WHAT I LIKED AND DISLIKED ON HOLLAND AMERICA'S ROTTERDAM

WHAT I LIKED AND DISLIKED ON HOLLAND AMERICA'S ROTTERDAM
I went into my Holland America Rotterdam cruise not knowing what to expect. I had not been on a Holland America ship in over seven years. Here is what I discovered while onboard.
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[@joanbardo2756]

Great review. I’ve been a HAL fan forever. Love the food, the music, the cabins, and the service. There are fewer children on these cruises, but that’s a huge plus for those of us who want a more laid-back experience for vacation.

[@superpflex]

Holland America updates its look and entertainment but remains traditional. They have a level of sophistication without being snobbish about it. They have no interest in competing for the party image. I find them an excellent value.

[@NOT-WOKE-007]

Ditto. 5 star mariner here! I also like Celebrity Cruise line.

[@patgilbody9693]

Ditto for me, too!

[@MelodyRoseParker]

I was glad there were no slides, etc. on Holland America. I like traditional adult cruising. Children hogging the pools, misbehaving around the ship, etc. isn’t for me. Let families populate Carnival or Disney. There should be an adult centric cruise line.

[@mindyschocolate]

There are. Viking has been around for ever and Virgin for those who are young and young at heart.

[@StayWildWanderlust]

Totally agree

[@oneijoe3363]

Interview very fair. HAL is the go-to line for my wife and I. With that said, it's a shame you apparently didn't eat/drink at the Grand Dutch Cafe. The little breakfast nook next to it is a wonderful area with the fresh flowers and Dutch decor (incl. the Delft HAL flatware). The area is a favorite of ours.

[@richardsmith4187]

You are right, the Dutch apple pie is wonderful !!

[@keithphillpott7968]

Grand Dutch is awesome.

[@gatoreuph]

Booked for a December cruise on the Rotterdam and your review reinforces my high expectations. Your negatives don't faze me at all since we aren't taking any kids, don't order room service, and don't usually go to the game shows. Looking forward to the music, food and shows especially,

[@careym3901]

Sad I had to cancel the trans Atlantic in October with you Don, But I booked a 26 day cruise in the Mediterranean in it's place. I am just off the Nieuw Amsterdam for 26 days in Northern Europe. I love HAL. If I wanted an amusement park I'd go to Disneyland or Vegas. When I want to go on a cruise I go on a HAL cruise. Love the music walk!

[@marianacary425]

I am an avid cruise traveler since 1970 and Holland America is my fav .

[@katepm56]

The Rotterdam is a beautiful ship but definitely geared more for adults. The food was excellent and we did enjoy the Pinnacle Grill and Canneleto.

[@PAWS0810-]

i have done over 20 on Holland prefer them, love them, again, travel is what you make it, you have to enjoy life rather than pick and pull apart. everyone will find something different they like or not. just travel and be happy.

[@richardsmith4187]

Thank you Patricia !!! we have done 17 and have another in December, just go with the flow and enjoy !!! We love HAL

[@j.g7506]

wow. somehow I always thought that Holland America was a cruise with hardly any activities...thank you for the information Don. We might have to try that cruise line soon.

[@careym3901]

My favorite line. The food & entertainment are superior!

[@richardsmith4187]

Holland America is fantastic and you will be a big fan !

[@Littlestloverlol]

We just got off the Koningsdam and Loved the music walk! It was soooo fun! Danced the night away!

[@gregorywinner4271]

Love the Pinnacle ships. Been on the Nieuw Statendam and koningsdam several times and looking forward to our Rotterdam European and 150th anniversary trans Atlantic cruise this fall.

[@charlescash6841]

Holland ships are just fine with their limited kids club. If I wanted to cruise with kids I would go on Disney Royal Caribbean or Carnival. If I had kids of my own with me I would do the same……let’s leave Holland America alone on that issue. Thanks Don keep up the good work. I enjoy your reporting.

[@TravelsWithSophia]

Hmm..might want to research Disney Cruise Line's record for not investigating highly suspicious 'disappearances '. See Cruise Line Killers on KZbin, other videos such as 60 Minutes Australia.

[@careym3901]

Agreed about the room service choice Don. btw, you can get a hamburger or hotdog from room service under 'Dive In menu' but there is an up charge of $4.95

[@lanedaw811]

It is an up charge and I don’t that and I think that should change to zero up charge .

[@careym3901]

I'm not in a special group and I've never had a bad meal on HAL & I'm 4 star. Cold room service once or twice, but never bad food!

[@allenmyers8568]

Don: I'm sure you know that the shops are contracts and the employees in them are those of the contractor and not Holland America.

[@Stakeouttoo]

great video on your cruise on the Rotterdam.. we cruise only with HAL.. and we are staying with HAL.. just completed our 99th cruise with them after getting off the Zaandam 2 weeks ago for 4 back to backs 28 days Boston ..Montreal ..Boston and back again.... I would consider HAL cruising as 'adult-oriented'.. or as many like to say -- it'll always be known as the 'old people's cruiseline' no matter how much HAL over the years has tried to get away from that and more into family style cruising .. great food.. and the best of the best staff and crew.. gotta love those Step One Dance shows too.. we were on the Koningsdam-sister ship of the Rotterdam- for 8 weeks the end of last year after a few Alaska.. Hawaii and Hawaii-Tahiti back to back cruises got cancelled on the Zuiderdam... got to like the bigger class ship then again the passenger count was only between 900-1200 of the 2600+ it holds .. got spoiled with less than half the ship filled due to Covid protocols back then.. over the years always liked the smaller HAL ships but only 2 are left- the Zaandam and her sister ship the Volendam that only holds about 1400 pax.. our next will be on HAL's Oosterdam - 1900 pax Vista Class- in mid Sept flying into Barcelona for 5 back to backs totaling 64 days doing a Transatlantic back to Ft Lauderdale in mid-November. it's our 50th anniversary cruise so I had to get it right :) :)

[@angielovett4159]

Really great review! Thank you! It was very helpful and interesting

[@puppyfoster101]

4 star mariners here. We (and our extended family/friends) love HAL. One of the reasons is the lack of a lot of young children on board and the more refined guests (no rowdy/obnoxious drunks) just to name a few. When our grandkids tag along, we look for other vacation options. Getting on Rotterdam tomorrow for 21 days. Can’t wait! Thanks for the review Don.

[@NauticalNurseNancy]

Nice review Don! Other than the service in the shops it sounded like you enjoyed your time on the newest HAL ship!!

[@carlstewart6480]

Great review! Thank you

[@chuckmeadows1581]

Thanks Don! I sailed on the Rotterdam in early December (Southern Caribbean), and it was great! Other than a couple minor "kinks in the armor," I was very impressed.. Typical of Holland America Line, the entire cruise experience was first rate. Ya gotta love HAL!

[@cruisingnurse5443]

Just went on the Eurodam and Westerdam to AK (got home last week). LOVED the shows and enrichment show. Pinnacle and Rudi's - food delicious. Love HAL!! And I agree about the room service menu!! The Rotterdam was my first cruise in Jan. Loved her!!

[@jaytee6586]

We just got home from the Westerdam last week, we might've been on the same cruise. I agree, the food and shows were superb and I like the laid back atmosphere of HAL.

[@keithphillpott7968]

We were on the Rotterdam in January. Did you go on the Caribbean cruise out of Fort Lauderdale?

[@kjones5879]

Four star HAL. Really liked the new Rotterdam, and I would look forward to going on her again. Fewer kids on HAL which is what we like as retirees. Rotterdam had a lot of entertainment both on music walk and in the main auditorium. If I had any minor complaint, the big promenade traditional deck is not the same. You can still walk the promenade deck but there is no room for deck chairs. Love the main pool with the multi level and big screen.

[@catherine-wyestael-9427]

We were booked on the Rotterdam for April 2023 and got bumped for HAL's added trans Atlantic sailings. We were able to slide our reservation over to the Nieuw Statendam and got some extra goodies for the trouble. We're excited to sail and I'm really looking forward to the music venues!!

[@billcook4768]

Geared towards adults and not a ship for kids… that should be top of the good list, not on the naughty list!

[@tlm7767]

HAL is my fave. Never disappoints.

[@rh4267]

We were just on the Rotterdam to Norway and for the first time we booked Club Orange. We really enjoyed the separate dining room so much so that we have added club Orange for our next two cruises we have already booked.

[@maryg4551]

I LOVE Holland America and their pinnacle class ships!! Only been on twice, but will def be on again - hopefully, to the Norwegian Fjords! Thanks Don!

[@deborahbolton3417]

Great video and thanks, And honest review and we loved it! It’s funny what you said about the ship model when we went on the joy at a New York the same thing no ship models or anything else with the joy on it except for a coaster. LOL thanks have a great day💖⚓️🛳🥰

[@femboomer]

We love HAL and the Music Walk is a major reason why, it caters to almost all musical tastes and we spend lots of time in the different venues. I agree with you about the food also. We had some of the best food ever on land or sea in Tamarind and Rudy's sel de mer. Love the beautiful seating around the pool and elsewhere too on the Pinnacle class ships. Sea days curled up on one of these with a book is my idea of heaven and I always leave my cruise totally relaxed. We play trivia too and we have seen it held around the aft pool, in the piano bar and in the Crow's Nest, so in our experience it can tend to move around. Thanks for the review Don, we'll done.

[@janetstrayer2211]

We were on it's 4th sailing after it came over from Europe, everything was excellent!! Being so new, we were not sure what to expect, every aspect was wonderful!! What a great week and great memories...a true vacation!!!

[@zzzland1]

Interesting review. We are currently on the Niew Statendam on a Baltic cruise. We are in a Neptune Suite. Loving the entertainment. The food is top notch. They have a bunch of ship models on sale… Love the music themed decor. We are cruising at 45% capacity. Makes the experience even better…

[@lanedaw811]

I love HA, mom and only travel on HA. Just returned from Alaska and had a wonderful time, no kids and ate at Pinnacle Grill, I loved it.

[@ccut1955]

It's funny you say much older, well we thought the same. But we are old and all the music we enjoyed on our Holland cruise fit our generation. We are looking forward to our next Holland experience. Thank You Don for your in sites on cruising. Safe Travels my friend.

[@RobSojourn]

Hi Don! Thank you for your report. Im going on a New Years trip on the Rotterdam this December (2023/4) for a 7 day Caribbean cruise. Nice to meet you on the NCL Breakaway!

[@DavidPearl23]

In my experience is Holland America in the past I felt like a lot of their staff was severely under trained. However, that was as of 78 years ago January of this year I’m going on my first Holland America cruise in a long time so I look forward to see what the staff is like how the ship

[@williamd9205]

Thanks for the info Don. May reconsider HAL for future cruises.

[@ggreen9145]

Love the food , staff was great

[@joanevans3872]

Thanks Don, I will cruise Holland America cause of your review... I;ve cruised on Celebrity and Cunard snf this seems to fit me well ... thanks

[@mikeklar9031]

My wife and i really enjoyed HAL........2 small complains 1) stop running out of coke zero and running out of nuts or chips waiting for the games 2) Entrance door was kinda small to get a walker through. Heading to Hawaii ion Oct, should be a blast

[@debbiedempsky8160]

I wish that Holland America would sail out of my home port of Galveston. We did a 14 day (8 port) Alaskan cruise on the Niew Amsterdam and loved it. We've also done Princess and recently Carnival to Alaska. Holland America was by far the best. Princess was a close second. Would NOT do Carnival to Alaska again.

[@carolynnowak3823]

I’ve only been on the Eurodam. Loved it!

[@richardsmith4187]

Go on a pinnacle class ship and you will be in love !!

[@bradh3139]

“It felt long…” That’s what she said! 97 days! Can’t wait to share a Diet Dr Pepper with you. I’m a big fan of smaller ships. Giant ships with thousands of people get me nervous. Looking forward to Step One. Looks incredible. (I am a front row aficionado also!). Will spend lots of time on Music Walk, especially BB King and Billboard. As this will be a historic cruise, hearing the history of the line and ship will be great. We are going to try to get to Pinnacle and Tamarind. It will be our first cruise since January, 2020. Our first HAL journey. And first time sailing across the Atlantic. Thanks for a thorough overview!

[@nancyb4977]

Looking forward to our first cruise with Holland America in November’23. We have no kids, don’t play the game shows/trivia things, and shopping and room service are not our thing, so looking forward to the things you liked. Food, entertainment and our first visits to the ABC islands will be something to look forward to. Thanks for sharing your experiences, Don!

[@NOT-WOKE-007]

HAL has excellent food in the Pinnacle Grill. We ate there every night. We cruised with them in the French Polynesian area for 2 weeks a few years back. The chefs offered to cook us anything we wanted if we just gave them 24 hour notice. Those were the good old days!

[@shellymcdonough6876]

My daughter loved club hal!!! Went on multiple cruises

[@KB-we6pf]

My kids really liked cruising with HAL . They still keep in touch with kid’s club friends . 😊

[@pbg1949]

Room service…as long as they have coffee and toast..who cares…shops…who cares…..sounds as though it is a great ship😎

[@nancyp2992]

Don it is almost always is like that, however you go and find someone in one of the other shops in the ring you up. It's life

[@cynthiavazquez8044]

Thank you for your video and SO happy you enjoyed the entertainment, especially Step One. We always see all 4 shows on every ship. I love Holland and it is for adults (but then so is Virgin, right?) Maybe you can convince your friend Tony to go on the Rotterdam!

[@X0awsome]

getting on my 5th HAL on sat. 18 days of delicious food and the relaxed vibe of the middle-aged crowd. Something I love about HAL is they have the best offers (especially from the casino). About a week before embarkation date, I usually get cabin upgrade offers that I can't pass up (example - upgraded to a signature suite for $349 on a 16 day med cruise and a balcony for $249 on my upcoming 18 day transatlatic). I originally only paid taxes & port fees, as the casino offers free cruises to me regularly. They also throw in casino free play and free drink package. All of this applies to me and my guest. Sorry to get on the soapbox - but HAL has been amazing to me & highly recommend it....and I'm overly excited to be boarding in just a few days! :)

[@dbwatx931]

Next time in the Netherlands, go to Rotterdam and go through the Holland America museum. It’s fabulous!

[@karenfairbairn3185]

My best cruises have been on Holland America. We will be going again in Aug.

[@ruthperkins8321]

4 star Mariner here - we love HAL exactly as it is! In October, make sure you try the Grand Dutch Cafe and Gelato.

[@lynnleipold2617]

We just booked our first cruise on HAL to the eastern med in October. We have usually sailed with Viking and Oceania. I hope we like it. We took the Have it all package and will probably add on Club Orange as well. It will probably cost as much as the other lines after we add on excursions. I am concerned that our stateroom will be noisy as it is on deck 8. I hope we can change it.

[@NOT-WOKE-007]

We are booked on The Beyond for a Transatlantic in a Sky Suite. We got the last Magic Carpet Sky Suite cabin. 14 nights out of Rome to Ft. Lauderdale.

[@BTimmer]

We just disembarked this morning from the Noordam's southbound Alaska cruise. It was great. We sailed the new Rotterdam's 4th sailing and loved it. As a frequent HAL guest, the Step One set of programs are now pretty boring to me. They need different offerings across the fleet. Our 11 year old granddaughter absolutely loved Club Hal and was totally engaged with the whole cruise.

[@barbb]

Agree once you have seen the step one dancers once, you don’t want to see them again.

[@willj24]

@@barbb Agreed unless you saw them on one of the lesser ships. You want to see that first show on one of the better ships. If you walked away a little unimpressed, see it again on your next trip, you might have been on one of the less prepared ships.

[@barbb]

@@willj24 Have seen them three times already. Will watch them again in September (and December and March!)

[@tinaferguson6175]

We prefer smaller ships. Good to hear your experience.

[@keithphillpott7968]

All positives for HAL Rotterdam and Westerndam ships. No negatives!!!!!!! No Kids!!!!! The shops were fully staffed in January. No issues. The trivia games in January were in lounges around the ship and not in the big areas.

[@richardwendt5233]

How could you not mention BB Kings, the best entertainment and the games we’re in BB’s.

[@keithphillpott7968]

Or the Rolling Stones Stage. The band was awesome in January.

[@bv15ktwins]

I wonder if there is no hamburger on room service because you can get one at dive in. I order on the navigator go get it and sometimes take it back to the cabin. We just got off the nieuw statendam, the second pinnacle class ship. Love how the decks are named for famous composers to go with the music theme! Love HAL!!! Sailed with them 13 times.

[@tlm7767]

You can order a hamburger for room service. There's a fee of less than $5.

[@marymcmann9546]

The Tamarind is my favorite HAL Specialty restaurant. Rudi’s is my next fave.

[@845broon1]

Room service…we have sailed with HAL many times, but not since Feb 2020. Up until then, it was possible to, and we have done this, order anything from the evening main dining room menu for room service, and only during the evening dining room hours. Maybe this has changed, maybe not. We will find out when we sail again on HAL later this year.

[@donaldsteese5362]

My wife and I and two friends are going to be on the Rotterdam transatlantic in October also. Perhaps we'll see you!

[@williamposch2328]

I am with Joan B’s comments 100%

[@kimladage4890]

You have to try the Clothesline Bacon at the Pinnacle Grill. It is amazing!

[@cathymaple5979]

Going on the eurodam in September to Alaska

[@Blueyes21]

I was on that in December 2021

[@drtmvoss]

The one HAL cruise we’ve done so far was a repositioning from San Diego to Vancouver. There was a lecturer on board which we really enjoyed. We heard this was a typical “entertainment” for HAL but I don’t hear much about it on reviews.

[@earlmerkman6551]

Bring back the CRUISE VLOGS!!! Since Covid-19 and the lockdown alot of creators do reviews like this and lives while on board but we LOVE CRUISE VLOGS PLEASE BRING THEM BACK.😭😭😭

[@marms800]

We used to be able to order room service using the MDR menu during regular MDR hours. I don't know if they have changed that policy.

[@winniebrazill738]

We ate at Rudi's while on the Carnival Mardi Gras...it was awful! We were both so very disappointed!

[@jimneufeld1073]

My reluctance is the one HAL trip I did on the original Amsterdam SF to Vanc was the poor food, no entertainment and very slow service. We have done 20 Princess and not sure if we want to risk another HAL. The newer ships seem to have more with the music walk ( would make my cruise ) and more options. Trivia nut. Just retired and looking for new lines to explore. Looking for a transatlantic or Hawaii Tahiti voyage.

[@jamess5154]

Went on Rotterdam twice since return. I agree with most of what you said except that we were very disappointed with the food in the MDR and we ended up in buffet most nights since the stir fry was better than the MDR. Holland needs to put Rock Room on all their ships.

[@richardsmith4187]

I agree, we have done 17 cruises on HAL and have only eaten in the MDR a few times. Most of the time we do the Lido buffet and are very pleased with the selections. The specialty restaurants onboard are very good. Going back in December and love the salad bar !!

[@keithphillpott7968]

The special dining is awesome.

[@davidfarmer7397]

Don, do you find that Europe cruises have more formal attire in the MDR or on Gala night. Have always done Alaska and have a Europe cruise booked for next year.

[@Carousel127]

We love HAL ships. Did you check out the spa? Is it like the other ships or have they made some upgrades?

[@richie5817]

Just came off the amsterdam. .room service was not good...cheese and fruit...1 cracker 4 little pieces of cheese and 4 grapes..lol....food in manin dining and buffet excellent..

[@cbi-ju5mi]

MSC Grandiosa!!!!! One of these days, he’ll say it correctly!! 🤭

[@nancyp2992]

The ship models are 32 or $34, I always buy a ship model to add to my fleet but I refused to pay that much but I will the next time.

[@michiganderintexas]

in the traditional dining room or there any upcharges for items - say you want a filet (that's an upcharge) etc. I've hear there doing that but i have not been able to confirm it.

[@monkeyb1820]

I'm just off Rotterdam and they had tenderloin twice, no upcharge. There is an upcharge for lobster. Hal also includes very good lamb chops. Tbh, instead of giving everyone low-quality lobster, they instead provide good quality non-lobster meats.

[@heelyoung]

Is there a location to see all upcoming group cruises?

[@casinoman1313]

Hi Don. Loved the Rotterdam ship. Veranda was spacious and balcony was also spacious. Now the bad. The food seemed sub par. For the buffet it was the same everyday. The dining room was nice but portions were very small and not much variety from day to day. The music walk was nice but the venues were too small. To get a seat for Rolling stone you needed to arrive about 45 minutes before show. The dancing was ok but the on our cruise we had two nights of BBC movies. Finally, at the world stage a woman on a mobility scooter ran over my foot trying to get through the aisle during a show. Broke one toe. Very painful but not much can be done for a toe. Filed a report and asked to see a doctor but gentleman at customer service said I would have to pay to see doctor. They staff was very non concerned about my incident and I have never heard from Holland America about the incident. We cruised on April 10, 2022- April 17, 2022. Foot got run over on April 16, 2022 about 8pm. Would love to hear your thoughts on this. Have a good day Don.

[@davva360]

I have cruised with them 3 times and will be going on a 4th cruise with them on Thanksgiving. I like them but the last one, in Alaska, was a bit boring to be honest. They never had any entertainment going on during the day on that cruise, not even a trivia. The cruise director told us that it was because in Alaska they found people did not attend, they spent the day watching scenery. On the Caribbean cruises there seemed to be a bit more going on, and you were also in port more which helps. The best part of them is the blues club which is always very entertaining. I think the service is good, the food is good, Pinnacle Grill is great. Would like to try a Pinnacle class ship one day. Looking forward to cruising with them again, although at this point Royal Caribbean is my favorite.

[@richardsmith4187]

OMG Don't go on a HAL pinnacle class ship, you will never want to go on anything else !! LOL we have been on all the pinnacle class ships and some 2 and 3 times. They are fantastic and plenty large enough without 5,000 passengers

[@dawnbellerive4717]

I find all Holland America stores only have one employee

[@keithphillpott7968]

Should have went to Pinnacle and Catallano's

[@nancyc387]

Was on Rotterdam this past December. Loved it albeit I had a bit of a different experience than you. Food was good and ate a lot in the buffet. If there was one thing in the MDR we wanted, they did go and get it for us. I only went to the shop where HAL merch sold. There was only one person working and when she wasn't there, the man from the store across the way would come over to help. Had an inside cabin which was spacious for my sis and I - once the beds were separated! Entertainment was great - from classical to rock and roll. Shows were good. Even when the entertainers began testing positive, HAL substituted someone else. And they had their version of the Midnight Buffet - but it was at 10 pm. Limited choices but different from what was served at dinner. Crew and service was great. Have to say that the ship was only half-full so things never felted crowded. Can't wait until I can cruise with them again.

[@veronicashine1812]

We are booked next June on the Rotterdam in the fjords. You made it sound so exciting.

[@cindybailey6765]

Did you go and how was it? We scheduled June 2025 in Norway.

[@veronicashine1812]

@@cindybailey6765 It was wonderful. Try to get a cabin in the aft. You can sit and watch the wonders of the fjords with no obstructions. We did this cruise also in 2016 on the Koningsdam. We enjoyed it so much that we knew we had to do it again. The dining was fantastic and the shows were very impressive. There's still plenty of snow on the mountain tops but the weather is starting to warm up. A light winter jacket will suffice if you go into higher elevations. In ports there may be times just a windbreaker will do. We only had rain in Bergen, which we did in 2016 also. The rest of the ports offered plenty of sunshine. If you want any more feedback, let me know.

[@veronicashine1812]

@@cindybailey6765 We may do the same in 2026. We did this cruise in June 2016 on the Koningsdam and loved it so much that we booked the Rotterdam for June 2023. It was wonderful. The scenery was picture perfect with snow still on the mountains, as was the weather. Bring layers and a light-weight winter jacket. If you go in the higher elevations, it is cold. Ship level was temerparate and in some ports a wind breaker was fine. The food on the ship was exceptional.

[@cindybailey6765]

@@veronicashine1812 Thanks for the info! I may have to do a warm sweatshirt and windbreaker as we will be packing for 3.5 weeks, starting in warmer areas of France and Germany. So we’ll need all types of clothes. What did people wear to dinner on the ship? I won’t have space for a lot of nice dinner clothes, it’s going to be interesting!

[@veronicashine1812]

​@@cindybailey6765 Some people dress as there will be two formal nights. I have purchased items from the Travelers Collection at Chicos online. One pair of black slacks and a tank can be made into many dressy outfits. I take embellished tops and jackets and coordinate several evening outfits. Also, they have a long-sleeved black top, and you can just add some fun accessories and look formal without much fuss. The best part is that this collection does not wrinkle and can be folded into a ball as a luggage space saver.

[@daisydix3238]

Don, not sure if you are aware that HAL decided to have a 2nd 150th anniversary cruise on the Rotterdam next year --- we had booked the Transatlantic 14 day Azores & Normandy cruise for 4/15/23 - 4/29/23, but received an email last 6/28 advising us that they decided to add a 2nd commemorative TA crossing, so our cruise is changing to 16 days departing 4/3 instead. It will retrace the 1st voyage in reverse, from Ft Lauderdale to Rotterdam. Itinerary is no longer visiting the Azores nor Normandy, instead visiting NYC, Plymouth & Dover in the UK, then Rotterdam overnight before debarkation on 4/19. Our booking has not yet even been updated (advised should be done by Friday 7/15), neither are the shore excursions online. We're curious as to what HAL plans for the Rotterdam (ship) between 4/19 in Rotterdam (city) to its next sailing on 4/29 from Amsterdam!

[@NOT-WOKE-007]

Ships are having trouble getting staff. That is not just HAL but across the cruise industry.

[@lorrainefrost6285]

Can I take a backpack and a carry on bag? Royal Caribbean. Thank you.

[@erickramer9291]

Was there any fights at the tapioca pudding stands??

[@lynntravels]

HAL was my first cruise experience. My husband and I were in San Diego and the MS Oosterdam was in port and said that is the ship we are going to sail on. A year later we were on board and cruising to Mexico. I enjoyed the food, entertainment, shopping and just the general ambience of the ship. There were children on board but not very much, we were on board the ship during Halloween and the kids club staff organized a Halloween costume parade through the main atrium for the kids, they looked happy and they were having fun. I took this cruise in 2007 and I still look back on it fondly.

[@ShellyDaviss]

You can get a hamburger on room service. You have to pay extra though. I'm glad there isn't a lot of kids stuff on the ship!!! I cruise with them because there are not allot of kids on board. Dislike Carnival because of all the kids running around without supervision! I am sorry, I watch you all the time but I think you are wrong on several things on this comparison. You were only in a few days. Great ship, great cruise line.

[@williamthomas6106]

I guess HAL heard your comment. They now have a hamburger on the Room Service menu It's a $5 charge, but it's there. And seeing that it's from the Dive In burger shop, it should be pretty good. I found HAL to have the best burgers available at Sea, second only to perhaps, Guy's Burger Bar on some Carnival ships. Fresh ground hamburger, cooked to order, Nathan's Hotdogs, Not frozen hockey pucks, and cheap nasty chicken dog's like I've seen on some other ships. And the buns, are fresh, not 3 day old stale hard buns. Also it appears they have ditched Lincoln Center Stage except during specific individual cruises. Lincoln Center Stage isn't even on their website anymore. I missed it, just because I wanted to experience, but there was more than enough entertainment each night between BB King's, Rolling Stone, and Billboard.

[@NOT-WOKE-007]

The Pinnacle Grill is better than Rudi’s in my opinion.

[@philkrigel4489]

Oh Don.... I love the mid size or small ships. The Oasis monster is not my cup of tea. It has all the stuff I could do at home if I wanted to. Dude.. you do not want to see me surfing. Sitting on the beach with a nice cigar.... yeah.... hold on. I always being an ash can and sit away from others

[@camilledextraze7104]

Hi Don! I’ll tell you again…I’m getting that miniature ship for you. Please don’t get it for yourself.

[@oneijoe3363]

Haha...my wife and I were going to do the same. Hope Don got his ship tile, though.

[@StayWildWanderlust]

So I just wanted to say in regards to the dislikes I am thrilled to know there are no water slides and that HAL is geared towards adults. I am 100% avoiding things like that for the cruise my husband and I are going on. I was t to relax and don't want to hear kids screaming and splashing in my vacation. There are more than enough ships geared towards families with kids.

[@debbie2663]

🙏🏻❤👍🏻😃