LIVE from the Rotterdam’s Best of Norway: August 17-31, 2024

[JazzyV]

@0106 Bon Voyage! Thanks for doing a live thread. Have a great cruise.

@cruisemom42 Bon Voyage!

[BaltimoreCruise]

Tina

Thank you for doing another live report. We met on the October, 2023 transatlantic.  I’m happy to see that you are on the high seas again.  We are cruising Norway and another transatlantic in October, 2025.  It will be our first trip to Norway.  I’m looking forward to reading your posts and enjoying your photos.  We are also flying to Buenos Aires in February 2025 for an expedition cruise to Antarctica.  I enjoyed your live report and photos from your HAL Antarctica cruise.

Anita

BaltimoreCruise

[0106]

On 8/15/2024 at 1:43 AM, gizmodog said:

Anything about club orange too if you have it.

We have Club Orange. Love the smaller dining room.  Highly recommend the Peruvian Chicken special.

16 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

If you see Manny or John at the Lido Bar, please tell them Joy and Allen send hugs. 

I will look for them😊

11 hours ago, BaltimoreCruise said:

We are cruising Norway and another transatlantic in October, 2025.  It will be our first trip to Norway.  We are also flying to Buenos Aires in February 2025

Nice to hear from you Anita. I will do my best to give you a taste of Norway. You will love SA and Antarctica.

 

@cruisemom42 Thanks for contributing to the thread.  It was quite the sailaway.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

On 8/15/2024 at 12:43 AM, gizmodog said:

Have a cruise booked on Rotterdam so am excited about your post. Anything about club orange too if you have it.

It's full every morning for Breakfast.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

1300 Dutch on board, 

[0106]

We had a great evening. After dinner we watched the BB Kings band.  They have an excellent female singer.

 

Today is a sea day. We had a nice breakfast in Club Orange.  No waiting.  There was quite a line for the main dining room when we finished.  
 

Afterwards, I went to the Shore Excursions desk and had my pre-booked excursions moved from my credit card to my onboard credit. Was very easy to do.

 

When I returned to my room my laundry was on the bed with a nice note.  I ask for cold water wash and cool dry.  Everything looks great.  My DH wanted to know why his shirts didn’t look the same when I washed them.  I told him I would teach him how to use an iron when we get home.🤣

[Hobby3333]

• Not sure if you have Club Orange but just out of curiosity, may i ask who the Maitre’D?

[Haljo1935]

5 hours ago, 0106 said:

...Afterwards, I went to the Shore Excursions desk and had my pre-booked excursions moved from my credit card to my onboard credit. Was very easy to do.

Sounds like you're off to a wonderful start! Thanks for letting us know you did this and it's still a seamless process.

[0106]

4 hours ago, Hobby3333 said:

Club Orange but just out of curiosity, may i ask who the Maitre’D?

I do not have the spellings correct but the CO manager is Wayne and the hostess is Youlin

[Hobby3333]

52 minutes ago, 0106 said:

I do not have the spellings correct but the CO manager is Wayne and the hostess is Youlin

Thank you

[0106]

Monday 6am Our first fjord.

 

 

 

Notice this bridge actually connects two tunnels through the mountains.

[grannyshell]

Wow, beautiful. What time are you starting your days to watch the sail-ins? I was wondering if it would still be dark outside when the ship first enters the fjords.

[0106]

@grannyshellWe picked up the pilot at 11 last night.  I was at the Seaview Pool watching the Perseid meteor shower. I left the curtains open when I went to bed.  The light woke me before 6.  We turned on the bow camera and could see people.  We are lucky to have an aft balcony.  The views were amazing.

Edited August 19 by 0106

[erewhon]

 Appreciate you taking the time to do this Live from the Rotterdam thread, thank you. 

Enjoy the remainder of the cruise.

[albingirl]

Thank you for posting this and all the beautiful pictures.  Bon voyage!

[0106]

In Eidfjord we book our tour with Norway Excursions  for $89.  The same HAL tour was $195.
 

[0106]

The bus followed the Eio river to the “Hardangervidda Nature Centre” to learn about Norwegian nature, the climate and environment. The highlight was a panoramic movie that took us on a visual journey along the fjord, mountains and waterfalls. 

 

 

We continued towards the Måbødal valley, surrounded by spectacular mountains driving through tunnels and over authentic stone bridges arriving at Hardangervidda, Europe’s biggest mountain plateau. We then continued to the Vøringsfossen waterfall. The waterfall has a free fall of 145 meters and a total height of 182 meters. This makes the Vøringsfossen one of the highest waterfalls in Europe.

 

 

For the garden club…

 

[dfish]

I enjoyed the Nature Center the first time I was in Eidfjord.  It is such a beautiful fjord town and the scenery is amazing.  

[kad56]

Thank you for doing this! I'll be embarking on the next cruise, so I'm particularly excited to follow along. Could you post some of the daily programs if you get a chance? I'm curious to see what kind of enrichment (EXC) talks they're offering in northern Europe, and what the activities and entertainment are in general.

[0106]

 

27 minutes ago, kad56 said:

Could you post some of the daily programs if you get a chance?

Embarktion Day

Sea Day

 

No enrichment talks.  Just some info about the ports from the cruise director.

 

[julia]

Beautiful scenery, and great pics!

If you don't mind, could you please post pics of your aft cabin?  We have an aft next September for this same itinerary.  Many thanks!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

The Crew on the Rotterdam are great So friendly, management always walking around. And the ship looks great.

[0106]

@kazu@VMax1700 This info is for you.  Still no crackers with the cheese platter! One measly piece of toasted bread 😩

[newtocruiseinblue]

5 hours ago, 0106 said:

 

Embarktion Day

Sea Day

 

No enrichment talks.  Just some info about the ports from the cruise director.

 

Thank you for doing this! Is your sailing being offered happy hours? Thank you!!! Cheers 🥂 

[grannyshell]

11 minutes ago, 0106 said:

@kazu@VMax1700 This info is for you.  Still no crackers with the cheese platter! One measly piece of toasted bread 😩

gotta bring a baggie in your purse with your own crackers, haha