ss stands for steam ship. Now that we’ve got that cleared, welcome aboard, and into the golden age of cruise travel. Built in the 1950s, the ss Rotterdam had been a popular transatlantic liner and a cruise ship for over 40 years, before returning to her birthplace for a permanent mooring and a new career.

La Grande Dame is nowadays a little bit of everything – a museum, a hotel, a restaurant, an office space and even an escape room. This ship is so big, it can do all these things at the same time and still have room to spare. As befits a cruise ship, it is a floating city.

The restaurant serves international classics (all the way up to 7-course dinner with the appropriate wine arrangement), and in the Ocean Bar and the Captain’s Lounge, cocktails and gin-tonics are being served (check the website for opening hours of the different restaurants and bars). In good weather, the most fun part is probably the cafe on the restored top deck. In the summer months, there’s even a paddling pool (for those under 12).

Views of Rotterdam from the top deck are superb. Sail Ho!