Rotterdam is Holland America Line’s newest ship and the seventh cruise ship to bear this historic name. This 100K gross ton ship is the third vessel in the line’s innovative Pinnacle Class. It is home to plenty of classic features along with a few firsts for the brand. We first sailed on Rotterdam back in January in the Caribbean. Though, we were thrilled when we were invited by the cruise line to join the naming ceremony for this vessel with Princess Margriet of the Netherlands christening the ship. Now, we are back from a 7-day cruise through Northern Europe and want to share it all with you in our signature day-by-day Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review.

Disclaimer: We were hosted guests of Holland America Line on this sailing, but as always, all opinions in this post are our own.

Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review – Prologue

Welcome to Amsterdam

This Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review departed from Amsterdam with the naming ceremony scheduled to take place in the historic city of Rotterdam, Netherlands. The cruise would then sail to three iconic ports in Norway during this special 7-day voyage.

Given the time change, and the fact that we had never been to Amsterdam before, we decided to fly into the city two days early. Luckily, we were able to test within 72 hours of embarkation day for this cruise. Thus, we could take our COVID test at home and fully enjoy our two days in Amsterdam.

Leaving Boston at 7 pm Thursday, we arrived by 9 am on Friday morning.

Perhaps, we were a little greedy in what we wanted to accomplish during our visit to the city. So, working on only a few hours of sleep, we hit the ground running. After checking into our hotel and dropping off our luggage, we set off for the first of our two tours booked for the day.

We got our first glimpses of the city via a canal cruise. Flagship Amsterdam offered a well organized 90-minute tour through the famous canals. The tour included some random history and city facts, as well as lots of wine and cheese!

Then, later in the afternoon, we strolled the city on a 3-hour walking tour. The walking tour was not as exciting or informative as we had hoped. Our tour guide did show us some unique architecture and several of the city’s neighborhoods. Along the way, we learned about its development as one of the first modern cities in Europe.

Needless to say, when we finally arrived back at the hotel, we were both exhausted.

Another Full Day of Sightseeing

You might think that we planned a more relaxing second day in the city. However, that was not the case. Instead, we booked an even longer tour visiting several nearby cities. According to the wife, she was not going to visit the Netherlands and not see windmills!

So, what ended up being a close to 10-hour bus tour with Xalam Tours departed at 9 AM. This tour included three stops along the way.

First, the bus took the 30 minute ride to Zaanse Schans. This 18^th century village includes several traditional Dutch craftsmen. Along with the famous windmills, there were other attractions. These included a cheese making demonstration, as well as a wooden clog crafting demonstration. We then had some free time to wander this quasi-realistic town before another 30 minute drive to our next stop, Volendam.

I was fond of Volendam. This lakeside village was lined with restaurants, pubs, shops, and classic Dutch architecture. The 90 minutes we had here was just long enough to take a short stroll, purchase a few souvenirs, and grab a waffle for lunch.

Finally, there was a close to two-hour drive to the canal town of Giethoorn. Considered the Venice of the Netherlands, we set off on a canal cruise and had a short time to stroll this quaint town afterwards. While Giethoorn was picturesque, it did make for a very long day.

We returned to the hotel by 7:30 PM. This gave us just enough time for a quick bite to eat before heading to bed. After all, we had to be prepared for embarkation day.

EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Get Deals on HAL Rotterdam Cruises!

Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review – Day 1

A Relaxing Morning

Our media group had a transfer from the hotel to the ship scheduled for 10:30 am this morning. This meant we were able to catch up on a bit of sleep from the previous two nights.

Up around 7 am, we were able to take our time getting ready. This meant grabbing some coffee at the nearby Starbucks and some breakfast at our hotel.

We met the group around 10 am in the lobby and headed off on the roughly 20-ish minute drive from the Marriott to the Amsterdam cruise terminal.

When compared to our recent embarkation days, the whole process was smooth and less stressful.

We arrived at the terminal before 11 am. The check-in process took about 15 minutes from the health screening, to check-in, and security. We received boarding group 6. By this time, priority cruisers and suites were already able to board the ship.

It was here that we also received a letter stating that masks were required onboard our sailing due to some positive cases on the previous cruise. Thankfully, we always come prepared with extra masks.

Not long after, about 11:45 am, our group was called and we trekked down the long platform to the gangway to board Rotterdam.

Not Sure Where To Start

Normally, our embarkation day routine consists of walking around the entire ship, from the top decks all the way down to the lower decks collecting photos and videos. However, we had already completed this a few months earlier.

Luckily, the cabins were ready when we boarded the ship. So, we dropped off our carry-ons and got some quick video and photos of our new cabin. For this trip, we were also staying in a balcony cabin on deck 6. Cabin 6172 was an aft, portside cabin. It had the same layout and design aesthetic as the cabin we stayed in during our last Rotterdam cruise.

Next, we decided to stroll the upper decks to get some air and refresh our memory of the layout a bit.

We spent about an hour on the upper decks before deciding to grab a bite to eat. Our dinner with the media group wasn’t until 8 PM, so we definitely needed to eat something before then. We opted for the New York Pizza and Deli. The wife went with a pizza, and I did a sandwich. Both were pretty standard.

Finishing up lunch, we headed to our muster station, the deck 3 dining room, for a quick check-in. Then, it was on to a press conference with several executives from Holland America Line. The presentation lasted until about 3:30 PM.

Thus, we had just enough time to unpack before the sail away party at 4:30 PM.

A Memorable Sailaway

With all our gear neatly stowed, we were up to the Deck 9 Sea View Pool area with time to spare before sail away. Grabbing sail away drinks and a few selfies, it wasn’t long before the ship was ready to push off.

Soon after, we were sailing down the canal toward our next stop, Rotterdam.

This scenic sail away offered some amazing views of city. With the ship sailing so close to the coast, we spent a little longer outside than we typically do just admiring the views.

Normally, we would be rushing to get to dinner now. Instead, we could take our time as dinner wasn’t until 8 PM in the Dining Room.

Ready early, we decided to catch a few pieces from the Lincoln Center Stage quartet.

Snagging a seat in the back, we both agreed that the musicians looked familiar. Reviewing our photos, we realized they were the same group on our Nieuw Amsterdam Alaska cruise last August.

Rocking Out on Night 1

Arriving at the dining room, we were escorted to a large table with a number of other writers and PR folks.

The only downside to this large table was the rather long dinner time, which took well over two hours.

With wine pours, three courses, and a lot of cruise stories, we did not finish dinner in time to catch the showing of the cruise line’s Origin Story. Origin Story is an emotional 45-minute presentation on the line’s 150-year history. Thankfully, we have seen this show presented by two other cruise directors in past though.

The food in the MDR was average this evening. My grilled salmon was not very flavorful, though the brownie cheesecake was a sweet ending to the meal.

Finishing up around 10:15 PM, we were lucky enough to get seats at the Rolling Stone Rock Room before the band’s next set.

The rock band was good, but not as good as the one we saw on the ship earlier this year. Still, the set included some classics, like Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, and Steve Miller Band. While other cruise lines have music venues, this intimate rock room has great acoustics and is one of our favorite venues at sea.

The band’s set was over by 11 PM. With three long days under our belts, we both agreed it was time to call it a night. Tomorrow was the big naming ceremony.

Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review – Day 2

Catching Up on Sleep

We were still trying to adjust to the time zone change. Luckily, we didn’t have to be up early for anything today. We had to cancel our shore excursion to the Windmills of Kinderdijk, as it conflicted with the naming ceremony at 11:30 am.

So, we decided to sleep in a bit. Since there was a celebratory lunch scheduled after the naming ceremony, we also decided to skip breakfast. I did head down to deck 3 to get us some coffee from the Grand Dutch Café.

For most of the morning, we stayed in the cabin doing some work.

When you are going to be in the presence of a real princess, I guess you have to get dressed up. So, that is what I did.

Officially Rotterdam VII

As requested, we arrived at the World Stage for 11 am and were escorted to our seats. Our assigned seats ended up being one of the last rows on the starboard side of deck 3.

We have been to other inaugural celebrations, but nothing was quite like this ceremony. Some lines go for a big spectacle, but Holland America Line’s ceremony was traditional and emotional. The event included remarks from Arnold Donald and Jan Schwartz as well as ship team members.

The culminating moment was when Princess Margriet of the Netherlands officially gave the ship her blessing. Thankfully, the rigging worked, and the ceremonial bottle of champagne successfully broke across the bow of the ship.

Following the presentation in the World Stage, the crowd slowly headed aft for the special luncheon. With menu items like surf and turf, this was not your typical main dining room lunch menu.

The day’s schedule had us back in the main dinning room in about 4 hours for the traditional blessing of the bell and dinner.

With this short window of time, we opted to stay on the ship instead of exploring Rotterdam. There’s always next time.

Three Costume Changes in One Day

The weather was nice today, so we decided to change out of our dress clothes to walk around the ship for a bit after lunch.

From the top decks, you could see part of the city, as well as the old Holland America Line headquarters. The iconic bridge was also off to our starboard side aft of the ship.

We also grabbed some coffee along the way and did some work until dinner time. We weren’t sure what to expect for WiFi signal in Norway, so we wanted to get a jump start on our publication schedule just in case.

Before long, it was time to change, again, to an even more “dressy” outfit for this first Gala Night. With all of this eating and inactivity, it felt like a sea day!

Keeping with Tradition on Holland America Line Rotterdam

We made our way to the Deck 2 main dining room for 5:15 pm. Again, tonight’s menu included some upgraded items, like a second surf and turf. This version included filet and shrimp.

Dinner was average for a Holland America Line main dining room. Which is to say, pretty good. We feel Holland America Line has one of the better main dining rooms for a contemporary cruise line.

Given our large group, dinner took close to two hours again tonight.

Both of us enjoyed our menu selections this evening. The lamb chops were tender and cooked to a medium temperature. The succulent selection was paired with Greek-style couscous and a flavorful au jus. The wife enjoyed the baked brie and the stuffed shells entrée.

Dessert consisted of a rich chocolate torte. As a chocolate lover, I was more than satisfied with this selection.

Not Much Happening Onboard

Towards the end of dinner, company executives emerged for the blessing of the bell ceremony. Basically, this consists of saying a few words and pouring a glass of champagne over the ship’s bell.

Two loyal Mariner cruisers were the first to perform this tradition. Then, the rest of those in the dining room were invited to participate. Of course, I couldn’t resist giving the ship my blessing along with everyone else.

Finishing up the formalities, it was past 7:30 PM by now. Unlike night 1 though, there was no entertainment occurring in the World Stage this evening. So, we decided to grab seats ahead of the 8 PM Billboard Onboard piano set.

The title of this first set was Billboard 100. It was an odd mix of songs and artists from Dolly Parton, to Cold Play, to Janis Joplin. The two performers were not as energetic as the duo who were on the ship earlier this year.

We do enjoy the specialty cocktail menu at this lounge. So, we sipped some drinks while listening to the entire set.

Instead of walking across to the Rock Room, we decided to head back to our cabin after the piano duo finished their set. We ended up working in our room until about 11:30 PM and watching the sail away in between. As we sailed out of the canal, we passed the Rotterdam V, which is now a hotel.

Now, we were heading north with our first sea day of the cruise tomorrow. With it staying light so long, our sleep schedule was thrown off. So, on tonight’s agenda was 8 hours of sleep!

Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review – Day 3

A Lazy Morning at Sea

Up a bit later than we expected this morning, I headed out before 8:30 am to grab our coffee and a few quick shots of some public venues before returning to the room. Showered and changed up, we were at breakfast just before 10 am. At this point, the only venue open was the Lido Market. That was fine with us, as we think Holland America Line’s buffet is among the best.

While I am not a huge fan of breakfast, the items were fresh and well prepared. The scrambled eggs, hash browns, and sausage were a filling morning meal. The wife’s omelet past her test as well.

For a sea day, the programming was a little lackluster. There were not many activities that interested us. So, even though it was a bit chilly, we spent the rest of the morning outside near the heaters at the Sea View Pool area.

What to Do in the Netherlands

Eventually, we headed inside to attend the 2 PM port talk. This 45-minute overview by the cruise and travel director provided some highlights of what to do and see in the three Norwegian ports of call on this itinerary.

Honestly, it was well done and was not just a glorified shore excursion talk. Karlijn did a good job of pointing out the main highlights for each destination. The talk also provided some insight into the ship’s location in relation to major landmarks and other tourist information.

Following the talk, we strolled by the shops. With some new items since our last trip, I was able to secure my coveted cruise ship t-shirt. Even the wife ended up grabbing some logo gear at the shop.

With dinner not until 7 PM, we made sure to grab a quick snack to hold us over. With several casual options, I went with a hot dog and fries from the Dive-In. The wife opted for some gelato at the nearby shop. While the gelato is a $2 up-charge, she claims it is noticeably better than the included ice cream.

With the sun breaking through now, we decided to get some steps on the jogging track. It takes a total of 12 laps to equal one mile. As we walked and talked, we lost count of our laps though.

Dinner and a Show on Rotterdam

Dinner tonight was at the specialty restaurant the Pinnacle Grill at 7 PM with our media group.

This was our third time eating at this American-style steakhouse now. Like our previous visits, our entrees were perfectly prepared. My petit filet was cooked to a medium-rare temperature as requested.

Of course, we also had to order the clothesline candied bacon starter to share along with my crab cakes and the wife’s wedge salad. This app is a sultry mix of sweet and salty. 

The desserts here are among our favorites on the ship as well. The key lime pie has a buttery graham cracker crust with a tangy filling. The wife highly recommends the not your typical baked Alaska too.

This dinner was the longest so far, clocking in at over 2.5 hours. This was partly our fault, as we spent a good amount of time chatting and sharing travel stories.

In fact, we didn’t realize how late it was until someone mentioned they were leaving to catch the main theater show. Once we looked at our watches, we couldn’t believe it was 9:45 PM already. Saying good-bye to the rest of the group, we darted across the ship to catch the performance as well.   

Tonight’s show was a headliner group, Cantare. This all-male quartet was a talented group of singers. This evening’s show, Timeless, featured a variety of love songs. It was an eclectic set of ballads, from standards like “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You”, to other love songs from Chicago, Sting, Celine Dion, and even Matchbox Twenty.

The show was over around 10:45 PM. We debated checking out the live music at one of the other venues, but we decided to call it a night instead. We had our first shore excursion of the cruise scheduled for tomorrow morning.

HOLLAND AMERICA ROTTERDAM CRUISES ON SALE NOW!

Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review – Day 4

Day 4 of this Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review was our first of three ports in Norway. Today, we were visiting Kristiansand. We decided to do a simple walking tour of the town. This excursion seemed like a good introduction to the region.

We had to meet at the World Stage at 9:15 am for this 3-hour walk. So, while the wife got ready, I grabbed a few videos and photos, along with our morning coffees.

With our bags packed, we arrived a few minutes early to the meeting point on deck 3. Within a few minutes, the shore excursion team announced we could head ashore, and we received tour number stickers on the way out. The large group of cruisers was divided into two smaller groups for this tour.

A Historic Walk of Kristiansand

At the pier, we met John, our tour guide for the day. He was friendly and got very excited when people asked questions. He was a native of the city and lived there all his life. You could tell that he genuinely enjoyed giving tours. This was his new “job” since retiring from a nearby chemical company.  

For a city constructed in the late 17^th century, Kristiansand has a simple square layout. Leaving the port area, which is next to the harbor and the famous fish market, we strolled by several landmarks, including the Christianholm Fortress, making frequent stops for John to share some historical and cultural facts.

Making our way downtown, we traversed the cobblestone walkways, crossing from the newer parts of the city to the older parts. You could see the transformation in architecture, as half the city burnt down in the late 19^th century.

At one point, we took a detour to one of John’s friend’s home, so we could see how the new construction blended into the historic home’s façade.

The tour finished in the city center near the government buildings and the shopping district, which was a short walk back to the pier. We stayed in town about 45 minutes looking for souvenirs. It also didn’t hurt that we found a nearby Starbucks.

An Afternoon Onboard Rotterdam

Back onboard Rotterdam around 1:15 PM, we decided to hit the Lido Market for lunch. Surprisingly, the buffet was not that busy.

For this lunch, we both visited the Distant Lands Asian station for custom stir fry with noodles. I could eat at this one station every day. Not to mention, there is also a wide selection of custom salads, a Tex-Mex station, the Breadboard with a variety of freshly baked goods, and more.

Interestingly, while the weather was rather warm on our tour, it started to get much cooler and windier as the day progressed. So, our decision to eat outside didn’t last long. We ended up taking our food to the midship Lido Pool area. With the retractable roof partially open, it was the ideal temperature here.

When the wife wanted a change of scenery, we returned to our room for the afternoon until our 7 PM dinner reservation.

Another Night on Rotterdam

Tonight, our group had dinner at Canaletto, the ship’s specialty Italian restaurant.

Surprisingly, we were among the first to arrive to dinner this evening.

Unfortunately, we forgot to stop in the night before to request one of the “daily specials”. The menu at Canaletto is fixed but does offer one daily special. If you request it ahead of time, you can usually get one of the specials from a different night. The wife has yet to try the chicken parm special.

For a starter, I tried the meatballs, which were surprisingly good. The zesty sauce was just the right accompaniment for the veal and beef meatballs. The wife did the buffalo mozzarella, which is always a good option.

For entrees, we both stuck with what we like. Once again, my short rib gnocchi dish was excellent. The pasta paired well with the chunks of tender short rib. The wife’s Pasta Genovese was good too.

Finally, dessert was on par with our past experiences. The orange blossom ricotta tart is a warm Italian cheesecake which is one of my favorite cruise ship desserts. Heidi went with the affogato. This traditional dessert was also to her liking.

Unlike the previous dinners, our group managed to get through the conversations and courses in under 2.5 hours.

This gave us plenty of time to waddle down to Deck 3 for this evening’s show. Tonight, the World Stage was home to Planet Earth II. This musical performance is produced in partnership with BBC Earth.

The 45-minute show pairs award-winning nature footage with live music from Lincoln Center stage. We highly recommend you attend this performance.

Yet again, we opted to call it a night when the show ended around 10:45 pm. Tomorrow was our next port of call in Stavanger.

Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review – Day 5

A Gray Start to the Day

Our streak of great weather finally ran its course on this Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review. We were up by 7 am to find that it was gray and misty this morning.

Sticking to our usual routine, I grabbed us some coffees and a few small continental breakfast items while the wife got ready.

Today we had a full day tour in Stavanger, with one of the stops including Dutch pancakes.

We arrived at the World Stage meeting point a few minutes before our tour was allowed to go ashore. Following the large group of cruisers off the ship, guides directed us to Bus 6, and we settled in for a day of more Norwegian history.

Pancakes, Trolls, and Swords

Unlike the day before, our tour guide, Clementine, was not Norwegian. She was a French citizen living in the country. Throughout the trip, she did interject some narration of the places were visiting. However, like what often happens on these bus tours, we did a lot of driving past landmarks without description.

Although, the tour did include a number of quick stops for pictures. Among these photo-ops was the Sverd I fjell monument, not far from the main town. This sword monument commemorates the battle that unified clans of Norway.

From here, it was an hour scenic drive through the countryside to our next stop of the day.

Our next stop was for pancakes and some shopping at a tourist stop in Byrkjedalstunet. This hour stop gave us just enough time to stroll the grounds, enjoy our snack, and pick up a souvenir. Our trip back stopped at the Gloppedalsura boulder field for another quick photo op.

It was here, we learned some of the folklore involving trolls. These mischievous creatures are said to be rolled up into boulders during the day and come out at night. Now, I finally understand Disney’s Frozen!

By the time we returned to the port, we were behind schedule and already approaching the ship’s all aboard time. Thus, our walking tour of Gamle was cut short. We were able to stroll a few streets for pictures, but only for about 10 minutes.

A Low-Key Afternoon

We were back onboard with just enough time for me to make a necessary work meeting. Thankfully, the internet lasted for the entire Zoom call. Even though the ship eventually pulled away from the port during the meeting, I never lost connection.

For the most part, the WiFi held up with only a few short outages during the trip.

Done with my meeting, we grabbed coffee and a snack from the Grand Dutch Café. The Dutch apple pie was quite good! Unexpectedly, the Café was very busy though. We suspect this was partly due to the sizeable number of Dutch cruisers on the ship.

Eventually securing a seat, we enjoyed our snacks and relaxed for a bit as dinner tonight wasn’t until 7 PM at the Asian-themed specialty restaurant, Tamarind.

Another Great Meal

The only way to access this specialty restaurant is the aft elevators. Luckily, our stateroom was located right next to this third elevator bank. We left our room a few minutes before 7 PM thinking we were on time. Yet, we were the last in the group to arrive this evening.

Tamarind is among our favorite specialty restaurants. Opting for a few of our favorites along with a few new choices, the wife did the chicken satay, and I did the spare ribs for appetizers. I also sampled the lobster roll from the nearby Nami Sushi which was really tasty.

For the main course, I went with the Szechuan shrimp and crab fried rice. The crispy shrimp were served with a spicy sauce that had just the right amount of heat. The entrée paired well with the rice that had a mild seafood flavor. I am happy to report it was just as good as I remembered it.

Similarly, the wife did the curry chicken and dan dan noodles, which she enjoyed.

For dessert, she stuck with the cheesecake, while I decided to try the sorbet selections. Honestly, my dessert was just okay. But, with so many great apps and large plates, I didn’t have much room for this third course anyway.

Getting to the Theater on Time

Dinner was well-paced, and we were out of the restaurant around 9:15 PM. This gave us a little time before the 10 PM show.

Before grabbing our regular seats, we stopped off at B.B. King’s on Deck 2 to check out the Orange Party. This party did not occur during our sailing in January on the ship. The venue was the busiest we had seen it all week. Still, the party was not as lively as some other parties on rival lines.

Tonight’s performance, Off the Charts, is the most cruise-like of all the productions on this ship. It included the two piano players from the lounge and some of the dancers from the Step One dance group.

Interestingly, the piano duo in the show were not the same musicians we saw at Billboard Onboard earlier in the cruise. Later, we found out that there were two duos taking turns in the piano lounge.

The performance is a pretty typical cruise show with a mix of signing and dancing. It runs through an eclectic mix of songs you hear on every cruise which are all “Billboard Hits”. Still, the Princess likes her main theater shows.

Like the previous nights, we headed back to our room following the show.

Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review – Day 6

Our Final Day in Norway

Our third and final stop of this Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review was Flam. This scenic town is nestled at the end of the Sognefjord. So, its a scenic cruise in and out of the port. The night before, we decided to get some room service for breakfast. One of the great things about cruising with Holland America Line is that room service is included in the cruise fare.

We set our alarm for 7 am, with breakfast expected around 7:30 am. Good thing we were both awake as the food delivery came early.

Our shore excursion had a meeting time of 9:45 AM in the theater this morning.

Originally, we booked the Naeroyfjord fjord cruise shore excursion, but upon suggestion of several others, we switched to the Flam Railway tour. Apparently, it is the most popular shore excursion that Holland America Line offers on this itinerary.

Luckily, the weather this morning was better than the day before. While not sunny, it was slightly overcast and dry.

Ready on time, we arrived at the theater to find it was empty. Apparently, the tour had just been called. Exiting the theater, we caught up with the rest of the crowd as we scanned off the ship and headed towards the town.

One thing about the shore excursion team on this ship, they do not waste any time. All of the tours were called on time if not early. So, be sure to arrive to your meeting spot on time.

Now This Is Norway

This small port area had a few shops, restaurants, and even a hotel. This was certainly the most picturesque and quaint stop on our itinerary. Flam was exactly what we expected from a Norwegian fjords cruise. It actually reminded us a lot of the small ports in Iceland.

Later in the day, we would have time to stroll the area and grab some photos. But, at this point, we were directed to head straight to the Railway. Somehow, we were able to get window seats even though we were towards the end of the tour group line.

TIP: If you plan to take this tour, the right side of the train (heading up) offers the best views.

The Flam Railway is advertised as the most scenic train ride. We can agree that the views during the 2,800 foot ascent are impressive. With waterfalls, lush valleys, and 20 tunnels, it is a very scenic ride.

Further, the train stops for a photo op at the Kjosfossen waterfall. While parked on the track, dancers re-enact Norwegian folklore with an enticing performance.

Trains, Waffles, and Waterfalls

The total train ride takes under an hour to get to Vatnahalsen. Here, our tour group disembarked for a 90-minute stop. The first order of business was coffee and waffles at the hotel.

Following this snack, we had time to walk around and take photos. The tour guides also offered an optional “walk”. This was really just a short trail down to the zip line launching platform for some panoramic views.

Yes, you read that right. Apparently, the zip line is the longest in Scandinavia, at over 4,500 feet long. Of course, if this was an option on our cruise, we would have been the first in line to ride this back down the hillside.

After a few photos, we made our way back down to the train station to await our return trip to Flam.

Back at sea level around 1:30 PM, we spent about an hour walking around the port area before returning to the ship.

A Bad Time for Formal Night

For some odd reason, the cruise line chose this evening to be the second formal night. But, with the late departure and narrated scenic cruising through the fjord, we both made the decision to skip the occasion.

So, back onboard, we decided to grab a late day snack. We ordered some sandwiches from the Dive In on the Lido Deck. The food was excellent, but it did take 20+ minutes for the order which seemed a bit slow.

On our way back to the room, we grabbed some coffee. I had another meeting that I needed to attend for work at 5 PM local time.

With our obligations done for the day, we did a modified costume change into a casual evening outfit and prepared for the scenic sail which began at 7 PM. We enjoyed the view from our balcony, while listening to Karlijn narrate on the television.

Slightly past 7:30 PM, we decided to grab a quick bite for dinner from the Lido Market before catching the 8 PM main theater show. While the musical group Cantare was originally scheduled to perform a second show this evening, it was replaced with another BBC Earth show, Planet Earth.

Similar to the previous performance, there was curated nature videos displayed on the 270-degree screens. These short segments spanned the seven continents with live musical accompaniment by Lincoln Center Stage.

Completing Our Music Walk

Since we were able to attend the earlier show this evening, we had the rest of the night to enjoy the ship. This meant we did a complete “Music Walk” tour. Following the show with Lincoln Center Stage in the main theater, we made our way to B.B. King’s, then Billboard Onboard, then the Rolling Stone Rock Room.

At each venue, we enjoyed a set along with a signature cocktail from the menu. The performers at B.B. King’s were better than those who we previously saw in January, with both the male and female singer having strong vocals.

At Billboard Onboard, we enjoyed Megan (who was on the ship in January) and her partner Gabe perform a wide variety of 80’s hits which culminated with a Dirty Dancing song.

We then rounded out the night with some rock classics before retiring around 11 pm.

Tomorrow was already the last day of this Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review.

BOOK NOW: Exclusive Savings on Rotterdam Cruises!

Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review – Day 7

Waiting for the Phone to Ring

With three ports of call in a row, our final day on Holland America Rotterdam was a sea day.

Like most final days of a cruise, we had a laundry list of random things to do.

First on that list was getting our COVID tests to fly back to the United States. Even though most countries have lifted these requirements, the U.S. still requires a test within one calendar day for international flights.

Luckily, Holland America Line provides these tests for guests. The only downside is that our test was scheduled for 7:50 am. Testing was quick, as there was only a small line at the entrance of the main dining room on Deck 3.

After a self swab, we needed to return to our room for 30 minutes. If we didn’t get a call, then we were negative and good to go. Let’s just say, it felt like the longest 30 minutes of the trip!

A Typical Final Morning

Without any phone call from the onboard medical staff, we were now free to roam the ship. So, we headed back down to the main dining room on Deck 2 for sit-down breakfast.

The Princess’ favorite meal is breakfast, even though I think it is over rated. Surprisingly, the main dining room was rather quiet. I guess all those who didn’t need a COVID test slept in this morning.

The breakfast menu on Rotterdam offers an eclectic mix of favorites.

For this trip, I tried the English breakfast, and the wife did the French toast. Service was prompt with the entire meal taking a little over 30 minutes.

Next up was packing. Yes, the most dreaded final cruise day activity. With our package including a transfer to the airport, we had to put out some luggage by midnight. Since we were up early, there was no better time than the present to get it done.

Then, we finished up some work in the room for a few hours.

Walking Around the Ship

By 1 PM, I was getting stir crazy, so it was time for a walk and some fresh air.

With the ship sailing at close to 20 knots, it was not very windy outside. The temperature was also pretty mild.

About 90 minutes later, it was time for a snack. Given dinner was 7 PM again this evening, we figured we should get a little something to hold us over. Of course, the Princess decided on pizza…and maybe some gelato too.

With the pizza taking over a half hour, we now had just enough time to get to the scheduled press conference for our media group. The PR firm had arranged for us to meet with the captain, hotel manager, and cruise and travel director. This 45-minute Q&A was pretty basic, with no earth shattering reveals or announcements.

On the way back to our room, we grabbed some coffee. Upon return, we were relieved to find our test results. Now that we had the papers in hand, it was official.

Our group was meeting for farewell cocktails at 6 PM and had dinner at 7 PM in Rudi’s Sel de Mer. So, we spent a little time on our devices before changing up and heading back out for our final evening on the ship.

One Last Round on Rotterdam

With a few rounds of signature cocktails and small talk at the Crow’s Nest, it was soon time to head to dinner.

The seafood restaurant was not too busy when we arrived, but it wasn’t long until the master chef himself, Rudi, made an appearance. He made sure to come by the tables to say hi to everyone.

We dined at Rudi’s Sel De Mer during our last Rotterdam cruise, so I decided to mix things up a bit tonight. For starters, I went with my go-to calamari. Like last time, the calamari was crispy and tender. To be neater, I tried a different entrée. Honestly, I wasn’t a big fan of the seafood grill. I would stick with the bouillabaisse next time.

The wife stuck with familiar favorites, the cheese board as an appetizer and the coq au vin as an entrée.

For dessert, we ordered the crepes and profiteroles to share. Of these two classics, I think the profiteroles were the clear favorite.

Between talking, eating, and drinking, dinner took well over 2.5 hours again tonight.

Saying good-bye to everyone, we had the decision to go to the show or grab one last drink. I voted for the latter. I suggested we get a drink at my favorite bar, the Half Mon Bar. We had spent 7 nights on the ship and this was my first time getting a drink here.

Sipping on my Sea Castles cocktail, we recounted the cruise, which went by very fast. By 10:45 PM, our bed was calling us. So, we decided to get some rest before the long day of travel ahead of us.

Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review – Disembarkation

The Calm Before the Chaos

Our direct flight from Amsterdam to Boston was 2:40 PM. We always like to get to the airport early just in case there are any issues. Though, it was especially true for this trip as the Schiphol airport had been making news for staffing shortages.

So, when we had a chance to hop on an earlier shuttle to the airport, we easily said yes.

With the 8 AM shuttle reserved, we set the alarm for 6:30 AM. While the wife got ready, I grabbed some coffees and continental breakfast items.

Thankfully, the ship docked as scheduled at 7 AM, and self assist cruisers were allowed to disembark shortly after.

Our luggage tag, Purple 1, was called around 7:55 AM.

Disembarkation was a breeze. The whole process took about 10 minutes. Getting an elevator was easy, and there was virtually no line to exit the ship on deck 2 portside.

Further, there was no border patrol or customs at the cruise terminal. We simply exited the ship, headed to luggage collection, and boarded a bus to the airport.

The ride to the airport took about 30 minutes getting us there before 9 AM.

Flying Right Now Is Not Fun

Upon arrival, our bus was rerouted to the arrivals area, so we had to walk a bit to get to Terminal 2. Here, we were greeted with a massive line of travelers who were queued waiting to check-in and/or drop off luggage.

Even though I tried several times, the Delta app would not let me check-in and get boarding passes. Thus, we waited close to 90 minutes in line before reaching an agent. Thankfully, we were able to check-in and drop off our bags without any issues.

Next, it was on to security and another 45 minute line. Finally, we were through security and in line at Starbucks about 3 hours before our flight. I took advantage of the time to load some videos and check email.

We arrived at our gate just in time to learn that it had been moved to a completely different part of the airport. Subsequently, the flight was also delayed. Eventually, we boarded the plane and took off, over an hour later than the original departure time.

Somehow, we arrived in Boston only 15 minutes later than planned. Of course, we had to wait an extra 30 minutes for a gate to open up before we could actually disembark the plane. Thankfully, there was no line at Border Patrol though.

With our car service awaiting us, we pulled into our drive way around 7 PM local time. Of course, this felt like 1 AM to us.

It was definitely time for some sleep, as we had only four days until our next trip! This time, we will be spending a few days in Port Canaveral before hopping onboard Mariner of the Seas for a 5-day getaway. Then, we will be driving to Miami for another 5-day cruise on Scarlet Lady to see what’s changed since our last trip. Be sure to follow along on social media for all our upcoming adventures.

Comments

Did you enjoy our Holland America’s Rotterdam Naming Ceremony Cruise Review? Have you attended a cruise naming ceremony before? Drop us an anchor below to share what you love about Holland America Line.