The ss Rotterdam celebrates its 60th anniversary

On Thursday, 13 September 2018, it was exactly 60 years ago that Her Majesty Queen Juliana of the Netherlands christened the ss Rotterdam. After blessing the ship and all those who sail on her, the ship was launched at the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM) 60 years ago. This milestone is clearly a cause for celebration and this is why the Friends of Steamship Rotterdam foundation, in association with ss Rotterdam, organised a celebratory gathering. This also marked the start of the ss Rotterdam’s 60th anniversary year.

The gathering featured various speakers who shared their experiences and memories of the ship’s construction and launch. The highpoint of the afternoon was at 4:40 p.m. – the time that the ss Rotterdam was launched. Everyone attending the gathering was asked to move to the bow of the ship to relive the launch of the ship. They raised their glasses at exactly 4:40 p.m. as they heard the words of Queen Juliana from 1958, the ss Rotterdam ship horn sounded and a fireboat gave a spectacular display on the water.

Launching | 13 September 1958