New to HAL - Rotterdam, Zuiderdam, or Eurodam?

[Cruiser_M]

My husband and I hope to book a HAL itinerary for Late 2024 or Early 2025 very soon, going on a 9- or 10- day cruise from Fort Lauderdale to the ABC islands. I see there are three ships sailing that route during that season.

 

This cruise will serve several purposes for us: celebration of an event that will have taken place at the end of Sep 2024, a chance to try HAL before we commit to one of their 50+ day cruises in the future, and a chance to visit all three of the ABC islands. 

 

What should we take into consideration about the Rotterdam, Zuiderdam, and Eurodam to help us make our decision?

 

Thank you!

[Ipeeinthepools]

The Rotterdam is the newest ship in the fleet with all of latest bells and whistles, you may not enjoy the older ships after you have been on the Rotterdam.  What type of cabin would you book?  If you are thinking about one of the longer voyages, perhaps you should sail a different itinerary on a ship in the same class as used on the longer voyages. I don't think any of these ships are used on the longer voyages.  The ships used on the longer voyages are older and there are not any balcony cabins that are not the more expensive suite cabins.

 

Good Luck

[Moriah]

This subject is dear to my heart.  For many many years I declared I "didn't like" any ship larger than Vista Class (Zuiderdam and her sisters).  I sailed on Eurodam and NA when they were brand new, and declared them "too big". LOL  Then as the years went by they sort of grew on me and weren't "that much" bigger... anyway, my first cruise in the A.C. period (After Covid) was November 2022 on Rotterdam, and it was LOVE at first coffee at the Dutch Cafe!  I am now in love with the "big" ships of that class, and yes, there is something about sailing the newest ship in the fleet, just because it's the newest, and the flagship, and all that.  So I realize I'm not being super helpful, but I'll say that having sailed on all the HAL ships and classes at this point I'd say they ALL have something wonderful to offer.  After Rotterdam, I sailed a couple weeks ago on NA again, and I'll be in Zaandam in May.  Different sizes, different itineraries, different experiences, yet all wonderful.  But, you are talking about a Caribbean cruise specifically.  I would say, get on the Rotterdam for that one!  You don't need a smaller ship to fit into small ports, so there is no advantage that way of a smaller ship. And in the case of your itinerary I'd say Zuiderdam would be my last choice and Rotterdam my first simply because the Rotterdam experience is such fun right now it being, as said, the newest and shiniest.  More dining choices, LOTS of amazing music, and everything else that makes HAL wonderful.  My vote for THAT itinerary - Rotterdam.

Edited April 2, 2023 by Moriah

[NCTribeFan]

I board Rotterdam (Pinnacle class) tomorrow for 26 nights.  I have sailed her sister ship, Koningsdam, and liked her very much.  Much more modern decor than HAL's other ships.

 

Have sailed Zuiderdam twice, most recently for 2 weeks to Alaska last June.  I really like the layout of the Vista class.  Eurodam (Signature class) is almost identical but has the wonderful Tamarind restaurant as well.

 

I sailed Eurodam in November 2021, my first post-Covid sailing, and there were only 500 pax on board.  That was fabulous.  So far, she's my favorite.  But the fact that there were so few pax on board and I was so delighted to be cruising again may have something to do with my perception of that cruise.

 

I typically sail solo and book interior cabins, and the Vista and Signature classes both have these wonderful large interior cabins that are so roomy.  Unfortunately, the Pinnacle class does not have this category cabin.

 

I did have a verandah cabin on K'dam and it seemed slightly smaller than some balcony cabins I've had on other lines.

 

Yes, the bigger and newer the ship, the more bells and whistles.  While having more options is nice, I wouldn't hesitate to book either Zuiderdam or Eurodam again.  Actually, I'm booked for 18 nights to Hawaii on Volendam, the smallest, oldest ship in the fleet.  Having sailed her sister Zaandam to Hawaii on my first HAL cruise, I'm really looking forward to the ship.  Such a nice, personalized feeling when sailing the smaller ships.

[Cruiser_M]

Thank you for such quick and very helpful replies. In looking more at the 9-night vs 10-night itineraries, we see we get a stop at Grand Turk with the 10-night. That has actually made the decision for us! So now there's only one ship, the Eurodam. 

 

To the person who suggested taking a cruise on the one the ships that is used for longer voyagers, you have a VERY valid point. Thank you. I think that's reason for us to plan another short cruise in the future to test it out.

 

Many thanks to you all!

[REOVA]

What cruise line and ships have you sailed and liked? What do you like to do on the ship? We enjoy smaller ships and relaxing on the seas between ports but it depends on how you go into it and your expectations as to what you will get. You'll generally find HAL crew the nicest and friendliest in the business and better service on smaller ship. But you shouldn't compare a Caribbean itinerary with HALs longer voyages (even on same ship). They will have more programs on longer voyages (hopefully, as they used to) and the experience will be different on board. Enjoy Eurodam for this cruise and keep an open mind on the next. We've sailed every class ship (as well as other lines) and there are pluses and minuses to each, depending on personal desires. 

[doone]

I too vote Rotterdam, I just sailed her 10-day ABC island itinerary and had a great cruise.  The service, food and entertainment were all top notch and I loved all the bells and whistles of a new ship.  I, too, was not going on any larger ship than the Vista, but did sail the Koningsdam and I also fell in love with the Pinnacle class of ship….not to say the other class of ships I wouldn’t sail again if itinerary was right.

 

 

 

[Tapi]

My vote would be for the Rotterdam.
 

We’d sailed on Holland once before (on the Westerdam, sister ship to the Zuiderdam) and we didn’t like the ship one bit (felt very gloomy and depressing). It turned me away from sailing on HAL again.
 

We then decided to give HAL another try, this time aboard Nieuw Statendam (Rotterdam’s sister ship). We absolutely LOVED this ship. It’s modern and airy while still maintaining some of the elements of traditional cruising that HAL is known for. In my humble opinion, it perfectly ties the past and the future.

 

We’ve sailed on most major cruise lines and on all types and sizes of ships (check my signature). The Nieuw Statendam ranks as one of my absolute favorite ships and cruise experiences, hands down. Rotterdam may be HAL’s largest ship, but compared to the rest of the cruise industry, she’s fairly small (in relative terms). I think she’s the perfect size.

 

-o-

 

Have you been to Grand Turk before? I didn’t care too much for it. You arrive at a Welcome Center (built by Carnival). Nice beach and pool area with a surfing simulator, a Margaritaville restaurant, and pool cabanas that you can rent for the day. If the only ship in port is your HAL ship, it will be fairly quiet. But if you’re in port with another ship (specially from one of the other Carnival brands), get ready for the pool area to be packed and the party hopping. 
 

The beaches are indeed beautiful and the water is breathtaking. But the island is fairly small and, outside of the Welcome Center, the choices for sightseeing and exploration are somewhat limited. There’s really not much to see or do. 

 

If you’re NOT the kind of person that enjoys spending the day lounging by the pool or the beach, you may be a bit disappointed. 

Edited April 2, 2023 by Tapi

[Cruiser_M]

32 minutes ago, REOVA said:

What cruise line and ships have you sailed and liked? What do you like to do on the ship? We enjoy smaller ships and relaxing on the seas between ports but it depends on how you go into it and your expectations as to what you will get. You'll generally find HAL crew the nicest and friendliest in the business and better service on smaller ship. But you shouldn't compare a Caribbean itinerary with HALs longer voyages (even on same ship). They will have more programs on longer voyages (hopefully, as they used to) and the experience will be different on board. Enjoy Eurodam for this cruise and keep an open mind on the next. We've sailed every class ship (as well as other lines) and there are pluses and minuses to each, depending on personal desires. 

 

A million years ago I went on a Disney cruise and a few small ships on Royal Caribbean. Together we started with the smallest class of Royal Caribbean ships and worked our way up. So far we've sailed on all classes of their ships except Oasis and Quantum Classes. We've sailed in interior, ocean view, and balcony rooms. We're quite spoiled with the balcony, but for this trip and any longer trips we'll have to settle for probably inside or possibly ocean view if we get a great offer from a travel agent. 

 

You have a good point about not being able to directly compare a short cruise to a longer cruise. It's still probably at least a glimpse at how HAL does things. One thing that's important to me is that there's a Catholic priest onboard, and I can attend Holy Mass even on sea days. I think right now HAL is the only cruise line in the world that offers that option all year round. That plus some really great itineraries are the two main reasons we're hoping to sail with them.

[Cruiser_M]

4 minutes ago, Tapi said:

 

 

Have you been to Grand Turk before? I didn’t care too much for it. You arrive at a Welcome Center (built by Carnival). Nice beach and pool area with a surfing simulator, a Margaritaville restaurant, and pool cabanas that you can rent for the day. If the only ship in port is your HAL ship, it will be fairly quiet. But if you’re in port with another ship (specially from one of the other Carnival brands), get ready for the pool area to be packed and the party hopping. 
 

The beaches are indeed beautiful and the water is breathtaking. But the island is fairly small and, outside of the Welcome Center, the choices for sightseeing and exploration are somewhat limited. There’s really not much to see or do. 

 

If you’re NOT the kind of person that enjoys spending the day lounging by the pool or the beach, you may be a bit disappointed. 

That's really helpful info; thank you. We've not been there. I figured since it'd be another nation we can cross off our list as having visited and it would only add one day to the itinerary, we should consider it. I'll pass this along to my husband and see if that changes our minds. 

[Cruise Suzy]

With HAL, I would pick a ship based on its itinerary.

 

I LOVE the Pinnacle class ships for the Grand Durch Cafe, NY Deli & Pizza and large showers (rather than tub/shower combo). But after sailing on Koningsdam and Rotterdam, DH declared the limited space between foot of bed and wall in a Verandah just wasn't a pleasant thing for him. Unfortunately, we don't like the layout of the Vista or Signature Suites on that class - the bed is next to the balcony.

 

We had previously sailed on Westerdam (Vista class in a bump-out Signature Suite) and Nieuw Amsterdam (Signature class in a Verandah) and enjoyed them both very much, especially the loungers on the Promenade deck. We like the layout of the Signature Suites on those classes (bed is next to the bathroom) and they have both a tub/shower combo and a (small) shower. So now we look at only those two classes, giving a slight preference to the Signature class for the NY Pizza and Tamarind.

 

Three of our next four cruises are on the Eurodam and the other is on Nieuw Amsterdam. We were able to get one of the bump-out Signature Suites on all.

[CruiserBruce]

I agree with looking hard at itinerary first. You will Dowell on all 3 ships, so itinerary is more important. 

[0106]

@Cruiser_M If you are sailing the Caribbean to  find out if you would like HAL for a 50 day cruise, you must sail the same class of ship.  The Zuiderdam is currently my husband’s favorite HAL, small enough that you can get to know people on board but still has plenty of verandah cabins.  We will sail the same class of ship on a 22 day South America & Antarctic cruise next winter.

 

We were on a Caribbean cruise the Rotterdam in February.  It is a more modern ship with more dining options.  It did seem crowded.

 

BTW,Grand Turk is a fabulous port for snorkeling.

[Tapi]

26 minutes ago, Cruiser_M said:

One thing that's important to me is that there's a Catholic priest onboard, and I can attend Holy Mass even on sea days. I think right now HAL is the only cruise line in the world that offers that option all year round.

From a fellow Catholic, I can tell you that Mass services was not one of the things that I had thought about when I booked a cruise on HAL, but it turned out to be a highlight of our cruise. 
 

Our ship departed on a Sunday, and they had mass scheduled for 4:30pm that day. Now, normally, I would’ve been out on deck for the sailaway party with drink in hand. But we decided to attend Mass instead.  We noticed that the ship had started moving as we were getting up for communion, and I realized then that we were at the right place for sailaway. Perfect way to start our cruise.

 

P.S. I still had time to make it to the pool deck for sailaway after mass was over. 😂

Edited April 2, 2023 by Tapi

[AKJonesy]

1 hour ago, Cruiser_M said:

Thank you for such quick and very helpful replies. In looking more at the 9-night vs 10-night itineraries, we see we get a stop at Grand Turk with the 10-night. That has actually made the decision for us! So now there's only one ship, the Eurodam. 

 

To the person who suggested taking a cruise on the one the ships that is used for longer voyagers, you have a VERY valid point. Thank you. I think that's reason for us to plan another short cruise in the future to test it out.

 

Many thanks to you all!

I'm glad that you are able to sail on Eurodam for your voyage.  I like that ship very much and have sailed on her several times.  My first choice of your three would've been Rotterdam, Eurodam then Zuiderdam.  I did not like Zuiderdam on a November 2022.   Once you sail on Rotterdam, it's hard to go back to the older ships like Zuiderdam IMHO.  Have fun.  

[DaveOKC]

2 hours ago, Tapi said:

From a fellow Catholic, I can tell you that Mass services was not one of the things that I had thought about when I booked a cruise on HAL, but it turned out to be a highlight of our cruise. 
 

Our ship departed on a Sunday, and they had mass scheduled for 4:30pm that day. Now, normally, I would’ve been out on deck for the sailaway party with drink in hand. But we decided to attend Mass instead.  We noticed that the ship had started moving as we were getting up for communion, and I realized then that we were at the right place for sailaway. Perfect way to start our cruise.

 

P.S. I still had time to make it to the pool deck for sailaway after mass was over. 😂

We love the idea of daily Mass as well.  On most ships it is at 8 am on Sea days and 5 PM on Port days.  Very convenient.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Something to look at in comparing itineraries is not just the ports, but how long the ship is in port. I hate feeling rushed to get back to the ship. 

 

I like Grand Turk better than HMC. You can walk beyond the cruise line's area and find beach bars (bucket of beer and free wifi!). I can't explain it. I guess I like that it's a real place, as opposed to a purpose-made development.

 

I'm a minority voter here. I don't like the Pinnacle ships. IMO they feel more crowded. Cabins tend to be smaller than same grade on the older ships. I hope they did something about the MDR design for Rotterdam, because on K'dam, it was unpleasantly noisy. The lack of a proper promenade deck is another minus to me. I also dislike the layout of the thermal suite. The heated loungers are supposed to be a quiet, relaxing space, but on K'dam, that was the entry to the thermal suite, which made it noisy. The one thing I liked on K'dam that the smaller ships don't have was the movies by the pool. 

 

The music walk is a big deal on the Pinnacle ships. Because I dislike noisy, crowded places, I did not like it. But again, I'm in the minority. Sadly, there was little else by way of entertainment. HAL is making changes to their entertainment program, so it's hard to say what will be available late 24/early 25. 

 

I love the Vistas, and Zuiderdam is my favorite. I like the layout and the size. The thermal suite, my one big indulgence, is great. I recently sailed on Eurodam, and while it was a bit larger than I like (aft cabin made it a hike to the spa!), the ship was attractive, rode well, room was comfortable. One thing that Eurodam has that Zuiderdam (and all the Vistas) lack is Tamarind. If you like Asian cuisine, that's a big plus. 

[Susanmaz]

Eurodam. Rotterdam is too big with way too many people. We’ve sailed Zuiderdam twice and encountered bilge orders on deck 2 both times. DH won’t go on her again. Eurodamis one of my favorite ships. Right size, right number of pax.

[OlsSalt]

Unfortunately you will have very different HAL experiences on all three ships, so doing a trial run before committing to a later 50 day HAL cruise will not be instructional.

 

I assume the 50 day cruise will be on one of the smaller HAL ships, so I would pick the smaller  Zuiderdam to get the best feel of what to expect for a much longer HAL cruise commitment. 

 

We personally will always chose the smaller (older) HAL ships and the longer cruises over the newer ones which often do the shorter runs. We now have over 600 days under HAL's  care, so that is my own bias.

 

But you do give up a lot of more glitzy onboard amenities on the smaller, older ships.  While other quieter charms of the older ships have been taken away on the newer larger ones - missing on the newer ones are the full 360 wide promenade decks, ofter with loungers, the onboard libraries, smaller easier to navigate deck plans, more sense of intimacy and interaction with staff and crew, ability to access more remote ports, more quiet nooks and crannies onboard to explore.

 

Good question, and one that would have been easier to answer in the past, but the range of onboard experiences now on HAL ships is too varied today - from newer and larger ships, to the older more traditional ships - one size no longer fits all within the family of HAL ships. 

[OlsSalt]

Since you are doing thorough research on this choice, one other consideration is to track "who is in port" with each ship on your itinerary.  Various online websites track this port calendar information.

 

If you like crowds or if you hope to have a more quiet port experience, this can differ greatly, if you are sharing Caribbean ports with some of the other behemoth ships from other cruise lines.

[OlsSalt]

I second liking Grand Turk - mainly for what it does not offer - it is very low key, very local, and yes, more than a little run down but with some charming historic architectural remains of its past colonial life.

 

There are beautiful beaches and views along the way into town --but this does require getting outside of the purpose-built port recreation facilities.

 

We walked into the main town from the port - took a taxi back, but there are fun little golf carts to rent as well outside of the port.  You see the wild burros, wild desert-type landscapes and even the Mercury space capsule which landed nearby, in the early days of the US space age.

[NCTribeFan]

Just as I don't concur with the "once you sail in a 'whatever-category' cabin, you'll never go back," I also don't concur with that same thought regarding class of ship.

 

But that's me.

 

I've sailed in balcony cabins and, honestly, as a solo who needs to keep an eye on the budget, I just don't get that much value for the additional money.  I don't live out on the balcony.  They always seem to be either too cold or too hot.

 

And as I noted, those large interior cabins on Vista and Signature ships are fabulous, especially if you do NOT get a connecting cabin.  The orientation of the bed is different when there's a connecting door.  Just be sure to book starboard so you aren't under the lounge with either BB Kings or the Rock band.

 

Each class of ship has it's own personality.  Really, every ship does, even within the same class.  I don't mind the decor on Zuidy at all.  As I said, I really, really liked Eurodam.  I sailed Nieuw Amsterdam 3 weeks after Eurodam and didn't like it nearly as much.

 

I also am not a fan of Grand Turk.  Have been many times.  One of the few ports where I sometimes just stay on the ship.  I even get off in Nassau every time, but not Grand Turk.  Detest the Margaritaville area (mostly because I detest Jimmy Buffet's music, which you cannot escape).  I have very much enjoyed the Horseback Ride & Swim which I did on 4 consecutive stops there.  Has been at least a decade, but it was great fun.

[Ipeeinthepools]

42 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

I second liking Grand Turk - mainly for what it does not offer - it is very low key, very local, and yes, more than a little run down but with some charming historic architectural remains of its past colonial life.

 

There are beautiful beaches and views along the way into town --but this does require getting outside of the purpose-built port recreation facilities.

 

We walked into the main town from the port - took a taxi back, but there are fun little golf carts to rent as well outside of the port.  You see the wild burros, wild desert-type landscapes and even the Mercury space capsule which landed nearby, in the early days of the US space age.

 

Just for clarity, it's only a replica of a Mercury capsule.  Not the real thing.

[OlsSalt]

Keep in mind the passenger mix may also vary greatly on the shorter cruises to the Caribbean, no matter which HAL ship you take when compared to the passenger mix you will encounter on a longer HAL cruise..

 

The longer HAL cruises will attract older, quieter, more self-contained "travelers" who are more itinerary oriented; than just short term destination oriented.

 

These longer cruises do earn the more sleepy reputation for HAL ships. They also have many more at-sea days too -which again is another element that will not be replicated when trying out any HAL ship on the shorter- more port intensive runs. 

 

The newer larger ships have a higher onboard active entertainment value, but for me that would wear very thin on a 50 day cruise commitment if it were even offered. One needs to have a pretty keen interest in where one is going on the longer cruises, and be more content with enrichment lectures and even films as substitutes for more active onboard entertainment.

 

Which 50 day cruise are you looking at?

 

Any Trans-Pacific cruise will have very long at-sea stretches. Though heading north across Alaska to Russia Far East and Japan has fewer vast ocean passages. Trans-Atlantic ones, not as much as Tales of the South Pacific routes where they cannot be avoided.

 

The longer full South America cruises again have more port stops. The 50 Day Holland to Singapore was such a vast sweep of civilizations that grew up along its shores, any at sea days were in fact welcomed.

[OlsSalt]

13 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Just for clarity, it's only a replica of a Mercury capsule.  Not the real thing.

 

Agree, my error but too late to edit. Thank you.