MS Rotterdam Cruise Food Review

[@NaNa65.]

Just the fact that they serve you at the buffets makes me want to book with this cruise line.

[@nancyneal5377]

HAL is way more costly than it use to be, but they serve the food without passengers touching it, which makes me happy, even before covid. Their cabanas are priced well ,compared to celebrity. The food was great, the ship is classic yet modern. Hal Rotterdam is the whole package for people who want the ship experience and not the amusment park or mega mall experience. Each to their own.

[@Ginasgusa]

Agreed! I find the food very good on HA. We eat in the dinning room every night and we are very pleased with the quality and quantity. The Lido buffet is not bad too especially when it is not self served. My meal experience was very good. No complaints whatsoever. Yea, I get that the food isn’t like it used to be but it is practice across all cruise lines. We didn’t make reservations for dinner but we have no issues getting a table in the dinning room as we do late dinner between 7.30 - 7.45 pm.

[@vickik9104]

"Grass soaked in apple juice" LOLOLOL! Thank you again Tony!

[@abkollin]

Excellent review of your food experience. We took an 11 day cruise on the Eurodam last year. We ate in specialty restaurants every night and were very happy with the quality and service. I did have the chocolate souffle dessert seven times....

[@davedove67]

I did HAL in May. In the MDR for breakfast, they had a banana bread French toast that was absolutely luscious.

[@dch031]

You seriously should do more of these type of videos. Food and experience walkthroughs

[@capnmark4]

Wish all cruise lines would go to 'staff served' in the buffet, especially the salad station. I always got a salad on HAL whenever we were in the buffet...can's say that for other lines.

[@mauicountygis5450]

These "All the food I ate on...." videos are hands down my favorites on your channel.

[@loudelk99]

Just took a Cruise on the Holland America Eurodam to Alaska. The food was all outstanding. It was my first cruise and Holland America made it great.

[@campaignteam]

This comment will probably get lost but you seem to have confirmed what I have been saying all along. Cruise lines are cutting the quality of the food in the MDR to a point where people are opting for speciality dining. So you base cruise fare is not your final price because you have to add $35-$50USD PP/day if you are looking for quality of food that used to be served at the MDR. Sad state of affairs.

[@TVHouseHistorian]

It’s interesting. Last year I sailed with both Princess and Norwegian, and each sailing came with two specialty dining options included with your fare. The MDR on Princess was just as outstanding as I remember. Norwegian on the other hand, the MDR menu was a sad state of affairs. Both buffets were amazing though! My voyage on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony a couple weeks ago was a real eye opener, as both the MDR and the buffet were abysmal. It shocked me, because that was not the Royal Caribbean included food experience I remember.

[@crystalrowan]

This makes a lot of sense. And it seems like a lot of the reviews I'm seeing of mainstream cruise lines consistently report lackluster food experiences in the MDR, but great food in the specialty restaurants. I think more and more lines that do things like Princess where they offer dining packages are going to become the norm because everyone is realizing you have to add specialty dining to have the best food experience. Though the higher end lines like Princess and HAL apparently do well with their buffet offerings. I think Norwegian is an interesting case because their Indulge Food Hall consistently gets great reviews for quality but is still included. And Carnival seems to have great reviews for their included casual dining. It's almost like the MDR is the afterthought and even the other included options have better quality.

[@dutchmommorgan9204]

I just got off HAL Zaandam and ate every meal in the MDR and was pleasantly surprised by the quality and taste of all the dishes....I had 2 steaks during this cruise and will say they were among the best I've had!!

[@patriciaedwards5834]

​@@TVHouseHistorian 1:28

[@TVHouseHistorian]

@@patriciaedwards5834 yep, pretty much what you’ll expect on Royal. 🤢

[@powerwalkwithmybaby]

Yeah,, cream,puffs can be addictive.. - So many entrées, so little time.. 🌷

[@deekang6244]

MDR is ok? I am a foodie and I love the MDR. I think you didn’t give it a chance.

[@tkycrk5150]

On Rotterdam in early April. Had excellent prime rib in MDR. MDR lunch amazing fresh tomato soup and fried calamari.

[@dianeslingluff4142]

Great piece, but I think you short changed the MDR. No, it’s not the best food on the ship, but it’s not as bad as you make it out to be. You only went once! Most items served in the MDR can also be found on the Lido, but in fresher format and in the quantities and proportions you wish, and so much quicker, so I don’t disagree. Thanks for all the great 🖐️cruise news 🤚 Keep it coming! ♥️

[@sunsetwatcher5368]

Delicious visuals! Thank you! We love the food on HAL.

[@rh4267]

Hey Tony, the Club Orange dining room can be had by all, even if you are in an inside room. It's an extra charge upgrade on your ticket which must be booked in advance. You cannot book this upgrade after you board. We use it all the time and it's well worth it.

[@dutchmommorgan9204]

We loved Club Orange on our last cruise so much we booked it again in October!! For it is so worth it

[@suzannesanchez4864]

Love that beautiful chocolate cream filled flaky boom you ate! Pizza, too!

[@bstenson1964]

love lamb chops and those looked awesome.

[@stevenz2234]

What a great food tour! It was nice to see all those choices for your 23 day journey.

[@martyndeb]

To be able to sample all of those menu options during onboard ship time is a great opportunity!! Great review!!

[@ronpillar9963]

My wife and I split the cream puff from the Grand Dutch cafe precisely for the reason you stated. It’s sooooo tasty I could have them with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

[@april4657]

I'm fasting before a procedure.... and choosing to watch this....

[@margyharrell4302]

We got on the Rotterdam in Amsterdam the day you got off. We ate in the MDR every night (except when we went to the Pinnacle Grill.) While every dish wasn't a home run, we thought most were quite good. The fish entrees we particularly good (and fresh!) We enjoyed getting to know our servers and the sweet Australian couple next to us. But I get that you have places to go , people to see... 😂

[@missyengelhard7927]

I was on Volendam 74 days and loved the MDR menus. Our waiters could get us out in 45 minutes. They were awesome but sometimes we would talk and stretch it out. Also best MDR dessert is not on the menu. They have a fruit crisp every night in varied flavors. They also often have crème brûlée in the MDR. I love Tamarind and Dutch Cafe but they don’t exist on Volendam!

[@SCOTTIETHOMPSON10314]

I've always loved Canaletto - - very understated and the most affordable. Never had a disappointing meal there - - I think people have a less impressive perception of it because it's a section within the main buffet - - but don't let that fool you - - it's a great dining experience!!

[@marievonderheyde7243]

I loved the Cherry Garcia baked Alaska from the Pinnacle Grill. I also loved the Lasagna you were not crazy about.

[@TreesVerwoerd]

Thank you for this video! In august this year we will be back on the Rotterdam, we love HAL! It's funny to see that your favourite at the Dutch Cafe was the Bossche bol. We are from Holland and know what they taste like in Holland in the town of Den Bosch. If you ever are in Holland and have the opportunity to taste it here, you will know that that is even far more better, heavenly! Stay save and stay cruising.

[@RPrice_OG]

Mmm, can't wait. We'll be on that ship in 8 months. Only been on one other ship in this line and the food was great then.

[@williamhansen5498]

Thank you I am taking a November HAL TA and looking forward to the food.

[@kendrawaterbury2328]

Lord!!! You’re killing me with this yumminess!

[@TessAlmond]

All of it looks fabulous!

[@PaulaBean]

What? You didn't try the herring and the pea soup? You missed out ;-) 'Nieuwe haring' and 'Snert', like we call those things here in The Netherlands by their proper name, are really a treat.

[@angelabrown3994]

That chocolate "softball" looked amazing 😋

[@dutchmommorgan9204]

Thank for an amazing food review on HAL Rotterdam....as a Dutch born citizen living in the US for most of my life, the Dutch Cafe gives me a taste of home!!! The Croquettes and Bitter Ballen are some of my favorites along with the Bossche Boll!! Tamarind Is oir Favorite specialty Restaurant!! I am excited to sail MS. ROTTERDAM again in October!!

[@falling043]

I'm from the Netherlands now living in the US so I do miss the Bitterballen en kroket, however I know most US people don't care for it. Those Bossche Bollen sure pack punch but they're good.

[@kwaggoner2494]

We pretty much did the whole Grand Dutch Cafe menu on our last cruise and that place was probably the biggest sleeper hit for us. No wonder it was crowded every time we stopped by. The Apple and Bacon Pannenkoek and the Dutch Proffertjes (mini pancakes) were both fantastic treats. I also love the Split Pea Soup and the Toasted Ham and Cheese and a cold rainy day onboard. The Dutch do good cheese anything! And all the food there is included in your cruise fare. 🎉🎉

[@whodunit5621]

Heh, we canceled a booked cruise after seeing that it did not have the dutch cafe.

[@whodunit5621]

And the Boschie bols, were too big and as the cruise went into the 2nd half. They became a more realistic size. With less people not finishing them

[@scottluvstotrvl]

Thanks for sharing your experience Tony. I am going on the Rotterdam for a Panama Canal cruise next October. I have previously salied on that ship in Scandanavia from Rotteramy(the city). I loved the ship. I don't really eat a the Dive In to much either. I find the food in the main dining room very good. Maybe you were just not in the vibe that day. Sometimes I enjoy being served food instead of having to go get myself. The Lido Cafes are great on HAL in my opinion since you do not have to serve yourself.

[@EvelynnLandrum]

Great review! HAL is an awesome cruise line, one of my favorites for Caribbean getaways. But their food sucks (both lido deck and main dining room)! I've only had a tasty experience at the Pinnacle Grill. I usually save my appetite for the Caribbean food at port. 😋 😊

[@teresah5318]

All looked good! OBTW, I can see why you had to stop yourself from eating more of those wonderfully looking deliciousness of a filled cream puff. I love cream puffs so much that I learned how to make them. That was many years ago back when Farell's ice cream parlor was still around. Gosh those were good :) Thanks for sharing!

[@angelareynolds9593]

Been to The Netherlands a few times. Seeing those Dutch snacks made me drool a bit! 🤤

[@patmehle2363]

Tony, you can pay extra for Club Orange without being in a suite. We are in a Vista Suite and we added the Club Orange for an extra $$.

[@crimlarksSteve]

Thanks for the video of your food on the MS Rotterdam, Tony! Connie & I love the buffet on HAL ships. I particularly like that if I ask for blueberry pancakes at the buffet, they make them fresh when ordered! No semi-warmed pancakes sitting in a steamer tray. I had blueberry pancakes almost every morning on our last HAL cruise, on the MS Volendam in December of last year. Love the blueberry pancakes...

[@mikea77]

We agree on the Main Dining Room commitment. The time at dinner is always a wild card in the MDR. So many other things to do besides eat ok food.

[@ricknolte6846]

Cherry Garcia Baked Alaska! Wow! And that cream puff. You have great self-discipline Tony!

[@wandabooker1394]

Love HAL buffets. Best ones I’ve had at sea.

[@BTimmer]

You've given a pretty fair review of the Rotterdam's food. We, too, on each cruise generally eat in the buffet and a few times in Tamarind and Pinnacle grill. We frequently never eat in the MDR because of the time issue. I have to stay away from the desserts in the Grand Dutch Cafe, but we love the split pea soup. Also the NY Pizza is a favorite for the pizza and late night snacks.

[@lindameyer6397]

Wonderful video and commentary. I too would have to put the stops up with the cream puff 😊

[@barbb]

Just got off 40 days on the Noordam, Auckland back to Vancouver. Enjoyed the Explorations cafe in the mornings, wish there was a Dutch cafe, but the food was great!. Loved the seafood boil as well. It was good! Thanks for this video!

[@barbaralazier8352]

I like the variety of food choices.

[@sharyncreswell5138]

I would have gone back a few time for the profiteroles. I would share it being that size.

[@gregparkes633]

Tony, thank you! I always love food reviews!

[@ilikesalt7245]

Sorry I watched this. My mouth is watering. All of it looks delicious.

[@southerncaladygolfer8651]

Crispy duck….yes please!

[@waynegherke8076]

We on the Rotterdham last March. We tried the pinnacle grill once. The rest of the time it was the food bar. We thought it was great. Had the pizza and burgers on the Lido and thought they were pretty good. Only stayed 7 days. Going on the oosterdham in Nov. All in all the big "R" was a wonderfull relaxing experience.

[@debbiejohnson8640]

I love Holland America cruises

[@allenfidler5161]

That Baked Alaska looks amazing

[@snugbear2]

Thank you so much for this review! We are sailing on this ship in October and I can’t wait to eat that cream cuff that you prohibited yourself from.

[@sarahj.8372]

Just so great....thanks...loads of options and love the looks and freedom of buffet there...food looks just great and more fresh there than MDR with some nice assistance...a refreshing change form many one sees online...very nice.

[@KarenKaiser]

Great food review .. and YES... now I'm hungry!

[@simoneking6724]

I enjoyed this review and your selections Tony 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@cruisingnurse5443]

I love Tamarind!! It is my favorite amongst favorites when I cruise (and I have only cruised HAL). Not a fan of MDR though I don't mind the time commitment. I can get almost everything in the Lido. Won't pay for Club Orange because as a solo cruiser I don't do suites. The Bossche Bol is to die for!!

[@susankara7520]

Wow! Worst meal for us ever ! Were so excited to go from reviews but will never go back. 😮

[@beachblythe]

Tamarind is my favorite specialty restaurant!

[@louissatmaria6854]

I have to say i like baked alaska! That version looked amazing. Also, i would hit the gym and ran a few miles just to eat another cream puff! If i was so lucky to go.

[@brianbray2262]

On our last cruise I was able to try Baked Alaska for the first time. Amazing!!

[@jamess5154]

When we were on Rotterdam last year we had almost the exact same comments. Went to MDR the first night and never went back. The onion soup was almost taste-less and so was everything after that. Good news was the buffet was great. I lived on the stir fry and pizza and soup in the Dutch Café.

[@thecatherineconcepts1477]

Hey Tony! Super happy you posted today. Enjoying watching with my morning (afternoon) coffee lol

[@wendysoulliere1305]

THAT cream puff looks amazing

[@foursheetswind1]

ahhh, i do like your description and pictures of the food, even that which is not your choice, the same way you talk about people

[@gram07]

What a delicious video...thank you😊

[@christaft3506]

Nice..I like the food news!!!! You should do it on every ship. Thank you

[@TheSpecKK]

On Oosterdam last year we ate mostly in main dining. MDR Food was much better than the buffet, which felt pretty same after a couple visits. Unfortunately no pizzeria nor Dutch desert cafe.

[@miketrent1252]

We just got off the Rotterdam on Saturday and I have to agree about the pizza, it was good. It was funny because this particular week was like spring break for the Dutch people and the Dutch cafe was packed most days! Plenty of kids as well. We'll have to spend more time in the buffet on our next cruise aboard the Rotterdam, those lamb chops and shrimp look great.

[@christophercoupland5235]

Tamarind is our most favorite of any specialty restaurants we've tried. 🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱

[@darindoerning2723]

Did you try their bread pudding. I love the Grand Dutch Cafe, Tamerin, and the Pinnical grill.

[@darleneeastburn7639]

Now I’m REALLY hungry. Pictures r very appealing !!!

[@douglasbray3563]

Good Afternoon Tony

[@truigrunland6817]

The " Bossche bol" is named after the city Den Bosch in the Netherlands where i was born. I live in Germany for a long time now but i buy them every time iˋm back, i LOVE these balls!😂 The foodreview was incredible, iḿ hungry now.....

[@amandajb2024]

Great review Tony, thank you.

[@lindaobrien3397]

Love your videos. You have so much information!!

[@maggiecondon5472]

Sorry we missed dining next to you! We are currently enjoying the Rotterdam food 😋

[@islandgirlejfan]

We just booked the Rotterdam for January....we are Celebrity Elite and Holland America's price was 2K less than our beloved Celebrity so we are giving them a shot. We too are getting less enamored with dining in the MDR. Our last cruise in June on Celebrity found us in the buffet 90% of the time. Thanks for the food tips....it's interesting in that so far in the 5 or 6 videos I have watched about the Rotterdam that no one seems real happy with the MDR food. Looking forward to giving Tamarind a try!

[@welltravelledlife]

Tamarind is the bomb! We have lived on HAL ships for 3 months at a time, and Tamarind is our absolute favorite place. We've sailed on Celebrity quite a bit, but keep coming back to HAL. The Rotterdam is a beautiful ship, We know you'll enjoy yourself, and think you'll find the biggest difference will be in the type of evening entertainment. Enjoy your trip!

[@travelingwithmikeandpam9074]

We sailed The Rotterdam twice! Loved it!

[@code4forlife]

Greetings Tony From The Royal Princess. We Just Got Off The Eurodam Our First HAL Cruise After 22 Princess Cruises We Were Impressed With The Food Quality, Crew And The Amenities. I See More HAL Sailings In Our Future. Thank You For Your Vlogs

[@billwolf7849]

Hi tony the food look delicious hope you had a great time on your cruise. I enjoy your video keep us the great work. Thank you tony❤❤🎉🎉😊😊😊

[@anne-marievr5710]

Just back from a 18 day trip to Hawaii on the Koningsdam. The buffet was so congested and the food was disappointing plus you had to line up in long lines. To me the Princess cruises buffet is still the best. On HAL they closed half the buffet at night to cook for the Italian restaurant. Not a great idea. We still had an excellent cruise but this was disappointing. We loved the Deli i pizza and the choices at the Grand Dutch Cafe.

[@TheGreg7664]

have to agree with you, Toni.....We enjoyed the 150th Rotterdam transatlantic last month (FLL to NYC to South England, to Rotterdam, up to Oslo, then Copenhagen, and ending in Amsterdam) The Pinnacle was EXCEPTIONAL, as was the Grand Dutch Cafe...have to agree with you about the menu selections in the Dining, but our stewards were Great!!

[@bmills9821]

I wish Princess would have a deli sandwich location on there ships

[@brianreilly1033]

Thank you Tony for that comprehensive food review. All that food looks amazing. We did an Alaskan cruise on HAL Volendam in Sept '19 & the Pinnacle Grill was outstanding. Greetings from Australia. 🇦🇺

[@deeplou1]

The boosche bol , think I had one every day. As you said dessert in MDR unimpressive so I would skip and head to The Dutch Cafe. Even in an attempt to not over eat, I had lunch in Dutch CAFE, pea soup and boosche bol.

[@debbiechristy9960]

OMGGGGG, Tony - except for the MDR, all your food looked AMAZING!!! I would love to go on that ship just for the food - lol!! Looks like you had an amazing vacation!!

[@marymcmann9546]

Oh Tony, I was salivating when you were showing your dishes especially from the Tamarand restaurant. That is my favorite restaurant on HAL. Every time we go on a HAL cruise we would eat 2 or 3 nights there. On land Asian food isn’t one of my favorites but Tamarind does such unique and well prepared dishes that I sometimes long for it between cruises. The last cruise they had a wonderful soup that was so good I asked for the recipe. The chef gave me a copy at the end of the meal. Sometimes I just want to cruise on HAL anywhere just to eat at Tamarind. I agree with you, the steak house and buffet etc was good but MDR and Italian restaurant was mediocre. I need to book a long cruise on HAL! Love your videos!

[@welltravelledlife]

We feel exactly the same way! Tamarind is where it's at! We've sailed on HAL ships for 3 months at a time, and when we've been on smaller ships (Noordam, Zuiderdam, Westerdam and Oosterdam) that don't have the Tamarind, it's the thing we miss the most.

[@marymcmann9546]

@@welltravelledlife I don’t think I would go on a HAL ship that didn’t have Tamarind!

[@welltravelledlife]

@@marymcmann9546 We are really struggling with this. HAL has some itineraries that we REALLY love, but the "big ships" are being used for a lot of the more common Mediterranean, Baltic, Caribbean and Alaska routes. We want to do their circumnavigation of Africa, in depth Asia, and LOVED the circumnavigation of Australia, New Zealand and the Transpacific - but sheesh, we literally lamented the fact that we didn't have the Tamarind (out loud, to the F&B Director, and in our survey, and to the Hotel Manager).

[@roberthamilton1301]

Looked Great Thanks for the video Mate

[@scottmiller7779]

This was about the most mellow Tony we have had in a while! No KAH-ROOZE-ING Jazz hands today either. The world just shifted on it's axis - LOL Great review as always and makes me look forward to my sailing on the Rotterdam in January. The Dive-In fries you showed look different than they have in past - usually they are battered and fried golden brown, those looked pale and soggy, so either they were out of normal stock of have changed to a different product. I still find their burgers better than anything similar on Princess, Celebrity, Royal or NCL. Can't compare to Guys on Carnival as it's a totally different ballgame over there - lol

[@robinlecomte1242]

A question? With all your cruising, all that food you are presented with - at what time/ where "did you have the funeral at sea for your bathroom scales"?

[@Reed-2big]

Royal puts that extra white sauce on their lasagna which isn’t great either! For most cruise ships you almost have to ask for the anchovies for you Caesar Salad. Not the same as anchovies paste but that may be addd too.

[@francesgill8621]

I was on Rotterdam in December. I know how good that chocolate dessert is at the Cafe but I only ate a portion of a friend's dessert! It's best eating only a fraction!😂

[@jendotcohen]

That cream puff looked amazing! Yummy! 😋

[@ckbcustomshop]

HAL is on my radar of cruise lines I want to try. Princess has totally spoiled us as Agents so it's hard to go elsewhere.

[@mercyrodriguez5780]

Good review! Are you finally sleeping at the right time? It is so hard on those trips!

[@LaLidoLoca]

Getting there.

[@katepm56]

Caneletto was my favorite restaurant on the Rotterdam. To me they had the best food on the ship.

[@michelleluvbeachsunsets4529]

All of the food looked yummy!