Rotterdam: When and Where Does She Feel Crowded

[MUD]

Have booked on Rotterdam for the first time. We have most of our experience on the Volundam/Zaandam/old Rotterdam ships which we have enjoyed a great deal. Worried the Rotterdam will feel crowded. Any advice from persons with experience of the two ship sizes?

[baggal]

36 minutes ago, MUD said:

Have booked on Rotterdam for the first time. We have most of our experience on the Volundam/Zaandam/old Rotterdam ships which we have enjoyed a great deal. Worried the Rotterdam will feel crowded. Any advice from persons with experience of the two ship sizes?

It won't necessarily feel crowded but it will feel BIGGER.  For instance, its a longer walk from the MDR to the entertainment areas.  And depending where your cabin is located you might have a longer walk to the Lido.  Its just a bigger ship.

[Roz]

I thought it was crowded everywhere.  No way to avoid it. 

[Tennessee Titan]

On the TA last month, we had at least one elevator in each bank out most of the time. After shows, early dinner, going ashore, we did have to wait a little. No big deal, Nothing  like the bigger ships...

[EatonDoolittle]

I was 21 days on her in Feb, I found the buffet to be very crowded, all meals.

I started going at odd (very early) hours to avoid the frantic mobs. 

 

 

[Tennessee Titan]

Never encountered a "frantic mob" at the buffet. Qualification; we only ate breakfast and an occasional lunch there,,,,,

[mwj]

There are limited ‘quiet’ places on the ship compared to R class (Zaandam). The pinnacle class is our least favorite of Hal ships for a number of reasons.

[albingirl]

I really miss the full promenade on the Pinnacle class. Now, there is where you can find quiet on the loungers placed there. Many people, including me, have a book in hand while they nap. Lol.

[Florida_gal_50]

3 hours ago, Tennessee Titan said:

Never encountered a "frantic mob" at the buffet. Qualification; we only ate breakfast and an occasional lunch there,,,,,

You should try a 7 day cruise at american thanksgiving.  Plenty of "frantic mobs".  I usually go at 11:30 to try to escape that.  One day looking into the lido it was a sea of humanity.

[NCTribeFan]

The buffet felt much more crowded on the 2 5-night sailings after the recent TA.  Maybe because there were a lot more younger couples with children than I've typically seen on HAL.  I did have breakfast in the Club Orange dining room a few times just to avoid the crowds.  Yes, the buffet was crowded at lunch but that's been the case on every ship I've ever sailed on every cruise line.

 

I avoid the elevators.  The stairs were nice and empty (most of the time).  After we were sailing from Europe, there were a lot more people taking the stairs.  IDK, maybe because it was a younger demographic with many more Europeans and fewer of my fellow Americans (who don't seem to think that stairs are ever an option). 😄

 

I loved the ship enough that I booked the westbound TA for October 2024.  But then, I've enjoyed all the other HAL ships I've sailed, too (Zaandam, Zuiderdam, Eurodam, N. Amsterdam, Koningsdam).

[keysey222]

If you are on a cruise out of Rotterdam or Amsterdam with a sizeable number of Dutch passengers, the Grand Dutch Cafe will be packed. On our Norway cruise, I gave up even trying to go. The line was always too long, no matter the time of day. 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

First night eat in one of the pay restaurants.

Tamarind is great.

[Tennessee Titan]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

You should try a 7 day cruise at american thanksgiving.  Plenty of "frantic mobs".  I usually go at 11:30 to try to escape that.  One day looking into the lido it was a sea of humanity.

I also avoid 7day cruises at Thanksgiving, as well as all Carribean cruises.....

[Florida_gal_50]

23 minutes ago, Tennessee Titan said:

I also avoid 7day cruises at Thanksgiving, as well as all Carribean cruises.....

That would be the reason you don’t see it.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

The places for me that were always crowded and lines. Dutch Cafe, Front Desk, Then at some peak times Shore Excursions Desk, Buffet, and even Explorations Cafe in the mornings. Of Course evening anywhere near BB King was crowded.

[lextsy]

I am guessing one way cruises such as the one im going on (Amsterdam to Florida 15 days) would be the least crowded and the unruly wouldnt be in attendance compared to the cruises which depart and arrive at the same port?

[NCTribeFan]

11 hours ago, lextsy said:

I am guessing one way cruises such as the one im going on (Amsterdam to Florida 15 days) would be the least crowded and the unruly wouldnt be in attendance compared to the cruises which depart and arrive at the same port?

 

Maybe.  Our TA that left April 3rd was the 150th Anniversary sailing, so it was fairly full but didn't feel all that crowded.  Not nearly as much as the following two 5-night sailings.

 

@LAFFNVEGAS - I had Club Orange so never more than 1 person in line at the service desk, which was nice.  I'm not a coffee drinker, so that wasn't an issue for me at GDC or Explorations.  I did stop there for a sandwich and beer a couple of times and ended up sharing one of the large tables (I was solo).  Too often, tables were full of people who weren't eating/drinking. 

 

And a hint to those getting beverages in the buffet - if you don't stop at the first station (that's between the port & starboard sides) near the midship elevators/stairs, and instead walk aft to one of the stations on either side, it's much less crowded.  On those 10 days after the TA, the buffet stayed fairly full on the starboard side in the middle of the afternoon when only that side was open.  It was easy enough to grab something and carry it over to the "closed" port side.  Much less crowded and quieter.

[Florida_gal_50]

3 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

 

Maybe.  Our TA that left April 3rd was the 150th Anniversary sailing, so it was fairly full but didn't feel all that crowded.  Not nearly as much as the following two 5-night sailings.

 

@LAFFNVEGAS - I had Club Orange so never more than 1 person in line at the service desk, which was nice.  I'm not a coffee drinker, so that wasn't an issue for me at GDC or Explorations.  I did stop there for a sandwich and beer a couple of times and ended up sharing one of the large tables (I was solo).  Too often, tables were full of people who weren't eating/drinking. 

 

And a hint to those getting beverages in the buffet - if you don't stop at the first station (that's between the port & starboard sides) near the midship elevators/stairs, and instead walk aft to one of the stations on either side, it's much less crowded.  On those 10 days after the TA, the buffet stayed fairly full on the starboard side in the middle of the afternoon when only that side was open.  It was easy enough to grab something and carry it over to the "closed" port side.  Much less crowded and quieter.

I always go to the closed side.  Someone recently stated it was such a big deal for them to do that.  I'm not the most agile person in the world and it's a small price to pay for less people.  I'm all about that.

[baggal]

2 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I always go to the closed side.  Someone recently stated it was such a big deal for them to do that.  I'm not the most agile person in the world and it's a small price to pay for less people.  I'm all about that.

Don't hold me to this that it still happens -but I have seen on occasion a server or other crew member carry a plate for passenger that needs some assistance.  

[Florida_gal_50]

22 minutes ago, baggal said:

Don't hold me to this that it still happens -but I have seen on occasion a server or other crew member carry a plate for passenger that needs some assistance.  

Thanks, no, I’m not in that bad of shape but my knees suck. I’m just always amazed at how people think walking an extra 100 steps is a big deal.  I’m talking people that have no physical disabilities.  

[AFNavigator]

Haven't seen it mentioned but you can expect the Lido pool to be crowded most sea days, especially in the morning.  If it's not too windy, the Seaview pool often gets crowded late morning through dinner time.

As another poster noted, buying Club Orange will help you escape some of the lines and it will give you a nice smaller dining room for breakfast and dinner.  Depending on what level of cabin you are currently booked, the free in-category upgrade included with Club Orange is the best benefit of all.

 

If you want to beat the crowds, and are OK with some wind, the sun deck above the Crow's Nest usually has very few people up there.  The nice thing is it's just a short walk down to the Crow's Nest bar/coffee shop if you want to get something to drink.

 

If you want to beat the crowd at a bar, the Tamarind bar, when it's open, has nice service and usually is extremely quiet and relaxing.  You can go there when it isn't staffed too, and you might be the only person there...nice secret hideout.

[CNSJ]

On 5/18/2023 at 11:28 AM, Tennessee Titan said:

On the TA last month, we had at least one elevator in each bank out most of the time. After shows, early dinner, going ashore, we did have to wait a little. No big deal, Nothing  like the bigger ships...

One thing I have found that makes elevator waits longer on the Pinnacle ships is that here are fewer of them!  Vista and Signature have 4 forward, 6 amidships and 4 aft, Pinnacles have two fewer in the amidships area.

[Djptcp]

We have sailed on the Rotterdam 4 times and loved each cruise and have a 12-day one coming up this Fall. The casino is very, very small and very, very crowded in the evenings. The buffet is very crowded at breakfast and lunch, especially on at sea days. The only times we have had to wait really long times for the elevators are on embarkation and debarkation days. We have not experienced out of order elevators on any of our Rotterdam cruises.

[donandmelissa]

Just did a TA on sister ship Nieuw Statendam.  The only time the crowd had any real effect was waiting for an elevator on embarkation day.  No matter which bank you tried, there was a mass of people waiting.  After trying all banks and waiting for 20 minutes, we opted to lug our carry on bags up 4 flights of stairs so that we could kick our vacation into full gear.  Full disclosure, we are a little younger than most of the crowd (57 and 61) and a little unplanned cardio wasn't a true hardship.

 

Other than the first day, crowding wasn't really a factor.  Will you have to wait to have an omelet cooked to order or have a salad prepared in the LIdo?  No doubt.  I don't see how that can be avoided.  But the staff was happy and motivated and really hustled.  When there was a line, it moved fast.

 

i agree with the people who noted that there are less areas on the Pinnacle class ships to sit and read on comfortable furniture  in relative quiet.  Because so many of us don't have the same hearing we once did, any place where people are chatting is loud.  If often seemed like half the crowd was hard of hearing and the other half was shouting so that they could be heard.  Not a complaint, just an observation.

[decrepit old man]

Dumb question but if you have trouble finding a table at the buffet are you allowed to take your food and eat it at another part of the ship?