Rotterdam question

[mrstmaxx]

We are going on the Rotterdam in early 2020.  From current reviews I've read it sounds like the ship is really old and in major need of repair.  Someone mentioned they thought it would be going in for work sometime this year.  Does anyone have any information on this?  thank you

[mammy123]

We were on the Rotterdam the first two weeks in December for the first time and didn't find much wrong with her.  Of course for her age, the hall rugs seemed to be losing the pattern,but the lido and MDR were in great shape.  We had late assigned seating and had no problems.  Servers were great.  Went to the theater a couple of times and no problems, Dive-in was good.  The only place we didn't care for was the spa on the Lido deck, aft pool (not really a pool).  They seem to allow smoking there and we are not smokers, so we didn't go there anymore.  Looks like everything outside had been painted recently.  BTW, we had a Lania for the first time and really enjoyed it.  No problem with the chairs .  Hope this helps a little. 

[OlsSalt]

7 hours ago, mrstmaxx said:

We are going on the Rotterdam in early 2020.  From current reviews I've read it sounds like the ship is really old and in major need of repair.  Someone mentioned they thought it would be going in for work sometime this year.  Does anyone have any information on this?  thank you

 

Do you have an ideal age for ships so we can know what "really old" means. Also are you aware of the drydock requirements all ships undergo as well as the vast CDC inspections and Coast Guard safety demands?  We sail the Rotterdam alot and she is one of our favorite ships. I will be so sorry when these grand beauties are all phased out of service after their projected life of 30 years.

 

Rotterdam is a ship built for traditional ocean travel; not for onboard entertainment distractions. So in that regard, you are probably right. She is "really old". Choose her if you love the itinerary and you will not be disappointed at all. Choose her for up to date modern amenities, pristine condition and artificial onboard distractions, you probably will.  There are newer HAL ships to explore - brand new ones. 

Edited January 2, 2019 by OlsSalt

[mcrcruiser]

We board Rotterdam in April for a 7 night Western Caribbean  cruise .It has been many years since we sailed on her . 

[dfish]

I was on the Rotterdam last summer for 14 days and will sail her for 20 days this coming summer.   I thought she was in great condition.  She had undergone a dry dock the previous fall and that took care of the problems you have probably read about.  She is certainly sea worthy or I wouldn't have booked 20 more days on her.

[Homosassa]

11 hours ago, mammy123 said:

We were on the Rotterdam the first two weeks in December for the first time and didn't find much wrong with her.  Of course for her age, the hall rugs seemed to be losing the pattern,but the lido and MDR were in great shape.  

 

LOL - those hall rugs are new and the fade pattern is intentional in the design.

 

The Rotterdam is a lovely ship and well maintained.

[gphb]

On the Rotterdam right now and ship looks in great shape.   The dry dock in December 2017 seems to have created some fresh public areas that still look new (and still look classic), and the art work collection and general condition of the ship is excellent and worthy of being a Flagship in the R/S collection.   We've sailed in recent months on the slightly newer Zaandam and the older Veendam, and the Rotterdam feels more elegant and in slightly better condition than both.   

 

The main cabins (non-suites) are certainly fine; spacious and very comfortable but not luxurious nor brand new; the TVs and DVD players are old and presumably due for an upgrade soon as the suites were updated.     The curtains, couches and bed furnishings feel fresh.   One of the duplicate light switches in one of our two cabins is missing, but I almost wonder if a previous passenger pulled it out as I find on these R classes that sitting in bed turns on and off the lights repeatedly because of their placement.

 

The Main Dining room, Lido, Pool area, Spa, Crows Nest , Explorers Lounge, and upper promenade bars are all in excellent condition, carpets don't look at all worn to us just some contemporary designs.     We have not been to the Casino.  

 

Service is friendly if a little inconsistent (e.g., scones at MDR tea were undercooked one day, two identical cuts of meats ordered in the Pinaccle last night to same temperature were served completely differently, the fake maple syrup at MDR breakfast one morning was inedible and all the dishes it had touched had to be sent back (at least for everyone on our 6-top)) but otherwise the food is of good quality, the ship has a few extra special touches that not all the R/S classes choose to do (e.g., petit fours at dinner), and we expected zero entertainment but have been pleasantly surprised so far at the musical/art/creative performances.   

The only thing that genuinely feels 1997-ish are the tenders and those are short rides generally.    Some of the updates made in previous dry docks are distinctly unwelcome (e.g. the exterior of the ship is rather ugly at the back compared to the pre-2009 paintings onboard) and the teak deck chairs on the beautiful lower promenade deck have been replaced at some point by inappropriate chaise longues for all but the lanai cabins, so in some cases it seems a dry dock may not always be the best to hope for.

 

Overall I think if you like classic ocean liner style ships, and/or the itinerary has the right ports, are comfortable with a full range of ages and mobilities onboard, then m/s Rotterdam VI should be on the must-do-once list and probably quite good value.      I think HAL will be up against some stiff competition with Virgin Voyages but compared to the current competition in this price segment I think Rotterdam is a keeper for a while.   I think Carnival Corp typically budget for a 40 year life span, others may be able to confirm.  

[Surfwench]

Took our first HAL cruise on the Rotterdam just a few weeks ago and could not be happier. We've cruised Carnival and Royal 10 times or so, but after a week on the Rotterdam our future cruises will all be on HAL. The Rotterdam is a lovely ship with graceful lines. It is tastefully decorated with artwork throughout the ship. She's an older girl, but VERY well maintained. We had a Lanai cabin which was fun, no problem with privacy or our reserved loungers. Here and there at the edges you get a peek at her age. There was some type of black waterproofing brushed around the tub faucets where they joined the wall. This would have been objectionable if the water pressure and hot water availability hadn't been so outstanding. And the TV was laughable, BUT we don't cruise to watch TV in our cabin. 

 

In size she compares with the Fantasy class ships on Carnival. But that's where the comparison ends. Staff, food, entertainment were all far superior to the Carnival Fantasy class  offering. Plus we stayed in port longer than the other cruise ships and enjoyed a beach resort, (Maya Chan), almost to ourselves because the Carnival cruisers had to skedaddle by 1:30! 

 

I wouldn't hesitate to sail on the Rotterdam again. Book with confidence!

[OlsSalt]

"Showing age" is a term that so often comes up, but does not really have a clear or productive definition to be helpful for future passengers.

 

Biggest visual issues I would use to define this term on the older ships are the multiple layers of paint added over the years, less than pristine metal work, the ongoing battle with rust spotting, the bump marks on the ship hulls, additional and less graceful caulking, battered but functional tenders, and less than state of the art cabin electronics.

 

Decor gets regular refurbishments so any "age" issues are primarily some worn spots before their next dry dock. Always the ships are clean and comfortable. One could count on a degree of fustiness in prior older ship decor but recent refurbishments have been pleasingly more contemporary, lighter and brighter. 

 

We personally love the smaller older ships, layered with paint and superficial patches as they have earned over their decades on the high seas.  Long may they sail. Recent cruise on the Eurodam sparkled in ways one will never see on the Rand S class ships any longer, but I found myself missing the intimate charms of those smaller older ships immensely. They will always remain my own first choice.  No more larger "noisy dams" for me.

[ottahand7]

I am heading out on the Rotterdam out of Tampa on February 10.  I was thrilled with the TVs that we had on the Oosterdam and the Konigsdam in 2018.   I am in a balcony cabin.  Does anyone know if the TVs are any better in the Neptune Suites on the Rotterdam?  I guess I better keep my phone near hoping for an upsell.   It is nice to have the selection of movies to view at night as we are not really enamored with the onboard entertainment.  

[mrstmaxx]

Thank you everyone who responded!!   This is very helpful and it sounds like the ship is in great shape.   Maybe the reviews I read were really old or, as we all know, some people just complain about everything:)  I once red a review in which the poster was complaining that there was salt on their balcony (duh, you are at sea).   We are really looking forward to the cruise - going through the Panama Canal.   Thank you again for all the info

[capnmatt]

I agree with many of these posters. Rotterdam is a beautiful ship, but designed for ocean voyages. She will not compete (if you are into the bar hopping crowd) with the newer gigantic island hoppers being built today. But in my opinion those are nothing more than floating hotels. The Rotterdam is a true ship. A ship you get to enjoy intimately as you sail on her. There will be no water slides, Racing courses, ice rinks, etc. but if you want a more traditional laid back vacation without thousands of people, long lines, and drunk folks, Rotterdam and other HAL ships might be to your liking.

[OlsSalt]

You might have to fight the Dutch passengers over the daily cheese selections on the Rotterdam. The only drawback I can add from my own past Rotterdam cruising experiences.