Oman Interested in SS ROTTERDAM — Updated
November 2, 2012 Update: SS ROTTERDAM will stay where she is. The ship was sold to new owners, Westcord Hotels for 29.9 million Euros.
The Dutch press is buzzing with stories of preserved passenger ship SS ROTTERDAM possibly moving to Oman. SS ROTTERDAM has been berthed in the port of Rotterdam since 2008. In Oman, the vessel would serve as what is described as a VIP ship.
The current owners, Woonbron, are reported to have said that only a very large offer would see the departure of the ship from Rotterdam. While there is financial interest from the Netherlands in SS ROTTERDAM, the investors in Oman have far more money, says Woonbron, a housing corporation that spent over 250 million euros converting the ship into a hotel and restaurant. Renovating the ship cost far more than originally planned, placing a huge financial burden on the company and forcing the sale of the ship.
The SS ROTTERDAM is one of the most famous post-war Dutch ships, and sailed for Holland America Line from 1959 through 1997.
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I sincerely hope not. Oman have the old Sea Princess there as the hotel ship Veronica, and she’s already up for sale…
Is it confirmed now that Mona Lisa is seriously for sale?
So the SS Rotterdam needs to be sold…one can only guess that the current owners will reap a profit and could have a small museum of some sort to her. I Oman does buy her I would hope that they would continue to upgrade her to her grand style she deserves. I sailed on her in 1988 on a 10 day Southern Caribbean cruise and she was splendid. From the cabin..being downgraded cabin wise..but upgraded in the fact that I had it to myself without a share…it was grand.I wish I had had the money I had later to do a World cruise on her before she was taken out of service.I did 2 Westbound crossings on the QE2 before she was removed from service..both in 1st Class…and she was amazing…but the SS Rotterdam was one of those OLD GRANDE DAMES that you meet in your life and leave such a lasting impression you can never forget them. She was equal to the QE2 if not surpassed in some ways.Wherever she berths..I wish her ALL MY LOVE ALWAYS.
The Mona Lisa is up for sale??
I hope she can remain where she belongs. I hope she can get listed as a historic site to keep her in the Netherlands. She’s the only grand dame left in Europe! The loss of such heritage is an awful thought. The Middle East already has the old Kungsholm and the legendary QE2, and the USA has the Queen Mary. Keep her in Europe where she belongs!
The SS Rotterdam Cruise Hotel is a Triumph and already in the perfect location. To my mind she’s been converted perfectly and the result keeps both ship enthusiasts and normal hotel guests happy.
I’d like to understand more about why the conversion costs were so much bigger higher than expected.
That would be horrible. let them buy something that is going for scrap.
Loosing “Rotterdam” to Oman (or anywhere), would be tragic for the people of Rottedam and Holland, not to mention passenger liner enthusiasts worldwide. It is SO sad, frustrating and shameful that the world’s historic seafaring nations’ governments turn a blind eye to their disappearing maritime heritage; that with the assistance of World Heitage Site funding, lottery funding, nations enthusiasts help, we can have something to be proud of to show our children and our childrens children.
Yes, “Veronica” is for sale. Unfortunately, she doesn’t comply with SOLAS2010 and would cost far too much to upgrade. One doesn’t have to think too hard to guess her probable destination. No, not Sweden.
Rob, she had to be shifted from yard to yard since Poland did not allow the asbestos to be removed. And the removal of asbestos itself turned out to be a far greater job than expected. To be frank, I cannot understand how anybody could estimate the total cost for her conversion at about only $6 million! She had been out of service for so long, no question such an old lady would need much more money.
The sales offer for VERONICA in Oman now seems a little more logic to me. If they really are interested in having the ROTTERDAM down there (which of course is even a class ahead of old Kungsholm), they have no more use for the little Swedish girl.
So even if Europe might lose ROTTERDAM, there would be a chance of having VERONIA return to Europe and maybe to her homeland, Sweden.
Click here for Veronica’s sales offer:
http://cruiseship.homestead.com/MonaLisa.html
Better to buy the Oceanic, the next historical ship to be scraped. At least the Rotterdam is in a good and safe place, but the Oceanic, once scheduled for scrap, will not have any chance to be saved.
Even the term “will serve as a VIP Ship” indicates that those who didn’t design, build or operate ships like ROTTERDAM in the first place haven’t a clue as to what to do with them, I am not even sure what a “VIP Ship” means, do you? Do they? Sandspit Sultanates like Oman have money but nothing else and ROTTERDAM will be a soon forgotten and neglected trophy that will fade and wither under that harsh sun until she is converted to a hostel for the Third World slave labour that keeps these places running and then finally off to the beaches of Alang.
Is the grand dame profitable as a hotel. I sure hope so – but has any ship ever been sustained profitably as a hotel? I agree – if she goes to the sandrats, she is a goner. Long live Rotterdam V!
Is Rotterdam V profitable as a hotel? I don’t know. Prior to embarking on Rotterdam VI’s commemorative transatlantic crossing of last September I went over early and spent quite a bit of time on Rotterdam V, and in the old HAL headquarters, now the Hotel New York. Rotterdam V’s restoration was stupendous, nearly beyond words, it brought back many memories of having sailed on her several times.
Somewhere I’ve read estimates of the restoration cost, I don’t recall the exact number but as i recall it was about equal to building a new mid-sized cruise ship. So I’d think it would take nearly maximum bookings just to even cover the debt service – and that kind of crowds I didn’t see, no where near it.
I’d rather see it survive somewhere else rather than not at but I’m hopeful that Rotterdam will prove to be successful right where she is.
In my opinion, Oman would be better serve to have the SS Oceanic as that ship has everything that they could want in a vessel. And it’s SOLAS compliant. Unlike the Mona Lisa or the Rotterdam, the Oceanic can sail anywhere under its own power.
I sure hope the Rotterdam isn’t sold to Oman, keep her at Rotterdam where she belongs and while the SS Oceanic may be SOLAS compliant, she I believe has steam turbines which are more expensive to run
Please be nice about the the ‘old sea princess’she is my all time favourite ship after working as a Steward on her back in the late 80’s ive followed her story very closely i hoping and praying she will be preserved and sail again… oh and if sending the Rotterdam to Oman will save her from the scap yard then i’m all for it. Steve.
Peter Kohler
The term VIP often means “very important person” or “persons”, that will pay extra for exclusivity.
Perhaps that is the point for VIP ship – to offer an expiernce perhaps forbidden or not allowed on land in Oman, and to be operated by a western hotel company.??
If this was so perfect a solution, why then is the Veronica on her way out, the ROTTERDAM possibly on her way in, seems like a fickle market over there. And, what of QE2?
Just a thought
Thumbs up for Westcord Hotels who bought the ss Rotterdam and let’s her stay where she belongs.
Now we can only hope something simular will happen to the QE2.