All Dressed Up And Plenty Of Places To Go
Tonight, we had a 6:30 pm reservation in the main dining room. It was also the second formal night of the cruise.
Similar to our previous two main dining room meals, we had the same table and the same great service. By now, our waiter knew our drink order. He also anticipated me ordering several items from the menu.
Unfortunately, Gala Night on Holland America Line does not include lobster. Still, there were a few upgraded items. Among them was the jumbo shrimp cocktail. True to the name, the shrimp were larger than you typically get in complimentary cruise ship restaurants. Heidi went with the baked brie for her appetizer.
For dinner, she ordered the spinach and ricotta ravioli. I did the glazed duck breast and the cracked peppercorn beef tenderloin with shrimp. The duck was sweet and succulent with a light sauce. The beef tenderloin had a spiced crust and was cooked to a perfect medium-rare temperature. This made it difficult for me to pick which one I liked more.
For dessert, I went with the warm chocolate cake, and Heidi did the tiramisu. While neither were outstanding, they hit the spot.
A Rather Predictable Night On The Music Walk
There was no production show in the World Stage this evening. Instead, the main theater was showing a movie. Thus, we expected the other entertainment venues to be busy.
Surprisingly though, the ship continued to feel rather empty.
Our plan for the evening was to check out the live music and comedy at B.B. Kings. Before heading to this lounge, we stopped at the Half Moon Bar.
This small bar is new to the cruise line. It includes 7 classic cocktails with a unique HAL twist. All of them are in honor of the cruise lines history. I went with the 3 Mile Run with whiskey. It was a well balanced and refreshing cocktail.
The location of the bar is in a corner between the midship atrium and dining rooms. So, we people watched while sipping cocktails for about 20 minutes before making our way to B.B. Kings.
The All Star band featured one female singer, who mainly performed slow jazz or 60s pop music. When the 35-minute set ended, we had a short wait for the comedy show.
This second performance by Warren B. Hall focused on jokes about cruising and cruise ships. Aptly named, Boat Stuff, the set was more entertaining than the show we watched on Night 2.
Following the small crowd, we strolled forward and secured seats at Billboard Onboard after the comedy show. This 10:15 pm set was the all request show.
Even though the pair had only been together on the ship for two weeks, they worked well together.
We browsed the casino but decided to just head back to our room instead.
Ms Rotterdam 14/8 21/8 28/8 11/9 Departs From Rotterdam
The MS Rotterdam from August 14,21,28 August and 11 September will depart from Rotterdam and not from Amsterdam. This is because of the salinity problems. Measures have been taken, including an adjusted lock regime for the locks in IJmuiden. This affects the various calls at Cruise Port Amsterdam. Your journey with the Rotterdam on 14,
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Are We The Only Ones At Dinner
Tonight, we were dining in the Italian specialty restaurant, Canaletto. Up to Deck 9, there were only a few occupied tables at the restaurant when we arrived.
For the most part, we stuck to similar items we had when we dined at the restaurant in 2021. Though honestly, we did not enjoy the selections as much as we did the last time around.
I did like the grilled calamari. This is a nice alternative to the typical fried variation of this starter. Heidi went with the mozzarella, which she felt was not too flavorful.
For meals, I went with a half order of the short rib braised gnocchi and the nights special veal saltimbocca. The short rib did not disappoint. It was tender and flavorful. My other option was just ok. For a half-order, it was still quite large!
Heidi went with the same pasta dish she had before. She did ask if she could get the chicken parm which was a special from a previous night, but she was told no.
The rich and hearty pasta meals were rather filling. Still, we found room for dessert. I have to say that the ricotta tart was the best dessert I had all trip!
Service was quick so yet again, we were done in a little over an hour. By the time we left the restaurant, there was only one other couple in the entire venue.
Another Sunny Afternoon Onboard Rotterdam
With the all aboard time not until 1:30 pm, we had no issues getting loungers near this aft pool.
Before shoving off, we grabbed lunch from the Lido Market, which is conveniently located right next to this outdoor area.
One thing we like about the buffet on Holland America Line is the predictable, easy layout. With several stations, I made a b-line for the Distant Lands for some Asian cuisine. After browsing some of the other stations, the Princess did the same. Similar to our other trip, the wok and noodles were outstanding.
With lunch done, and some work that I still had to complete, we grabbed coffees and cookies and headed back to our cabin around 2:15 pm.
Until today, the WiFi had been solid. Unfortunately, this afternoon it decided to take a break for close to 90 minutes. Not as productive as I wanted to be, we made due while enjoying the ocean breeze on our balcony.
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A Slow And Steady Afternoon On Rotterdam
One nice feature of the Holland America Navigator app is the ability to mobile order food from the two outdoor casual dining venues. Testing out how the technology worked, we wait 18 minutes for our order.
As we waited, we grabbed a few drinks from the Lido pool bar of course. This venue features the same cocktail menu as the other outdoor bars.
Our food order consisted of the chicken sandwich and fries for Heidi and the Gainer burger and fries for me. These items were served hot and fresh off the grill.
The Dive-In is suspiciously located next to the up-charge Gelato shop. Watching a steady flow of cruisers getting this frozen Italian treat, Heidi insisted we try this venue.
The gelato was smooth and creamy, definitely an upgrade from the typical complimentary ice cream in the buffet. Given the nominal charge of $2 for a hefty 4 oz. serving, I was fine splurging.
Looking for a change of scenery, we headed aft to the Sea View pool after lunch. This adults-only pool is more open than the midship main pool.
Enjoying the breeze for close to another hour, we were starting to feel a bit lethargic. Not that sitting around for close to 5 hours had anything to do with our lack of energy.
So, we headed down for a second round of coffee. While at the coffee shop, we noticed the time for our shore excursion tomorrow had changed. Now, the tour was leaving a full hour earlier.
Th Anniversary Transatlantic & North Sea Explordetails
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Another Excellent Dinner In The Main Dining Room
Tonight, we had pre-booked another dinner in the main dining room for 6:30 pm. When we arrived early, Hazel greeted us and had someone escort us to table 21 with the same waitstaff team of Anang and Santosa.
Tonight, the restaurant seemed even less busy than the first night. At some points during the trip, we wondered where everyone else was on the ship.
Again, dinner took just a little over an hour for all three courses. For starters, I ordered the vegetable spring roll, and Heidi did the buffalo mozzarella.
For an entrée, Heidi ordered the Chef Rudis spiced chicken which was massive!
I ordered two different main courses. I started with the port to table offering, the jerk lamb shank. The meat was very tender, and the sauce had plenty of spice and flavor. My second sampling was the beef tenderloin. This was not exactly what I was expecting, but the beef was flavorful.
Overall, the main dining room continued to impress us during this trip.
For dessert, my apple tart was the perfect ending. I made sure to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream of course.
Inaugural Cruise Itineraries 2021
The ship’s Maiden Voyage is currently scheduled for October 20, 2021 , and the inaugural Caribbean departure for November 3rd.
Despite the vessel’s on-schedule delivery, in mid-June HAL canceled the ship’s schedule from August 1 thru November 3 .
Next tables show the inaugural itineraries with lowest prices in USD per person .
7-day “Inaugural Cruise” from Trieste to Civitavecchia-Rome
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Rotterdam Port Statistics 2017
In 2017, the port handled a total of 29,646 ocean-going vessels . The number of reported incidents in port waters was 129 . In 2017, for the first time, 2017 Seaport Police and Port Authority held joint vessel inspections of pleasure craft in the port area. Also in 2017, for the first time was provided LNG bunkering to a vessel docked in port. The new service is provided by the LNG tanker Cardissa, serving the port area.
In 2017, the collected port duties were EUR 289,6 million plus EU 14,4 million . Port’s main source of income is from rentals and long-term leasing.
Port’s growth in container shipping for 2017 was 12,3% , with total cargo increase 1,3% in tonnage . The bulk cargo increased by 2,6% and 4,1% . Breakbulk increased by 7%. Container shipping increased by 10.9% and by 12,3% by weight . Most growth was reported on shipping routes connecting Europe with Asia, South and North America. The Baltic Sea traffic volume in TEUs grew by 21%. The TEU traffic volume between Mediterranean and ScanBaltic grew by 10,2%. The hinterland volume grew by 6,3%.
In 2017, the port’s crude oil traffic volume increased by 2,3% . The mineral oils and oil products volumes decreased by 10,8% , mainly due to decreased oil exports from Russia. Port’s LNG shipping volumes increased by 16,5%. Dry bulk volumes were 31 million tons. Agribulk volumes grew by 6,6% .
Rotterdam Tours Shore Excursions Hotels
City Tours and Shore Excursions
- The Rotterdam Port: Rotterdam won port of the year for 2013. It is worth to take a look at the port and see the atmosphere.
- Euromast: or the Space Tower. Take a bird eye look over Rotterdam. The tower is 185 m and there is a restaurant atop.
- Erasmusbrug: or the Erasmus Bridge. So close to Rotterdam cruise port terminal, that you should not miss it. It was open by Queen Beatrix in 1996. The bridge is 800 m. It is also known as âThe Swanâ because of its color.
- Willemsbrug: or the Willems Bridge is also known as âRed Bridgeâ or the âGolden Gate Bridgeâ of Rotterdam. It dates from 1981. It is over the Nieuwe Mass River.
- Museums: the Boijmans Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Kunsthal Museum, the Maritime Museum and the Netherlands Fotomuseum.
- De Kuip Football Stadium: or the Tub is the home of Feyenoord football club. The club is famous in Europe, so is the stadium.
- Delftshaven: or the Delfts Harbour. The part of the city that remained mostly undamaged during the World War II bombing.
Port Rotterdam cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port’s schedule lists all ships with cruises going to or leaving from Rotterdam, Netherlands South Holland. To see the full itineraries and their lowest rates â just follow the corresponding ship-link.
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Why I Chose This Cruise
Let me tell you a story: On my first Holland America cruise in 2007 aboard Westerdam in the Mediterranean, the ship was so dead at night that my travel companion and I dressed up in crazy hats and feather boas and posed for pictures with one of the ships photographers because it was something to do for 20 minutes.
Fast forward more than a decade, and Holland America is now devoted to filling evenings onboard with live music. Its newest ships offer distinct venues offering classical, Memphis blues, pop hits, and classic rock concerts. As Ive only sailed on HALs older ships, Im curious to see if the new nightlife lives up to the hype.
More broadly, I have yet to cruise on a Pinnacle-class ship, and Im eager to discover the modern Holland America experience. Im excited to sample the expanded dining options , and check out whether the updates have convinced younger people to come aboard.
I was also initially excited about an overnight in Half Moon Cay, and was envisioning beach bonfires and stargazing. But, alas, despite back-to-back days at the private island, the ship will sail away the first evening so it can open the casino and shops. Boo!
Holland America Line Rotterdam Caribbean Cruise Review Day 5
All along, St. Thomas was our third port of call. Although, we didnt realize the time had been changed until we got a notification about changes to our shore excursion the day prior.
We were supposed to have an 8 am arrival. Now, we had a new arrival time of 11 am, with the ship staying in port until 8 pm. Normally, we would take advantage of a late day stop, but I had to work my full-time job this week and had some meetings and other obligations I could not miss this afternoon.
This meant we had to cancel our revised shore excursion to Coral World and Coki Beach.
Back with our usual morning pick me up, we were both ready by 9 am local time, so there was time for breakfast before starting my work day. The easiest and quickest option was the Lido Market. We sampled a few items, including the custom omelet station.
Good thing for me, we were docked and cleared right before 11 am. With all the PA announcements done, along with 5G internet speeds and cell service, I was able to hop on a Teams meeting without issue.
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Review Of Ms Rotterdam
The 2021-built MS Rotterdam cruise ship is the 11th vessel in the Holland America Line’s fleet and the 3rd of the company’s Pinnacle-class liners . Its sisterships are the fleetmates Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam and also Cunard’s Queen Anne. The new Rotterdam is HAL’s 17th vessel built by Fincantieri.
On July 30, 2020, HAL announced that changes the ship’s name from “Ryndam” to “Rotterdam” and that the newbuild will become the fleet’s flagship. This is HAL’s 7th liner to bear this name . The last Rotterdam cruise ship was sold in July 2020 to Fred Olsen and later renamed “MS Borealis”.
The new Rotterdam cruise ship is currently Holland-flagged and was delivered on July 30, 2021 .
Riding Around Grand Turk
Our call into Grand Turk this morning was now an hour earlier at 7 am.
Before the cruise, we booked our shore excursions via Holland America Lines cruise planner. Given the changing nature of cruising in 2022, we figured it was easier to reserve directly with the cruise line.
With a 5:30 am alarm, the Princess prepared for the day while I wandered the ship getting some photos and videos. I needed to wait for the Explorations Café to open at 6 am to grab our morning coffees.
Back down to our cabin with coffee, I got ready and we were off the ship by 7:15 am. Us, and the 30-ish other people on our tour, were the only cruisers out and about this early in the morning.
Checking in at the tour desk immediately beyond the arrivals plaza, we were ready for a morning of exploring Grand Turk. This island nation is only 7 miles long by 1.5 miles wide, making it an ideal place to explore via our own personal electric hummers.
The two-hour guided drive operated by Fantastic Tours took us all around the island. Literally. We started at the cruise port, then headed west to the downtown area. Then, we headed north to the nature reserve and on to the remaining salt fields.
Each vehicle offered narration from our guides via Bluetooth. For the most part, this was a pretty typical island tour. But, the added fun of driving our own stylish red hummer and the upbeat tour guides made this anything but an ordinary tour.
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One Final Night Onboard Rotterdam
Tonight, we had dinner at Tamarind at 6 pm, along with our usual plan of the nights show and some live music. This meant we had to spend some time this afternoon packing.
Back in our cabin, we were able to cool off and pack up most of our belongings before dinner.
There was no better way to end this cruise than with a meal at Tamarind.
Of course, we started with some cocktails, including the Wasabi and the Far East Legacy.
For starters, I went with the pot stickers and the five spice ribs. The pot stickers were prepared in the traditional way, with a succulent filling of lobster and shrimp. The ribs were spicy, with a light sauce and meat so tender that I did not even need a knife.
As one could guess, Heidi did the only chicken options. For a starter, she ordered the satay sampler with just chicken. For dinner, she went with the red curry coconut chicken and an order of dan dan noodles to share.
I couldnt pass up the Szechuan shrimp as my entrée. This spicy dish featured battered fried shrimp and vegetables. To accompany the meal, I ordered the crab fried rice as well. It had just the right amount of flavoring and was a nice upgrade from the typical steamed rice.
For dessert, we both got the yuzu cheesecake. This light, fruity dessert was a refreshing third course, especially after a spicy entrée.
Following this 40-minute production, we popped into the Rock Room to catch a few songs before heading to Lincoln Center Stage.