Holland America Rotterdam Panama Canal Cruise Review

Day 10 aboard Rotterdam and it’s another sea day. And when you’re on a sea day on a cruise ship, especially one like Holland America, the honest truth is there isn’t always a whole lot to report on because a lot of people spend the day doing exactly what sea days are meant for… a whole lot of nothing.

Relaxing, wandering around the ship, grabbing a drink, maybe a snack or two, and just enjoying the fact that you’re not rushing off to a port somewhere.

But even on a lazy sea day there are a few things that always end up being the most popular activities on a Holland America ship.

Pool Time, Baby!

First up, the pools. If the weather is nice, and since we’re cruising through the Caribbean the weather has been fantastic, the ship’s two pool areas get a lot of traffic.

On Rotterdam, the main pool area is the Lido Pool located on Deck 9. It’s essentially a two-level outdoor space. The lower level is where the pool itself is located along with the Dive-In burger spot, the gelato stand, and the Lido Bar. Surrounding the pool are rows and rows of loungers for people who want to soak up the sun, and of course there are the hot tubs for anyone who enjoys sitting in what can best be described as a bubbling cauldron of human soup.

Lido Pool on Holland America's Rotterdam — Lido Pool on Holland America’s Rotterdam

One deck up on Deck 10 is the second level of the Lido Pool area which overlooks the pool below. Up here you’ll find additional seating, some daybeds, and also the Panorama Bar along with New York Pizza where you can grab pizza, sandwiches, salads, and desserts throughout the day.

The ship’s second pool is located all the way aft on Deck 9 and is appropriately called the Sea View Pool. It’s much smaller than the Lido Pool, but the real draw back here is the large sun deck that’s packed with loungers for people who want to catch some rays while looking out over the ship’s wake. There’s also a bar here along with covered seating areas on both sides.

Now a quick word about the Sea View Pool area… smoking.

This is also where the ship’s only smoking section is located and if you hate the smell of cigarette smoke, you’re probably going to hate this part of the ship. For reasons that are a bit puzzling, the smoking area is located right next to the bar.

That means if you want to grab a seat at the bar, order a frozen margarita, and relax for a bit, you’re doing it with a side of cigarette smoke. And when there are a handful of people a couple feet away going through Marlboros like they’re ice cream cones, it can be pretty unpleasant. Honestly it’s a very poor placement decision. If the smoking section were moved to the opposite side of the deck the bar would be a far more enjoyable place to hang out.

Trivia

Another big sea day activity is trivia. All cruise lines have trivia, but on Holland America people take it very seriously. The trivia sessions are almost always packed and on a sea day you can expect to see three or sometimes even more sessions scheduled throughout the day. That’s a lot of people sitting around guessing answers to some pretty random bits of knowledge.

Then There’s Pickleball.

Yes, pickleball.

I’m not entirely sure who invented this game that has somehow become wildly popular with the 65+ crowd, but it has quite the following. Holland America has pickleball courts on their ships and you’ll often see groups of people out there playing matches during sea days.

Art Auctions with a side of Beware

Another thing that draws a crowd is the art auctions. Believe it or not, people actually participate in these things and not just for the free sparkling wine they serve during the event. The auctions are run by Park West Galleries, the same company that operates the art galleries on what seems like just about every cruise ship afloat.

A quick search online will reveal plenty of complaints and negative reviews about them, and their reputation often gets compared to something just a step above a carnival barker. Yet despite all that, the auctions still draw crowds and people continue to bid on what they’re told are priceless works of art that many later discover they paid far too much for.

As P.T. Barnum famously said, there’s one born every… oh, nevermind.

Gambling

And finally, there’s the casino.

Sea days are the casino team’s favorite days of the cruise because the ship isn’t in port and the casino stays open all day. For the hard-core gamblers, this is when they really settle in and start feeding the one-armed bandits hoping they’ll leave the ship with more money than they boarded with, which rarely happens.

Here on Rotterdam the casino is a smoking casino with a very small non-smoking section tucked off to the side. Unfortunately it isn’t really separated well enough to keep the smoke out, so the entire space can get pretty smoky. I stopped in last night for a bit and after about twenty minutes my eyes were burning enough that I had to call it quits.

There are a few machines in the non-smoking section, but it’s extremely small and honestly feels more like a closet than a casino.

So those are probably the five most popular ways people spend a sea day on Holland America.

Of course, there’s one other activity that always ranks near the top of the list.

Eating.

Which brings us to dinner, where tonight marks the final dressy night of the cruise, and that means another gala dinner menu being served up in the ship’s main dining room.

Holland America Lido Market Dinner Menu Night 10

Menu from Rotterdam, March 2026

Available on: all ships

Smoked Bacon and Mozzarella Focaccia

Savory Focaccia

Soft Rolls

Bread Roll

Loaf Bread

Pretzel

Lemon Pie

Rhubarb Crisp

Lemon Pound Cake & Blueberry Sweet Streusel Loaf

Baked Grandma Sheet Berry Pan Cake

Kerabu Mango

Penang Fried Noodles

Coconut Rice

Chop Suey

Malaysian Chicken Curry

Beef Satay

Soya Braised Pork Belly

Sliced Fruits

Apple, Pears, Banana, Orange, Grapes

Pinto Bean, Red Onion and Croutons

Seafood Jicama Salad in Coconut Emulsion

Cheese Selection

Stilton, Old Amsterdam, Cheddar

Tossed to Order

Chicken Caesar

Selection of Artisan Breads

Panini Grilled to Order

Holler

roasted lamb, Greek yogurt dressing, pickled cucumbers, arugula, tomato, feta, sour dough baguette

Pot Sticker Ponzus

Ham and Cheese Croissant

Spicy Chicken

French Fries with Toppings

Cheese Sauce, Bolognese Sauce, Ketchup, Mayo

Bami Goreng

Pork Fried Rice

Arancini

Spaghetti Alfredo

Garlic Bread

Pecan Pie

Chocolate Ganache Tartlet

Strawberry Cake

Berries Trifle

Holland America Main Dining Room Dinner Menu Night 10 Gala Dinner

Menu from Rotterdam, March 2026

Available on: all ships

Classic Negroni

Bombay Sapphire Gin, Carpano Antica Vermouth, Campari

$12

Yuzu Margarita

Cazadores Silver Tequila, lime juice, Yuzu, Agave

$13

Gala Lemon Drop Martini

Chopin Vodka, Cointreau, lemon juice

$14

Ship Shape Manhattan

Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Carpano Antica, Noilly Prat Dry, Angostura Bitters

$13

Holland America Line Sparkling Wine

Washington

$10 | $40

Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay

Washington

$12 | $48

Sokol Blosser Evolution Pinot Noir

Willamette Valley, Oregon

$14 | $56

Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon

California

$18 | $72

Grilled Zucchini, Carrots

tahini-yogurt dressing

Avocado Shrimp Cocktail

layered diced avocado, shrimp, creamy chipotle sauce

Escargot Bourguignon

herb garlic butter, Burgundy wine, French bread

Quinoa, Romaine Lettuce Cups

cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, pine nuts

Cream of Four Mushroom Soup

chive oil

French Onion Soup

Gruyère cheese crouton

Classic Caesar Salad

romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese, garlic croutons, Caesar dressing, anchovies

Rotelle with Oxtail

red wine reduction, gremolata

Beef Tenderloin, Crab Cake

béarnaise sauce, fingerling potatoes, asparagus

Parmesan-Crusted Fresh Branzino

carrots, asparagus, pearl onions, Beurre Blanc

Cherry-Port Duck Breast

truffle mashed potatoes, port reduction

Vegan Stir-Fry Tofu

shiitake, beans, sesame, scallions, avocado brown rice

Dried-Cherry and Thyme Coated Fresh Salmon

pilaf rice, green beans, caramelized onions

Garlic-Herb Roasted Chicken

avocado-corn tomato salsa

New York Strip Loin Steak Fries

garlic-herb butter

Dulce De Leche & Coconut Tart

vanilla ice cream

Warm Chocolate Lava Cake

orange cream

Tiramisu

mascarpone cream, coffee, Kahlúa sponge cake

Hot Fudge Sundae

vanilla ice cream, warm chocolate ganache, chopped nuts, marshmallows, whipped cream

Crème Brûlée

burnt sugar

Disaronno Amaretto

$10.50

Rémy Martin VSOP

$17

Highland Park Single Malt

$13

Graham’s Six Grapes Port

$13

Solo Espresso

$2.75

Cappuccino

$3.75

Dinner at Pinnacle Grill on Rotterdam

My original plan tonight was to have dinner in the main dining room, but time got away from me, which tends to happen.

By the time I realized it, it was getting pretty close to closing time and I really didn’t feel like walking into the dining room five minutes before nine and getting the“seriously?” look. So instead I headed over to Pinnacle Grill, which conveniently takes reservations and walk-ins up until about 9:30pm.

A few minutes later I was seated and ready to start noshing.

Holland America Pinnacle Grill Dinner Menu

Menu from Rotterdam, March 2026

Available on: all ships

Table-Side Caesar Salad

heart of romaine, Parmesan, croutons, anchovies

Vine Ripened Beefsteak Tomato Salad

sliced purple onion, balsamic vinaigrette or blue cheese dressing

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes

cucumber, sweet chili-mustard

Lobster Bisque

crème fraîche, aged cognac

Panko Fried Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Beyond Meat mince, vegan mayonnaise remoulade, parsley, quinoa salad

Mafaldine, Marinated Grilled Eggplant, Burrata & Chiles

preserved lemon, Calabrian chili, olive oil

Steakhouse Wedge Salad by David Burke

crispy bacon, blue cheese, tomato, candied walnuts, ranch dressing

Shrimp Cocktail

brandy-horseradish cocktail sauce

Clothesline Candied Bacon by David Burke

maple, black pepper, half-sour pickles

Ossetra Malossol Caviar

crème fraîche, buckwheat blinis

$50 Supplemental

8oz Filet Mignon