Holland America Rotterdam 9-Day Southern Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 1: November 28, 2025

Time to kick off round two — the continuation of this adventure, but now as an entirely new cruise: a 9-day Southern Caribbean sailing on Holland America Line’s Rotterdam. For this journey, I booked two completely separate reservations: one for the 12-day segment that just wrapped up this morning, and another for the 9-day sailing that starts today. Same ship, same bartenders who already know my drink order… just a fresh itinerary and a fresh batch of cruise friends boarding today.

This segment is a pretty nice itinerary. We’re sailing out of Fort Lauderdale and heading straight into two back-to-back sea days. Our first port of call will be Willemstad, Curaçao, a personal favorite with colorful Dutch buildings, the nearby Rif Fort for food and drink, and the fact that the ship docks basically in the middle of the city making this a very safe, walkable place to explore for hours on end. From there, we’re off to Oranjestad, Aruba for not one but two full days. Out of all the times I’ve been to Aruba on cruises, this will be my first-ever overnight stay, so I’m really looking forward to seeing that island after dark and not having to rush back to the gangway before sunset.

After Aruba, we’ve got two more sea days before visiting our final port of call, Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private island in the Bahamas. That’ll wrap up 21 days onboard Rotterdam.

I’ll do my best not to repeat things I already covered in detail during the 12-day segment, but for anyone just joining in now, you can catch up on everything from that cruise’s Day 1 right here.

Holland America Rotterdam 12-Day Eastern Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 1: November 16, 2025

Turnaround Morning

Before diving into this new 9-day Southern Caribbean adventure, let’s talk about how turnaround day went — because disembarkation morning on any ship is always a little chaotic, even when you’re one of the lucky ones sticking around for another cruise.

For those heading home today, HAL offers two options: self-disembark, where you haul your own luggage off the ship and get going first thing in the morning, and checked luggage, where you leave your bags outside your door the night before and wait for your assigned tag color to be called. Simple enough. The self-debark crowd is always out the door first, while the checked-luggage folks get a slightly slower, more civilized exit.

Since I’m continuing on for the next 9-day segment, and had to switch rooms — that meant packing up the dirty clothes and suitcase-appropriate stuff, but leaving everything else on hangers. The best part? Housekeeping moves everything for you. Suitcases, hanging clothes, random little piles — all magically transferred into the new room.

You may be wondering, “Does everyone on a back-to-back have to switch rooms?”

Short answer — no. But here’s how I ended up doing the stateroom shuffle anyway.

When I originally booked this 9-day segment, it was for the casino tournament cruise (yes, the slot tournament is coming — more on that in a bit). A few weeks later, I decided to tack on the 12-day cruise that came before it. Because I booked them separately, I had two different reservation numbers, and HAL can’t merge those into a single 21-day reservation. Still, when the room assignments came through, HAL put me in the same stateroom for both cruises. Perfect. No moving, no packing.

Then the upgrade fairy showed up.

A few days before the 12-day cruise, I went to print my boarding pass and — surprise! — I’d been pixie-dusted from the inside stateroom I booked into a family oceanview. Completely unexpected, and honestly it was a pretty good room with plenty of space, two bathrooms, and finally enough closet space for all my clothes. (If you missed the pics, go back to Day 1 of the last segment.)

But that upgrade only applied to the 12-day cruise… not the 9-day that starts today.

Guest Services confirmed it: someone else was already booked in that family oceanview for this segment, so I’d absolutely have to move. Mild annoyance, but fine — it happens.

Then a few days ago, HAL sent an upgrade offer for the 9-day: an aft-view verandah for $360.

Considering I had to switch rooms anyway, the choice was pretty obvious. Why move to an inside room when I could move to a bigger, better one?  So here we are… fresh cruise, fresh cabin, fresh view off the back of the ship.

Rotterdam docked right around 6:15am, and the self-debark folks were called shortly after 7:15. Those of us doing the back-to-back — or “in transit guests,” the offical term for us — had to be out of our staterooms by 9am and meet in World Stage. There, our room keys were scanned, and once every B2B guest was accounted for, it became a waiting game.

The ship must reach what’s called zero count, meaning every passenger from the previous sailing is off the ship before any new ones can board — even us. Around 9:50am, we finally got the all-clear to head off, walk into the terminal, and stand in front of the facial-recognition scanners so U.S. Customs could make sure we are who we say we are. Green light? Back in line you go. Then we waited… and waited… until about 10:40, when we were finally released back to the ship.

When I got to my new stateroom, it was already fully set up, suitcases delivered, clothes hanging in the closet. Zero effort required on my end except for putting away the stuff in the suitcases.

Aft-Facing Verandah Stateroom 8188 on Rotterdam

As I mentioned, I’m now settling into my new home for this 9-day segment — an aft-facing verandah stateroom, cabin 8188 on Deck 8. Before I get into the room itself, let’s get the disclaimer out of the way: For this segment, I was provided a free inside stateroom as part of a casino slot tournament promotion. I paid a $100 “room fee,” but that was immediately returned in the form of $100 onboard credit, plus I paid port fees and taxes. The casino also tossed in $200 in free play and entry into the slot tournament. And as always — comps or not — my reviews aren’t influenced by anything other than what I actually experience onboard.

Okay, now that the FTC can relax, let’s talk about this aft-facing room.

This stateroom sleeps up to three people and comes with two twins that convert into a king. In the photos you’ll see them separated, but my stateroom attendant pushed them together later in the day. There’s also a sofa that converts into a twin bed for a third guest. Power-wise, it’s the same setup as my last room: on each side of the bed there’s one US outlet and one USB-A, with more US and European outlets on the desk/vanity along with two more USB-A ports. No USB-C yet, but we’re getting there… someday… maybe.

Amenities are pretty much the same across all HAL’s staterooms — a big flat-screen TV, in-room safe, stocked minibar and snack tray (all extra, naturally), blankets, bathrobes, and an umbrella. Closet space, however, is noticeably tighter than the family oceanview I just came from. For me, it’s fine — everything fit — but if you had two or three people trying to share this closet, someone would be shoving their stuff under the bed.

The bathroom is standard HAL: compact but functional, glass-door shower with excellent water pressure, and just enough counter and shelf space to keep your stuff from falling into the sink.

Now… the balcony. Holy. Cow.

This is the kind of balcony that makes you sit out there for “just a minute” and suddenly it’s two hours later. It’s deep, with two adjustable loungers, footrests that slide underneath, and two side tables. With the wake views right off the aft, it’s the kind of spot you may never leave on a sea day. Honestly, it’s so good I probably didn’t even need to splurge on a cabana for this segment — but I did anyway — so now I basically have two private hideaways onboard.

That said, aft life does come with some quirks. Being directly under the Lido means I absolutely heard deck chairs being dragged and clunked into place around 7 a.m. this morning (day 2).  It only lasted about 20 minutes, but if you’re a light sleeper, just know that your alarm clock might be the sound of deck chairs being rearranged.

And then there’s the aft vibration. Anyone who books far forward or far aft on any ship knows you feel more motion in these spots, and Rotterdam’s azipods hum and vibrate just enough that you’ll know they’re working. For me, it’s like being gently rocked to sleep — I actually love it — but if you expect dead-silent, zero-motion sailing, aft cabins may surprise you.

I also noticed a faint stale cigarette smell in the room. Since smoking isn’t allowed in staterooms — or anywhere except the casino and the one designated outdoor area — I’m not sure if a previous guest broke the rules or if somehow smoke drifted in from the smoking area directly above on Deck 9. It’s not overpowering, but it’s there, and I definitely notice it.

All in all? The huge balcony and wake views alone make this stateroom worth every penny of that $360 upgrade. This is going to be a very comfortable home for the next nine days.

Rotterdam Stateroom 8188 Tour Video

Holland America $25,000 Slot Tournament

The first order of business after settling in was heading down to the casino to officially check in for the HAL $25,000 Slot Tournament — and to see if I can somehow slap a button fast enough to walk away with the grand prize of $10,000. Hey, stranger things have happened to me.

Check-in was simple enough: sign a release form and then draw at random both my Round 1 play time and my machine number. Once that was done, I headed one deck down to the Ocean Bar, which has recently been transformed into a temporary casino annex, we nicknamed “Little Vegas,” thanks to several slot machines that magically appeared last week. This is where all the tournament action will happen.

Before the real competition starts, tournament staff held a short demo explaining exactly how things work. The rules are simple: you get three straight minutes of free play, and the entire goal is to hit that spin button as fast and as constantly as humanly possible. No strategy, no bonus… it’s literally three minutes of button-mashing. Your final score is whatever credits you accumulate in that time. That’s it.

All machines are preset identically, and for each round you’ll sit at your machine, keep your eyes on the countdown, and when the staff shouts go, your entire existence becomes pressing that one button over and over.

The tournament runs in multiple rounds:

Round 1: All 364 invitees play.
Round 2: Only the top 140 scores move forward.
Round 3: Those 140 get narrowed down to 28.
Grand Final: Only the top 14 players compete for the money — and that $10,000 top prize.

Cash prizes are awarded for the top eight players, with places 9 through 28 receiving free play. The full prize breakdown is — $10k for first, $5k for second, $3k for third, then down through cash and onboard credit/free play for the rest. Even making the top 28 gets you something.

Players also need to check in 10 minutes before their round, because if you miss it — even by seconds — you’re out, no second chances.

So that’s the setup. The next step?  My Round 1 time slot is Saturday at 9:10 a.m.

Stay tuned — results coming soon.

The Retreat Cabana Experience

With all the casino business out of the way, it was time to head up to my cabana. Since I’m planning on working and of course updating you with the latest from the ship, I asked the cabana team if they could set me up with a small table and chairs so I wouldn’t be hogging space on the sun deck. As usual, they didn’t even blink. When I walked in, everything was already perfectly arranged… complete with champagne and a plate of sushi waiting for me.

For anyone new here, The Retreat is Holland America’s private cabana area located all the way forward on deck 12. It’s the opposite of the usual noisy pool deck. Each cabana comes with loungers, bottled water, butlers to get you snacks, lunch, drinks, whatever you need, and of course a private sun deck and hot tub.

The team here, including Jeanette, Stefano, Satria, and Franceska, somehow manages to appear exactly when you need them without ever hovering. Whether it’s delivering a plate of chocolate covered strawberries, keeping the champagne glass filled, or bringing afternoon fruit, they make the whole experience worth it.

It’s one of the best perks on HAL ships that have a Retreat, especially on sea days when the rest of the ship is a madhouse. Having a quiet place to work, relax, or just zone out with the ocean ahead of you is worth every penny.

As our sail away from Fort Lauderdale got underway, it was the Celebrity Reflection leading the charge, heading out first.  Rotterdam followed right behind, giving us a perfect vantage point to watch the rest of the lineup still tied up at the pier. Disney Destiny, Crystal Serenity, and Liberty of the Seas were all queued up to head out after us, making for another busy day at Port Everglades.

Dinner at Pinnacle Grill on Rotterdam

First stop of the evening was — shocker — Half Moon Bar, because if you’ve followed any of my Rotterdam reports, you already know that this is my pre-dinner, post-dinner, pre- and post-“should I really have another?” cocktail spot. Reema was behind the bar doing what she does best, greeting everyone like old friends and somehow remembering exactly what you drink even before you sit down.

It was also time to think about dinner.

Up at the Lido Market, Holland America sticks to its long-running Day 1 tradition of offering a welcome-aboard steak and shrimp dinner. It’s always a popular setup, mostly because it takes the pressure off the main dining room on that chaotic first evening when everyone wants to eat early, or figure out whether they’re on traditional early seating, late seating (both on Deck 3), or open seating (Deck 2). There’s also Club Orange on Deck 2 for guests who purchased that add-on experience — and if you’re curious about what that involves, I have a full write-up linked right here.

What is the Holland America Club Orange Upgrade and is it Worth It?

Lido Market Dinner Menu

Main Dining Room Dinner Menu

But as for me? I headed to Pinnacle Grill, the ship’s signature steakhouse and my go-to when I want a guaranteed solid meal.

Pinnacle Grill Menu

Pinnacle Grill is Holland America’s signature steakhouse and easily one of the most consistently good specialty dining options across the entire fleet. If you want a quiet, intimate dinner this is where you go. It’s a $52 pp + 18% and in my opinion, it’s worth every penny when you want a break from the madness of embarkation day or just want a solid steakhouse experience.

The menu has the classics such as steaks, sides, seafood and appetizers. They also offer a small set of seasonal specials depending on the itinerary, which is how dishes like the Caribbean Jerked Chicken Bao pop up. And of course, no Pinnacle Grill experience is complete without the tableside gin and tonic featuring Holland America’s own De Lijn gin, built right in front of you with all the botanicals.

Once my tableside gin and tonic was mixed — with what I can confidently call a generous pour — it was time to dive into dinner. I kicked things off with the jumbo lump crab cakes, which arrived as two golf-ball-sized cakes packed with chunks of crab and just enough filler to hold them together.

Next up was the wedge salad.  A hunk of iceberg with ranch dressing, topped with bacon, blue cheese, walnuts, and tomatoes.

When it came time for the main, my server — the same one I had on my last visit — asked if I was thinking about the pork chop. I told him it had definitely crossed my mind. Then he followed up with, “Do you like lamb?”

Yes… yes I do.

He nodded, scribbled something on his pad, and said, “Okay, the chef is going to make the pork and the lamb for you.”

Perfect.

What arrived was a pork chop that was thick, juicy, and cooked to a perfect medium and a perfectly seasoned lamb chop, also cooked medium, coated in a blend of spices.

Two entrées, one plate, zero regrets.

For dessert, I went with the cheese plate, which I could not finish.

After dinner I wandered over to the casino… only to discover every machine was taken. Not a single seat open. That’s when I reminded myself — this is a tournament cruise, and finding a machine during peak hours is going to be like trying to snag a deck chair at noon on a sea day. In other words: patience will be the only strategy that works outside the actual slot tournament.

So instead of hovering behind people like a casino vulture, I called it a night and headed back to my stateroom.

In tomorrow’s report, I’ll have the update on Round One of the tournament — how I did, whether I made it into Round Two, and whether my hands survived three straight minutes of frantic button-slapping. Plus… this little three-star Mariner officially jumped to four stars, and you know I’m going to talk about the Mariner Society loyalty program and the big perks that come with earning that next star.

Until then, thanks for following along!

Daily Schedule

Personal Day-By-Day Rotterdam Cruise Review: