SS Argentina was an ocean liner launched at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States in 1958.

The second was a charter during 1976—1978 in which the ship operated as Monarch Star before returning to the name Veendam under a Holland America Line entity in Panama.

Construction was subsidized by the United States Maritime Administration under title V, sections 501 and 504 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936.

The Maritime administration subsidized the cost of construction by paying $19,528,362 ($206 million today) to support the US shipbuilding industry.

Argentina and Brasil were to operate in the line's service to east coast ports of the United States and South America.

[9][10] The ship departed Pascagoula December 1, 1958 under command of the line's Commodore, Thomas N. Simmons who had been captain of Brasil, bound for New York on a combination trial and delivery voyage.

[6][12] On departure for the return to New York the ship was involved in a minor collision with no injuries with the tanker Atlantic Viscountess in the Río de la Plata.

[6] Between September and December 1963 both Argentina and Brasil underwent overhaul and expansion at Bethlehem Steel Company in Baltimore.

[6][13] Charles Reid, captain of Argentina, disappeared from the ship October 30, 1968 while underway about 26 miles east of Cuba in the Windward Passage and was lost at sea.

[15] In early 1969 the government rejected Moore-McCormack's request to lay up Argentina and Brasil which, despite subsidies, were losing $2.7 million.

[1][2][3][17] During December 1973 Veendam operated out of Baltimore on cruises, part of a program promoted by the city and the Maryland Port Administration, that were booked at near capacity.

[16] In February 1974 the line announced cancellation of scheduled cruises from Baltimore with plans to sell the two former U.S. liners due to high operating costs.

The Baltimore cruises, announced on unusually short notice, had apparently been the last effort of the line to keep the ships in operation.

[18] The ship remained in lay up at Hampton Roads, Virginia until chartered by Agencia Maritima Intermares S.A. to operate cruises out of Rio de Janeiro as Brasil for the 1974/75 winter season.

[13][21] The Bermuda Star Line was a Cayman Island company with all its ships registered in Panama but did almost all its business in the United States and had its corporate offices in New York City or Teaneck, New Jersey.

The first was successful and a second aboard Bermuda Star, with the ship nicknamed "Brenda Starr" by passengers had sailed from New Orleans in February 1987.

In August 1994 the ship moved to Bremerhaven to serve as quarters for British workmen refitting Queen Elizabeth 2.

The ship then returned to cruising based in the Caribbean during which it suffered a blackout requiring towing to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

On 30 December 2000 the line suspended all operations due to bankruptcy and the ship was arrested on behalf of the crew for pay and outstanding fines.