Many fine KNSM
Passenger-Freighters of the ‘Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot
Maatschappij’
The ‘Royal
Netherlands Steamship Co’.
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ssMaritime FrontPage”
With Dr. Reuben Goossens.
Maritime Historian, Author
& Maritime Lecturer.
Please Note: All ssMaritime and all my other related sites are 100% non-commercial and privately owned sites. Be assured that I am NOT associated with any cruise or shipping companies or travel/cruise agencies or any other organisations! The author has been in the passenger shipping industry since May 1960 and is now semi-retired, but continues and I hope that the well over 600 Classic Liners and Cargo-Passengers ships I have written on will continue to provide classic ship enthusiasts and continue a great deal of information and pleasure!
The Joys of Travelling on a Luxury Freighter
During the Great Days of Ocean Travel
Please Note: Photographs, Postcards and Deck Plans, etc, on this and the associated KNSM pages are from the author’s private collection.
Also a special a new page containg a comprehensive list of the huge KNSM fleet. This full ship listing was published late in 1957 and it was kindly provided by Paul Goodman. The material was part of his dear late father Mr. Michael Goodman collection. (A Link is located at the bottom of the page).
Introduction:
Considering that I
commenced in the Passenger Shipping Industry in what could be called the Heyday
of passenger liners, but also the
many who loved the delights of sailing with just a few on a fine Freighter that
had just a small number of passengers, such as the ships covered on this
feature for KNSM, or the “Royal Netherlands Steamship
Company” offered a service and food that was as passengers so often said
“Simply divine and hat is why we travel on their delightful and comfortable
cargo liners.” I recall that I used to sell many passages on freighters and
never a complaint. Many people used to think that sailing on a freighter would
be hopping on a cheap ride from A to B, but that was not the case, for all
Dutch and German ships of this type were luxury based, offering the very best
of everything!
The
Ships and their Facilities:
KNSM had an amazing fleet of thirty-five Passenger-Cargo liners that carried just 12 passengers; however these twelve travellers were guaranteed a voyage that offered the very best of everything, great service, fine food and superbly designed and comfortable accommodations!
A full colour KNSM Brochure
KNSM, or the “Royal Netherlands Steamship
Company” stated the following in their brochure; “Get away from it all to the
luxury of a carefree voyage across a sunlit ocean, be enchanted by tropical
nights and days while you relay and enjoy the quiet and informal atmosphere,
courteous service and gracious living offered by the immaculate passenger cargo
ships of the KNSM.”
Here we see part of the Dining Room and the
Lounge on the Starboard side aboard an Adonis Class ship
However, the Adonis Class has 2 styles of
public rooms and this lounge is from the “Aegis Class” ships.
These amazing
small ships built and delivered between 1954 and 1963 operated frequent voyages
between Trans-Atlantic Voyages from Rotterdam and other European
ports to the Caribbean, Surinam, Demerara bound
for Central America and the North and West Coast of South America.
Alternatively ships would have headed via the Caribbean to the East coast of
the United States and the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to this,
regular services were maintained from New York sailing via the Gulf
and Caribbean ports and to the various European ports. Many would
take these voyages on a return, much like cruise vacation basis, or a purchase
a one way, or even a return ticket, but return at a later date on one of the
other ships.
Public Facilities:
These popular
Passenger-Cargo Liners offered excellent accommodations for just 12 privileged
passengers with each ship featuring a beautifully designed and luxurious Lounge
forward on the starboard side of the ship, and elegantly laid out Dining Room
next to it on the portside. Dining on these ships was something that was always
a delight to behold, for Cuisine was a company speciality, regardless passenger
numbers, it had to be the finest, as was the service!
Achilles Class Dining Room
The Dining Room
and Lounge from an Adonis Class ship
This is a Lounge
from an Ammon Class ship
Here
we see the Lounge from an Aegis (3b) Class ship
The
Dining Room and Lounge from an Adonis Class ship
These ships
offered five spacious Twin bedded and two single bed cabins, all having with
two windows, with a washbasin per person in the cabin and toilet and shower in
their private bathroom. Cabins were certainly very spacious compared to the
vast majority of larger passenger liner!
A typical KNSM promotional cabin scene
A black &
white photo from an old 1950s brochure of a cabin
These 35 KNSM freighters came in 3, plus a 3b subclass of passenger-cargo liners each offering the same fine
quality of service and accommodations!
Please Note: Deck
Plans are at the bottom of this feature.
1. Achilles Class
This Class of the KNSM freighter was the largest of this particular fleet and
the “Achilles Class” consisted of a total of 13 sister ships. Only this class
had its main superstructure set slightly amidships, although it was locate
slightly towards the aft of the ship, allowing for one hold to be located aft,
and three holds forward.
General Dimensions: They were 7,100 GRT (Gross Registered Tons), the length being; 129m - 424ft and 17.5m - 57ft wide. They all had diesel engines, and this Class sailed at 16.25 knots.
The MS Achilles Class is notable as its main superstructure somewhat further forward.
The following is a list of all the names of the “Achilles Class Ships and I will show them in Alphabetical order, and add their year of delivery. For interest all 35 ships were fitted with “Stork Diesel” engines, which were built by the “Machine-Builders Brothers Stork N.V., Hengelo-Enschede, the Netherlands.
M.S. Achilles 1959, Archimedes 1960, Ares 1959, Aristoteles 1962, Ceres 1959, Diogenes 1960, Ganymedes 1962, Hercules 1963, Hermes 1962, Palamedes 1961, Pericles 1960, Socrates 1960, Ulysses 1962.
A stern view of
the MS Pericles, one of the “Achilles Class” ships
****************************
2. Ammon Class
This Class is
somewhat smaller than her sisters above, however this class” consisted of 13 fine
sister ships. Unlike the Achilles class, these ships had their superstructure
located aft of the ship, with all their holds being located forward of the
superstructure.
General
Dimensions: They were 4,500 GRT,
the length being; 111m - 364ft and 15m - 49ft wide. They all had diesel engines, and this Class
sailed at 16 knots.
Above &
below: Fine views of
the MS Parthenon and the MS Theron are two of the “Ammon Class” Ships
M.S.
Ammon 1959,
Chiron 1960, Jason 1955, Kreon 1960, Ladon 1960, Marathon 1960, Maron
1958, Medon 1958, Memnon
1958, Parthenon 1960, Sinon 1961, Solon
1956, Theron 1961.
MS Chiron another
of the “Ammon Class” of ships
****************************
Please
Note: The “Adonis Class” has a
total of 9 ships, but they will be split into two separate classes, even though
they are identical ships, but their Lounge and Dining Room arrangements are
different, it is only this that sets these ships apart. Thus, I will describe
this class as the “Aegis Class” yet the specifications remain identical to the
Adonis!
3. Adonis Class
This Adonis Class only has a total of 4 sister ships in her particular class and like the previous Nr. 2. “Ammon Class,” these ships like the next subclass 3b, have their superstructure located far aft, which does offer the passengers with spacious aft deck, as well as a fine deck above!
General Dimensions: They were 3,900 GRT, the length being; 98m - 322ft and 14m - 42ft wide. They all had diesel engines, and this Class sailed at 14 knots.
Above &
below: A postcard of
the MS Adonis from the air and the MS Artemis
M.S. Adonis
1954, Artemis 1954,
Charis 1954, Daphnis 1954.
****************************
3b. Aegis Class
This subclass has a total of 5 sister ships in her class. Just like her above sisters, these ships also are 3,900 GRT, the length being; 98m - 322ft and 14m - 42ft wide. They all had diesel engines, and this Class sailed at 14 knots.
A fine view
looking over the MS Aegis and her forward holds and the windows to
her elegant
Dining Room located portside and a beautiful Lounge on the starboard side
As already seen
further above!
M.S. Aegis 1955, Attis 1955, Isis 1959, Osiris 1955, Themis 1957.
A delightful
postcard of the MS Themis one of the 3b Subclass
of ships
****************************
Below is a listing of all the ships schedules, although they are not listed by a ships name, but by Class of ship, as ships would interchange itineraries at times, but those shown below were the regular schedules!
MS Ammon Class:
1) Amsterdam, Curaçao, Aruba, Kingston, Savannah, Baltimore, New York.
2) Amsterdam, Curaçao, Aruba, Kingston, Houston, New Orleans.
3) New York, Aruba, Curaçao, La Guaira, Kingston, Trinidad.
4) New York, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Port-au-Prince, Georgetown, Paramaribo.
5) New Orleans, Curaçao, La Guaira, Trinidad.
6) New Orleans, Aruba, Maracaibo, Guanta, Barbados, Georgetown, Paramaribo.
7) Miami, Aruba, Curaçao, La Guaira, Barbados, Trinidad.
8) Amsterdam/Rotterdam, Valetta, Piraeus, Beirut, Latakia, Famagusta, Alexandria, Antwerp, Amsterdam/Rotterdam.
MS Achilles Class:
1) Amsterdam, Georgetown, Paramaribo, Paranam (optional), Amsterdam.
2) Amsterdam, St. Maarten, San Juan, Santo Domingo, Puerto Cortes, La Ceiba, Belize, Puerto Barrios, Santo Tomas de Castilla, Amsterdam.
3) Amsterdam, Bilbao, Curaçao, Cristobal, Buenaventura, Guayaquil, Callao, Matarani, Arica, Antofagasta, Valparaiso, San Antonio, Talcahuano, Antofagasta, Arica, Callao, Guayaquil, Buenaventura, Cristobal, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Le Havre, Antwerp, Amsterdam.
MS Adonis Class:
Amsterdam, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Santo Domingo, Port-au-Prince, Nassau, Freeport (optional), US ports (optional).
One of the Aegis
Class ships, the AMS Attis
is seen berthed at one of the Caribbean ports
****************************
Deck Plans & other Photographs
The MS Ares, one
of the Achilles Class of ships
Aft on D
(Promenade) Deck was the Veranda with stairs up to C or Sports Deck
This is a scene
from one of the Ammon Class of ships as seen on
the second plan below
M.S.
Achilles & M.S. Ammon Class Deck Plans
M.S.
Adonis & M.S. Aegis Class Deck Plans
Passengers
relaxing out on deck on one of the Adonis Class ships
The
MS Osiris one of the 3b subclass of Aegis ships as seen in the bottom of
the plan directly above
This
is the MS Maron one of the Ammon
Class of ships and she is seen arriving in port
This
photograph was sent in by a supporter without information – Please see photo
notes at bottom of page!
And
finally the MS Kreon one of the Ammon
Class of ships
The ssMaritime KNSM Index
Also visit the KNSM S.S. Cottica 1927
to 1958
The KNSM 1930
Flagship M.S.
Colombia
Also view the YouTube Colourised
Video of the M.S. Colombia
Crossing the North Sea on the luxury liner
M.S. Colombia from Amsterdam to Dover
As well as 35 exce http://ssmaritime.com/KNSM-Passenger-Freighters.htm llent KNSM-Passenger-Freighters
New material added in 2025! Use the link below
http://ssmaritime.com/KNSM-Passenger-Freighters-2.htm
A comprehensive KNSM’s full
ship listing published in the late 1950’s was kindly provided by Paul Goodman.
The material was
part of his dear late father Mr. Michael Goodman.
And two magnificent KNSM ships M.S. Oranje
Nassau & Prins Der Nederlanden of 1957
“Blue Water Liners sailing to the
distant shores.
I watched them come, I watched them go and I watched them die.”
****************************
Visit
our ssMaritime Main
INDEX
Where you will discover over 1,750 plus
Classic Passenger & Passenger-Cargo Liners!
For interest: Sadly an email service to ssMaritime is no longer available, due to the author’s old age and chronic illness as well as being disabled, etc. In the past ssMaritime received well over 120 emails per day, but Dr. Goossens can no longer handle same. He sincerely regrets this!
Where the ships of the past make history
The Author has
been in Passenger Shipping & the Cruise Industry for well over 60 years
In addition he
was the founder of “Save the Classic Liners Campaign” in 1990.
Please
Note: ssmaritime and associated sites are
100% non-commercial and the author does not seek funding or favours and never
have and never will.
Photographs on
ssmaritime and associate pages are either
by the author or from the author’s private collection. In addition there are
some images and photographs that have been provided by Shipping Companies or
private photographers or collectors.
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