Rotterdam! Feb 16-25 Trip Report & Review

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for sharing.

[wandb]

Loving your review. We enjoyed 2 cruises on the “old” Rotterdam, and are really looking forward to our first cruise on this “new” Rotterdam. She looks beautiful, judging by your photos. I especially love the photo of the atrium!
We board in July for a cruise to Norway. 

 

Thanks for taking the time to write this review. 

[CruiseIreland]

Loving your review! You are, clearly, a keen photographer and your photographs are so much better and more thorough than the snaps I took on Nieuw Statendam a couple of weeks ago in an identical stateroom. 

[AKJonesy]

@MaryBethV I noticed these staterooms are not on Halfacts and you may want to post stateroom pics there and anything else about the room that might be useful like noise, movement, etc.  Thanks for the post.

[MaryBethV]

49 minutes ago, AKJonesy said:

@MaryBethV I noticed these staterooms are not on Halfacts and you may want to post stateroom pics there and anything else about the room that might be useful like noise, movement, etc.  Thanks for the post.

I will try to remember to do that! Those sites are very helpful when looking to book staterooms. 

Our rooms were very quiet. We did have an adjoining door with MIL/FIL and could occasionally hear a cough or their TV when it was turned up. We didn't hear a peep from our neighbors on the other side.

[MaryBethV]

Embarkation day cont...

 

We finally met up with MrC and MrsC in the Crow's Nest! It was SO good to see these two. Hugs all around!!! After chatting a bit we made plans to meet back up by the aft pool for Sail Away.

 

 

A quick stop in our room - our beds were together! Gin and Jay were ninjas. 😎

 

 

The main pool was pretty packed with every possible lounger/couch/chair occupied. I do love that the roof can close for wind or weather, if needed.

 

 

The entertainment director had the Sail Away Celebration going in full swing! MrC even joined the line dancing... sadly, I did not inherit his dancing abilities. 😂

 

 

 

The Enchanted Princess left just ahead of us. 

 

 

After we started moving I headed back to our room to join DH, FIL & MIL for Sail Away from our balconies. This is our 3rd cruise out of Fort Lauderdale and it never gets old. So beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And my favorite blue water, blue sky view! 😍

 

 

Time for dinner!

 

 

 

Tom and Eka were our servers. Dinner in the MDR on the first night is always a little crazy, and I thought they did a good job with a whole new batch of guests. A few minor things were missed... but after the first night everyone seemed to find their groove and things were very smooth for all our meals in the MDR.

 

It was all six of us for dinner - so there are a lot of photos for you! 

 

 

 

DH ordered the Dutch 150 cocktail. It came with about an inch and a half in the bottom of a champagne flute... and was quite strong. Just gin and lemon. (we didn't realize until ordering it another day that they forgot to top it off with the sparkling wine - oops! 😂)

 

Starters...

MIL and I had the Chicken, Ham, Parmesan Croquette. It came very hot and I enjoyed it. MIL liked it but said that it wasn't a traditional Dutch Croquette (she had one later in the week from the Dutch Cafe that was the way she remembered it).

 

DH and MrC had the Caesar Salad. The menu description mentions anchovies, but we found that you had to ask for them if you wanted them.

 

 

FIL and MrsC both had the French Onion Soup - they both enjoyed it, though it was *this* close to being a bit too salty.

 

 

We were sitting by a window and were treated to the first of many beautiful sunsets!

 

 

Main Entrees -

MIL, MrC, and MrsC all had the Grilled Salmon with Capers and Dill. They all loved it.

 

 

I had the Port to Table South Florida Grilled Fresh Blue Cobia. It was seasoned well and I really enjoyed it.

 

 

DH had the Rustic Homemade Lasagna. The lasagna itself is a bit dry, but the marinara under it helped with that.

 

 

FIL had the Garlic-Herb Roasted Chicken and said it was tasty!

 

 

On to dessert and coffee! One thing I do not love (that is different than our previous cruise experiences) is that the servers want you to order dessert at the beginning along with your drink, starter, and main entree selections. Not only is it hard to know what you will want after a meal... I think it also leads to things being forgotten. Like our coffee this time around. We had finished our desserts and didn't wait around for the forgotten coffee since we wanted to get to the 8:00 show. I chalked it up to 1st night hiccups... but I still don't like ordering everything at once.

 

FIL, DH, and MrC all had the Lemon Torte, which was pretty good.

 

MrsC had the Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cheesecake and really enjoyed it. To me it looked more like a traditional cheesecake texture than the one DH had at lunch.

 

 

I opted for the cheese plate. I don't have a big sweet tooth and this was perfect. I'm surprised I didn't order it another time on the cruise. Too many choices, too few days! 😁

 

 

After dinner, we (minus my MIL - who wasn't up to it) went to Origin Story in the World Stage theater. Our cruise director, Karlijn, was amazing. She did a brilliant job of bringing the story of Holland America Line to life! It is not to be missed! 

Note: I did read before our cruise that you should be at the World Stage shows EARLY to get a seat. In this case, it was not needed. The theater didn't start to fill up until about 15 minutes before the show, and even when it started it wasn't full.

 

 

 

Thankfully my MIL was able to go to an encore performance later in the week. After all, HER history with the Rotterdam is one of the main reasons for booking this cruise. When she was 12, her family immigrated from the Netherlands to Canada. They made the trip on the Rotterdam V and went through Ellis Island. She has incredibly detailed memories of their crossing and I knew that Origin Story would be emotional for her in a good way. 

 

Rotterdam V painting and model:

 

 

 

I don't know if DH and I were running on Embarkation Day adrenaline or what - but we headed to the music walk area for a cocktail. The pianist was very talented and an excellent vocalist as well. However, it was very LOUD and had a party/interactive vibe. Which is fine... but we missed a piano bar where you can just sit back, listen, AND hold a conversation.

 

 

 

 

We headed back to our room around 10:30 and were both hungry. I know, I know... but hey - it's vacation! Room service to the rescue!

 

 

 

Roast Beef Panini - The flavor was good and I liked that it wasn't a large sandwich.

 

DH's club sandwich. I told you the Club Sandwich was going to be a thing... 😊

 

That's a wrap for embarkation day! I think we packed it FULL of fun memories!

Edited February 29 by MaryBethV

[Montanagirlalways]

I was also on this cruise and I agree with you that the music had a very lively vibe but I also missed having softer music. Like you said. Somewhere where you can sit and talk while listening to maybe soft classic rock 🙂 

Overall, I thought this cruise ticked all the boxes for my enjoyment..

You are doing a wonderful review!

[Woofbite]

We've sailed on her a couple of times and I always feel like we are dining inside a whale in the MDR.

 

[MaryBethV]

1 hour ago, Woofbite said:

We've sailed on her a couple of times and I always feel like we are dining inside a whale in the MDR.

 

Oh, absolutely 😂 - though I'm pretty sure Jonah didn't have it this good. 😉

[MaryBethV]

10 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

Thanks for posting about the Crow’s Nest being available to all. A forward lounge view has always been a happy place for me.

 

I did not realize it was not open to all on the NCL & Princess ships you experienced.

On the Norwegian Escape and the Norwegian Getaway - the forward areas were the thermal spa (which is beautiful, but an extra $) and dedicated to the Haven suite area. However on one of Norwegian's newer ships (after the Escape) - The Norwegian Bliss - there was a gorgeous two story atrium area available to all passengers. I think that one was made for Alaska and I can see why!

 

On the Regal Princess and the Sky Princess, the forward viewing area was their Sanctuary area which is similar to The Retreat on HAL - though larger and more "designed". I'm not sure about their newer ships.

Edited February 29 by MaryBethV

[bandp407]

Following along- great review. We are seasoned cruisers contemplating returning to HAL  & the Rotterdam. We enjoy evening shows and dancing, so look forward to seeing the dailies . Yes, Always enjoyed BBKing on previous sailings , but that was it. Was there any pre dinner music?? Don’t see anything on the embarkation day planner.  
 

your photos and review are amazing! 

[oakridger]

@MaryBethV I also don't want to order desert before I eat dinner.  I just politely tell the waiter that I will wait to order it after I finish eating.  They have always happily (I think 😉) done that!

 

~Nancy

[MaryBethV]

Happy almost-weekend! OK, let's see if I can get a full day in one post. 😉

 

Saturday | February 17, 2024 | Sea Day #1

 

Daily - 

 

 

We ordered room service breakfast the night before via the door hanger menu. I put service for two and then checked what we wanted. Soooo, we got double of everything. Oops! 

 

Kudos to how they keep things warm with a heavy (hot) plate under the hot food plates. It really works! I don't think we ever had a hot dish that was cold.

 

The Vegetable frittata with spinach, red pepper flakes, and goat cheese was very good!

 

The pastries were a bit soggy from being wrapped up in a cloth napkin. 

 

Fruit plate - 

 

Vanilla yogurt - 

 

We enjoyed breakfast on our balcony. It was a gorgeous blue water/blue sky day!

 

 

After breakfast, DH, FIL, and I headed to the Dutch Cafe to meet Barb @bgomes and her husband, Bob. We were both in the CC roll call for this cruise and it was so fun to meet up in person. Bob is another Dutchie 😊 and it was so much fun to listen to Bob and FIL reminisce about immigrating from the Netherlands. Barb - thank you for arranging this!

 

Two cool fellow CC friends! (photo posted with permission)

 

The Dutch Cafe is a lovely area to sit and chat. Their food offerings were more like ordering from a restaurant (you could wait a while), but we usually just stopped in for coffee or when in search of a quiet place to sit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DH and I did a little shopping (I was looking for a Christmas ornament) in the shops. 

 

 

 

 

And then we headed outside on Deck 3 for a lap around the Promenade Deck. We loved that the Rotterdam has a *full* promenade!

 

 

 

 

 

After some chill balcony time, we headed to the Lido Market (buffet) for some lunch. It was crazy busy and we had to do a lap or two to find a seat. We found the buffet food selections to be the best we've seen on any ship thus far. There were multiple carved meat options, sushi (better if you get it early), a great salad bar, and a custom stir-fry station.

 

Lunch with a view!

 

Sushi Tempura Roll -

 

Indian Chicken Korma, veggies, steamed rice -

 

And DH's fish & chips, which he said was probably the best fried fish he has ever had!

 

Bahama Mama -

 

We spent the afternoon on our balcony. I read more on this cruise than I ever have. I always bring a book or two and never seem to get more than a few chapters in. Don't get me wrong... I still need to finish my book and I've been home for four days 😂, but hey, it's a good thing I brought it with me and didn't borrow it from the library! 

 

If you are someone who borrows books from the library - I'm curious, do you take longer cruises or do you just read all day long? 🙂

 

 

Time to get ready for dinner - date night with DH tonight. We made reservations for Tamarind in advance of our cruise and I was looking forward to it!

 

Elevator selfie - (it was dressy night)

 

 

Our reservation was for 6:00 pm - around the time the sun would set. We went a little early and sat in the Tamarind Bar for a pre-dinner cocktail. God put on quite the show and I ran outside twice to try to capture the spectacular sky!

 

 

Shiso Sour - fruity and refreshing

 

 

The Wasabi Cocktail - DH thought I was crazy for ordering this, but I enjoyed it - nice flavor with only a hint of Wasabi.

 

DH snuck a behind the scenes photo... 😁

 

...and running back outside

 

Just WOW! 😍

 

Time for dinner! Amy was our server and she was the absolute BEST. She was knowledgeable of the menu, and just an all-around joy. We both agreed that she was our favorite server of the week. In a sea of amazing staff on this ship that is saying something!

 

 

Menu-

 

 

 

 

 

Shrimp crackers with dips: The red one on the left is a very spicy salsa, the green one resembles a moderately spicy chimichurri, and the right one is a mild sweet-n-sour style sauce.

 

Starters! We ordered a few to share.

 

Jewels of the Sea - the broth had an incredible depth of flavor and the shrimp wontons were delicious.

 

 

Shrimp Tempura - the batter was light and crispy and it was served piping hot. Not the most memorable dish, but very well done.

 

Lobster & Shrimp Potstickers - very good and beautifully presented.

 

Thai Citrus Scallops - this was my favorite starter. The sweetness of the scallops + the spicy heat of the Thai sauce + the fresh lime squeezed over the crunchy vegetables... Mmm! My mouth is watering as I type this!

 

Wasabi & Soy Crusted Beef Tenderloin - while he did scrape off most of the wasabi crust, DH did say that he enjoyed it. His tenderloin was a perfect medium rare and seasoned well.

 

Maybe it was because we have super-pale middle-of-winter-Michigan skin... but we chuckled when Amy, while explaining the menu, said "Don't worry about the spice, we can make it not spicy". 😂 However, I like spicy... so I ordered the Panang Red Curry Coconut Chicken entree "medium to very spicy". Later on when I had eaten every morsel of this incredibly delicious dish - Amy passed by, looked and my plate, looked back at me, and said "I'm so proud of you!" 🤣 Love her.

 

Side: Sake Braised Oyster & Shitake Mushrooms - so yummy. I need to re-create these at home!

 

Side: Dungeness Crab Fried Rice - it was hard to detect the crab flavor in it, but it was still very good.

 

And dessert. I generally have low expectations for desserts at Asian restaurants, however, we were both happily surprised here. Both of our selections were a lovely finish to an amazing meal - creatively presented and tasty!

 

Yuzu Cheesecake -

 

Mango Posset - the mango sorbet on top of the small coconut cake was ::chef's kiss::

 

Cafe Americano -

 

Since it was still early, we went back to our room to change into more comfortable attire (aka: ditch the heels!) and headed to Billboard on Board to give it another try.

 

 

 

We were there for a song or two and then MrC and MrsC joined us just as it was switching over to the Rock Room Band. It was most definitely too loud (even sitting across the way) - so we headed to the Dutch Cafe area to chat. We debated going to the dance show (Humanity) but were having such a good time catching up that we ordered cans of water 😜 from the DC bar and hung out until we were yawning more than we were talking. 

 

Goodnight!

 

HEY - PSST! It's 2:00 am and I can't sleep! Don't be like me and remember to ask for DeCaf Coffee after dinner. 😜 (Unless you are like DH who can drink the same coffee and fall asleep the minute his head hits the pillow. 🙄)

Edited March 1 by MaryBethV

[horseymike]

Mary Beth ,

I am thoroughly enjoying and very impressed by your excellent review.

The photos and content are both knock it out of the park great 👍.

 Thank you for taking the time to share it all with us .

[RK-NC]

@MaryBethV Enjoying this so much!! Thank you! We booked March 2025 Panama Sunfarer on Rotterdam yesterday! Are you a scrapbooker? Great storytelling! 

[Navybikermom]

Thank you for such a detailed report. The photos are making me antsy. I will be on the Rotterdam in May and just can’t WAIT! 😜 

[bgomes]

Thanks, MaryBeth.  We enjoyed your company, as well.  Wish we could have talked with all of you more, maybe some other time.  Again, we are in the Grandville area enough to try to meet up with you all again  Our email address is bnbgomes @ att dot net

 

[sailawayward]

We were on the same cruise and were lucky enough to have Amy as our server for the Morimoto dinner.  We really enjoyed getting to know her.  We asked if she could be our server when we returned to Tamarind for our last dinner on the ship, and she really pampered us.  It was so nice for her to be part of our last dinner onboard.  We made sure to include her in our review.  Amy was the best!

[EMc&DrS]

On 2/28/2024 at 12:09 PM, MaryBethV said:

Friday | February 16, 2024 | Embarkation 

 

We arrived at the cruise port at 10:32 am. My MIL can walk on her own for very short distances, and we had reserved a wheelchair for her through Special Needs at Sea that would be in her stateroom waiting for her. However, she also needed help during embarkation and they directed us to a waiting room while they arranged for transportation accommodations. A short time later they brought a wheelchair for her and we were able to board along with her. My photos say that we walked on the ship at 11:17 am. Not the quickest embarkation we've had - but not bad at all!

 

Enjoying your review so far--we were on the same cruise. Interesting to note--our Uber dropped us off at 9:40 AM, we breezed through security and went right up the escalator to the "priority" waiting area to wait until they started the boarding process. We were in the first group to board and I took a pic just as we were stepping onto the ship. The time was 11:07. So, arriving early and having priority boarding got us onboard a whopping 10 minutes before you boarded.😂

[MaryBethV]

On 2/28/2024 at 4:56 PM, lauriek said:

Thank you for the wonderful report!  We join the ship on Mar 8 and are also from Michigan, Suttons Bay.  We have sailed 6 times on the Konigsdam but this is our first on the Rotterdam.

Laurie & Michael

 

We love Sutton's Bay - we drive through there when we visit family in Northport. 

[MaryBethV]

On 2/29/2024 at 8:40 PM, bandp407 said:

Following along- great review. We are seasoned cruisers contemplating returning to HAL  & the Rotterdam. We enjoy evening shows and dancing, so look forward to seeing the dailies . Yes, Always enjoyed BBKing on previous sailings , but that was it. Was there any pre dinner music?? Don’t see anything on the embarkation day planner.  
 

your photos and review are amazing! 

There was not any pre-dinner music that we found and we missed that. Coming from Princess where there was a string quartet (that played during the day and before dinner), and other music (a pianist, a guitar/vocalist, etc) that played in various venues before and after dinner throughout the ship... we really noticed the lack of anything similar on HAL. The only live music during our Rotterdam cruise was in the music walk area or in the theater (ALL very high volume) in the evening after 7pm (if I remember correctly). There was a grand piano in the Ocean Bar area on deck 2 that sat unplayed all week which was sad.

 

They did have ballroom dancing in the BBKing area during the day at least once (maybe more) during the day. I know my MIL and FIL went to that - so I will ask them about it and get back with you.

[MaryBethV]

21 hours ago, RK-NC said:

@MaryBethV Enjoying this so much!! Thank you! We booked March 2025 Panama Sunfarer on Rotterdam yesterday! Are you a scrapbooker? Great storytelling! 

I used to make scrapbooks - 20 years ago or so when our kids were little. It was a fun hobby!

[MaryBethV]

18 hours ago, bgomes said:

Thanks, MaryBeth.  We enjoyed your company, as well.  Wish we could have talked with all of you more, maybe some other time.  Again, we are in the Grandville area enough to try to meet up with you all again  Our email address is bnbgomes @ att dot net

 

I will email you and we'll have to meet up. It is crazy how fast a 9-day cruise went!

[doone]

Thank you for such a wonderful review, I am sailing on the Rotterdam this coming Friday, 3/8 and I cannot wait.  After reading your review I am even more excited than I was.  I sailed the Rotterdam last year and loved it so much, I had to book a sailing again.

[MaryBethV]

14 hours ago, sailawayward said:

We were on the same cruise and were lucky enough to have Amy as our server for the Morimoto dinner.  We really enjoyed getting to know her.  We asked if she could be our server when we returned to Tamarind for our last dinner on the ship, and she really pampered us.  It was so nice for her to be part of our last dinner onboard.  We made sure to include her in our review.  Amy was the best!

We also mentioned her in the survey as well as through the Navigator app. 🙂 How fun that you had her as your server for the Morimoto dinner! I would love to know what you thought of the dinner.