SS Zeeland ( 1901 ) SS " Zeeland was a British and Belgian ocean liner of the International Mercantile Marine Co . ( IMM ) . She was a sister ship to and a near sister ship to and of the same company . Although her name was Dutch , it was changed during World War I to the less German - sounding SS " Northland . She served for a time as a British troop ship under the name HMT " Northland . Reverting to " Zeeland " after the war , the ship was renamed SS " Minnesota late in her career . " Zeeland " sailed primarily for IMM ' s Red Star Line for most of her early career , but also sailed under charter for the White Star Line ( later White Star - Dominion ) , the International Navigation Company , the American Line , and the Atlantic Transport Line , all IMM subsidiary lines . Early career . In July 1899 , the Red Star Line announced plans for the construction of four large steamers . Two ships , and " Zeeland " at John Brown & Company of Clydebank in Scotland , and two others , and , were to be built at William Cramp and Sons in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . After being launched on 24 November 1900 , " Zeeland " made her maiden voyage from Antwerp to New York on 13 April 1901 , sailing under the British flag . " Zeeland " began regular service on the Antwerp – New York route sailing opposite of " Vaderland " , and when they were completed in 1902 , " Kroonland " and " Finland " . In April 1910 , " Zeeland " was chartered to the White Star Line for service between Liverpool and Boston , where she remained until September 1911 . The following month , " Zeeland " was returned to the Antwerp – New York service for Red Star . In July 1912 the liner was reflagged as a Belgian ship ; she remained on the same route , and continued sailing for the Red Star Line . World War I . After the August 1914 outbreak of World War I , " Zeeland " was reflagged as a British ship , and sailed from Liverpool to New York in September . Shifting to the White Star - Dominion Line , " Zeeland " first sailed from Liverpool to Quebec and Montreal in November , and from Liverpool to Halifax and Portland in December and January 1915 . In early 1915 , " Zeeland " , though her name was Dutch , was renamed to the less German - sounding SS " Northland " . Sailing for the International Navigation Company , the liner continued on the Liverpool – Halifax – Portland service through June before returning to the Liverpool – Quebec – Montreal route . After a period when she was taken up as a British troop ship , under the name HMT " Northland " , the liner returned for service under the White Star - Dominion Line in August 1916 . In April 1917 , " Northland " began Liverpool – Halifax service , eventually making seven roundtrips on that route . Late career . In February 1919 , SS " Northland " began sailing from Liverpool to Philadelphia for the American Line through June 1919 . After a refurbishment , the liner was returned to her former name , " Zeeland " ; to the Red Star Line ; and to Antwerp – New York service ( with intermediate stops in Southampton ) in August 1920 . In April 1923 , " Zeeland " was converted to cabin - and third - class passenger service only . " Zeeland " began her last Red Star voyage on 8 October 1926 . Transferred to the Atlantic Transport Line in 1927 , the liner was renamed SS " Minnesota " and began tourist service between London and New York in April . After making her last voyage in September 1929 , " Minnesota " was sold and scrapped at Inverkeithing in 1930 .