Sail along with Rotterdam's port history
Experience the history of the port of Rotterdam! Join our historical cruises on the Nieuwe Maas.
Are you coming?
Experience the history of the Port of Rotterdam! From 16 June to 27 August, join us aboard one of our historic ships for a cruise on the Nieuwe Maas. Departing from the Maritime Museum Harbour, you’ll see the Erasmus Bridge, the ss Rotterdam and Rotterdam’s skyline from the water. Discover the remarkable history behind our museum ships.
Costs
Please note: your ticket for a historic harbour cruise does not include admission to the museum building itself. However, your cruise ticket does give you access to the Maritime Museum Harbour and our workshops. Visit the blacksmith in the forge, see cranes and activities along the quay, or step aboard our historic ships.
- Adult - €16,00
- Children 4 to 15 years - €10,00
- Children to 3 years - €2,50
Would you also like to visit the museum building?
Complete your maritime day out with a visit to our museum and receive 30% off your admission ticket! After purchasing a harbour cruise ticket, you will receive a discount code that can be used to order a museum admission ticket through our regular ticket shop.
Prefer to buy your museum ticket at the museum ticket desk? That’s possible too! Simply show your historic harbour cruise ticket and enjoy the discount. Please note: card payments only are accepted at the museum.
Visit the museum with 30% offPractical information
- Cruise times:
- First cruise | 11:45 AM – 1:15 PM
- Second cruise | 2:45 PM – 4:15 PM
- Ticket sales
Availability is limited, so book your spot in time! You can easily order your ticket on this page. Tickets are also available at the museum; please ask at the ticket desk about cruise availability. (Please note: card payments only are accepted at the museum.) - Please arrive early
Scanning your ticket at the ticket desk is mandatory. Please do this at least 30 minutes before departure. Be at the pier 15 minutes before departure, so we can cast off on time! - There are no toilets on board
Please note that there are no toilet facilities available on board the ships.
Havendienst 2
- Thursday 25 June
- Tuesday 30 June
- Saturday 4 July
- Tuesday 28 July
- Saturday 1 August
- Thursday 6 August
- Tuesday 11 August
- Saturday 15 August
- Thursday 20 August
- Saturday 22 August
- Tuesday 25 August
Havendienst 20
- Tuesday 23 June
- Sunday 28 June
- Thursday 2 July
- Thursday 30 July
- Tuesday 4 August
- Sunday 9 August
- Thursday 13 August
- Tuesday 18 August
- Thursday 27 August
Dockyard V
- Tuesday 16 June
- Thursday 18 June
- Sunday 21 June
- Tuesday 7 July
- Thursday 9 July
- Sunday 12 July
Volharding 1
- Tuesday 14 July
- Thursday 16 July
- Sunday 19 July
- Tuesday 21 July
- Thursday 23 July
- Sunday 26 July
The ships used for the tour of Rotterdam are special pieces of history. From the oldest and largest museum port in the Netherlands, they depart for a beautiful tour of Rotterdam. Rotterdam is not the port city for nothing, because you see how the water has contributed to its development, both before and after the Second World War.
Havendienst 2 and 20
Havendienst 2 and 20 are part of a fleet of port service boats that determined the image of the port of Rotterdam between 1950 and 1990.
The port services served as patrol vessels, fire boats and icebreakers.
Volharding 1
The ‘Volharding 1’, is one of the last coal-fired steam tugs in the Netherlands.
It has a very powerful triple expansion steam engine. Do you know what the most famous ship is in which this type of steam engine was also used? The ‘Titanic’!
Dockyard V
The ‘Dockyard V’ is one of the steam tugboats from the fleet of the Rotterdam Dry Dock Company (RDM).
Around 1950, the vessel was used to tow seagoing ships in need of repair and also served as a “service bicycle” for transporting personnel carrying out repair work on board.
These former working ships are not covered, do not have plush deck chairs or a restaurant on board. You will not miss them at all, because these boat trips in Rotterdam are a truly unique maritime experience and a journey back in time. Now, boat trips through Rotterdam are a fantastic experience in themselves, but with this route it becomes an unforgettable adventure.
We depart from the Maritime Museum Haven towards the sea. Under the Erasmus Bridge, along the Willemskade with the Wereldmuseum, on to the Veerhaven, the Parkkade past café Ballentent, Parkheuvel, Park Euromast and of course the Euromast itself.
Then we sail to the Schiehaven, the Müllerpier with STC and past Schiemond. Then we cross the Nieuwe Maas to the Waalhaven.
Finally, we enter Maashaven past the impressive ss Rotterdam. We pass Hotel New York and the Cruise Terminal. Then we go under the Erasmus Bridge again and take a piece of Boompjes before we return to the Maritime Museum Haven.
Safety
A fun day on the water stays fun when everyone returns safely at the end of the trip. That is why we do not sail in the event of severe storms or very heavy rainfall. Should this occur, we will inform you in time. It is therefore important to always provide both your email address and phone number when booking your ticket.
Children are required to wear a life jacket. These are available on board.
Book your ticket now
Experience the history of the port of Rotterdam! Join our historical cruises on the Nieuwe Maas.
Welcome aboard our historic ships
