Design and Construction (1936 – 1938):

But the 1930s brought a whole lot of changes into the picture, such as the Great Depression which gave rise to a decline in passenger numbers. As a result many companies laid up some of their older ships. The Holland America Line laid up their elderly Nieuw Amsterdam in 1930.

However the name “Nieuw Amsterdam” (or “New Amsterdam” in English) also honoured the name of a 17^th century Dutch colony in North America. Nieuw Amsterdam was the name of the 17^th century fortified settlement in the New Netherlands colony that eventually became today’s New York City. This colony was founded in 1625 by the Dutch West India Company, and the city was located on the strategic, fortifiable southern tip of the island of Manhattan and was intended to defend the river access to the company’s fur trade operations in the Hudson Valley. Nieuw Amsterdam developed into the Dutch Empire’s largest colonial settlement in North America and remained a Dutch possession until 1664, when it fell to the British. The Dutch regained it briefly in 1673, renaming it "New Orange", but then ceded it permanently to the British in 1674. The 1625 date of the foundation of the city is commemorated in the Official Seal of the City of New York (formerly, the year on the seal was 1664, the year of British incorporation). Nieuw Amsterdam (later known as New York City) remained part of the British Empire until the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and in 1787 the Constitution was signed to formally establish the new United States of America (USA) as an independent nation.

Prewar Holland America Line Era (1938 – 1940):

The Nieuw Amsterdam departed Rotterdam on her maiden voyage bound for New York on the 10th May 1938, calling at Boulogne and Southampton en route. The voyage was a complete success, but as the Nieuw Amsterdam started on her ocean going career the war clouds were gathering over Europe. 

On the 22nd November 1939, the Nieuw Amsterdam left Rotterdam on what turned out to be her final peacetime transatlantic crossing to New York. Soon with the invasion of Poland by Germany on the 1st September 1939, the war clouds hanging over Europe erupted into the Second World War. As a result the Nieuw Amsterdam remained in New York and for a while was used for short cruises out of New York while a decision was made on her wartime role.  

War Service (1940 – 1946):

During the course of the war the Nieuw Amsterdam had carried over 350,000 troops and steamed some 530,452 miles. The Nieuw Amsterdam and the other liners made a huge contribution to the transport of troops for the war effort and she was also used to repatriate Dutch citizens from the Dutch East Indies back to the Netherlands.

Postwar Holland America Line Era (1946 – 1971):

When she was finished with her repatriation tasks, the Nieuw Amsterdam was handed back to the Holland-America Line, by the British Government who had requisitioned her,on the 8^th April 1946, and soon she returned to Rotterdam. The "Darling of the Netherlands", had her funnels repainted in their HAL colours, but otherwise still in the drab military grey wartime colours, she triumphantly sailed home into Rotterdam on the 10th April 1946. The city responded in their thousands and the harbour was filled with spectator craft dressed with flags and sounding their horns, whilst the shoreline was filled with millions of enthusiastic people welcoming this famous ship home. It was a remarkable day, not only for the return of the Nieuw Amsterdam, but also because it was the exact anniversary of the 8th anniversary of her launch. Many in the Netherlands claimed that this day, as a symbolic day of liberation.  However she was in no fit state to return to her prewar transatlantic duties just yet and was sent to be refitted by her original builders on the 22nd May 1946 ready for a return to passenger service. Her original furnishings had been stored in San Francisco since her requisition and these were restored and returned to their rightful places on board the ship.

The refit took 18 months, but on the 29^th October 1947, the Nieuw Amsterdam was finally back on the transatlantic run. During the refit the opportunity had been taken to improve her passenger accommodations and she with a slightly larger gross tonnage than before of 36,667 tons. The Nieuw Amsterdam re-emerged into passenger service in all her original finery and her prewar popularity continued and Holland America Line were back in business on the transatlantic service.

Nieuw Amsterdam continued to serve her owners into the 1950s, both on the transatlantic run and as an occasional cruise ship. In 1952, the arrival of the marvellous S/S United States made the flagship of the Dutch merchant fleet seem outdated. Soon Holland America Line decided to update their flagship and introduced air conditioning throughout and fitting stablisers. She also emerged in the company's new grey colour scheme. 

However by the late 1950s and early 1960s the jet age was rapidly taking over the passenger trade on the North Atlantic and the great ocean liners were finding it increasingly hard to compete. As a result in 1961 the ship again was extensively refitted. This refit involved abandoning her original three class system and replacing it with just First and Tourist Class. Again improvements led to an increase in her gross tonnage to 36,982 tons. In early 1962 the modernised Nieuw Amsterdam returned to service on the transatlantic service but also for cruising.

Her Final Years (1971 – 1974):

By the early 1970s the dominance of air travel was really taking its toll on the great ocean liners. The S.S. United States was withdrawn from service in 1969 and increasingly new passenger liners like the QE2, France or the Michelangelo and Raffaello dominated the remaining ocean liner market on the North Atlantic. The old Nieuw Amsterdam’s market on the transatlantic service was declining and it was decided to turn her into a full time cruise ship. On the 8^th November 1971, the ship departed from Rotterdam for her final transatlantic crossing to New York and was then was solely deployed on cruises for the remainder of her career sailing for Port Everglades in Florida. In September 1972 the ship was re-registered under the Antillean flag.

Sadly by this time it was clear that the venerable Nieuw Amsterdam was showing her age and her glory days had gone. Being well over 30 years old it was decided that the Nieuw Amsterdam should be retired from service. On the 17^th December 1973, the Nieuw Amsterdam returned from her very last cruise. She was then taken out of service, and laid up over Christmas.

Then, when the New Year had arrived, the Nieuw Amsterdam left Port Everglades on her last passenger voyage on 9^th January 1974 which was a final cruise through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles. There she was decommissioned from service and sailed to Kaoshiung in Taiwan for scrapping. On 25^th February 1974, the Nieuw Amsterdam arrived at the scrapyard of Nan Fong Steel Enterprises Ltd., where she would be cut up. The dismantling process started on the 16^th March, and seven months later, on the 5^th October 1974, the former flagship of the Holland-America Line was completely gone. Thus ends the story of the Nieuw Amsterdam, one of the most gracious ladies of the sea and one of the finest Dutch ships ever built.