Rotterdam! Feb 16-25 Trip Report & Review

[MaryBethV]

17 hours ago, Iamthesea said:

 

I am the same way.  I like to enjoy my food. After eating with others, I can't even remember what I had to eat. 😃

 

What a wonderful idea to top your salad with some beef from the carving station.  I have a salad most days when we cruises.  Sometimes I make it a taco salad.  The tri-tip will elevate the protein needed for some of those exhausting excursions around Europe.  We sail the Rotterdam in May.  Enjoying your review very much!!!

Ooo - Europe! 😃 Definitely get your protein!

[MaryBethV]

16 hours ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

The thing I’m so impressed about on this report not only for the incredible job you have did with pictures and detailed info is the LOVE your DH has for his mother.

Not a doubt about this. there’s not a day goes by I wished I was in his place on a cruise ship sitting next to my mother having a drink.

So impressed by your report. You should be so proud of your DH.

Hopefully I haven’t missed anything…

Looking forward to our cruise on Rotterdam in November.

Thanks again for the great job detailing your vacation…

 

He does love his mom and is always looking for ways to make her as comfortable as possible. He even bought a portable/collapsible stool and brought it along for her. It allowed her to put her foot up or sit at a moment's notice. However... it did get his bag kicked to the TSA search table in Ft. Lauderdale when we were leaving to fly back home. 😂 

 

[0bnxshs]

Have very much enjoyed your trip report.  We will be back on Rotterdam in a little over a week for 12 days.  We were last on her in December 2023 and she is our favorite 'dam ship.

 

It seems many of us 'dutchy' males are over 6 feet (I'm 6'4" and shrinking now, I think gravity is drawing it all towards my middle) and are white haired and white bearded wizards.  My father's mother emigrated from the Netherlands to the US in 1906 on SS Noordam, my father's father in 1894 on SS Amsterdam, both through Ellis Island also.  Both were very young and I never had the opportunity to ask of their memories of their passage sadly.  My mother's family similarly emigrated from the Netherlands in the middle 1800's before HAL was around.

 

Thank you for the great photos and comments on your experience.  Yes, we all have different experiences on the same cruise, as much due to our expectations as to their methods and means of fulfillment.

[MaryBethV]

Thursday | February 22, 2024 | Sea Day

 

Good morning! Looks like it is going to be a wonderful day!

 

 

The Daily -

 

 

 

 

We woke up in time for breakfast in the MDR! 🎉 This breakfast menu is extensive! (coming from Princess' much smaller breakfast menu, I was impressed)

 

 

 

 

Full English Breakfast - DH said it was very good. We both love the Engilsh Banger Sausages!

 

Ham & Cheese skillet with an English Banger Sausage on the side (or so I ordered... but my sausage was not the same. It had a different taste and texture. Oh well.) The skillet was yummy though!

 

Swedish Pancakes to share - they have custard in the middle and the pancakes are crepe-thin. Very good!

 

After breakfast, DH and I headed to Ask the Captain in the theater. These things are always fun. You get some good questions, some "let me show you how much I know about boats" questions 😂, and some interesting answers, There was a couple with two young children in the front. The dad asked a question for his son. "How many water-tight compartments can flood without sinking the ship?" I love little kid's brains! And the captain's answer was reassuring.

 

 

 

We wandered the ship a bit on our way back to our room...

 

Notes Bar - I never saw anyone here, but it was pretty!

 

 

 

Rudi's... next time!

 

 

 

I peeked through the slats into Club Orange. Have any of you had Club Orange dining here? Did you like it? 

 

 

 

 

Hallway seating -

 

"Our" elevator bank art - if there were no fish, we were in the wrong spot!

 

 

 

Side note: not sure I'll ever get used to water in cans.

 

Balcony time. ☀️

 

 

I love that DH would always pop his head around to talk to his parents. I'm too short to do that! 

 

 

 

I placed a Dive In order on the app while I was in the room and by the time I got to Dive In it was ready within seconds.

 

 

 

 

Really good burgers & fries!

 

When I was walking back though the buffet... the seafood paella caught my eye so had to grab a little to try. Sadly my first bite had shell in it... but hey, it made for a fun photo at least. 😂

 

 

This looked interesting, so I met up with MrC and MrsC for this talk in the theater. Karlijn did a great job with the presentation!

 

 

 

After some rest, it was time for a pre-dinner drink at our favorite spot - so we met MrC and MrsC for drinks and chit-chat.

 

 

A 3 Mile Honey Bee for meeeee. 😉

 

MrC and MrsC headed off to dinner and we wandered a bit until it was time for dinner with MIL and FIL.
 

 

Watermelon & Feta Cheese - FIL liked it.

 

Spiced Coconut Crusted Meatballs - MIL and DH both had this. I tried a bite and they were crispy and had good flavor. 

 

Fusilli a la Vodka - I went for the "pasta course" for my starter again 😄 and this one was just OK. The sauce was a bit thin and the sauce wasn't as flavorful as others likely because it wasn't a meat sauce (the ham was just added along with the peas and noodles). Not bad, but I wouldn't order it again.

 

Backstory: this cruise, at the Half Moon Bar, DH had been enjoying a gin & tonic made with Delijn gin (a Dutch gin made just for HAL). So - he ordered that in the MDR and was super confused with what he got. Looked like a salad fell in his g&t! 🧐 

 

 

Carrot and Coconut Soup - 

 

Parmesan Coated Veal Loin - FIL said it was good!

 

Prime Rib of Beef au Jus - DH said it was very good! Better than his MDR steak earlier in the cruise.

 

Blackened Seabass - a beautifully cooked piece of fish.

 

Passion Fruit Mousse Torte - creamy, pretty good

 

Chocolate Raspberry Tart - Is that a strawberry? I was afraid this would happen since someone got loosey-goosey with the raspberry rationing last night. 😂 All jokes aside - this was heavenly. Rich, creamy chocolate in a tart with raspberry curd under the chocolate. SO GOOD that MrsC texted me during dinner a photo of her chocolate tarte because it was that yummy. Order this.

 

The FIRST order of business after dinner was to go see Reema at the Half Moon Bar and show her photos of the strange drink DH had at dinner. It turns out that it is the specialty drink from the Pinnacle Grill (which also explains the surprise upcharge 🙄). She showed us a whole tray of ingredients she had just to make that drink... which included peppercorns, anise, cucumber, some fruit syrup (raspberry?) and FISH SAUCE. I really don't know what to say to that, I just don't. 🤷‍♀️

 

Anywhoo - It was Orange Night at BB King's Blues Club! Beautiful venue - we would have loved listening to classical music here.

 

 

 

When we arrived it was already hopping! People were having a blast dancing and the band was pretty good. We didn't try any of the "orange" drinks - but they looked interesting.

 

 

We aren't dancers - but people-watching is always fun!

 

 

 

 

Another Sea Day tomorrow & more ship exploration!

 

[cheeseheads4ever]

Just a couple more questions. Hope you are settling in at home..

What is the Orange Club all about? is it worth it? Tried to read about it but a lot of priority stuff which is ok but doesn’t float my boat enough to spend more money.

As far as entrees in MDR can you get extra appetizers and an entree if you want? Just in case ai can’t make my mind up. I understand some things like lobster are extra.

If you have any other tips please pass on. I very much appreciate your help!

[Anastas617]

5 hours ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

Just a couple more questions. Hope you are settling in at home..

What is the Orange Club all about? is it worth it? Tried to read about it but a lot of priority stuff which is ok but doesn’t float my boat enough to spend more money.

As far as entrees in MDR can you get extra appetizers and an entree if you want? Just in case ai can’t make my mind up. I understand some things like lobster are extra.

If you have any other tips please pass on. I very much appreciate your help!

I got multiple starters several times on the Rotterdam last month, no problem at all to do that. I also got two mains once, which didn't work out great because the portions were not as small as I expected.

[Iamthesea]

We were in Club Orange on the N. Statendam and loved the experience! Looking forward to dining there on the Rotterdam.  The perks such as priority tendering and a stateroom upgrade were an asset, but we mostly enjoyed the small dining room atmosphere. Club Orange offers the same menu as in the MDR, plus one extra entree each evening. Breakfast is also a delete. No lunch is served there. 

Edited March 9 by Iamthesea

[Huskerchick]

We did Club Orange on the NS and have it booked again on the Rotterdam at the end of the month. It is an extra charge and I admit we would probably only do it on the ships with the separate Club Orange dining room. We liked the smaller room and the extra entrée choice each evening were some of my favorites. They are only open breakfast and dinner same hours as the MDR

 

[Woofbite]

Are you aware they can open those dividers between cabins so you can share two balconies with groups traveling together? Friends and I always ask that they be opened.

When booking you can also choose connecting cabins same as in hotels.

[Vict0riann]

The only Pinnacle ship on which I am not crazy about Club Orange is Rotterdam...  those open slats allow for much more noise from the Half Moon Bar in the evening.  That bar can get very "merry"!  We always tried to get a table at the far end away from the bar.  On the other two ships, the CO is surrounded by glass, and there is no HMB, so it is much quieter.

[cheeseheads4ever]

So is what I’m hearing is that Club Orange is worth the money. $25 each per day? I think!

[MaryBethV]

On 3/8/2024 at 8:17 PM, cheeseheads4ever said:

Just a couple more questions. Hope you are settling in at home..

What is the Orange Club all about? is it worth it? Tried to read about it but a lot of priority stuff which is ok but doesn’t float my boat enough to spend more money.

As far as entrees in MDR can you get extra appetizers and an entree if you want? Just in case ai can’t make my mind up. I understand some things like lobster are extra.

If you have any other tips please pass on. I very much appreciate your help!

I see others have weighed in on Club Orange for you. I didn't look into it extensively because we traveled with family on this last cruise. If DH and I take a cruise in the future with just the two of us, we may consider it.

 

We have ordered more than one starter (soup & salad for example) in the MDR, on occasion. We also ordered an additional entree to share once or twice.

 

[MaryBethV]

On 3/9/2024 at 1:41 AM, Anastas617 said:

I got multiple starters several times on the Rotterdam last month, no problem at all to do that. I also got two mains once, which didn't work out great because the portions were not as small as I expected.

I agree - the mains are not super small portions!

[MaryBethV]

On 3/9/2024 at 10:19 AM, Woofbite said:

Are you aware they can open those dividers between cabins so you can share two balconies with groups traveling together? Friends and I always ask that they be opened.

When booking you can also choose connecting cabins same as in hotels.

We are aware of that (and have had a divider opened before when traveling with our kids). We had connecting rooms, which came in handy when needed, but we felt we each wanted some privacy on our balconies.

[MaryBethV]

On 3/9/2024 at 12:17 PM, Vict0riann said:

The only Pinnacle ship on which I am not crazy about Club Orange is Rotterdam...  those open slats allow for much more noise from the Half Moon Bar in the evening.  That bar can get very "merry"!  We always tried to get a table at the far end away from the bar.  On the other two ships, the CO is surrounded by glass, and there is no HMB, so it is much quieter.

That is what I was wondering (regarding the slats). I have to say I'm also surprised that the window views went to chairs/tables along the hallway instead of to the suite-restaurant.

[POA1]

The Club Orange Dining Room space was originally slated for America's Test Kitchen. That was a cooking demo area. It wasn't until the Rotterdam that they made it a dining area from the start. It's why the Rotterdam CO Dining Room has more comfortable chairs than the ones in the same area on the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam.

Edited March 10 by POA1

[MaryBethV]

32 minutes ago, POA1 said:

The Club Orange Dining Room space was originally slated for America's Test Kitchen. That was a cooking demo area. It wasn't until the Rotterdam that they made it a dining area from the start. It's why the Rotterdam CO Dining Room has more comfortable chairs than the ones in the same area on the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam.

They used to have an America's Test Kitchen on the ships?!? I love ATK (subscriber and avid YouTube watcher). What was that like?

[POA1]

23 minutes ago, MaryBethV said:

They used to have an America's Test Kitchen on the ships?!? I love ATK (subscriber and avid YouTube watcher). What was that like?

It was a cooking lesson and demo like you'd expect. Previously, there was a Food & Wine cooking demo series in the Queens Lounge room. (That's where BB King or Rolling Stone is now.) And, prior to that, there were cooking demos by guest chefs on longer voyages, or demos by the ship's chefs That goes back at least 25 years.

[MaryBethV]

Friday | February 23, 2024 | Sea Day #5

 

You know this view makes me 😃!

 

The Daily -

 

 

We woke up early, bundled up our last laundry to go out, and headed to the MDR for breakfast. Budayasa was our server and we had a table with an aft view. 

 

 

 

The last MDR breakfast of the cruise called for a mimosa!

 

Full English Breakfast for DH

 

Aloo Masala and Egg Bhurji - I had read on these boards that this Indian breakfast option was delicious. And it was! Mmmm!

 

After breakfast, we headed to the World Stage for the "City on the Sea" presentation. Think of it as a behind-the-scenes tour without all the walking!

 

 

 

We were joined by FIL, as well as MrC & MrsC. 

 

 

A well-deserved standing ovation for all of the crew! (photo taken as they just started to walk out)

 

 

We passed by the DE LIJN gin DH had come to like. Why we didn't purchase some onboard, I don't know! Regretting that.

 

 

 

After a short break on the balcony, we headed to meet MrC and MrsC for lunch.

 

 

 

When we ordered, MrC and DH both ordered the club sandwich. Our server asked each one of them if they would, perhaps, like half a sandwich, which was a tad odd. MrC ordered a half and DH ordered a whole sandwich. When they came out it was obvious that it had only a fraction of the lunch meat on it as the ones they had had previously on this cruise. (Kicking myself for not taking a photo!) HAL might not have anticipated the lunch meat needed for a 9-day cruise with so many sea days - or maybe our love of club sandwiches was what threw off their calculations. 😂

 

BBQ Chicken Springroll - MrsC liked it!

 

Mexican Street Tacos - both MrsC and I ordered these with fish. Very good!

 

After lunch, DH rested and I decided to explore the top decks a bit. This is outside of Tamarind.

 

 

Busy aft pool area -

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pickleball!

 

 

 

 

Main Lido Pool -

 

 

Forward -

 

 

If you put your camera over the glass wall, it is a great forward view!

 

Beautiful Retreat area - maybe next time!

 

 

 

 

I headed to the Explorations Cafe and met MrC & MrsC for some puzzle time in the game room.

 

 

 

Iced Mocha from the coffee bar - refreshing!

 

Another pre-dinner elevator selfie. 🤷‍♀️😄

 

And a Pre-Dinner Snack at Nami Sushi 😉

 

 

 

We decided to try some Sake for the first time and went with our server's recommendations. Amy (who was our server in Tamarind earlier in the cruise)  came over to say hi to us and warned us about Sake. "Easy to drink. Easy to drunk." she said. 😂 Warning taken. We only shared two little shot glasses. I wasn't expecting to like it, but I thought it was pretty good!

 

 

 

Vegetable Tempura - very light batter, we enjoyed it.

 

The couple sitting next to us at the bar told us how amazing the Spicy Scallop Roll was and they were not wrong! It was even better than the Lobster roll we had previously! Mmm!

 

Beautiful sunset!

 

We had such a nice time chatting with Laxman, who is from India. I mentioned to him that all of the Indian dishes I've had on the ship were SO delicious and he said that you can ask for a special Indian menu in the MDR if you ask for it a day in advance. Can anyone confirm that? That alone may be worth booking another cruise! 😍

 

 

Asparagus & Salmon Roll - very good. We had now tried all 4 signature rolls and felt accomplished. 

 

 

The sun may have already set, but the afterglow was gorgeous!

 

 

We headed to the Half Moon Bar area and sat for a while by one of the windows across from Club Orange. All of a sudden, DH takes his camera and takes a photo of something by the window next to me. I turn around and...

 

 

Aw! Turns out it was hidden by someone on our cruise who was celebrating her graduation. It came with instructions to post it to a duck Facebook group - so I will try to do that soon. I have to say though, when looking up duck Facebook groups, I wasn't expecting to find so many and with, um, DRAMA. How can you have drama in a duck-hiding group? I'm a little scared to post there lol.

 

 

 

Late Gala dinner with my amazing DH! ❤️

 

 

 

 

 

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail - the shrimp were quite large and DH liked it!

 

Ricotta & Spinach Tortellini - pasta course for my starter again. It was very good!

 

Cracked Pepper Tenderloin with Grilled Shrimp - DH and I both ordered this, medium rare. Delicious! A classic dish done well always makes me happy.

 

Rhubarb Crisp - DH thought it was very good.

 

Tiramisu - Mmm! Perfect ending to a lovely meal and a wonderful day.

 

 

Next up: Last full day!

[MaryBethV]

50 minutes ago, POA1 said:

It was a cooking lesson and demo like you'd expect. Previously, there was a Food & Wine cooking demo series in the Queens Lounge room. (That's where BB King or Rolling Stone is now.) And, prior to that, there were cooking demos by guest chefs on longer voyages, or demos by the ship's chefs That goes back at least 25 years.

I would have loved that!!!

[cheeseheads4ever]

Well today was the last day of our courtesy hold on our stateroom for our cruise the end of November. We called today to ask a few questions. One being the written itinerary says one of the stops was Grand Turks (Turks and Caicos). On the actual map of the itinerary it shows Grand Cayman. Hmm? The customer service person after our repeated explanations that they didn’t match didn’t understand and made up some unrealistic reason which made no sense. Every question we asked she didnt know the answer or offer to volunteer to transfer us to someone that could answer the questions. Finally after getting a headache we both said we will try back later.

After an hour we call back again and get another customer service person. She was easier to understand but again could not give answers that were for sure answers. So reluctantly we gave up just tired and stressed.

These weren’t hard questions. We were going to book today. So disappointed…

Questions were where are we cruising to? Grand Turk or Grand Cayman? Refundable or non refundable deposit details, AARP Discount, upgrading drink package, she said we couldn’t upgrade?

A few others but something a customer service person should know.

We were looking forward to cruising with a HAL again. Please don’t bring up get a TA. We’ve booked 15 cruises on our own but not with HAL.

Sorry I had to vent.

[MaryBethV]

46 minutes ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

Well today was the last day of our courtesy hold on our stateroom for our cruise the end of November. We called today to ask a few questions. One being the written itinerary says one of the stops was Grand Turks (Turks and Caicos). On the actual map of the itinerary it shows Grand Cayman. Hmm? The customer service person after our repeated explanations that they didn’t match didn’t understand and made up some unrealistic reason which made no sense. Every question we asked she didnt know the answer or offer to volunteer to transfer us to someone that could answer the questions. Finally after getting a headache we both said we will try back later.

After an hour we call back again and get another customer service person. She was easier to understand but again could not give answers that were for sure answers. So reluctantly we gave up just tired and stressed.

These weren’t hard questions. We were going to book today. So disappointed…

Questions were where are we cruising to? Grand Turk or Grand Cayman? Refundable or non refundable deposit details, AARP Discount, upgrading drink package, she said we couldn’t upgrade?

A few others but something a customer service person should know.

We were looking forward to cruising with a HAL again. Please don’t bring up get a TA. We’ve booked 15 cruises on our own but not with HAL.

Sorry I had to vent.

That is terrible! They couldn't tell you why the itineraries didn't match? WOW

We've booked all of our cruises through Costco and while mostly helpful, there were times I felt like I was in a game of chicken to see what would happen first - me giving up or them finally passing me up the line to a supervisor. I'm super stubborn, so I usually win cruise-chicken, but it is always exhausting. 😎 Sorry your day was so frustrating! 

[POA1]

1 hour ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

We were looking forward to cruising with a HAL again. Please don’t bring up get a TA. We’ve booked 15 cruises on our own but not with HAL.

HAL's US employees are in Monday - Friday 6 AM - 6 PM Pacific time. I think there are some stateside people in on Saturday, but I don't know the hours. If you call outside of those hours, you will likely get someone offshore. Since you called on a Sunday, odds are you had an offshore employee.

[cheeseheads4ever]

18 minutes ago, POA1 said:

HAL's US employees are in Monday - Friday 6 AM - 6 PM Pacific time. I think there are some stateside people in on Saturday, but I don't know the hours. If you call outside of those hours, you will likely get someone offshore. Since you called on a Sunday, odds are you had an offshore employee.

 

[cheeseheads4ever]

Sounds like that’s what happened… unfortunately passed on deal today. Will try next week.

i truly thank you all.