dougnewmanatsea
July 12th, 2004, 04:18 PM
Tony Davis, chief executive of the Gibraltar Port Authority, has reported that REMBRANDT (formerly HAL's fifth ROTTERDAM) arrived at Gibraltar at 0730 this morning (Monday 12 July) under tow of the Polish-owned tug ENGLISHMAN. Four local tugs took over from ENGLISHMAN and I expect that by this time she has been delivered to Cammell Laird Gibraltar (http://www.lairds.gi/) where she is to undergo initial refurbishment in preparation for her new life as a hotel, museum, conference centre, casino, etc. at her former home port of Rotterdam, the former headquarters of HAL, where she was built and after which she was named. She is to be docked at the old HAL pier, the Wilhelminakade, next to the Hotel New York (http://www.hotelnewyork.nl) which is the former HAL headquarters.
After 38 years as HAL's flagship, the ship was sold to Premier Cruises in 1997 and renamed REMBRANDT. She had been laid-up at Freeport since Premier's bankruptcy in 2000 and was purchased by her builders, the Rotterdam Drydock Company (RDM) for use as a hotel and museum in the Netherlands. After intensive negotiations the berth at the Wilhelminakade was approved earlier this year.
You can read more about ROTTERDAM V and her preservation at the homepage of the SS Rotterdam Foundation (http://www.ssrotterdam.net/). As far as I know, there is no official site for the ship yet.
Congratulations to all involved on this achievement and long live SS ROTTERDAM!
After 38 years as HAL's flagship, the ship was sold to Premier Cruises in 1997 and renamed REMBRANDT. She had been laid-up at Freeport since Premier's bankruptcy in 2000 and was purchased by her builders, the Rotterdam Drydock Company (RDM) for use as a hotel and museum in the Netherlands. After intensive negotiations the berth at the Wilhelminakade was approved earlier this year.
You can read more about ROTTERDAM V and her preservation at the homepage of the SS Rotterdam Foundation (http://www.ssrotterdam.net/). As far as I know, there is no official site for the ship yet.
Congratulations to all involved on this achievement and long live SS ROTTERDAM!