The fifth SS Rotterdam,
known as "The Grande Dame", was launched by Queen Juliana
in a gala ceremony on 13 September 1958, and completed the following
summer. The Rotterdam was the last great Dutch "ship of
state", employing the finest artisans from the Netherlands in her
construction and fitting out process. With a career spanning forty years,
she was also one of the most successful passenger ships of all time. She
sailed from 1959 until her final retirement in September 2000.
On July 12, 2004,
she arrived at Gibraltar for asbestos encapsulation and removal performed by
the Cuddy Group of the UK. She next visited Cadiz where her hull was repainted
its original Holland America grey, and then moved on to Poland and Germany for
final restoration. She returned to the city of Rotterdam on August 8, 2008.
She opened to the public on February 15, 2010 as a combination museum/hotel and
school for vocational training. This pretty card was sent to me by Ans.
