MS Achille Lauro was a cruise ship based in Naples, Italy. It was built between 1939 and 1947 as the ocean liner Willem Ruys for Royal Rotterdam Lloyd. In 1965 Achille Lauro bought the ship, had it converted into a cruise ship, and renamed it after himself. In 1985 it was hijacked by members of the Palestine Liberation Front.
Achille Lauro
The Achille Lauro on fire during her conversion work in 1965
Lifebouy from the Achille Lauro (at top right), now on display in the Rotterdam Maritime Museum
MS Willem Ruys
Royal Rotterdam Lloyd was a Dutch shipping line that was established in Rotterdam in 1883 as Rotterdamsche Lloyd (RL). It became "Royal Rotterdam Lloyd" in 1947. RL mainly operated scheduled passenger and mail services between Rotterdam and the Dutch East Indies. Its independent existence ended in 1970, when KRL merged with four other Dutch shipping companies to form the Nederlandsche Scheepvaart Unie (NSU). In 1977 NSU became Nedlloyd.
Painting by WJ Hoendervanger of Willem Ruys
1899 painting by Edouard Adam of Gedé, built for Rotterdamsche Lloyd in 1892
Ophir, with the Dutch flag, her name, and port of registration painted along her side to show her neutrality
Baloeran in the Suez Canal in 1935
