Fantastic cruise
Rotterdam Cruise Review to Europe - Northern Europe
Contributor Level:
Third Mate
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 37
Review summary
Cruise of a lifetime. Will never forget it. Seas were calm, the weather was beautiful and we love the Holland ships.Embarkation
Due to the cleansing of the ship, it took a while to get on board. No real problem, just had to sit around for a while. Be
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
The chef, when we sailed in November, was a better cook. Due to cholesterol problems, I mainly stick to chicken. In November the chef made chicken in many forms. All juicy and tender. The Chet this time seemed to be like a one note horn. Plus the chicken tended to be dry and tasteless. We are sailing on the Noordam in September and I sincerely hope there is a better chef.
As for the specialty restaurants. In November we loved Rudi’s and weren’t too fond of the Pinacle. But chefs charge and this time it was reversed. We loved the Pinnacle and ate a couple lunches and several dinners there. Our least favorite was Canaletto. The Italian restaurant on the Carnival ship was way better. And since Carnival owns HAL you would think it would be the same.
As for the buffet, it was okay. My favorite was the chicken noodle soup. Which I had most days.
On the whole the food is good and we certainly didn’t go hungry.
Onboard Activities
We didn’t participate in the activities. But they seemed okay.
Entertainment
I was completely sad that Lincoln Center wasn’t on board. We love Classical Music. So I really hope HAL brings it back. Billboard on board is our second favorite, so we did enjoy that a lot.
They brought a young man on board at the end and he was magnificent. What a voice and stage presence. We actually watched him twice in one night. The magician was good at her magic but seriously lacked stage presence. A lot of the dancers, but I’m not a fan.
Children's Programs
No children.
Service and Staff
All of the waiters and room stewards were excellent. Every one working on the ship were pleasant, kind and helpful.
Ship Quality
We had a cabin on the aft of the ship and absolutely loved it. The library is a big favorite of mine and the Rotterdam excels with that. It’s clean and organized and has awesome books. Love the Crows nest, with only 14 of the good chars over looking the water it can be a challenge to get one.
Cabin / Stateroom
It was our first time on the aft and we loved it. The bed was comfortable and our room stewards kept it immaculate.
Ship tip
This cruise was my 14th cruise on Holland. Book early for best cabins. The Rotterdam is our favorite ship. And Holland is a wonderful company to sail with. If you want small, elegant and few young children this is the best.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
Been in Amsterdam before and it is a beautiful city. Love the canals and the architecture.
Yes, we did an excursion. I don’t remember everything but we had no complaints. It was a 21 day cruise and I am 83, so I don’t always remember details.
This was my favorite. We did the excursion to Berlin by train. It was an amazing experience filled with history.
Disembarkation
Easy.