This was our third Holland America Line cruise and our second time boarding outside our home country. The ship is roughly 10 years old, and although it was fully booked, we were still fortunate enough to receive an upgrade to a rear-facing balcony cabin. As on previous cruises, we also had the drink and laundry package included.
The overall passenger demographic skewed older, and both the entertainment and food tended to be fairly mild in character. That said, our focus isn’t nightlife or high-energy onboard activities, we cruise primarily to explore destinations.
For context, our first cruise was on the Oosterdam sailing from Trieste to Civitavecchia, which included time in Venice and Rome. We booked a suite for three passengers and were particularly impressed by the coastal views of Montenegro during that itinerary. We also extended our stay with a couple of days in both Venice and Rome.
Our second cruise was aboard the Zuiderdam from Quebec to Boston. On that sailing, we upgraded to a suite with lounge access and a premium beverage package. The experience was enjoyable, and the atmosphere onboard felt very relaxed, with mostly Canadian passengers.
This most recent cruise differed again. We flew into Amsterdam via Boston, spent a couple of days there, then traveled by taxi to Rotterdam to board the ship. There were even protestors at the port, which added an unexpected but thought-provoking element to the embarkation experience.
The Rotterdam is slightly larger than the other HAL ships we’ve sailed on. The passenger mix was predominantly Dutch and generally older, with a more reserved atmosphere overall. While I’ve previously noted that entertainment on HAL ships can feel understated, the BB King’s Blues Club, Billboard Onboard, and Rolling Stone venues were genuinely impressive. The performers were highly skilled and brought a strong sense of energy to the ship, particularly with blues and funk sets that encouraged even a few guests to get up and dance.
Overall, it was another solid Holland America experience focused more on destinations than onboard excitement, and I’ll share more details and photos in a follow-up.
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