You got it, Manuela :D :D :D What was the time on the video :?:

Thanks, Lena :D :D ......I was looking earlier on

I have found some time to put some photos on the Rotterdam page on my website.

In the green jacket on the left is me :lol:

Fantastic photos, Willem :D :D :D That ashtray is wonderful :!: :!: :!: :D

That sea looked choppy! Will Rotterdam now be going into service?

Fabulous photos. :D

Awesome photos, Willem! :D

Now most people are giving credit to the Dutch people, but they forget that the authorities did not want to have the ship back. Now, when the Rotterdam was laid up in Freeport, Bahamas, some very enthousiast people came together, formed the Steamship Rotterdam Foundation and lobbied around to find companies who were willing to invest in a (as she looked) rustbucket. Those people (in alphabetical sequence) were: Leon Beesemer Jan-Willem Koene Ronald Kole Klaas Krijnen Willem van der Leek (volunteer and in 2003 asked to replace Remco van Mourik in the board.) Remco van Mourik Co Spruit (volunteer). After long talks, they found a listening ear at Joep van den Nieuwenhuizen, CEO of the Rotterdam Drydock Company. He was willing to buy the ship, financed with a loan, for which a guarantee was signed by Willem Scholten, director of Rotterdam Port Authority. Date of purchase was 1 May 2003. In 2004 it was decided that the ship would be towed to Gibraltar for asbestos sanitising and refurbishment. The ship arrived on 12 July 2004. Meanwhile negotiations were going on with the municipality of Rotterdam for a new berth. It was known it could not be at the Cruise Terminal, but we all liked to have the ship at the other side of Wilhelminakade, in the Rijnhaven. In fact around 25 places were looked at and finally the entrance of the Maashaven was chosen. At the end of 2004, RDM went broke and HCO2 (who was going to exploit the hotel), investigated if they could buy the ship. However, the cost for asbestos removal seemed too much for that company and they quit. In June 2005, Woonbron (a housingcompany) and Eurobalance (an investmentcompany) bought the ship and founded a subsidiary named 'De Rotterdam BV'. The ship went to Cadiz, Gdansk and Wilhelmshaven and as the investments now are almost 10 times over budget, they decided to finish the job in Rotterdam. That's why the s.s. Rotterdam came home without her davits, lifeboats and still without any furniture on board. The next three months they hope to get the ship finished and to be open to the public in November 2008. When you have read this carefully, you will have to agree, that without the very enthousiast people of the Steamship Rotterdam Foundation and Joep van den Nieuwenhuizen and Willem Scholten (both are now charged for fraude), there would be no s.s. Rotterdam in Rotterdam. She would have been scrapped by now.

That is an amazing story, Willem :!: :!: :!: :D Congratulations to all of you who MADE IT WORK :!: :!: :D :D Pity about the fraud charges :cry: :cry: :cry: Are they true :?:

Absolutely amazing, Willem! I am sure you are all rightfully very proud of your hard work, perseverance, and love of the Rotterdam that brought her back home where she belongs! It's good to see a new beginning for a beautiful ship! :D