Rotterdam Cruise Reviews - Reviews

The Rotterdam is layed out very nicely. It was easy to find our way around, even on the first day.

Nice cruise, laidback, but have enough things to keep one occupied

The weather was good. We did not stop in some scheduled ports. The covid test was required 48 hours prior to sailing, but they still tested you at the port and let you bord if you passed without the 48 hour pretest. Then we all had to retest before going Into the canal. On our excursion in Haultuco we had a near drowning, they need to do more research into the quality of the ship authorized excursions. There was no qualified CPR person on the crew of the catermeran.

The accommodations, food, stage shows, and service was excellent throughout the cruise! We can't wait to cruise on the Rotterdam again. We have already booked another two weeks for next month!

Excellent cruise even during Covid. Felt very safe while onboard and was so impressed by all staff members! Ship was only at 1/3 capacity so never crowded and yet still plenty of activities and things to do. Would highly recommend!

6 days was too short - enjoyed this beautiful boat and would sail again. Staff was impressive .

We love HollandAmerica Line-upscale food, entertainment & service over other lines. Worked well for us, but it’s not a family friendly line, for children or young adults. We prefer this size ship over the Mega ships- the Rotterdam & its sister ships have what we need & are easier to navigate & become familiar with. Lovely staterooms

Everything was well organized. Our stop in Puerto Rico was changed to the Dominican Republic. Our excursion there was to the women's cooperative where we helped make chocolate from harvest to packaging. It was informative and fun.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the caliber of the musicians in Lincoln Center Stage, BB King Blues Club, and Rolling Stones Rock venues. Holland America has a reputation of being geared to an older crowd (65+) so I wasn’t expecting much. I am 70, but prefer blues, funk, soul, to mainstream pop and soft rock. I have been on over 50 cruises so the ports of call weren’t that important to my cruise experience. The ship itself, entertainment and good service matter more. I left a four page review of the entertainment for the cruise director, but no one has gotten back to me to thank me for the constructive criticism. I did give my home address for staff to react to my review post-cruise. I spent a lot of time to furnish that feedback and am very disappointed that my comments were seemingly dismissed. I will be sending a copy of those 4 pages to corporate address for reaction.

We cruised specifically for the new ship. It was very nice and relaxing with great food and drink. Loved the Tamarind asian fusion venue and martini bar.

We loved the ship, itinerary of the ports etc. I loved that it was not full capacity. The communication and safety protocols were reasonable and everyone adhered to policies etc. I would do this itinerary again just to try other excursions. This is the first time that we booked excursions on most every stop ( mostly due to safety) but also due to getting more experiences. The Holland Staff was Fabulous A++++

This is the third Rotterdam I have had the pleasure of sailing on. My first cruise since COVID-19 ravaged the cruising world. Much has changed let's discuss this. EMBARKATION This is a bit more complex as COVID Testing and Vaccination records must be reviewed. You no longer receive your cabin keys at check-in or can add or update credit card information. Embarkation was FAST, THOROUGH, and EFFICIENT took about 15 minutes. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The Rotterdam VII is the third Pinnacle Class ship for Holland America. I was very disappointed that the Mariners Luncheon was held at 11:30 AM on Embarkation Day. Holland America has brought back a REAL library. Your cabin keys are found in the mail slot beside your cabin door. The Lifeboat Drill is GONE but not FORGOTTEN. Now you go with your Cabin Key Card at your Leisure but BEFORE departure to your Muster Station and it is scanned. You then return to your cabin and watch the Safety Video in it's entirety. Finally, before departure the Captain gives an important Safety Announcement you must listen to that. ONCE you complete ALL three tasks you have completed the Safety Drill. This is a HUGE but WELCOMED change. FOOD and DINING Holland America has always done well in this area and continues to do so. Service is the usual 5 star experience. Special requests are CHEERFULLY accommodated and honored quickly. No report on premium dining as I didn't participate. CABIN My Cabin Stewards Ram and Mery were over the TOP. Cabin was kept clean and service was great ENTERTAINMENT This area of Holland America keeps improving with every cruise. Billboard Onboard and the Rollingstone Rock Room are becoming HAL staples that please everyone. Featured Shows are thin but well done. SPA This area of the cruise is well done but very expensive. Passengers complained about pricing and the staff's aggressive behavior in regards to selling overpriced spa products. CUTBACKS Nightly Turn down service is gone and those beautiful flower arrangements too. THE BOTTOM LINE Carnival Corporation and it's subsidiary Holland America have survived and are back to sailing with some incredible offers. Cutbacks in services are never fun but these companies are fighting for their survival. Holland America celebrates it's 150th year in business in 2022 and I wish it another 150 years !!

Good experience to see how a longer cruise would be and we’ve loved these itineraries in the past. Ship crew worked very hard to prove a COVID safe environment and a great experience cruising again.

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.

This is a beautiful ship with a great music program and comfortable well appointed cabins. The staff is excellent. The food did not seem to match the other experiences.

Beautiful new ship. The crew were so helpful and smiled all the time. One crew member told us they were so happy to be back on a ship.

A good cruise with some bad weather that caused us to miss two ports. The port in the Azores was missed the most as it helps break up the long sailing from Europe to the USA.

HAL is known for having a more senior clientele. We had sailed on HAL twenty years ago. We tried it again because it was a great deal with southern ports we wanted to visit and a new ship. Overall, the cruise was a good experience exept for MDR and lack of activities. I know certain people love HAL and I get that. Unfortunately, for us, it just isn't what we are looking for. For the right person, HAL and the Rotterdam is perfect for them. Just not us.

After having cruised for over 10 times on various Lines including 4 with Holland over the last 20 years we found this a very disappointing trip. Too many extras not included in the base price and too expensive to the point of feeling price gauged. Guest Services was a horrible experience in trying to correct a number charges applied to our account that were invalid. It took multiple visits and phone calls impacting our valuable vacation time and causing mental stress.

We choose this cruise for the itinerary. I think we are a little young yet for HAL. Missed some of the fun games in the evenings other lines have. Music, food and shows were wonderful. Not sorry we did it, as we loved the ports, our cabin was comfy, staff were great overall. Missed other fun items other lines have in the evenings. We are not gamblers or big drinkers but like to play games and have fun.