Day four was another sea day on Holland America’s Rotterdam as we continue heading south toward our next port of call, Willemstad, Curaçao, where we’re scheduled to arrive at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday. After Curaçao we deeper into the Caribbean before reaching what many people, myself included, consider the highlight of this cruise: our partial transit of the Panama Canal on Sunday.
It has been quite a rocky ride the past 24 hours. We’ve had very strong winds with guts up to 40mph and 9 foot seas which have made being out on the outer decks a bit of a challenge. Sitting in my stateroom, I can see the waves washing over my window and if you’re out on the deck 3 Promenade Deck doing laps, you occasionally get a bit of sea spray to cool you down!
In yesterday’s report I mentioned that I’d spend some time talking about two things today: Holland America’s loyalty program, and the optional Club Orange upgrade. Let’s start with the loyalty program.
Holland America’s Loyal Following
Holland America has a fiercely loyal passenger base. Many guests have been sailing with the line for decades, and it’s not uncommon to meet people onboard with hundreds or even more than a thousand of cruise days under their belt.
With me turning 55 this year, I still feel relatively young on some HAL sailings!
Personally, I’ve been cruising with Holland America since 2008, slowly working my way up through the loyalty levels and eventually reaching 4-Star Mariner status. That’s the level where the perks really begin to add some meaningful value.
How the Mariner Society Works
For those unfamiliar with the program, the Mariner Society is the name for Holland America Line’s loyalty program. The nice thing is there’s nothing you need to sign up for. Once you complete your first cruise with Holland America, you’re automatically enrolled.
From there, you start earning Cruise Day credits, which determine your status level.
The program has six tiers:
- One-Star Mariner ★ – First cruise completed
- Two-Star Mariner ★★ – 30 Cruise Day credits
- Three-Star Mariner ★★★ – 75 Cruise Day credits
- Four-Star Mariner ★★★★ – 200 Cruise Day credits
- Five-Star Mariner ★★★★★ – 500 Cruise Day credits
- President’s Club – 1,000+ Cruise Day credits
Earning Cruise Day Credits
The basic earning formula is very straightforward.
You receive one Cruise Day credit for each day you sail. Every overnight onboard counts as one cruise day.
So if you take a 7-day cruise, you earn 7 Cruise Day credits.
Holland America also offers two ways to earn bonus credits.
- Suite Bonus: Guests paying the published fare for a suite or penthouse receive double Cruise Day credits. So if you sail a 10-day cruise in a qualifying suite, you earn 20 credits instead of 10. Complimentary upgrades or discounted upgrades generally don’t qualify.
- Onboard Spending Bonus: Another way to earn credits is through onboard spending. You earn one bonus Cruise Day credit for every $300 in eligible onboard purchases (casino does not count, sorry!).
This bonus is calculated based on the combined spending of the first two guests on the reservation. The maximum number of bonus credits you can earn is equal to the number of days sailed on that cruise. For example, on a 7-day cruise, you could earn up to 7 additional credits through onboard spending.
When the Perks Start to Matter
Each loyalty level comes with its own set of perks, but it’s widely agreed among regular HAL cruisers that things really start getting interesting at the 4-Star level.
That’s where the benefits start to feel significant, including:
- 50% discount on specialty dining at Pinnacle Grill, Tamarind, and Canaletto
- 50% discount on specialty coffees across the ship, including venues like Explorations Café and the Crow’s Nest
- Complimentary laundry and pressing, which becomes incredibly valuable on longer cruises
That free laundry perk alone can be a game changer on longer sailings.
There are plenty of additional perks as you move through the program, including priority check-in, discounts on wine packages, the Mariner Society reception I mentioned in the day one report, yesterday’s complimentary Regional Wine Tasting, and other onboard benefits that add up over time.
For a full breakdown of the program and all its benefits at each level, you can check out Holland America’s official Mariner Society page.
Club Orange – Holland America’s Paid Add-On
The other thing I mentioned yesterday that I’d dive into today is Club Orange, which is Holland America Line’s optional paid upgrade program that promises a few extra perks during your cruise.
Club Orange is an add-on you can purchase before sailing that provides a combination of priority services, dining perks, and a few exclusive amenities. Pricing generally starts around $25 per person per day on cruises up to 13 days, and $15 per person per day on longer cruises like this one.
So what exactly do you get for that extra cost?
One of the big selling points is priority access throughout the cruise. Club Orange guests receive priority check-in at the terminal, priority access to specialty restaurant reservations, priority lines at Guest Services and the Shore Excursions desk, priority access to tenders at ports where ships anchor offshore, and priority disembarkation at the end of the cruise.
There are also some exclusive amenities that come with the program. Guests receive a welcome glass of sparkling wine on embarkation day, upgraded bathrobes in the stateroom, a special Club Orange keycard, and a Club Orange tote bag. Another potential benefit is a complimentary stateroom upgrade, if one is available at the time you purchase the package.
Dining is where Club Orange probably provides the most noticeable difference. Guests receive an expanded 24-hour room service breakfast menu, and depending on the ship, access to either priority seating in the Main Dining Room or a dedicated dining venue.
On most Holland America ships, Club Orange simply means a priority seating area within the Main Dining Room, where you’ll have access to the same breakfast and dinner menus as everyone else but with an additional entrée option that’s exclusive to Club Orange guests.
However, on the Pinnacle Class ships — Rotterdam, Koningsdam, and Nieuw Statendam — Club Orange guests get a dedicated Club Orange restaurant. This is a private dining space where guests can enjoy breakfast and dinner with the same Main Dining Room menu, plus that exclusive entrée option. Reservations are not required, and it’s generally quieter and more relaxed than the main dining room.
Now the big question: Is Club Orange worth it?
Honestly, for many guests I’m not sure it is.
If you’re already a Four-Star Mariner or higher, you’re already receiving a lot of the benefits Club Orange tries to sell. For example, loyalty members at that level already get priority boarding and priority tender access, which removes a couple of the biggest selling points right away.
Personally, I’ve also never had much trouble getting reservations at specialty restaurants on Holland America ships, so the priority access there hasn’t really been something I’ve needed either.
The other perks like the tote bag, the upgraded bathrobes, and the welcome drink are nice touches, but in my opinion they’re not really enough to justify the added cost.
Where Club Orange does start to make sense is on the Pinnacle Class ships, where the dedicated restaurant becomes the real benefit. Having a quieter dining venue can be a plus, especially on longer cruises. But is that really worth an extra per-day charge?
Even with the possibility of a stateroom upgrade, I personally don’t see a huge amount of value in the program.
While the cost itself may not be outrageous, I just don’t find the overall package compelling enough to make it a must-have upgrade.
Your mileage may vary, of course.
Dinner at Canaletto
Before getting into where I ended up for dinner tonight, here’s a quick look at what was being served in the Lido Market and the Main Dining Room this evening.
Holland America Lido Market Dinner Menu Night 4
Menu from Rotterdam, March 2026
Available on: all ships
Holland America Main Dining Room Dinner Menu Night 4
Menu from Rotterdam, March 2026
Available on: all ships
Tonight I decided to dine at what I consider one of the best values for specialty dining on Holland America: Canaletto.
At just $25 per person, it’s one of the least expensive specialty restaurant options onboard, and it consistently delivers solid Italian dishes with very generous portion sizes.
Now if you’re wandering around the ship looking for a standalone restaurant called Canaletto like you would with Pinnacle Grill or Tamarind, you won’t find one.
On Holland America ships, Canaletto is actually located within the Lido Market, set off in its own section with a bit more upscale décor. While the dining space is separate, the kitchen itself operates out of one of the Lido stations, which is closed off and used exclusively for preparing the Canaletto dishes during service.
Holland America Canaletto Dinner Menu
Canaletto keeps things simple in the best Italian way, with handmade pasta prepared fresh each day and a menu built around rich, comforting flavors. It’s a warm, relaxed spot where sharing good food and lingering a little longer at the table just feels natural.
Available on: Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Rotterdam, Volendam, Westerdam, Zaandam, Zuiderdam
To start things off, I ordered the burrata salad along with the antipasti plate, which made for a very solid opening round.
For the main course, I went with the beef short ribs, along with a side of spaghetti.
Normally the short ribs here are so tender you can practically pull them apart with a fork. Tonight’s version was a little firmer than usual and required a knife to cut through them, but despite not being quite as fork-tender as I expected, they were still packed with flavor.
And with two large pieces of beef, the portion size definitely lived up to the reputation Canaletto has for being generous.
When dessert time rolled around, the baked ricotta cheesecake was tempting, but I decided to skip it tonight.
Service tonight was excellent as always.
Jenny was hosting the restaurant, and Jimmy – who has been my server on several past cruises – took great care of me once again. It’s always nice running into familiar crew members onboard.
Canaletto tends to fly under the radar for a lot of guests, but it’s definitely worth trying at least once per cruise, especially if you’re in the mood for some good Italian food without paying the higher prices of some of the other specialty venues.
After dinner, I made my way over to B.B. King’s Blues Club to catch the band’s final set of the evening. These musicians are simply fantastic and bring incredible energy to the room every night.
From there I made a quick stop at the casino, where I managed to multiply $100 into $600… before promptly giving most of it back.
In the end, I walked away with my original $100 intact, so I’ll call that a small win.
As I mentioned earlier, we’re scheduled to arrive in Willemstad, Curaçao at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, and the ship won’t depart until 11:00 p.m., giving us a full day to explore one of the most colorful ports in the Caribbean.
More on that tomorrow.
As always, thanks for following along.
Daily Schedule
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2:00 AM | Ship's Clocks Set 1 Hour Forward | Shipwide |
| 7:00 AM | Abs Class | Fitness Center (Deck 9) |
| 7:30 AM | Walk a Mile | Atrium (Deck 3) |
| 8:00 AM | Interdenominational Prayer | Hudson Room (Deck 1) |
| 8:00 AM | Tai Chi for Everyone | Lido Poolside (Deck 9) |
| 8:30 AM | Stretch & Release | Fitness Center (Deck 9) |
| 9:00 AM | Pickleball Instruction Serving | Sport Court (Deck 11) |
| 9:00 AM | Excursions Manager Available for Shore Excursion Questions | B.B. King’s Blues Club (Deck 2) |
| 9:00 AM | Vortex Binocular Sale (until 12:00 PM) | The Shops (Deck 3) |
| 9:00 AM | L&CO Watch Sets $25 (Promotion) | Lido Poolside (Deck 9) |
| 9:30 AM | Origami Folding: Compass Rose | Game Room (Deck 12) |
| 10:00 AM | Curacao & Cartagena Q&A | Rolling Stone Lounge (Deck 2) |
| 10:00 AM | Learn to Line Dance | B.B. King’s Blues Club (Deck 2) |
| 10:00 AM | Cooking Show: Bahamian Fresh Grouper | World Stage (Decks 2 & 3) |
| 10:00 AM | Reef Fish Caribbean Intermediate | The Shops (Deck 3) |
| 10:00 AM | Party Bridge Play (until 4:00 PM) | Hudson Room (Deck 1) |
| 10:00 AM | Mahjong Players Meet (until 3:00 PM) | Half Moon Room (Deck 1) |
| 10:00 AM | Secrets to a Flatter Stomach | Fitness Center (Deck 9) |
| 10:30 AM | Port Talk: Colon & Puerto Limon | World Stage (Decks 2 & 3) |
| 10:30 AM | Creating Designs from Doodles | Game Room (Deck 12) |
| 10:30 AM | Diamond Delights (Promotion) | EFFY Jewelry (Deck 2) |
| 11:00 AM | Art of Flower Arranging | B.B. King’s Blues Club (Deck 2) |
| 11:00 AM | Over $1200 Jackpot Bingo – Ticket Sales | Royal Rolling Stone Lounge (Deck 2) |
| 11:00 AM | Secrets to a Flatter Stomach | Fitness Center (Deck 9) |
| 12:00 PM | Watch Seminar: “Time is Now” | B.B. King’s Blues Club (Deck 2) |
| 12:00 PM | Pre-Owned & Pristine Rolex Watches | The Shops (Deck 2) |
| 12:30 PM | Under $500 Blowout Art Auction | Billboard Onboard (Deck 2) |
| 1:00 PM | Spy Camera Bingo – $25 | Billboard Onboard (Deck 2) |
| 1:00 PM | Game Show: Deal or No Deal | World Stage (Decks 2 & 3) |
| 1:00 PM | Today’s Trivia: Food | B.B. King’s Blues Club (Deck 2) |
| 1:30 PM | Watercoloring: Sunset | Game Room (Deck 12) |
| 1:30 PM | Ladies Pamper Party (Promotion) | Greenhouse Spa (Deck 9) |
| 2:00 PM | Where Will You Cruise Next? | B.B. King’s Blues Club (Deck 2) |
| 2:00 PM | The Caribbean Up Close: Treasure Islands | World Stage (Decks 2 & 3) |
| 2:00 PM | Regional Wine Tasting $35 | Dining Room (Deck 2) |
| 2:00 PM | Lipstick Blending Experience (Promotion) | The Shops (Deck 2) |
| 2:30 PM | Watercoloring: Sunset | Game Room (Deck 12) |
| 3:00 PM | Let’s Play Cornhole | Sport Court (Deck 11) |
| 3:00 PM | Cupcake Tea Time | Dining Room (Deck 3) |
| 3:00 PM | Over $1300 Jackpot Bingo – Ticket Sales | Royal Rolling Stone Lounge (Deck 2) |
| 3:00 PM | Ballroom Dance Hour | B.B. King’s Blues Club (Deck 2) |
| 3:00 PM | Ask Your Travel Guide Holly (until 5:00 PM) | Crow’s Nest (Deck 12) |
| 3:30 PM | Free Liquor Tasting – Suncut (Promotion) | The Shops (Deck 3) |
| 3:30 PM | Relieving Back Pain | Fitness Center (Deck 9) |
| 3:30 PM | Friends of Bill W. Meet | Stuyvesant Room (Deck 1) |
| 3:30 PM | Coloring for Adults | Game Room (Deck 12) |
| 4:00 PM | Team Trivia Challenge | Billboard Onboard (Deck 2) |
| 4:00 PM | Shuffleboard Challenge | Sport Court (Deck 11) |
| 4:00 PM | Pure Form Pilates $20 | Fitness Center (Deck 9) |
| 4:00 PM | Over $640,000 Paradise Lotto Jackpot Drawing | Casino (Deck 3) |
| 4:00 PM | Guess the Carat Weight of Alexandrite (Promotion) | EFFY Jewelry (Deck 2) |
| 4:00 PM | Pain Relief Through Acupuncture (Promotion) | Greenhouse Spa (Deck 9) |
| 4:30 PM | Have Your Casual Portrait Taken (Promotion) | Atrium (Deck 2) |
| 4:30 PM | Advanced Facial Rejuvenation (Promotion) | Greenhouse Spa (Deck 9) |
| 5:00 PM | A Pickup Game of Pickleball | Sport Court (Deck 11) |
| 5:00 PM | Helly Hansen Collection | The Shops (Deck 3) |
| 5:00 PM | A Pickup Game of Pickleball | Sport Court (Deck 11) |
| 5:00 PM | Cocktails with Nick Featuring Bob Duo | Billboard Onboard (Deck 2) |
| 5:30 PM | Experience Curacao (Promotion) | Atrium (Deck 3) |
| 6:00 PM | PRIDE Meetup | Rolling Stone Lounge (Deck 2) |
| 6:30 PM | Singles & Solo Travelers Meetup | Billboard Onboard (Deck 2) |
| 6:30 PM | Music Trivia: 80s | B.B. King’s Blues Club (Deck 2) |
| 7:00 PM | Carioca Bambo Madness 20% Off (Promotion) | The Shops (Deck 2) |
| 7:30 PM | Exotic & Phenomenal Rare Gemstones Revealed (Promotion) | EFFY Jewelry (Deck 2) |
| 7:30 PM | Ladies Night in the Thermal Suite (Promotion) | Greenhouse Spa (Deck 9) |
| 7:30 PM | On World Stage: Vocalist Drew Pournelle | World Stage (Decks 2 & 3) |
| 7:30 PM | Game Night: Don’t Look Now | B.B. King’s Blues Club (Deck 2) |
| 8:00 PM | Movies by the Pool: Rooftman | Lido Poolside (Deck 9) |
| 9:00 PM | On World Stage: Vocalist Drew Pournelle | World Stage (Decks 2 & 3) |
| 11:00 PM | $614,000 Paradise Lotto Jackpot Drawing | Casino (Deck 3) |