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Rotterdam was the fourth ship
built for the Holland America Line to use
this name and the largest built for a
Dutch company at that time. Although
Rotterdam matched in size the
White Star and Hamburg Amerika ships in
service at that time, the emergence of
Cunard’s two 31,500-ton liners
Lusitania and Mauretania in
1907 had began a new era in shipbuilding.
Liners dramatically increased in size
over the following years.
Rotterdam set out on her maiden
voyage from Rotterdam - New York June
13th 1908. That voyage saw her set new
standards in transatlantic travel, as she
was the first liner to be operated on
that route with a glass-enclosed
promenade deck. Many passengers classed
Rotterdam as the finest liner in
service at the time.
After the outbreak of World War One in
1914, the Holland America Line continued
to operate Rotterdam on the
Atlantic run as Holland had declared a
state of neutrality. They were forced to
withdraw Rotterdam from service in
1916, as the North Atlantic had by then
become a chaotic war zone. The end of the
war in November 1918 allowed the Holland
America Line to re-deploy their flagship
on the Rotterdam - New York run in
February 1919. Rotterdam continued
uninterrupted on that run until she was
returned to her builders for conversion
to oil burning boilers in 1923. Two years
later, a decline in the number of
passengers crossing the Atlantic led to
Rotterdam undergoing a second
conversion, this time to make her more
suitable for cruising. The Holland
America Line then operated her between
the Atlantic run in summer and as a
cruise ship in winter. The outbreak of
World War Two forced the Holland America
Line to take Rotterdam out of
service in December 1939. After 31 years
in service, she was sold to a Dutch ship
breakers in January 1940.
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