Reuben Goossens, Maritime Historian

About the Author of …

ssMaritime.com ~ ssMaritime.net

& Cruise-Australia.net

Reuben Goossens

Maritime Historian, Author & Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer

By Kosta Specis & Hun-Eng Tan

(*Updated February 2010)

*Cruise list update at bottom of page

Reuben Goossens in the Crow’s Nest aboard MV Aurora 29 January 2006

Fifty years in the Passenger Shipping/Cruise Industry

Having known and worked for Reuben Goossens as a secretary and personal assistant since the early eighties, and Eng has worked with and been a close friend since 1995, we feel that we are well qualified to write about him. Reuben has spent all his secular working life in the passenger shipping industry, the industry he obviously loves. His incredible knowledge of ships and cruising is beyond question. We have both sailed with Reuben, and have witnessed first hand his in-depth knowledge of ships sailing today, as well of those that have now long gone. Captains, officers and many of the crew we have met on different ships knew Reuben either personally or by reputation and obviously greatly respected him. On each voyage we were invited to the captain’s lounge, the bridge, even on certain occasions we were given a tour of the engine room whilst in port, in addition Reuben is invited to many private functions. On various cruises he is booked as the guest maritime lecturer. Although I recall, whilst he was on Fair Princess’ final cruise to New Zealand in 2000, Reuben was on a vacation, yet he received a special request from cruise director Dan Styne and was asked if he would be so kind as to give a lecture in the Meridian Lounge, for so many passengers and most senior crew already knew him by sight. Reuben decided to say yes and astonishingly the Meridian Lounge was filled to capacity with passengers sitting on the floor and standing down the hallway. Captain Phillip Pickford and several of his officers were also in attendance. We knew of his long-standing renown, but that day really blew us away!

Rotterdam 1945 - 1955

Reuben Goossens was born in Rotterdam the Netherlands several days after the war on 16 May 1945. Coming from a Jewish family his mother was lucky to escape from the Holocaust. However, his families’ tragic wartime detail is very long and a harsh story, and we feel that this is not the place to tell it.

From an early age he would spend time along the harbour side whenever it was possible, and he would sit just across from the Holland America Line wharves I Rotterdam. Almost every day a liner would be in port, including ships from the Royal Rotterdam Lloyd such as the MS Sibajak, which at 12,000-ton would be considered these days as a small passenger liner. She had steel grey hull and a single tall black funnel and was built in 1928. At the time unknown to Reuben in those early years, it would be this ship that would be responsible for his entire future and his working life in the passenger industry. Other ships in the port of Rotterdam included the imposing twin funnelled MS Willem Ruys, however Reuben’s all time favourite liner of the day was the stately two funnelled Holland America Liner SS Nieuw Amsterdam, a ship that is still regarded to this day as one of the most beautiful liners ever built. Whenever possible, Reuben would sit alongside the Maas River and watch the river barges, tugs, cargo ships and other passenger liners pass by. At times he would be quayside as a liner departed for a far away destination, bedecked in flags and streamers flying in the wind.

Holland America’s SS Nieuw Amsterdam

Royal Rotterdam Lloyd’s MS Willem Ruys, which later to become Flotta Lauro’s Achille Lauro

Amsterdam 1955 - 1958

At the age of ten, he and his mother moved to Amsterdam, being another great Port city to watch ships come and go. Whenever the liner MS Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and her newer running mate MS Oranje of the Netherland Line were in port he would make a special effort to be at the Javakade (Java wharves) to watch passenger’s board and experience the excitement of their departure. I recall him telling me that he would be as excited as those who were aboard ready to depart. He would dream that one day he would be standing at the railing of a great ship just like that waving goodbye to those ashore as he would be heading to far away countries across the ocean. Little did he know that late in his adult life he would not only have done just that, but that he would have sailed well over a hundred times, but also that he had managed major shipping companies and operated a Cruise Company in Australia.

The Netherland Line MS Johan van Oldenbarnevelt. She was sold to become the ill-fated Greek Lakonia

Whilst The Netherland Line MS Oranje was sold to become the Flotta Lauro Angelino Lauro

MS Sibajak 1958

On 17 May, 1958, one day after his thirteenth birthday Reuben’s dream of sailing across the oceans became a reality as he and his mother departed Rotterdam for Wellington New Zealand on the Sibajak, the ship he used to watch in Rotterdam. This voyage to New Zealand sailed via Southampton, across the Atlantic to the very Dutch but tropical, Willemstad in Curacao, Balboa, transiting the Panama Canal, with a port call at the then notorious Panama City. Whilst crossing the Pacific a visit was made to Papeete, the Capital of Tahiti before arriving in Wellington.

The Royal Rotterdam Lloyd – MS Sibajak – The first ship Reuben sailed on in May 1958

MS Sibajak was built especially for the Indonesian service, later to become a migrant carrier to Canada, the USA and later placed on the Australia / New Zealand route. Her original first class lounges and dinning room were typically luxuriant and elegant featuring superb dark timber carvings. In 1958, the Sibajak was ageing and she was scrapped in 1959. However, this old liner gave Reuben the experience of a lifetime and this voyage cemented his love of the sea and the ships that sail on them. At the age of thirteen onboard the Sibajak he decided that he would work in the shipping industry in one way or another.

Wellington

To date (2010) Reuben has had 50 years experience in the passenger shipping industry. However, he obtained his first job commenced in May 1960 as an office boy with Russell and Sommers who was the General Sales Agents (GSA) for the Royal Rotterdam Lloyd as well as the Nederland Line, also known as “Royal Dutch Mail.” At the time their ships included the Willem Ruys, Oranje and the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt. In addition Russell and Sommers were also the GSA for Holland America Line who also managed three migrants ships SS Zuiderkruis, Groote Beer and Waterman then there was also the German Europe Canada Line’ SS Seven Seas.

SS Zuiderkruis one of 3 US built & rebuilt “Victory” Ships – including the Groote Beer & Waterman

In 1961 the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand sought his services to join their ship provisional (providoring or supply) department. Within six months Reuben was placed second in charge of their Wellington department, which looked after all Union Steam Ship Co passenger ships that included the inter Island ferries, and passenger cargo ships sailing the South Pacific from all New Zealand ports.

Union Steam Ship Company Head Office in Wellington

His employment in the shipping industry gave him many opportunities to visit and sail on many ships, including, his very first cruise that departed Wellington on 20 December 1961, being a Christmas and New Year Cruise on the Dutch liner, MS Johan van Oldenbarnevelt to Australia. Reuben has written a work on the JVO, which is now available online on ssMaritime.com.

Brisbane Australia

In the mid sixties Reuben moved to Brisbane and joined Australian Express Co as a travel agent, but later because of his expertise he became the Manager. Australian Express was the General Sales Agents for the Greek Chandris Lines in Queensland and Australian Express operated the famous “Around the World Tours.” Reuben sailed many sectors to and from the UK and spent a great deal of time on various ships especially the SS Australis that was built as the SS America the forerunner to the grand SS United States. Then there were two twin funnelled ex Matson liners, SS Ellinis and SS Britanis. He would be onboard ensuring quality control and aiding the sales of optional tours. Sadly, eventually the owner Dino Philippides sold his company (Australian Express) to Trafalgar Tours and its Australian offices were closed. Reuben became involved with a brand new company, we now all know as Jetset Tours which has become one of the largest worldwide brands, although it was first known in Queensland as “Astronaut Travel”, being the retail outlet and “Jetset Tours” the wholesale outlet. During its establishment Reuben worked with the late and famed Marie Watson-Blake, the late John Julius and Tony Newton.

Later Reuben working with Atlantic and Pacific International Travel, tohether with Tony Millmore of Sydney and Lord Bollingbrock of New Zealand chartered the Russian liner TSS Fedor Shalyapin for “Shaw Savill Holidays,” and marketed their cruises under the banner of “Celebrity Club Cruises.” The first cruise departed Sydney in October 1975 being the beginning of a popular cruise venture that had an average loading of 94.6%. Also operating Russian ships at that time was CTC Cruises in Australia who did not enjoy the same success as “Celebrity Club Cruises.” It was for this reason her Russian owners without warning decided to rescind their charter agreement with “Shaw Savill Holidays” and the Fedor Shalyapin was thus transferred to CTC Cruises, being a wholly Russian owned Company, but having their head quarters based in London. Whilst the Fedor was with CTC she never regained the popularity she enjoyed during Reuben’s halcyon days. We have always known from his many future marketing successes that he was a marketing genius, and he always worked with integrity and total honesty, never offering a fare in the media that was not available to Mr and Mrs average as it seems to be in these days where you have to be able to read the fine print on TV or the paper, that is if you can!

The name “Celebrity” was later taken over by Reuben’s old time associates and friends at Chandris Lines for their new cruise company as they were in need for a name suitable for an upmarket cruise venture thus, “Celebrity Cruises” was born!

At 30 years old, Reuben is seen (in the middle) with famed TV and singing super-star Jimmy Hannan and actor

Ken James on “Hawaiian Night” whilst on a Pacific cruise ex Sydney January 25, 1976

Photograph: Ships photographer © ssmaritime.com

TSS Fedor Shalyapin seen in Auckland February 1976

Photograph by & © Reuben Goossens – ssmaritime.com

Happily CTC Cruises would suffer greatly in due course as there was an occurrence that would end their operation in Australia for a long time when the Fedor Shalyapin rendezvoused with a Russian submarine whist crossing the Tasman Sea towards Sydney. Upon her return to Sydney, passengers told the media of the strange events encountered and how both cargo and crew were transferred to the submarine. This caused great controversy in Australia, however, what and why it happened was never fully explained. Australia banned all Soviet based passenger ships for a considerable time. Never let it be said that a wrong does not get repaid in some way or another!

During Reuben’s work in the shipping and the travel industry in the seventies and eighties he also managed “Orbit Travel” and was the founder of “Coronet Travel Service” and “CTS Tours” as well as “FunPac Tours.”

In the mid eighties Reuben decided to retire and spent his time travelling and sailing the world. However, whilst in India in October 1987 he was involved in a car accident, which caused a serious illness that almost took his life. When his health improved in the mid nineties he returned to the maritime scene. With his vast experience in shipping he began to write and give lectures on board cruise ships in his new role as a maritime historian and author.

In addition Reuben decided to become a part time freelance journalist, writing cruise and ship reports, either by invitation or whilst on personal cruise vacations. In addition he commenced a new website MaritimeWorld.com that covered cruise ships and articles on the great ocean liners of the past. However, with MaritimeWorld.com becoming so large, this site was split into three new sites; ssmaritime.com for articles on vintage liners, and cruise-australia.net aiming mostly at the Australian and New Zealand cruise market, and then there is Reuben most loved classic passenger ship that was built in 1914; the MV Doulos. This ship has its own site at ssmaritime.net. To date these three sites have received over 101.2 million visitors over the past two years.

Reuben on stage with Captain Philip Pickford 8 February 2000
A lecture had been presented during Fair Princess’ final New Zealand cruise in a packed Seaward Lounge

Photograph: P&O Fair Princess Ships photographer

“Save the Classic Liner Campaign”

One of the strengths of ssMaritime.com has been the “Save the Classic Liners Campaign,” which Reuben founded 1999. He commenced the “Save the SS Rotterdam Campaign” when she was the SS Rembrandt and was laid up in Freeport on September 21, 2000. Thankfully, the SS Rotterdam has now been saved and she has been fully restored and was returned to her home port of Rotterdam on August 4, 2008. She will be partially be opened as a tourist facility and museum to the public in November 2008 and commence service as a hotel in early Spring of 2009. Other ships worked on were; SS OceanBreeze (ex Shaw Savill Lines, Southern Cross), the Margarita L (ex Windsor Castle), Princessa Victoria (ex Victoria, Dunnottar castle) Big Red Boat II (ex Eugenio C), Madagascar (ex Stella Maris) Norway (ex France) and a good many others. However, all of these, except the Madagascar, ended on a Bangladeshi or Indian beach and have been broken up. Reuben was directly involved with the sale of the Madagascar, but she has since been resold and her future is uncertain at this time. His battle to save the great SS Norway (ex France) has taken a bad toll on him health wise. Two other ships in the firing line are the SS Oceanic, ex Independence and the SS United States. Although NCL has already sold the Oceanic to the Indian’s, meaning she has been betrayed by NCL, just like the Norway, for NCL she is just another casualty. Reuben feels that NCL will do the very same with the great American, SS United States, as he put’s it, NCL has no shame for they are being dictated to by Casino based Asians who care little about great American maritime heritage!”

It is well known that Reuben is outspoken and he says it as it is, however, because of this, through his sites e has managed to raise millions of dollars to save ships, yet, he does not make a cent himself and does this for the love of it, being so passionate to the cause! In relation to the SS Independence and SS United States, Reuben said, “NCL used these two American ships, promising to fully rebuild and refit them for operation to sway the US Senate to give this Chinese Malaysian Casino backed NCL Cruise Company to an US Flagged Company, NCL America for their own good, and as soon as they had it, they changed their minds and they dumped the SS Independence and she has been sold to the Indians. Only the SS United States is left and rusting away in Philadelphia, and considering that she is the finest and the most advanced American liner that has ever been built, she must be saved! NCL America is as Patriotic to America as Islamic Malaysia is Christian!” (Note: The Malaysian owned “Resort World Bhd” is part of the “Genting Casino Group” owns Star Cruises, who owns the majority shares of NCL and Star Cruises make all the major decisions, thus, it is Malaysia who rules, not NCL America!).

Line Voyages, Cruises and other voyages undertaken to date

To date (as of November 2008) Reuben has now undertaken a total of 121 voyages/cruises, with his first experience at sea commencing on the Royal Rotterdam Lloyd liner MS Sibajak on May 17, 1958. Since then he has sailed on many liners/cruise ships either once or a number of times. All voyages undertaken (listed) were from a minimum of two nights to 50 nights. During his 49 years in the industry Reuben has also inspected countless ships around the world.

List of ships sailed on - (listed in alphabetical order) …

Achille Lauro - Arcadia (2 & 3) – Aurelia – Aurora – Australis – Britanis – Canberra - Club 1 – Dawn Princess - Dominion Monarch – Doulos - Ellinis - Fairsky (I & II) - Fair Princess - Fairsea (1) – Fairstar - Fedor Shalyapin – Flavia – Galileo - Gothic (2) - Himalaya (3) - Iberia (3) - Johan van Oldenbarnevelt – Karelia - Mariposa (3) – Matua - Mikhail Sholokhov - Monterey (3) - Nieuw Amsterdam (2) – Oranje - Orcades (3) - Oriana (1 & 2) - Oriental Queen - Orsova (2) - Pacific Princess (2) Pacific Sun – Patris - QE2 – Rangitoto - Reef Endeavour - Rotterdam (5) – Russ - Seven Seas – Sibajak - Southern Cross (Shaw Savill) - Southern Cross (CTC) - SuperStar Leo - SuperStar Virgo – Tofua - Willem Ruys.

Most Recent Voyages. MV Oriana Brisbane to UK. February 2006 - MV Aurora San Francisco to Sydney. March 2007 - MV Pacific Princess New Zealand Cruise.

February 2008: MV Oriana. His was a 50 night voyage on MV Oriana from Brisbane 26 February 2008 sailing around the bottom of Australia up the Indian Ocean to Asia, then down the Indian Ocean and around Africa to Southampton. Prior to this cruise it was the Pacific Princess on a New Zealand Cruise in February 2007. It was one of the few years that Reuben did not undertake a P&O World cruise, and that was only due to his health at the time.

Reuben and travelling companion and co author of this page Mr. Hun-Eng Tan with their excellent Steward Frank

August 2008: MV Doulos. His time on this ship was very special to him, as Reuben spent almost a month onboard then 94 year old MV Doulos both in Brisbane and in Sydney and the voyage on the 1914 American built ship along the Australian coast. This was Reuben’s 119^th voyage.

Reuben is seen here in 94 year old Doulos’ propeller shaft tunnel

MV Doulos was originally the American vegetable transport/cargo ship SS Medina, which was later rebuilt as a migrant ship SS Roma. As the Roma she made a single visit to Newcastle Australian December 1950. Eventually she became the Linea C (Costa Lines) Liner to South America, then Costa’s luxury cruise ship MS Franca C. Until December 2009 she was a charity Book-ship and the Doulos is crewed/staffed by an all volunteer crew. Reuben celebrated her 94^thbirthday onboard on August 22 by cutting the official birthday cake after the official ship’s opening to her Sydney season.

Whilst in Brisbane Reuben entertained a number of ex 1950 SS Roma passengers who came to Australia on her onboard the Doulos as Eastern European refugees and he has added their stories and photographs to his online 30 plus page MV Doulos Feature. There was also one gentleman in Sydney who has provided a most interesting story of his time onboard the SS Roma’s from Bremerhaven to Newcastle in 1950!

Sadly the Doulos was decommissioned in December 2009 aged 95 and has been sold. Reuben who is the founder of “Save the Classic Liner Campaign” is still fighting to save her, as there is a suitable buyer in Singapore, but this German based Christian organisation seems to have sold her to Indian breakers, thus a ship that has been, according to them “brought life to many” will now be responsible for many deaths, as the ship will be rammed up on a beach and cut up by hand and pieces carried by hand. Indian breakers employ desperate men, women and even young children and they do not provide any safety clothing or protection to the toxic waste that these ships carry. Thousands die each year from asbestosis and other related toxic deceases, yet there is a Christian organisation in Singapore who has the funds and the means to buy her, but No, OM/GBA (Operation Mobilization/Good Books for all) seem to be “several thousand Euros out of pocket” as one of their directors told Reuben the other day (Reuben said “BIG DEAL”). Reuben has written them and we are hoping that they will change their minds and sell her to the Singaporeans and do the Christian thing?

Reuben’s 120th voyage.

November 15, 2008 on MV Pacific Sun. Reuben and myself (Hun-Eng) sailed on the recently refurbished Pacific Sun on what was to be a seven night cruise of the Pacific, however, due to a rescue on the high seas, of a yacht that had become stranded on a coral reef, it became an eight night cruise. All four yachties were safe and sound! Reuben has written a cruise report, and I can confirm that the cruise was excellent, offering great food, top service, classy entertainment and it was certainly “Top value for money cruising,” as Reuben puts it!

Captain Justin Lawes and Reuben Goossens aboard P&O’s MV Pacific Sun. This photograph was taken on November 20, 2008

at the Captain’s Club Party. As Reuben was one of the most cruised passengers he received his orchid & a bottle of champagne

Photograph presented to Reuben by P&O and taken by the Ships \Photographer

Reuben’s 121st voyage.

July 2009 - MV Dawn Princess around the World Cruise – 104 nights. This was the longest voyage for Reuben and he was joined by myself (Kosta Specia) as well as Hun-Eng Tan. This is a very special trip with a superb itinerary that was been carefully planned, and we have many wonderful people to meet in so many ports of call! A review has been written!

MV Dawn Princess in Istanbul Turkey – September 8, 2009

Reuben’s 122nd voyage.

Holland America Line - MS Volendam – Fly to Auckland – Join the Volendam and sail around New Zealand, Tasmania & Batemans Bay to Sydney. Departing Brisbane per Qantas on October 21, 2010- 15 Nights Fly/Cruise.

Holland America’s luxury - MV Volendam

Photograph provided by Holland America Line

In conclusion.

There is no doubt that Reuben Goossens is a stalwart of the industry and he is greatly respected by his readers, maritime historians and shipping companies worldwide.

PS. When I told him I was going to write this piece (originally in 2000), he gave me a just one instruction; “As long as you include photographs of ships you might mention.” Obviously there are far too many listed on this page to do so, however, I have used at least those early ships that were so important in his early life, as well as the ship he chartered SS Fedor Shalyapin. The personal photographs, well they were my choice from the massive catalogue of photographs I searched through, and I know he will hate them all! Kosta.

Kosta Specis & Hun-Eng Tan

Photographs: Photographs on this page are 1. By Reuben Goossens. 2. Hun-Eng Tan. 3. The ships photographer. Postcards: Nieuw Amsterdam, Sibajak, Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, Oranje, and Zuiderkruis are all from Reuben’s private collection.

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Please Note:

Photographs on ssMaritime and ssmaritime.net are: 1. By the author. 2. From the author’s private collection. 3. As provided by Shipping Companies and private photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors. However, there are photographs provided to me without details provided regarding the photographer concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images would be so kind to make them-selves known to me, that due credit may be given. I know what it is like, I have seen a multitude of my own photographs on other sites, yet they either refuse to give me credit and even refuse to remove them, knowing full well that there is no legal comeback when it comes to the net. However, let us show the charlatans up and do the right thing at all times and give credit where credit is due! Note: I do not credit those who send me photos as they are not the owners of the photographs concerned, unless the image is part of their private collection.

*¹ Photographs marked with *¹ were scanned from Laurence Dunn’s book “Passenger Liners” the 1961 edition.

This notice covers all pages, although, I have done my best to ensure that all photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page, that is, when a page is updated!

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