Live from Rotterdam - Northern Transatlantic, Oct 12 - 27, 2025

[81Zoomie]

Todays activities

 

 

GOOD NEWS - the NHC reports that remnants of tropical storm 🌀 dissipated overnight.  Hopefully that means our weather will improve throughout the day 🌧️🌦️🌥️⛅️🌤️☀️.  We shall see what the day brings.

 

Of note on today’s schedule… another cooking demonstration, flower arranging, Indonesian tea, more Pickleball-bridge-trivia, and a Dutch themed dinner.  Then the 🍊🍊🍊ORANGE PARTY🍊🍊🍊.

 

 

[VMax1700]

1 minute ago, 81Zoomie said:

Dutch themed dinner.  Then the 🍊🍊🍊ORANGE PARTY🍊🍊🍊.

Bitterballen and mini Bossche bols!

What is not to love about the Orange Party??

[newtocruiseinblue]

3 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

Todays activities

Quick question: do they have happy hours on the TA? Loving following along with your post as we are thinking of doing this cruise in the future. Thank you and cheers! 

[81Zoomie]

 

Yesterday was a #5 for a table in club 🍊 morning.  Today we decided to show up at 8 am when they open.  We arrived at 7:55 and about 10 tables were already seated!  I did a total breakfast switch up this morning. Cappuccino, pastry, egg white omelet, and Turkey sausage.  DH had a pastry and salmon Benedict.  Happy to report we had OJ!

 

 

 

 

Speaking of the 🍊🍊🍊PARTY….

 

We had to prioritize for 5 weeks of cool and warm weather when we packed our one suitcase each.  My orange shawl didn’t make the cut even though I purchased it just for HAL trips.  So now I have 3 options.  There is my thin orange t shirt, my orange sports bra, and our HAL loaner bathrobes  👘 with orange highlights 🤣🤣🤣.  DH joked I could make quite the 🍊 fashion statement 🤣🍊🤣🍊!  Decisions, decisions…. For those that wish to warm up before the 🍊party @ 9 pm, the 🍊Party Bar Hop ($25 pp) begins at 8:30. With only 30 minutes, you may have to chug 😆.

 

We will have plenty of time ⌚️ to ponder on this gray rainy morning.  The pool lid is closed and the hot tubs are netted up.  It’s a drastically different look from yesterday.  The outer decks are now all closed.

 

 

The official notification we are not in Bermuda 🇧🇲 today arrived.  It would have been my first visit to the island.  Hopefully next year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited yesterday at 02:39 PM by 81Zoomie

[81Zoomie]

Just now, newtocruiseinblue said:

Quick question: do they have happy hours on the TA? Loving following along with your post as we are thinking of doing this cruise in the future. Thank you and cheers! 

There have been early Happy Hours from 4-5 pm in Billboard and Rolling Stones.  We have not been, so I do not know what special they are running.

 

[cwtravel]

Hi & thanks for the great review! I loved the two westbound repositioning voyages I have been on and look forward to doing one on either the Rotterdam or N. Statendam.

 

Can you tell me, which floor of the main dining room is used for My Time Dining? I am boarding on 8 November and would like to grab/reserve a nice four person table for dinner.

 

Thanks!

Edited yesterday at 03:00 PM by cwtravel

[Cruise Suzy]

33 minutes ago, cwtravel said:

Can you tell me, which floor of the main dining room is used for My Time Dining? I am boarding on 8 November and would like to grab/reserve a nice four person table for dinner.

 

Any Time Dining is on Deck 2. With Any Time Dining you might be able to reserve a time once onboard (depends on the cruise), but not a specific table.  You will be assigned a table by the hostess once you are at the MDR podium. You can ask if any tables are available in a section, but no guarantee any will be available.

[81Zoomie]

 

I was a gym slacker yesterday.  Today my exercise 🏋️‍square is filled before the next meal 🥘.  Working out sounded more appealing than learning to cook (and smell) Grouper 🐟👨‍🍳 (not a fish fan), YMMV.  It was much busier in the gym than I had anticipated.  All the treadmills were occupied 🚶🏼🚶🏼‍♀️as were the bike machines 🚲 that are in service.  It gets quite warm in the gym when it gets more crowded.  While I was mindlessly plugging away on the elliptical, my mind was wandering…

 

Perhaps on this cruise they might rename the HAL cocktails and mocktails🍸🍹🥃🧋🍻🍷???  What do you think of the Gray Day, White Cap, Misty Haze, Raindrop, Orange Oscar 🌀, Sea Daze???  I think we can keep Dark & Stormy because it’s perfect just like it is 😂.  Now that we are all trapped inside… again… let the party 🎉 begin!  

 

It’s noon, and the Captain 👨‍✈️ reports we have sailed 3075 miles 🌎 since we departed Brest, France 🇫🇷 8 days ago.  Rotterdam’s 🛳️ position is 800 miles east of Florida 🌴.  It is currently 81 degrees 🌡️ with 60 mph winds 💨💨💨, seas at 7 feet.  For this afternoon… worse…thunderstorms ⛈️ ⚡️⛈️ and 13 foot seas 🌊.  Use caution ⚠️ because of “the motion of the ocean.”  Good news, we don’t need any sunscreen 😎😂😎.  Conditions should begin to improve after midnight 🕛.  
 

Edited 23 hours ago by 81Zoomie

[Ellencruise]

On 10/22/2024 at 12:51 PM, Birdhunter67 said:

The Oosterdam sails to Antartica. If memory serves me correctly, it is a 22 day cruise between Buenos Aires and Santiago Chile (can’t remember the name of the actual port). Keep in mind, you cruise the Antartic waters; you don’t get to actually set foot on Antartica. But, HA’s cruise is one third the price of the expedition cruises that actually stop there. 

Also 14 day cruise on Oosterdam, I enjoyed in March 2023

[BigTeee]

2 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

 

I was a gym slacker yesterday.  Today my exercise 🏋️‍square is filled before the next meal 🥘.  Working out sounded more appealing than learning to cook (and smell) Grouper 🐟👨‍🍳 (not a fish fan), YMMV.  It was much busier in the gym than I had anticipated.  All the treadmills were occupied 🚶🏼🚶🏼‍♀️as were the bike machines 🚲 that are in service.  It gets quite warm in the gym when it gets more crowded.  While I was mindlessly plugging away on the elliptical, my mind was wandering…

 

Perhaps on this cruise they might rename the HAL cocktails and mocktails🍸🍹🥃🧋🍻🍷???  What do you think of the Gray Day, White Cap, Misty Haze, Raindrop, Orange Oscar 🌀, Sea Daze???  I think we can keep Dark & Stormy because it’s perfect just like it is 😂.  Now that we are all trapped inside… again… let the party 🎉 begin!  

 

It’s noon, and the Captain 👨‍✈️ reports we have sailed 3075 miles 🌎 since we departed Brest, France 🇫🇷 8 days ago.  Rotterdam’s 🛳️ position is 800 miles east of Florida 🌴.  It is currently 81 degrees 🌡️ with 60 mph winds 💨💨💨, seas at 7 feet.  For this afternoon… worse…thunderstorms ⛈️ ⚡️⛈️ and 13 foot seas 🌊.  Use caution ⚠️ because of “the motion of the ocean.”  Good news, we don’t need any sunscreen 😎😂😎.  Conditions should begin to improve after midnight 🕛.  
 

Yeah, I skipped gym free weights during high motion of the ocean.

[CNSJ]

On 10/16/2024 at 11:33 AM, 81Zoomie said:

British Navy Supply ship

Our UK partners have the ROYAL NAVY, and the ROYAL AIR FORCE. ROYAL MARINES….and the BRITISH ARMY.   It's not the British Navy.

 

All the other Royal Navies around the world add something to “royal” like the Royal Australian Navy etc. 

 

That said, Thank You for a great review Blog

[Crusin-Suzan]

23 hours ago, newtocruiseinblue said:

Quick question: do they have happy hours on the TA? Loving following along with your post as we are thinking of doing this cruise in the future. Thank you and cheers! 

Yes drinks are 1/2 off from 4 to 5!   Always busy but fun!

[newtocruiseinblue]

17 minutes ago, Crusin-Suzan said:

Yes drinks are 1/2 off from 4 to 5!   Always busy but fun!

Yes!! We always love happy hour and trivia! I told my DH that we need to practice our trivia for our next cruise!!

[81Zoomie]

 

The ship is oranging out, everywhere you look 🍊!

 

The agenda is pretty meh today, especially for sea day #7 and the lousy weather.  We decide to pop up to Deck 10 for a little cribbage and a change of scenery.  Within an hour, the weather takes a turn, a good turn!  Granted the wind is still howling 💨💨💨, and the seas are rocking 🌊🌊🌊, but at least we can see some relief!

 

 

 

 

 

Time to find a celebratory beverage.  The Ocean bar provided a nice spot.  The bartenders were ready to have fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Off to dinner in Club 🍊.  We even had orange 🍊 napkins tonight with our orange night menu!

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was 🍊🍊🍊PARTY-PARTY-PARTY🍊🍊🍊!

 

 

[81Zoomie]

Day 12 - At Sea (🎱🤪)

 

The clocks fell back for the last time yesterday evening.  We have a gorgeous day!  
 

 

The schedule is somewhat meh today and we are into the repeat of events a bit.  Nothing very new or notable, considering our time at sea has been extended by 2 days. Total chill day for us.  Except for Rotterdam Zoo day!  Towels and bathrobes abound!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are happily tucked away and watching the world go by.  What not splurge with Bloody Maria???  So I order one up.  Not so fast, Rotterdam is out of tomato juice.  I’m not into Clamato 🦪 fan, so no go.  Plan B, how about a tequila sunrise 🌅?  Haven’t had one of those in over 40 years 😅.  And while it’s been a long time… I remember a a red ring with OJ, a distinct line.  It’s OK, but I think there might be something to the out of real OJ rumor.

 

 

I will file an update if there is anything notable to report today.  Otherwise I will be staring at the deep blue sea!!!

 

 

 

Edited 15 minutes ago by 81Zoomie

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

On 10/23/2024 at 3:25 PM, newtocruiseinblue said:

Quick question: do they have happy hours on the TA? Loving following along with your post as we are thinking of doing this cruise in the future. Thank you and cheers! 

Yes and yes.