Holland America's Rotterdam
The art collection onboard is extensive and each of the lift lobbies, stairwells and many public areas feature quirky and though-provoking items that often catches your eye.
The ship has a beautiful 2-storey main dining room at the aft of the ship that is centred around a striking, sweeping art sculpture. Open for breakfast, lunch (sea days) and dinner, with plenty of variety each day to avoid having the same meal twice!! The Lido Market is the onboard buffet and features a range of themed cooking stations – breakfast featured the usual fare of fruits, baked goods, cooked-to-order eggs/omelettes. Lunch featured made-to-order salads, various meats, vegetables, fresh sushi, Mexican cuisine, sandwiches. In the evening one of the speciality restaurants – Canaletto – is conveniently located next to the Lido Market Casual dining is also available by the pool. The Dive In Burger is well known as one of the best burgers at sea – these are all cooked to order and are complimentary (ideal for a quick bite after a morning shore excursion). There’s also a handmade pizza/sandwich bar. There’s plenty of speciality options: Canaletto offers Italian fare and specialises in larger, sharing plates. Tamarind has an extensive Asian-fusion menu plus the restaurant offers a small, sushi bar with delicious food prepared freshly to order (My personal favourite of the specialty dining experiences) Pinnacle Grill is the steakhouse and has everything a carnivore could desire (my tip would be try this at lunch on a sea day, a cheaper cover charge but still an amazing menu and experience). And Rudi’s Sel de Mer where the feel is a chic, Parisian seafood restaurant. The food and service were superb and easily worth the approx. $50 surcharge (the other speciality options are generally much cheaper).
Rotterdam doesn’t feature a traditional theatre but the ‘World Stage’ a circular stage with large screens that wrap 180 degrees around it offers song and dance shows of extremely high quality. There’s an exclusive at-sea partnership with BBC Earth and this was a spectacular way to spend an evening in the ‘World Stage’ - you get to see some of the most amazing scenes from recent BBC documentaries and a soundtrack, created specifically for Holland America, is played live by the onboard 5 piece ‘orchestra.’ Many bars also feature live music, plus this ship features the Music Walk where you’ll find Rolling Stone Rock Room, Billboard Onboard (featuring duelling pianos) and the Lincoln Center Stage & B.B. King’s Blues Club, each offering a distinct style of music until the early hours... something for everyone
The cabins and suites are tastefully decorated, I was lucky to be allocated a Vista Suite which came with a queen-size bed, spacious veranda, floor to ceiling glass doors and a large sitting area. Room service is complimentary 24 hrs/day and the stateroom TV features free of charge on-demand movies.
Rotterdam feels modern and luxurious and there’s a touch of the Holland America Dutch feel to her. If you want clever, well-designed voyages where the focus is on destination discovery, a wide variety of on-board activities with a relaxed atmosphere than found on larger ships and brands, superb food and a mix of international guests - Holland America would be an excellent choice.