve the ss Rotterdam. And it worked! The ship has been open to the public since 2010.
You can stay overnight, dine, give or attend art lectures and presentations, shoot (wedding) photo reports or take a guided tour of the ship.
More than 200 volunteers, many of whom sailed on the ship themselves, work every day for and on the ss Rotterdam. During the tours, they tell stories from 'back then' or answer questions. From Hotel New York, you can take a water taxi to the ship.
Atmosphere of the past
On one of the tours, you discover the rich history, all the facts and the fascinating stories from more than forty years of illustrious steamship history. Daily tours and monthly tours are available.
In the past, passengers were given an exuberant farewell and a festive welcome in Rotterdam and New York. An audio guide explains what a large cruise ship has to offer and what life on board used to be like. You can visit the high decks, the bow, the bridge, the wheelhouse and the spaces behind it.
For more than forty years, La Grande Dame sailed the world's oceans. It is now cold and quiet in the engine room, but it is still an impressive sight to see all those imposing machines together.
You learn about the ingenious system of evaporators, boilers, turbines and generators that provided all the steam, electricity and horsepower on board.
If you take the complete tour, it takes you to the old indoor swimming pool, the sports decks, the bow, the bridge, the remarkable rooms and the ingeniously designed staircase. The atmosphere of the time has been well preserved, and you can easily imagine what life on board used to be like.
Old indoor swimming pool
The preserved indoor swimming pool, with its changing cubicles and former massage rooms, is impressive to see.
A colourful mosaic in the shape of a school of fish was placed on the bottom of the pool. When the pool was filled with water, the fish actually seemed to move!
Some people were left traumatised by swimming there. Underwater, you could hear the heavy diesel engines rumbling, and the ship rocked.
Visit with a former crew member
I visited the ship with a former crew member, Mr Otterspoor. He worked in the kitchen there about 30 years ago. The difference in rank and status at the time was still clear during the tour, which was given by someone who had lived through that period.
Wedding photography on board
The ss Rotterdam is of course also a beautiful location for a wedding photo shoot. The ship has many beautiful indoor and outdoor locations that can serve as a backdrop, such as the magnificent Grand Ballroom or outside on the Grand Ballroom Deck.
The condition for holding a wedding photo shoot on board is that the wedding ceremony, reception or something similar is also organised on board.
About the author
Michelle Peeters is fotografe en oprichter van DeuxBleus Fotografie. Michelle herkent het bijzondere in het gewone en het gewone in het bijzondere. Ze heeft zich nooit willen specialiseren en is daardoor van alle markten thuis.
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7 comments
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Beno Munneke wrote on Tuesday 6 February 2018 at 12:22 | replyYou could also mention that the Rotterdam housing corporation Woonbron was wrongly vilified because they invested so much money in this ship. At this point, repeating such an activity would no longer be socially acceptable. But at the time there were fantastic plans in which disadvantaged young people from Katendrecht would help with this ship. At the time, the entire Rotterdam municipal executive and all of Woonbron's commissioners were applauding on the quay when the Rotterdam arrived! Looking back and commenting is, as so often, no art!
Translated from Dutch.
Thank you for your beautiful description. And:
Thank you Woonbron for this wonderful ship!!! -
Arida Winands wrote on Tuesday 6 February 2018 at 12:53 | replyIt seems fantastic to me to walk across it sometime with the camera but where do I get information about times and buying tickets and such???
Translated from Dutch. -
Michelle Peeters wrote on Tuesday 6 February 2018 at 13:56
| reply
@Arida: you can simply look on the website of ss Rotterdam if you want to book an overnight stay. That can also be done via the hotelspecials site (often nice offers). Part of the ship is freely accessible. You can also book tours via the site but I think also on the spot. You can also go there on the spur of the moment and have lunch, dinner, whatever you want! Only wedding photo shoots are not allowed just like that without organizing other activities such as a reception along with them.
Translated from Dutch. -
Geef Eseffe wrote on Tuesday 6 February 2018 at 19:53 | replyIn the section about the swimming pool: underwater you could hear the heavy diesel engines rumbling.......on an SS Rotterdam, a steam-powered ship. That by definition does not make noise as mentioned.
Translated from Dutch.
So that rumbling could at most have been caused by auxiliary diesel engines such as pumps, generators and the like. The engines for those are generally not that large. -
guest wrote on Tuesday 6 February 2018 at 22:35 | replyAn absolute must. The overnight stay too.
Translated from Dutch.
About 2 years ago took brilliant photos of the engine room. -
Rinie de Jonge wrote on Friday 9 February 2018 at 09:58 | replyI would also really like to photograph with two friends, especially in the engine room. I understand that you are allowed in with a guide. Do you still have enough time to take photographs then.
Translated from Dutch. -
Michelle Peeters wrote on Friday 9 February 2018 at 11:38
| reply
@Rinie: you shouldn't dawdle too much, but in itself you have enough time to photograph everything. Make sure you set your camera beforehand for an indoor situation. The lighting there is rather scarce. Actually don't know whether you would be allowed to bring a tripod. Otherwise lean against doorposts and on railings!
Translated from Dutch.
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