Today is the start of two back-to-back sea days as we make our way south toward our next port of call, Willemstad, Curaçao. Sea days are always a good opportunity to slow down, explore the ship a bit more, and in this case, talk about the ship itself.
Since I’m sailing on Holland America Line’s newest vessel and current flagship, it seems like a good time for a little Rotterdam trivia.
Rotterdam Was Almost Named Ryndam
When Holland America first announced the third ship in its Pinnacle Class, the vessel I’m sailing on today wasn’t supposed to be called Rotterdam at all.
On April 7, 2019, the cruise line announced the ship would instead be named Ryndam, a historical name within the Holland America fleet.
The name Ryndam has been used on three previous ships in the company’s 150+ year history:
- Ryndam (1901) – One of HAL’s early transatlantic passenger ships
- Ryndam (1951) – A post-war ocean liner that later transitioned to cruising
- Ryndam (1994) – One of HAL’s Statendam class ships and a familiar name for many HAL loyalists and one that’s still sailing as Celestyal Journey for Celestyal Cruises
Because Holland America has recycled historic ship names, Ryndam was chosen for the new Pinnacle-class ship.
But that plan didn’t last long.
The Return of the Name Rotterdam
On July 30, 2020, Holland America announced that the ship would instead be named Rotterdam, honoring the 1997-built Rotterdam, which had been sold earlier that year, as well as the long history of the Rotterdam name within the company.
The name Rotterdam is the most historic name in Holland America’s fleet, having appeared on multiple ships dating all the way back to the company’s earliest days.
Before this current ship, there had been six previous ones named Rotterdam:
- Rotterdam (1872) – One of HAL’s earliest steamships
- Rotterdam II (1886)
- Rotterdam III (1897)
- Rotterdam IV (1908)
- Rotterdam V (1959) – A famous ocean liner that later became a cruise ship
- Rotterdam VI (1997) – The ship many HAL fans remember from the modern fleet
That 1959 Rotterdam still exists today and operates as a floating hotel and museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands, preserving an important piece of Holland America’s maritime history.
So while the ship that’s sailing today is technically the seventh Rotterdam, the name itself stretches back more than 150 years within the company.
COVID-19 Launch Delays
Like many ships built during the crazy pandemic era, Rotterdam’s launch timeline ended up shifting several times.
Originally, the ship was scheduled to sail her maiden voyage on May 21, 2021, in Europe.
But construction delays caused by COVID-19 pushed the timeline back.
The ship’s delivery was ultimately delayed by about two months, with the official handover from the shipyard taking place in July 2021.
Holland America initially moved the maiden voyage to August 1, 2021, then pushed it again to September 26, 2021 as the cruise industry was still suffering through the pandemic restrictions that crippled the industry.
Eventually, the entire planned European inaugural season was cancelled.
Instead, Rotterdam finally began service on October 20, 2021, sailing a 14-day transatlantic voyage from Amsterdam to Port Everglades, officially bringing the ship into the fleet.
The vessel was later christened in Rotterdam on May 30, 2022 by Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, who has served as godmother to multiple Holland America ships over the years.
Retreat Cabanas on Rotterdam
Now that today’s bit of Rotterdam trivia is out of the way, let’s talk about where I’ll be spending a good amount of time on this cruise: The Retreat.
For this sailing I decided to book one of the cabanas at The Retreat, which is located forward on Deck 12, tucked away above the Lido Pool area. If you’ve ever sailed on a Holland America ship that has The Retreat, you already know this is one of the quietest and most relaxing spots on the entire ship.
The Retreat on Rotterdam features 20 standard cabanas, which are designed for two guests, along with two larger family cabanas that can accommodate up to four people. You can book them either by the day or for the entire cruise, depending on how much time you plan to spend hiding from the crowds.
Pricing varies slightly depending on whether it’s a sea day or port day, but generally falls into these ranges:
- Standard Cabana: $75–$105 per day
- Family Cabana: $105–$185 per day
Since this is a 12-day cruise, Holland America also offers full-voyage pricing, which works out to:
- Standard Cabana: $950 for the entire cruise
- Family Cabana: $1,120 for the entire cruise
Each cabana comes with either two or four loungers, bottled water that gets replenished throughout the day, and a fantastic team of attendants.
Those attendants take drink orders, bring up lunch, and during the afternoon they bring plenty of snacks and sparkling wine. It really beats fighting your way through the buffet line and hunting for a seat by the lido pool,!
The cabanas themselves line the outer perimeter of the Retreat, while the center area has a few loungers, tables and chairs, and a hot tub. Restrooms are also just a few steps away, which is always convenient when you’re planning to camp out here for most of the day.
One thing worth mentioning if you’re thinking about booking one: not all cabanas have the same view.
The cabanas that face inward look toward the retractable roof over the Lido Pool below, which means the view is mostly roof. If you want an actual ocean view, you’ll want one of the side-facing cabanas along the edge.
Personally, I think The Retreat is one of the best upgrades you can make on a longer sailing like this. Sea days tend to get busy around the pools, but up here it’s quiet, comfortable, and you always have your own space waiting for you.
One thing that’s important to note, Holland America has started to remove The Retreat and the cabanas from some of their older ships. When Zuiderdam went into dry dock in November 2025, she had this area removed. Unlike the Pinnacle class ships (Rotterdam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam) which had The Retreat built into the ship from day 1, older vessels like Zuiderdam were retrofitted with it. So it seems those vessels are the ones having The Retreat removed, so it’s important to verify whether The Retreat is available on your chosen ship.
Tour The Retreat on Rotterdam
Regional Wine Tasting Perk for Mariner Society Members
I mentioned in yesterday’s report that I’d talk about one of the nicer little perks offered to Holland America’s most loyal guests, and today was the day for that event.
First, a quick bit of background.
Holland America calls members of its loyalty program “Mariners.” The program itself is known as the Mariner Society, and the more you cruise with the line, the more stars you earn based on the number of days you sail as well as certain onboard spending. I’ll get more into how that whole system works later in the trip report, but for now the key thing to know is that the top tiers are 4-Star, 5-Star, and President’s Club.
Along with the Mariner Society reception on the first night of the cruise, Holland America also hosts a regional wine tasting specifically for the top 3 loyalty member tiers.
Today’s tasting was held in the main dining room at 1:45 p.m., and as a 4-Star Mariner, I received an invitation to attend at no charge as a loyalty perk. Guests who wanted to attend but weren’t in one of the top tiers could still participate, but the cost was $35 per person.
The event lasted about an hour and was a nice way to spend part of a sea day.
When you arrive, you’re greeted with a glass of sparkling wine and shown to a table where you’re seated with other guests. Once everyone is settled in, the ship’s sommelier introduces himself and his team, explains what to expect during the tasting, and then things get underway.
In addition to the welcome sparkling wine, the tasting included another sparkling wine, one white, and two reds, giving a nice range of styles and regions. The specific wines rotate from event to event, so they won’t necessarily be the same on every sailing, but the selection today offered a good variety.
Each wine was paired with cheese and fruit, and as each was tasted, the sommelier talked through the wine’s background, flavor notes, and where it originated.
It’s a relaxed event and a nice little perk for loyal guests. Spending an hour sampling some wine and learning a bit about it along the way isn’t a bad way to pass the time on a sea day.
Dressy Night (HAL Style)
Tonight was the first dressy night of the cruise, and if I’m being honest, Holland America cruisers don’t really lean into dressy nights the way you’ll see on some other lines like Carnival or Princess.
The general dress code on Holland America is pretty much country club casual 24/7, with some of the older crowd stepping it up a bit on dressy nights. But you’re not going to see the ship filled with tuxedos and cocktail gowns like in the old days of cruising. Thank goodness.
That said, the ship’s photographers were out in full force, with stations around the ship to capture those dressy night photos for anyone who wanted them.
Since it was dressy night, the Main Dining Room was serving its special gala menu, so after a few cocktails at the Half Moon Bar, I made my way over for dinner.
Holland America still offers traditional fixed dining times for guests who prefer that classic cruise experience. Those diners head to the second level of the Main Dining Room on Deck 3 for either the early or late seating.
For those with open seating, like me, you simply head to the lower level of the Main Dining Room on Deck 3 whenever you’re ready to eat.
Then there’s a third option: Club Orange. Guests who purchase this optional add-on dine in a separate dining area on Deck 2, located between the Main Dining Room and the Half Moon Bar. I’ll be talking more about Club Orange tomorrow and whether it’s actually worth the extra cost.
I arrived around 8:30 p.m., and there was only a short wait of a few minutes before a table opened up.
But before being seated, something happened that I haven’t heard in a very long time on a Holland America cruise.
“Would you like to sit with others?”
After politely explaining that I’d rather rip my eyeballs out than have dinner with a table full of strangers, the host quickly escorted me to my table.
Then something even stranger happened.
In a bizarre twist of fate, I was seated right next to the same mother and daughter who had been seated next to me the previous two nights. First in Pinnacle Grill on night one, then again in Tamarind last night, and now here we were again in the Main Dining Room.
Three different restaurants. Three consecutive nights. Same neighboring table.
The daughter happens to be a mathematician, so we ended up discussing the statistical probability of that happening three nights in a row. The real question now is whether night four will continue the streak.
Dinner in the Main Dining Room
Before getting into what I ordered, here’s a look at what was being served tonight in the Lido Market and the Main Dining Room.
Holland America Lido Market Dinner Menu C
Menu from Rotterdam, March 2026
Available on: all ships
Holland America Main Dining Room Gala Dinner Menu A
Menu from Rotterdam, March 2026
Available on: all ships
For dinner, I started with a Coppa, Burrata, and Cantaloupe salad, followed by a bowl of French onion soup, which was actually pretty good.
For the main course I went with the New York Strip Loin, served with steak fries and vegetables. For a Main Dining Room steak, it was solid and cooked exactly the way I ordered it.
I ended up skipping dessert tonight.
Service was what I could describe as “brisk,” but I didn’t felt rushed. Without ordering dessert, I was in and out in about 45 minutes, which is pretty reasonable for the Main Dining Room.
Overall, the food was good and the quality consistent, something Holland America has always done well in their main dining room.
After dinner I wandered around the ship for a bit and had plans to head outside to walk the Promenade Deck.
But Mother Nature had other ideas and sent yet another round of rain our way.
So instead I stopped by the casino, donated a small amount of money that didn’t last very long, and then headed over to B.B. King’s Blues Club, where the band had the place absolutely packed with people on the dance floor.
It’s easily one of the most lively spots on the ship in the evenings.
Tomorrow brings another sea day, and in tomorrow’s report I’ll finally dig into the two things I teased earlier today: the Mariner Society loyalty program and Club Orange, along with whether that optional upgrade is actually worth the money.
As always, thanks for following along.
Daily Schedule
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Abs Class | Fitness Center |
| 7:30 AM | Walk a Mile | Atrium 3 |
| 8:00 AM | Tai Chi for Everyone | Lido Poolside |
| 8:00 AM | Morning Catholic Prayer | Hudson Room |
| 8:30 AM | Sunrise Stretch | Lido Poolside |
| 9:00 AM | Pickleball Instruction: The Basics | Sport Court |
| 9:00 AM | Ask Your Cruise Director | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 9:00 AM | Vortex Binocular Sale | The Shops |
| 9:00 AM | $10 Budget Bash | The Shops |
| 9:00 AM | Complimentary Footprint Analysis | Fitness Center |
| 9:30 AM | Cornhole Challenge | Pier Ashore |
| 10:00 AM | Ballroom Dance Class: Waltz | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 10:00 AM | Pickleball Tournament for Intermediate | Sport Court |
| 10:00 AM | Tech for Travelers When in Port | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 10:00 AM | Explore With Shore Excursion | Oceans Bar |
| 10:00 AM | Party Bridge Play until 12:00 PM | Hudson Room |
| 10:00 AM | Mahjong Players Meet until 3:00 PM | Half Moon Room |
| 10:00 AM | Creating Designs from Doodles | Game Room |
| 10:30 AM | Early Bird Diamond Dash | EFFY Jewelry |
| 10:30 AM | Cure Your Curiosity Seminar | Fitness Center |
| 11:00 AM | Port Talk: Curaçao & Cartagena | World Stage |
| 11:00 AM | Pickleball Tournament for Advanced | Sport Court |
| 11:30 AM | Over $1,000 Jackpot Bingo Ticket Sales | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 11:30 AM | Singles & Solo Traveler Lunch | Dining Room |
| 12:00 PM | The Caribbean Shopping Show | World Stage |
| 12:30 PM | The Hair Show | Greenhouse Spa |
| 1:00 PM | Today’s Trivia: Travel | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 1:00 PM | Regional Steel Pan Soloist Derek Plays | Lido Poolside |
| 1:00 PM | Mixology Class: Cosmopolitan & Manhattan $25 | Ocean Bar |
| 1:00 PM | Grand Opening Art Auction | Billboard Onboard |
| 1:30 PM | Party Bridge Play | Hudson Room |
| 1:30 PM | Watercoloring: Basic Strokes | Game Room |
| 2:00 PM | Paper Airplane Competition | Lido Poolside |
| 2:00 PM | Regional Steel Pan Soloist Derek Plays | Lido Poolside |
| 2:00 PM | The Caribbean Up Close: Water Works | World Stage |
| 2:00 PM | Regional Wine Tasting $35 | Dining Room |
| 2:30 PM | Walking in Comfort | Fitness Center |
| 3:00 PM | Caribbean Tea Time with Vivace Strings | Dining Room |
| 3:00 PM | Ping Pong Tournament | Lido Balcony |
| 3:00 PM | Beer Tasting $15 | Ocean Bar |
| 3:00 PM | Over $100 Jackpot Bingo Ticket Sales | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 3:00 PM | Diamond & Gemstone Enrichment Seminar | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 3:00 PM | Ask Your Travel Guide Holly until 5:00 PM | Crow’s Nest |
| 3:00 PM | 10% Off On Fine Spirits | The Shops |
| 3:30 PM | Coloring for Adults | Game Room |
| 3:30 PM | Friends of Bill W. Meet | Stuyvesant Room |
| 4:00 PM | Over $54,000 Paradise Lotto Jackpot Drawing | Casino |
| 4:00 PM | Team Trivia Challenge | Billboard Onboard |
| 4:00 PM | Trivia Tournament | Lido Poolside |
| 4:00 PM | Towel Folding | Lido Poolside |
| 4:00 PM | EFFY’s Yellow Diamond Experience | EFFY Jewelry |
| 4:30 PM | Designer Watch Sale Up to 30% Off | The Shops |
| 4:30 PM | Dress Night Portrait Studio | Atrium |
| 5:00 PM | Cocktails with Nic Featuring Vivace Trio | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 5:00 PM | Ballroom Dance Hour | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 5:30 PM | Collect VIP Shopping Cards | Atrium |
| 6:00 PM | Music Trivia Sing Along | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 6:30 PM | King of Color: Colored Diamond Sale | EFFY Jewelry |
| 7:00 PM | Cruise & Cash Scratch-Off Tickets | Casino |
| 7:00 PM | Captain’s Welcome | World Stage |
| 7:30 PM | On World Stage: Class Act | World Stage |
| 7:45 PM | Game Show: Secret Identities | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 8:00 PM | Movies by the Pool: Now You See Me Now You Don't | Lido Poolside |
| 9:00 PM | On World Stage: Class Act | World Stage |
| 9:00 PM | $61,000 Paradise Lotto Jackpot Drawing | Casino |
| 11:15 PM | Dance to the Hits Disco | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 12:00 AM | Stay and Play Slots All Night | Casino |