Reuben Goossens, Maritime Historian

About the Author of …

ssMaritime.com ~ ssMaritime.net

and Cruise-Australia.com & .net

Reuben Goossens

Maritime Historian, Author & Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer

By Kosta Specis

(*Updated May 2010)

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 Just over a week after World War II 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 sad story and we feel that this is not the place to tell it. Although after a very long stint in hospital for both the babe and the mother, they both lived in Winterthur, not far from Zurich, Switzerland for some time, but they returned to Rotterdam being Reuben’s mother’s home town.

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 in Rotterdam. Almost every day a liner would be in port, including ships from the Royal Rotterdam Lloyd such as the MS Sibajak that 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. Unknown to Reuben in those early years, it would be this very ship that would change his future and his working life, for it would make his love for ships and the sea grow to the point that it would lead that he would work all his life in the passenger shipping industry.

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

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

Amsterdam 1955 - 1958

At the age of ten, he and his mother moved to Amsterdam, being another 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 Java Kade (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 cruise ship, 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 very ship he used to watch come and go 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 and dangerous city of Panama. Whilst crossing the Pacific a visit was made to Papeete, the Capital of Tahiti before arriving in Wellington in middle of the Southern Hemisphere winter.

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

MS Sibajak was built especially for the luxury Indonesian service, later she operated migrant services to Canada, the USA and then she was placed on the Australia and New Zealand service. Her original first class lounges and dinning room were superbly luxuriant and elegant featuring fine dark timber carvings. However, in 1958, the Sibajak was an ageing ship, although not that Reuben noticed it, he loved this ship! I 1959 Royal Rotterdam Lloyd sold her and had her broken up. However, this fine 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 MS Sibajak he decided that he would work in the shipping industry in one way or another and he certainly did, and although he is now retired, he continues in the world of passenger shipping as a maritime historian and a cruise and ship reviewer, because he still loves it!

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 Mails.” 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 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 the assistant manager of USSC Wellington’s providoring 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, and although he had been on “line voyages”, he finally went on his very first “cruise” departing 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. (www.ssmaritime.com/jvo.htm).

Brisbane Australia

In the early sixties Reuben moved to Brisbane and joined Australian Express Co first as a travel agent, but soon, due to his expertise and leadership he became the Manager. Australian Express was the General Sales Agents (GSA) for the massive Greek shipping company, Chandris Lines in Queensland. Australian Express also operated the now famed; “Around the World Tours,” sailing to and from Southampton with a Chandris liner and touring the UK and Europe by coach. To ensure quality control and to make sure his staff were selling optional tours, Reuben sailed many sectors spent a great deal of time on these Chandris liners, especially SS Australis that was built as the SS America the forerunner to the grand SS United States. Then there were two two funnelled ex Matson liners, SS Ellinis and SS Britanis. Eventually the company (Australian Express) was sold to Trafalgar Tours and its Australian offices were closed.

Reuben then became involved with a brand new company, which many will all know as Jetset Tours, which has become one of the largest brands worldwide, although it was first known in Queensland as “Astronaut Travel”, being the retail outlet and “Jetset Tours” the wholesale business. During its establishment Reuben worked with the late and famed Mrs Marie Watson-Blake, the late Mr. John Julius and Mr. Tony Newton.

Later, having moved on, Reuben managing “Atlantic & Pacific International” decided together with Lord Bollingbrock of New Zealand and Tony Millmore of Sydney to commence a new cruise operation in Australia and chartered the Russian liner TSS Fedor Shalyapin (ex Cunard liner RMS Ivernia, later TSS Franconia) for “Shaw Savill Holidays,” and marketed their venture under the banner of “Celebrity 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%. At the same time CTC Cruises were also operating Russian ships from Australia however their ships, including the Fedor’s identical sister the TSS Leonid Sobinov did not enjoy the same success as “Celebrity Cruises.” It was for this reason her Russian owners without warning decided to rescind their charter agreement with “Shaw Savill Holidays” later in 1976 and the Fedor Shalyapin was 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 again 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! Sadly today lead in advertised fares that are shown as lead in fares, is usually based on four persons booking together in an inside four berth cabin on the lowest deck, located far forward. Considering the majority of sales are twin bedded cabins, these fares are not relevant!

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, although later Chandris sold “Celebrity Cruises” to Royal Caribbean Cruises.

At 30 years old, Reuben is seen at the very top of the game!

He is seen (in the middle) with famed Australian 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 and Director of “Coronet Travel Service”, operating “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. However he always remained on the maritime scene continuing with his vast experience in shipping, as he began to write and give lectures 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 reviews, either by invitation or whilst on personal cruise vacations. In addition in the nineties 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 far too big, this site was split into a number of new sites; ssmaritime.com for articles on vintage liners, savetheclassicliners.com being Reuben’s long standing campaign to save worthwhile ships from being broken up and turned into museums and/or hotels, etc., and he has succeeded with some important ships! In addition there is cruise-australia.net aiming mostly at the Australian and New Zealand cruise market although the world seems to love it, and then there is Reuben most loved classic passenger ship built in 1914; the 1914 built MV Doulos. This ship has its own site located at; ssmaritime.net. To date these three sites have received almost 159 million visitors during the past five years alone.

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”

As noted above, one of the strengths of ssMaritime.com has been the “Save the Classic Liners Campaign” (www.savetheclassicliners.com), 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 has been opened as a hotel and a tourist facility and museum to the public in 2010. Other ships saved are the 1914 built MV Doulos (ex SS Medina, ss Roma, MS Franca C) currently MV Doulos Phos and being refitted to become a hotel and museum in Singapore. MV Royal Star (ex MS San Giorgio, later MV Royal Star) today sailing as the PV Ocean Mist from Mombasa. 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) as well as a good many others. However, all of these ended on a Bangladeshi or Indian beach and have been broken up. His battle to save the great SS Norway (ex France) has taken a 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!” PS: ex SS Independence, Oceanic has been renamed Platinum II and is located at Alang and waiting to be beached. SS United States was reported sold, but there is no confirmation as yet.

It is well known that Reuben is outspoken and he says it as it is, however, because of this, through his sites he 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 Reuben has now undertaken a total of 122 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 7 nights to 106 nights. During his 50 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) - Orsova (2) - Pacific Princess (2) Pacific Sun – Patris - QE2 – Rangitoto - Reef Endeavour - Rotterdam (5) – Russ – Sibajak - Southern Cross (Shaw Savill) - Southern Cross (CTC) - SuperStar Leo - SuperStar Virgo – Tofua – Volendam and Willem Ruys.

Reuben and travelling companion and co author of this page Mr. Hun-Eng Tan with their excellent Steward Frank on MV Oriana 2005

In August 2008: Reuben sailed on his all time favourite classic ship the MV Doulos. His time on this ship was very special to him, as Reuben spent almost a month onboard the then 94 year old MV Doulos. First whilst she was in Brisbane and then sailing on this fine 1914 built ship, along the coast of Australia down to Sydney. 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!

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

MV Dawn Princess in Istanbul Turkey – September 8, 2009

The elegant 61,214-ton MS Volendam only accommodates 1,432 guests – New Zealand Cruise - October22, 2010

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.

Use the Back button on your browser or Close the Page to return to the previous page - or go to the …

ssMaritime.com Main INDEX or the Cruise-Australia.com - INDEX

Contact Mr. Goossens per …

ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net

Where the ships of the past make history & the 1914 build MV Doulos Story

Cruise-Australia.com

& Cruise-Australia.net

Also visit the Author’s …

“Save the Classic Liners Campaign” & “Classic Ocean Voyages”

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.

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!

melbourne dry cleaners Counter