SS Willem Ruys was a Dutch liner, building began in 1939 but was halted to the outbreak of war. The German's bombed the ship and would later try to complete her but the Dutch resistance frequently sabotaged the effort. After the war the Dutch completed the ship and on July 1, 1946 the ship was launched and christened Willem Ruys. In January 1965, she was officially handed over to the Italian Lauro Line and renamed Achille Lauro. On October 7, 1985, four members of Palestine Liberation Front took control of the liner off Egypt as she was sailing from Alexandria to Port Said. Holding the passengers and crew hostage, the hijackers killed disabled Jewish-American passenger Leon Klinghoffer and then threw his body overboard. The hijackers were arrested and later tried for murder. On November 30, 1994, she caught fire off the coast of Somalia while en route to South Africa, the vessel sank on December 2, 1994.

SS Willem Ruys after the changes made to her in the 1960's, most obvious was the funnel redesign and the paint job.