The final stop through the "ABC Islands" in the Southern Caribbean saw us docked in Oranjestad in the country known as "One Happy Island" - Aruba.  Our ship, Holland America's Rotterdam docked around 7:30 am and we were clear to go ashore shortly before 8 am.  Unlike our call in…

Our second port-of-call on this 9-day Southern Caribbean Seafarer Cruise on Holland America's Rotterdam has us visiting Willemstad, Curacao - the "C" of the "ABC islands" that make up the port calls on southern runs.  Being that Curacao is a short hop from yesterday's call in Bonaire, we had a…

After three days at sea, it's time for our first port-of-call on this 9-day Southern Caribbean Seafarer Cruise on Holland America's Rotterdam and we're docked in Kralendijk - the charming capital of Bonaire.  Looking out from the ship, the first thing you notice is the turquoise bay and small boats…

Another sea day on the Rotterdam as we head to our first port of call on this 9-day Southern Caribbean Seafarer Cruise - Bonaire.  As the ship came alive in the morning, something was amiss.  Cell phones, tablets, and self-setting watches all turned back an hour overnight as the United…

The second day of this Holland America Southern Caribbean Seafarer Cruise on the Rotterdam was a sea day and being so allowed me to compare the crowd levels on the ship's outside decks compared to the last segment of this cruise which ended Friday.  With the average age dropping a…

Today kicked off the second segment of this 21-day cruise on Holland America's flagship, the Rotterdam.  The next nine days are a Southern Caribbean Seafarer Cruise which will find us cruising to Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas - a cruise referred to as an "ABC…

The final day of the first segment of this 21-day cruise on Holland America's Rotterdam has arrived. It's a sea day as we head back to Fort Lauderdale where most passengers will disembark while 258 of us will stay on for the second segment, a 9-day Southern Caribbean Seafarer Cruise…

Greetings from Jamaica, mon!  The final port stop on the first segment of this 21-day cruise finds the Rotterdam docked in the country known for Red Stripe beer, Bob Marley, reggae, and Blue Mountain Coffee.  Bet you thought I was going to put "weed" on that list, didn't you?   We…

Here on Holland America's Rotterdam, we celebrated Halloween at sea as we sailed towards our next port of call, Falmouth, Jamaica.  I'm mid-way through this 21-day cruise which is two cruises back-to-back.  This first segment is a 12-day Panama Canal Sunfarer Cruise which will end on November 3rd when we…

Yesterday, the Rotterdam did a partial transit through the Panama Canal and immediately set our sights on the next port-of-call, Puerto Limon in Costa Rica.  What can I say about Limon... not much.  The ship docks at a spartan, run-down port that makes you instantly ask, "I thought Costa Rica…