ss Nieuw Amsterdam Goes to Scrap in 1974
When I started working for Holland America in 1961 the ss Nieuw Amsterdam was my first ship. In between I worked on many other ships, mainly cargo vessels. Then I was assigned again to passenger ships and it happened to be that the ss Nieuw Amsterdam was on her last voyage.
ss Nieuw Amsterdam departing New York in 1938.
I became one of the 72 skeleton crew that brought her to the breakers in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in 1974. At 11 o’clock in the morning I was the last person that came off the ss Nieuw Amsterdam. Here are a few pictures of the ss Nieuw Amsterdam the way I found her about four months later when I came back to Kaohsiung.
Johan Onnink is Manager of Nautical Operations for Holland America Line in the headquarter office.
Comments
I’ve just been shown an ashtray (“1st Class only”) from ss Nieuw Amsterdam which came from my partner ‘s family.
I know this is a very old post, but this was the 1st result from an internet search.
On a recent visit to Rotterdam I visited the SS Rotterdam. If the Amsterdam was anything like this it must have been a beauty.
Regards
Paul