We had a great time on our Nine night cruise On board Rotterdam Embarkation was smooth We got to Port Everglades at 12:20 And we did request wheelchair assistance prior to embarkation, which was very great and We went through the check in process and boarding. The ship was a breeze. The ports were amazing. We did have two days and we did see Aruba Bonnie grand Turk and half Moon cay But the food ...
This was our first cruise! Our first happy surprise is that we were upgraded from an inside cabin to a verandah. We were absolutely thrilled! We spent quite a bit of time on our covered verandah enjoying the incredible views. We are in our mid-40's and were definitely on the younger end of our cruise's population, but we didn't mind. We definitely preferred that to a bunch of partying spring ...
Itinerary, ports of call;
Depart Fort Lauderdale
Half Moon Cay, Private Island, Bahamas
Williamstad, Curacao
Cartagena, Columbia
Panama Canal
Colon, Panama
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
Georgetown, Cayman Islands.
Arrive Fort Lauderdale
The ship
We found the embarkation and disembarkation very slick and efficient.
My favourite lounge was the Explorer’s Crow’s nest ...
We chose this cruise primarily for the Panama canal.
Pre cruise
We flew from London Heathrow into Miami the evening before. Holland America booked the transfers from Miami to our Fort Lauderdale hotel, the hotel itself and the transfers to the ship the following day, all of which worked very smoothly, with no significant waiting around for any service. Holland America representatives were on ...
Super easy to book and do your homework with their easy Holland America website!
We booked based on a new ship and because of the ports and itinerary. They met/exceeded expectations! The docking disembarkation, whether walk-off or tender, was flawless!
Its not set up to attract a family with young kids (no slides or bumper cars, etc.), and that's good if you need a break from that. I'd say ...
What a delightful cruise.
Excellent crew/staff on the cruise ship, wonderful excursions. The ship was small and ready for a refurb, but it made good use of the space. I highly recommend Alligators by Night and Rubber Planation and Indigenous Village in Manaus, as well as Piranha Fishing in Santarem. Trinidad was a great port, the friendliest one we visited in Caribean.
Tamarind pop-up ...
My family of four including 2 kids, age 11 and 7, sailed on Rotterdam for 9 days in February 2024 and had a wonderful time! This is our 3rd HAL cruise and they continue to impress. The crew on board Rotterdam is fantastic! I'm so impressed with how hard they work and their ability to remember all of our names by the end of the 1st day of the cruise. HAL still does housekeeping twice a day which I ...
Here’s what I wish I knew before I went. Excellent location for access to the front of the ship, spa, wet steam, dry sauna, hydro pool, gym, kid-free sundeck on deck 12. The food was excellent everyday except the first day in the Lido. On that day I got the lasagna from the buffet that was not very good. However I was told the lasagna in the dining room was much much better. In fact the lasagna ...
Embarkation:
We chose to leave our car at “Park and Go” and it was a great decision. Quick and easy transit to the ship and a very short line and short wait to get on board.
Ship’s Overall Appearance:
No complaints, but not quite as “elegant” as the HAL ships of 25 years ago. Not a lot of “glitz” which to us was a good thing. Adult oriented with no water slides or kids parks.
Our ...
First cruise with HAL and had a great time. Will post photos here along with daily programs.
This is more ocean liner than fun ship and that’s one of the reasons we liked it. Public areas felt more intimate and more like a resort. Ship was spotless and well maintained.
Yes, definitely a more mature crowd, so not for everyone. Important to do your research and ask questions so you can ...