Review: MS Rotterdam, 7 Day Norwegian Fjords - Southern, 21-28 July

[Mairnealach]

Port of Departure: Rotterdam

Ports of Call: Oslo, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Flam

 

Ship's Complement

Captain: Robert-Jan Kan

Hotel Manager: François Birarda

Cruise Director: Glenn Coenen

 

Entertainment Staff

Byron Johnston: Legends of the guitar

Michiel: Piano man

Brad Brock: Guitar

Bernard Walz: Australia's piano sensation

Marty: Crow's Nest DJ

Ronald Moray: Dutch master of magic and comedy

 

Passengers

 

The majority of the passengers were Dutch speaking from the Netherlands and Belgium. All on-board announcements were in English and Dutch. American voices were also heard and there was a sprinkling of other nationalities. There was a wide age range on the cruise, with lots of children on board, but not many people in the fifteen to thirty year age group. Everyone was polite and well-behaved, including the children.

 

Background

 

I am in my mid-sixties and this was my first cruise. My travelling companion had been on one cruise previously as a schoolgirl; a Welsh schools' educational cruise to the Mediterranean on the S.S. Uganda. The high point of that cruise, to her juvenile mind, was the spectacle of the French mistress getting plastered on ouzo in Greece.

 

The Cruise

 

Embarkation was well-organised and hassle free. Our accommodation was an ocean view state room on the main deck. It was clean, in good condition and we were very pleased with it. The air conditioning worked satisfactorily and we had no problems flushing the toilet. No noise disturbed our sleep at night. The MS Rotterdam was in excellent shape and showed no signs of wear and tear. To our eyes, she was a most elegant ship and we were highly impressed with her. The casino was not to our taste, but it was easily avoided.

 

We had late, fixed dining at a table for two, number 77, on the upper level of La Fontaine dining room. The position of our table was outstanding as it overlooked the lower level dining area on one side and afforded a fine view of the sea and fjords, through the windows, on the other. We had a look at the Pinnacle Grill dining room, but were not impressed with its boxy, window-less appearance. The dress code was universally adhered to and the elegance of the ladies and smartness of the men on formal nights was a fine sight.

 

The quality of the food was excellent. We only had one disappointing meal throughout the week. We tried having breakfast in the main dining room and in our cabin, but found the quantity of food served was far too great. We preferred the Lido for breakfast where we could request smaller portions. On most days, we ordered lunch in our cabin from room service. The delivery time was between thirty to forty minutes which we were advised of when ordering. The ship's coffee was good and strong, but as confirmed tea drinkers we brought our own Twining's tea bags on board. Our one complaint related to the 'fresh fruit plate' dessert. My companion is on a diet and ordered this every night. The fruit turned out to be only melon which became rather monotonous. However, on eventually mentioning this to our steward he went to the kitchen and five minutes later returned with a dish of strawberries, blackberries and cherries.

 

The Indonesian crew members were outstanding. Nothing was too much trouble for them and all our requests were fulfilled willingly and remembered for the next day.

 

In conclusion, the cruise far exceeded our expectations and we both had a wonderful and relaxing holiday. The cruising life-style is one to which I could very easily become addicted. If you have any questions about the cruise, the ship or the ports, please feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer them.

 

Dermot

[irisheileen]

I'm so glad that you enjoyed your first cruise! Thanks for the review.

I hope to someday do a similar cruise. It's on my bucket list.

[RuthC]

Thank you for your report. Glad to hear the the Rotterdam served you well.

Since you asked, I am interested in knowing how you liked the ports, and what you did in them. I am quite familiar with all of them, and am interested in seeing them through new eyes.

What places provided the best scenery, in your view? So many places in Norway are drop-dead gorgeous, although weather can make a difference there.

[erewhon]

Thank you taking time to review your first cruise.

Pleased that you had a good relaxing holiday.

Sometimes I order a bowl of berries for dessert.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for writing and posting a review of your cruise. Glad you had a good first cruise. So when is the next one? :D

[kazu]

Nice Review - thanks so much for taking the time to share with us.

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise and welcome home:):)

[portofrome]

Glad you enjoyed your cruise. Thanks for the review.

[aquasat]

THX for the review,

 

we leave on the 4th on the same cruise and still have some questions.

 

Is it possible to take the train in Fläm privatly (at the advertised price on their website) without reservation?

 

Did you visit the petrolium museum in Stavanger?

 

We travel with our son of 4 and daugther of 6, can you recomend someting for Oslo or Kristiansand?

 

I'm glad to hear everything was so good, after the june cruise with all those ill guests we were a bit affraid.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you enjoyed your first cruise.

 

Thank you for your review.

[Mairnealach]

Thank you for your report. Glad to hear the the Rotterdam served you well.

Since you asked, I am interested in knowing how you liked the ports, and what you did in them. I am quite familiar with all of them, and am interested in seeing them through new eyes.

What places provided the best scenery, in your view? So many places in Norway are drop-dead gorgeous, although weather can make a difference there.

 

Hi Ruth,

 

Apart from Flam, we just relaxed and went for a short ramble around the various ports. Most of the trips that my friend, Patricia, and I take together are short breaks of three to four days to major European cities such as London, Paris and Amsterdam. These involve a lot of travelling on hot, crowded underground systems and visits to art galleries, theatres and shops. So we decided that this was to be a real 'holiday' with no rushing about or using public transport. We were fortunate in that the weather, apart from a few light showers, was fine throughout the cruise.

 

Oslo: We docked at Rivierkaia facing the new opera house. The buildings around the harbour were of an ugliness that made me question how Scandinavian design has achieved its prestige. We first made the ten minute walk to Central Railway station to purchase tickets for the Flam railway, of which more in a separate post. We then rambled down Karl Johans Gate and stopped at the bakery of WB Samson for a cup of coffee:

 

http://www.samson.no/

 

We had not planned to do any shopping, but for Pat this proved impossible to fulfil. So we visited various department stores before ending up in the establishment of Steen & Strøm:

 

http://www.steenstrom.com/

 

They were holding a summer sale and, after much humming and hawing, Pat bought a Gerry Weber skirt and top, at a 70% reduction, for Thursday's formal night. Norway is not in the European Union and VAT can be reclaimed on any purchases above a small minimum price. A customs official is on hand in Flam, on Thursday, to process this. But, you must get an official, stamped VAT form from the store where the purchase is made. As it was now around 3pm, we walked back to the ship and had lunch in our cabin with a bottle of chilled wine.

 

Kristiansand: This was the surprise port of the cruise. I had not expected much and from the sail-in to the harbour it seemed an industrial city. But the Fish Market, right next to where the Rotterdam berthed, was an attractive area with lots of restaurants and a small, electric train ferrying people around. It was a lovely, balmy afternoon. We sat down by the small harbour, breathed in the sea air and both of us said 'I could live here'. It was so peaceful, with small children playing and lots of bees gathering nectar from the bright flower beds.

 

Stavanger: The day started off overcast, with some light rain, but brightened later. We had to be back on board the Rotterdam by 2.30pm for scenic cruising in the Lysefjord. There was a food festival taking place around the harbour and we had a walk around the various stalls. We then strolled to the cathedral, it only took five minutes, and sat down in a small park nearby. We then had a look at Gamle Stavenger, the old town, with its attractive wooden houses before returning to the ship for lunch.

 

Flam: The main attraction here is the approach to the village along the Sognefjord and the railway which I will deal with separately. When we returned from the train trip the weather was gloriously sunny and Flam, with its sheltered location, was a real sun trap. We first visited the Railway Museum, free admission, before ending up in the Ægir Brewery to sample its produce. The barman allowed me to taste all the brewery's beers before I made my selection. A 50cl beer for me, and a 33cl beer for Pat, cost around €24 in total! Needless to say we did not have a refill. But the beer was excellent and the occasion justified the high price.

 

As regards scenery, the early morning approach to Flam, along the Sognefjord, was undoubtedly the high point. The previous evening, Captain Kan announced that from around 5am the next morning the approach to Flam would be spectacular. So I set the alarm clock and at 5pm was up on deck. What was incredible, to me, was that on the 26th July there was still snow on the mountains.

 

The Lysefjord was also wonderful and we were once again lucky with the weather. I was speaking to a woman who went on the ship's excursion to Pulpit Rock in the morning. She said it was so misty they could see nothing. By afternoon, the weather had become hot and sunny. But sailing into Flam in the early morning mist seemed much more typically Norwegian. The scenery along the route of the Flam railway was also awe inspiring. When we suddenly came upon the Kjosfossen waterfall, there was an audible intake of breath from the train passengers followed by a spontaneous round of applause.

 

 

One does not go on a cruise to Norway for the ports, but for the scenery. Unlike on a Mediterranean cruise, we both enjoyed the fact that we did not feel we had to be up and off the ship early to visit some famous museum or historic site before the crowds arrived. It was a wonderfully relaxing week.

 

Dermot

[RuthC]

Thank you for all your comments, Dermot. I know so well what you mean about just relaxing with the Norwegian scenery. I think I could board the ship and not leave until forced to disembark. Just sit on a deckchair and breathe the fresh air.

 

You brought memories of past visits there back to the front of my memory. I will enjoy spending the rest of the day with them!

[ldog]

Thanks for the review.... The Rotterdam is one of our favourite ships and this itinerary is on our bucket list.

[SwissMyst]

.....

In conclusion, the cruise far exceeded our expectations and we both had a wonderful and relaxing holiday. The cruising life-style is one to which I could very easily become addicted. If you have any questions about the cruise, the ship or the ports, please feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer them.

 

Dermot

 

What a wonderful report. We have 50 days coming up on the Rotterdam so we love hearing how well everything went for you. Thank you.

[Mairnealach]

THX for the review,

 

we leave on the 4th on the same cruise and still have some questions.

 

Is it possible to take the train in Fläm privatly (at the advertised price on their website) without reservation?

 

Yes, this is what we did. However to get the return fare of 360Nok for an adult you have to get your tickets at the station in Flam. We went to Central Railway station in Oslo to buy our tickets, but they charge two single fares of 260Nok which comes to 520Nok for a return ticket.

 

The good news is that on 9th August the Rotterdam is the only ship in Flam, which means there will be more seats available on the train and the ship will be at anchor so tenders are not required to disembark. At present there are train seats available:

 

http://www.flambooking.com/booking.aspx

 

The Rotterdam is scheduled to berth at 7am although when we were there the actual berthing time was 7.45pm. The railway station is only 100 metres from where the ship berths. I reached the station at 8am and already there was a queue of 25 people ahead of me. A few minutes later the queue had doubled in length. The booking office opens officially at 8.15 am but in practice it will probably open a few minutes early.

 

Myrdal, the train's destination, is just a railway junction where the Flam train connects with the mainline to Bergen and Oslo. We booked to return to Flam immediately on the next train and did not get off in Myrdal. When departing Flam, the right side facing the direction of travel is considered to give the most scenic views. To get four seats together for your family, try and get to Flam station to board the train as early as feasible before departure time.

 

 

 

Did you visit the petrolium museum in Stavanger?

 

No, it did not interest us. See my previous post for what we did in the various ports.

 

We travel with our son of 4 and daugther of 6, can you recomend someting for Oslo or Kristiansand?

 

In Kristiansand, there is a small, electric tourist train chugging along merrily which your children would undoubtedly enjoy. It passes through the fish market which is beside where the Rotterdam berths.

 

The Dyreparken Zoo and Amusement Park has been recommended on the Northern Europe Cruise Critic forum, although it is situated a bit outside Kristiansand and you would need to take a bus to get there.

 

http://www.dyreparken.no/*****-oss/Spraak/Kristiansand-Zoo-and-Amusement-Park/

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1630258

 

In Oslo, if the weather is clement, perhaps the children would enjoy visiting Frognerparken.

 

http://www.visitoslo.com/en/product/?TLp=229519

 

The website states, 'children can play in Norway's biggest playground, located between the main gates and Frogner Manor House'.

 

I'm glad to hear everything was so good, after the june cruise with all those ill guests we were a bit affraid.

 

There was no illness at all on the 21st July cruise. Enjoy the cruise

 

Dermot

[aquasat]

thx for the answers.

We will plan ahead for Fläm.

 

The Oslo tip is a very good one for the kids.

They love to play, just hoping it will not rain.

 

4 more days and we can enjoy the cruise live.

[sparkopotamus]

So glad you had an enjoyable trip! I loved reading your review and additional commentary! We'll be on the Ryndam next June out of Dover; same itinerary except HAL replaced Ulvik for Flam. I'm sure it will all be as lovely as you've described. Thanks so much for sharing! :)

[Sunshine91]

Dermot - Thanks much for your commentary. My parents were on that same cruise with you, but stayed aboard for a second week. They were celebrating their 50th anniversary.

 

They flew home today safe & sound but are pretty exhausted, so I don't know anything yet about their experiences. I'll speak with them tomorrow. :)

[PASSENGERES]

Whilst agreeing with many of Mairnealach's remarks for the first week, I would like to add some comments, since we did the Collectors' Cruise of 14 days.

 

Port of Departure: Rotterdam, which possibly explained the 900-1000 Dutch passengers on board

Ports of Call: Oslo, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Flam, Bergen, Geiranger, Alesund, Eidfjord, with scenic cruising in Geirangerfjord, Hardangerfjoprd.

 

Ship's Complement

Captain: Robert-Jan Kan

Hotel Manager: François Birarda

Cruise Director: Glenn Coenen

 

Entertainment Staff

Byron Johnston: Legends of the guitar

Michiel: Piano man

Brad Brock: Guitar

Bernard Walz: Australia's piano sensation

Marty: Crow's Nest DJ

Ronald Moray: Dutch master of magic and comedy

 

Passengers

 

The majority of the passengers were Dutch speaking from the Netherlands and Belgium. All on-board announcements were in English and Dutch, menus in the MDR were available in English and Dutch, but Future Cruise brochures were only available in Dutch, and only until April, 2013. American voices were also heard and there was a sprinkling of other nationalities. There was a wide age range on the cruise, with lots of children on board, but not many people in the fifteen to thirty year age group. Everyone was polite and well-behaved, including the children.

 

Background

 

I am in my mid-sixties and this was my first cruise. We are somewhat older and we have cruised a number of times, 5 times on HAL. My travelling companion had been on one cruise previously as a schoolgirl; a Welsh schools' educational cruise to the Mediterranean on the S.S. Uganda. The high point of that cruise, to her juvenile mind, was the spectacle of the French mistress getting plastered on ouzo in Greece.

 

The Cruise

 

Embarkation was well-organised and hassle free. Our accommodation was an ocean view state room on the main deck. We had booked an ocean view but decided a few months later to request a change to a BB Verandah "suite" guarantee. We were indeed lucky to be allocated an A cat. Verandah just a week before sailing. We felt the the difference it price was well worthwhile. It was clean, in good condition and we were very pleased with it. The air conditioning worked satisfactorily and we had no problems flushing the toilet. We were utterly disappointed with the small sized bathtub, even with the jacuzzi facility. As a person who loves ro relax in a scented bubble bath, it was a huge disappointment to have the child size tub. No noise disturbed our sleep at night. The MS Rotterdam was in excellent shape and showed no signs of wear and tear. To our eyes, she was a most elegant ship and we were highly impressed with her. The casino was not to our taste, but it was easily avoided.

 

We had late, fixed dining at a table for two, number 77, on the upper level of La Fontaine dining room. The position of our table was outstanding as it overlooked the lower level dining area on one side and afforded a fine view of the sea and fjords, through the windows, on the other. We had a look at the Pinnacle Grill dining room, but were not impressed with its boxy, window-less appearance. We loved the Pinnacle Grill and found the service and food to be perfect. The dress code was universally adhered to and the elegance of the ladies and smartness of the men on formal nights was a fine sight. We thought the dress code was far more relaxed on the Rotterdam than on the larger HAL ships, and were very happy to see very few dinner suits, long gowns, etc.

The quality of the food was excellent. We only had one disappointing meal throughout the week. We tried having breakfast in the main dining room and in our cabin, but found the quantity of food served was far too great. We invariably ordered a light breakfast of fruit, cereal and coffee/tea, in our cabin and loved the fresh salads, etc. in the Lido at lunch time. We were happy with our table for two on the late fixed seating, on the 2nd part of our cruise, after changing from "anytime dining" and having to eat at 6.00 pm during the first week. We preferred the Lido for breakfast where we could request smaller portions. On most days, we ordered lunch in our cabin from room service. The delivery time was between thirty to forty minutes which we were advised of when ordering. The ship's coffee was good and strong, but as confirmed tea drinkers we brought our own Twining's tea bags on board. Our one complaint related to the 'fresh fruit plate' dessert. My companion is on a diet and ordered this every night. The fruit turned out to be only melon which became rather monotonous. However, on eventually mentioning this to our steward he went to the kitchen and five minutes later returned with a dish of strawberries, blackberries and cherries.

 

The Indonesian (and Philipino) crew members were outstanding. Nothing was too much trouble for them and all our requests were fulfilled willingly and remembered for the next day.

 

All in all, we had a wonderful cruise and look forward to sailing again on a HAL ship, hopefully in 2013.

 

In conclusion, the cruise far exceeded our expectations and we both had a wonderful and relaxing holiday. The cruising life-style is one to which I could very easily become addicted. If you have any questions about the cruise, the ship or the ports, please feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer them.

 

Dermot

[ChicagoWeb]

We are doing this cruise this summer- first time cruising family of 5 (2 adults 3 kids 15, 13,11).

Question on board: are there many extra charges? Like drinks, special dining, the workout room ect.

As for dining, is there a dress code? What are the different dining rooms? With 3 kids we would prefer a more relaxed atmosphere to getting dressed up. Is that possible? Is it necessary to bring a tie for men at dinner every night?

 

Are there things to do on the boat for the kids?

 

I have read that people sometimes purchase drinks (juice, wine, beer) at a store near the embarkation location so they don't have to purchase so much on the ship. Is this possible in Rotterdam? Or do you know of people that do this?

 

The Flam train looks spectacular! We definitely would want to do this. Do I understand that the train stops along the way to the end station to take pictures? Are people allowed off the train or does it just stop, snap and continue?

I went to the flammbooking.com website and for some reason you could only book for a group.

 

Thank you for such great tips and explanation of this trip!

[brazilgirl]

We will be on a fjord cruise in July ( on the Eurodam) . Very much enjoyed your review!!!