Holland America bestows Rotterdam name on its upcoming ship

A rendering of the Rotterdam VII, the latest in Holland America Line's Pinnacle-class. Photo Credit: Holland America Line

Holland America Line will change the name of it next newbuild from the Ryndam to the Rotterdam, making it the seventh ship in Holland America's nearly 150-year history to bear the name.

The 2,668-passenger Rotterdam is scheduled for delivery on July 30, pushed back from its original May 2021 delivery due to the pandemic. The third ship in the Pinnacle-class series, it is scheduled to spend its first summer on Northern Europe and the Baltic cruises from Amsterdam.

The Rotterdam name holds a lot of significance for the line.

"The first ship for Holland America Line was the original Rotterdam, the company was headquartered in the city of Rotterdam for many years, and the name has been a hallmark throughout our history since 1872, so clearly the name is powerful and symbolic," Gus Antorcha, Holland America's president, said in a statement.

"With the current Rotterdam leaving the company, we knew we had a unique opportunity to embrace the name as our new flagship and carry on the tradition of having a Rotterdam in our fleet," he added. "Seven is a lucky number, and we know she's going to bring a lot of joy to our guests as she travels across the globe."

Holland America said that the first Rotterdam sailed its maiden voyage from the Netherlands to New York Oct. 15, 1872, and led to the founding of the company in April 1873. The Rotterdam II was built in 1878 for British Ship Owners Co. and purchased by Holland America Line in 1886. The Rotterdam III came in 1897, and the fourth Rotterdam joined the fleet in 1908, also serving as a troop carrier when World War I ended. Following the war, it made regular cruises from New York to the Mediterranean.

The Rotterdam V, which was the line's flagship for many years. It left the fleet in 1997.

The Rotterdam V, also known as "The Grande Dame," set sail in 1959 and began sailing transatlantic crossings with two classes of service. It converted to a one-class ship in 1969 and sailed with Holland America for 38 years until 1997. It is currently a hotel and museum in the city of Rotterdam.

The Rotterdam VI, the most recent to cruise for Holland America Line, was introduced in 1997 and was the first ship in the line's R Class. It was purchased this summer by U.K.-based Fred. Olsen Cruise Line which will rename it the Borealis. The vessel was among four ships sold off from the Holland America fleet, leaving the line with 10 ships, part of a broader plan by parent company Carnival Corp. to reduce tonnage during the pandemic.   

The next Rotterdam will have the 270-degree surround screen World Stage, Rudi's Sel de Mer and Grand Dutch Cafe and will feature performances each night from its Lincoln Center Stage, B.B. King's Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room and Billboard Onboard.

Vancouver Port Authority Joins SEA\LNG

Vancouver Port Authority Joins SEA\LNG

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has joined SEA\LNG, the multi-sector industry coalition aiming to accelerate the widespread adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel, according to a press release.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is the fourth port member to join the coalition, alongside Port of Rotterdam, Yokohama-Kawasaki International Port Corporation (YKIP), and most recently the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). 

Peter Keller, SEA\LNG chairman, commented: “We are pleased to welcome the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to our growing coalition and look forward to leveraging their expertise to realise our vision of developing LNG infrastructure in ports around the globe to enable quick, safe, and cost-effective bunkering.”

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is working closely with the regional gas supplier, Fortis BC, and with industry, academia and government to advance LNG bunkering in the Port of Vancouver.

Duncan Wilson, Vice President, Environment, Community and Government Affairs of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, commented: “As part of our vision to be the world’s most sustainable port, we engage in a number of emissions management initiatives that help support a healthy environment. This partnership with SEA\LNG represents an opportunity for us to be part of a multi-sector group that is reducing marine shipping emissions and improving air quality.”

SEA\LNG said it advocates for collaboration, demonstration, and communication on key areas such as regulation, emissions, infrastructure, and the economic case, to provide the confidence and demand required for an effective and efficient global LNG value chain by 2020 and beyond.

Damen to Buy Keppel Verolme Shipyard at Port of Rotterdam

Keppel Verolme shipyard. Photo: Keppel

Damen Shipyards Group has entered into an agreement with Keppel Offshore & Marine for the acquisition of the Keppel Verolme shipyard in the Rotterdam.

With the acquisition of the Verolme shipyard, Damen continues to strengthen its repair and conversion activities within the regional ship repair and conversion market.

The Verolme yard has been active in the Botlek area of the Port of Rotterdam since 1957, and the yard now comprises three graving docks, a quay capacity of over 1,800 meters, and approximately 250 employees. The acquisition of the yard will boost Damen’s dry dock capacity with the addition of the Verolme yard’s largest dry dock, which measures 90 by 405. The dry dock will be Damen’s largest in the Netherlands. 

Damen says it intends to continue to operated the Verolme yard with its current workforce.

“With the Verolme yard, Damen will have four large repair yards within close proximity of the Port of Rotterdam. The two yards in Rotterdam, along with Damen’s yards in Vlissingen and Amsterdam, will closely cooperate to maximise the use of each other’s expertise, further developing synergy advantages and jointly marketing their capacity, with the objective to offer more efficient and competitive services,” Damen said in a press release.