The cruise was grand, combining an 11-day and a 10-day itinerary. The ship was just off its maiden voyage and quite nice. The cabins were great and the Dining venue staffs and Cabin Stewards were outstanding. Club Orange Dining Room Staff we’re superb.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Smoother than expected considering vax documents and Covid Test documents. Club Orange allows priority boarding
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Main Dining Room service was good and the meals were of good quality with enough variety. More items are now extra cost on the menus
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Mostly I did entertainment, so the Billboard Onboard, Lincoln Center Stage, Rolling Stone Rock Club and World Stage. Talented performers at Piano, “Cantare” vocalists, and Step One Dance Ensemble.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The shows were in the nature of “revues”. Musicians were excellent. Cantare did a nice job, and the dancers were stunning and very talented.
Children's Programs
Solo Adult Traveler….no kids along
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Deck 5 Balcony Staterooms had 3 cabin stewards handling the cabins in the section. They were excellent and couldn’t do enough for you! Dining and Assistant Dining Steward did a great job. Wine Stewards were not formally assigned to tables, but our Dining Steward rounded up one and he was good servicing wine packages and making recommendations from your list. The Cellar 3 (top of the line) package was mostly excellent.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Rotterdam is a sister ship to Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. Her decor was nice….sort of a mahogany theme throughout. The promenades indoors were wide though the outer promenade was narrower. The balcony stateroom on deck 5 was excellent with a nice size balcony. The showrooms large and airy. The ship had ample power and we often cruised at 19-20 knots. This HAL’s largest current ship, though a medium-size by industry standards. Normally, she carries about 2750 passengers.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabin stewards kept the cabin spic and span and unobtrusively. Cabin had ample closet space and drawer space. There were 5 ac power outlets plus the bathroom. No power strips or converters needed. Decor was clean and elegant. Bathroom was ample in space and with fine glass shower that was the width of the bathroom with ample handholds. Large flat panel TV was wall-mounted near the foot of the bed. Air-conditioning was adequate for the tropics. Desk/vanity with upholstery chair along with a 2-person sofa (open-ended) with no armrests. Small, serviceable coffee table. Two reclining chairs with pullout footstools and one small parsons table on the deck.
Ship tip
Premium items in the in-room menus are not complimentary for Club Orange passengers as advertised. Generally, OJ is $3.50 a glass except at the Lido. Deli sandwiches at the NY Deli and Pizza are very good along with their version of German Potato salad. Large seating area now belongs to the Billboard Onboard Bar rather than the Ocean Bar. Billboard is a great venue for Piano Bar entertainment. No more appetizers are served at Happy Hour (Billboard), however, there is an alcove in the back of the lounge with appetizers that is self-serve.
It was long, but you could wait in your cabin. It was delayed by a Customs backup. My passage through Customs was greatly sped via Global Entry. Otherwise the lines were very long.
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