Holland America Line
ms
Rotterdam Photo Gallery
From:
ms Rotterdam Cruise Review
Rotterdam departure
Just down the river, ms Rotterdam cruised past the harbor of Delfshaven, which
once served as the port for city of Delft.
On July 22, 1620, the Pilgrims sailed from Delfshaven on their way to the
New World. Their ship, the Speedwell, soon began leaking, and they ended
up transferring to the Mayflower in Plymouth, England before continuing
their sea voyage to what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Delfshaven was spared when the Germans bombed central Rotterdam early in
World War II, so the harbor and the Pilgrim Fathers' Church (where the Pilgrims
worshipped before departing for New England) still look much the same as they
did nearly 400 years ago.
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