SS Rotterdam - The Venue

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

SS Rotterdam has been selected as one of the venues in this year's European Heritage Days (which take place in Rotterdam this coming weekend). All kinds of events have been organised for the general public, including children.

http://ssrotterdam.nl/agenda/open-monumentendag-rotterdam/#.VBFny0iLPvJ

[June Ingram]

Thank you, Isabelle, very much for letting us know that SS Rotterdam will be part of the European Heritage Days.  It is wonderful that she is being used in a marvelous way and being well cared for.

June   

[Lynda Bradford]

Good news for SS Rotterdam. She is a lovely venue!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Video (In English) presenting the SS Rotterdam as a business and entertainment venue :

[Michael Gallagher]

The Queens Lounge on Rotterdam...

[Rob Lightbody]

The Queens Lounge on Rotterdam...

Wonderful.  I'm actually arranging a trip to the Rotterdam now, all 3 previous visits were fabulous

[Michael Gallagher]

I loved my second longer stay on board earlier this year. Amazing. The ship was full of life and everybody was enjoying themselves. Great to see the outdoor decks throughout the days very busy with diners and drinkers. A lot of people going on tours. And a lot of people using the ship ...

[Alex Tarry]

Agree entirely, we’ve stayed several times on Rotterdam too, from conversations onboard the QE2 their team have visited and do consider it something to take inspiration from.

One of the strategies employed there was to lease parts of the ship to (three?) different operators.  Also getting tours going helps footfall...

However the QE2 team’s strategy seems to be to create more and more rooms...hmm

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

It’s the same story on Rotterdam, her original lower deck restaurants are two spaces I’ve never seen used on her.

Odyssey Room in action :


Odyssey Room by Isabelle Prondzynski, on Flickr

This, and the La Fontaine Room, are used for parties, events and occasions, not for individual diners. I think on this occasion it was a party for a major birthday.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

One of the strategies employed there was to lease parts of the ship to (three?) different operators.

That was the initial strategy. Meanwhile, it is one operator only, the owners of a major Dutch up-market hotel chain, and that has worked out very well for them. They also draw on a lot of volunteers for the tours. It really helps that SS Rotterdam is in her home port...

[Twynkle]

I loved my second longer stay on board earlier this year. Amazing. The ship was full of life and everybody was enjoying themselves. Great to see the outdoor decks throughout the days very busy with diners and drinkers. A lot of people going on tours. And a lot of people using the ship ...

Michael
Thank you - Did you get the impression that some people were also on board for just a brief visit (for example, lunch and a look round) - as if it was part of a 'tourists tour of Rotterdam'?
Also - do you think there would be fewer people depending on the weather / time of year...?
(I thought at first that you might have been referring to QE2! !)
Rosie