Rotterdam is the newest ship in the Holland America Line fleet.
Lois Alter Mark
My husband and I laughed so hard when the captain on our previous Holland America cruise announced on the last day, “We hope to see you on another ‘dam ship soon.”
You see, all eleven Holland America ships end in “dam,” from the original Vollendam to the Nieuw Statendam that we sailed on two years ago to the Rotterdam, the newest addition to the fleet.
Because we enjoyed our first Holland America cruise so thoroughly, we embarked on the Rotterdam in – where else? – Rotterdam, Netherlands this summer for the 7-day Norse Legends itinerary through Norway. We loved it.
The view of Eidfjord, Norway from our private balcony on Holland America’s Rotterdam.
Lois Alter Mark
What stood out to us on our original Holland America cruise was the fact that passengers didn’t seem nearly as interested in getting off the ship as they did in the many activities onboard. We quickly adopted that same approach and it actually was one of the reasons we chose the itinerary we did. Having been to Norway many times, we knew that we could experience enough of the country’s gorgeous scenery while sailing to rationalize staying on the ship as much as possible.
We did venture out on two shore excursions, Eidfjord Cruise & Voringsfossen Waterfall and Stavanger & Surroundings, which I recommend, but there was such a nice, chill atmosphere on the ship, we were happy to take in the gorgeous views from our private balcony or from one of our favorite Holland America spots (Grand Dutch Café, I’m talking about you).
Rudi’s Sel de Mer is a truly special specialty restaurant on Holland America’s Rotterdam.
Lois Alter Mark
Not surprisingly, we found ourselves immediately falling back into our previous Holland America routine that involved lots of food, music and pickleball, three things at which the cruise line excels. We are big fans of the buffet, specialty restaurants Tamarind and Rudi’s Sel de Mer and, of course, the Grand Dutch Café, where we spent many happy hours over pastries and specialty beverages. We also found ourselves picking up snacks from New York Deli & Pizza to bring back to our stateroom at night.
Pickleball at sea
Holland America Line is the official cruise line of Professional Pickleball Association.
Holland America Line
Because the passengers on this itinerary were predominantly Dutch rather than American, we had the pickleball courts to ourselves almost the whole time. This meant that I had to play more than I wanted to because my husband LOVES the sport and was shocked to have almost no one else to play with. I guess pickleball hasn’t really hit Europe the same way it has in the US although he tried to teach the game to some teenagers who wandered by and a father and son playing basketball. Holland America is the official cruise line partner of the Professional Pickleball Association and that was a big reason my husband was excited to return.
The ship library
The lending library on Holland America’s Rotterdam is a reader’s paradise.
Lois Alter Mark
One of our favorite discoveries on the Rotterdam was a surprisingly extensive lending library. Apparently, most Holland America ships have libraries but we must have been too busy eating on our last cruise to come across the one on Nieuw Amsterdam. It made me so happy to see guests actually taking advantage of the library, borrowing books and reading them around the pool. The library offers multiple copies of bestsellers and classics so you can read and discuss the same book with friends and family members. They even had sections for young adult books and poetry. Plus, there’s a book exchange where you can leave a book that you’ve brought from home and take a new one in return. There were always people in the library when I stopped by, and I had some great conversations with other readers as we recommended books to each other. Next time, this will be my first stop after we embark. I think every cruise ship should have a library and I give major props to Holland America for having such a good one.
Dutch shuffleboard
Sjoelen is much harder than it looks.
Lois Alter Mark
Another new discovery we made on the Rotterdam was Sjoelen, also known as Dutch shuffleboard. It’s played on a Sjoelbak board that looks kind of like a foosball or hockey table and it’s much more challenging than it looks. It’s so much fun and my husband should only know how many times I went over and practiced by myself while he was doing other things.
Stairwell artwork
The beautiful artwork made walking up and down the stairs so much more enjoyable.
Lois Alter Mark
Because we had to walk off some of the thousands of calories we happily ingested daily, we took the stairs as often as possible. The secondary benefit to this was getting to really explore the ship’s artwork. While researching some of my favorite pieces – these repurposed books used as backdrops to beautiful miniature landscapes created by Betty Popper – I learned so much, including the fact that Rotterdam boasts an art collection valued at more than $4.1 million. Once we discovered that each stairwell, from the bottom of the ship to the top, has its own theme, we had to see them all: architecture at the forward stairs, music midship and zoology at the aft stairs. It was like being in a museum but being allowed to get up close and personal with all the beautiful pieces.
Cake Me Away
This is what heaven must look like.
Lois Alter Mark
For anyone with a sweet tooth (*raises hand*), a real highlight of Holland America cruises lasting seven days or more, is Cake Me Away, a dessert extravaganza featuring 22 five-layer cakes. The pastry team picks their favorites and presents them beautifully in Lido Market. You can indulge in as many slices as you want of everything from traditional flavors like Carrot Cake to over the top creations including Almond Roca Cake and Heaven and Hell Cake (layers of angel and devil’s food cakes topped with peanut butter frosting). It’s a good day to skip lunch and go directly to dessert(s).
Our cruise was so relaxing and carefree, it actually felt like a vacation. We agreed we need to do this regularly for our mental health. We can’t wait to get back on a ‘dam Holland America ship again soon.
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Publish date : 2024-10-07 11:31:00
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