It’s all Dutch to me, but this video shot on the elegant 5th SS Rotterdam, “the Grande Dame” — serving as a cruise ship for 40 years! — provides rather pleasant time travel. Car on board? Sure. Check the sailor suits and life vests — right out of South Pacific!

I like the old-school exercise room model, you can almost smell the sweat…reminds me of our Alumni Gymnasium at the old school (now raised and replaced with a spanking new facility). But heck, bring back the table tennis and shuffleboard! Why relegate those superb and family-friendly games to bars?

Enjoy the in-depth look at the food prep too…keeping in mind that this served as a promotional video! Perhaps the Europeans for whom this was a promotion are less squeamish…and I refer here to the full-on abattoir view of the galley meat storage and preparation.

For further historical information, check out Michael L. Grace’s article ( January 7, 2010) from which this vid was peeled.