Day 3 on Rotterdam and we’ve officially made it to the first port of call on this second segment… Willemstad, Curaçao, kicking off the “CBA” version of this ABC run.
We picked up the pilot just before 11 a.m. and started making our way into the harbor, docking right around noon. Clearance to go ashore came at about 12:20 p.m.
Best part? We were the only ship in port.
Curaçao’s Mega Pier can handle up to four ships at once, but days with three or more ships are actually pretty rare. So having the place to ourselves made for a much more relaxed experience both around the port and in town.
Another win today is the late departure. All aboard was 10:30 p.m. with an 11:00 p.m. sail away, which gave all of us a full day and then some to explore without constantly checking your watch.
I’ve written quite a bit about Curaçao over the years, including just last week on this same ship, so instead of rehashing everything again, you can check out my full breakdown here with what to do, where to go, and tips for getting around:
Holland America Line Rotterdam Panama Canal Cruise Review – Day 5: March 5, 2026
Now let’s get into something every cruiser deals with… all the money you didn’t plan on spending, but somehow do anyway.
When you book your cruise, your base fare covers your room and your food… buffet, main dining room, quick service spots, all included. You also pay your taxes and port fees upfront.
And those port fees? They vary wildly depending on where you’re going.
A Panama Canal transit for a ship like Rotterdam can run around $450,000 just to pass through. That gets spread across passengers. Compare that to something like the Bahamas and yeah… big difference.
Alaska is another one where port fees can get up there right alongside Panama Canal sailings.
But once you’re onboard, that’s when the extras start creeping in.
Daily Gratuities
Unless you’re sailing on an ultra-premium line like Explora Journeys or Regent, you’re paying daily gratuities.
These go to your stateroom steward, dining team, housekeeping, and a bunch of behind-the-scenes crew you’ll never see.
On Holland America:
- $17 per person, per day for inside, oceanview, and verandah
- $19 per person, per day for suites
And if you think that’s high, Margaritaville at Sea is currently leading the pack at a staggering $22 per day for standard rooms and $25 for suites.
These get charged daily or as a lump sum depending on the line. Some let you prepay, but there’s no discount for doing so.
Want to see what you’ll pay for gratuities on your next cruise? Use my handy cruise gratuity calculator where you can choose your line, number of days, and room type to see just what to budget for.
Drink Packages
Unless you’re perfectly happy living on water, lemonade, iced tea, and the occasional juice… you’re going to be spending money on drinks.
On Holland America, the Have It All package runs about $60 a day and includes drinks up to $12. Go over that, you pay the difference.
There are cheaper options too, like soda-only or non-alcoholic packages, but if you’re drinking alcohol regularly, this is where a big chunk of your onboard spend is going.
Compare that to Carnival, where CHEERS is around $83 a day, and you can see how fast this adds up.
I’ve built drink package calculators for all the major cruise lines so you can figure out ahead of time if it’s actually worth it or if you’re better off paying per drink.
Wi-Fi (Because “Disconnecting” Isn’t Happening)
There’s always that crowd online that says “just disconnect.”
Yeah… good luck with that.
For most people, Wi-Fi is a must. Whether it’s work, staying in touch, or just scrolling, you’re probably buying a package.
Expect to spend $300 to $500 on a 7-day cruise for a single device with streaming. Add more devices and suddenly your Wi-Fi bill starts getting ridiculous.
Some lines include basic Wi-Fi, but most don’t.
Specialty Dining
You don’t need to spend extra on food… but you probably will.
Specialty dining is everywhere now, and it’s an easy upsell.
On Rotterdam:
- Pinnacle Grill is $52 per person
- Canaletto is $25 and probably the best value onboard
- Rudi’s Sel de Mer and the Morimoto By Sea popup is $55 and more of a splurge
Then you’ve got upcharge items sprinkled into menus all over the ship.
Again… not required, but very easy to say “why not” a few times and suddenly you’ve added a couple hundred bucks to your trip.
Now, don’t get me wrong, cruises are great because they can be all-inclusive… but they also give you about a hundred different ways to spend more money.
A little planning goes a long way.
- Know your daily gratuities before you sail
- Figure out your drink strategy ahead of time
- Budget for Wi-Fi if you need it
- Decide how many specialty meals you actually want
- Keep an eye on your onboard account
And seriously… use my calculators. They’ll give you a pretty accurate idea of what you’re going to spend before you even step foot on the ship.
Because the last thing you want at the end of a great cruise is logging into your account and going… “wait, how did I spend that much?”
Dinner at Haven in Willemstad, Curaçao
Since we had that late night in Curaçao, I decided to skip dinner onboard and head ashore.
After walking around (and pretending I was burning off at least a fraction of what I had already eaten before noon), I started scouting out places to eat. The nice thing about docking in Curaçao is you’re literally steps away from a bunch of restaurants and bars. No taxi, no long walk, just off the ship and you’re there.
The Mega Pier sits right next to the Renaissance Resort and Casino, which is home to the historic Rif Fort that’s been turned into a small shopping and dining area. Right there you’ve got a handful of options including Gondola (Italian), Kaya 91 (which I hit last week), a steak and ribs place, a seafood spot, and a sports bar that opens later in the day. There’s also a Margaritaville 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar & Grill tucked in there as well.
Inside the resort itself? Surprisingly, just a buffet. They basically rely on all those outside restaurants to feed guests.
Now, are any of these places going to blow your mind with five-star dining? Not really. They’re convenient, decent, and close. If you want more variety or something a bit more local, you’ll want to venture outside the port area.
You can walk across the Queen Emma Bridge, which connects you over to Punda where you’ll find a ton of restaurants, bars, and cafes lining the colorful waterfront. It’s a cool walk, especially at night when everything is lit up, and there’s no shortage of places to grab a bite or a drink over there.
Or… you can do what I did and stay just outside Rif Fort along the waterfront.
Two spots caught my eye, and I ended up at Haven, which is located on the second level of the building you’ll pass on your way toward the bridge. You really can’t miss it. Look for the “I Love Curaçao” shop sign, head up the stairs, and you’ll find a beautiful, modern restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating and a bar.
I grabbed a seat at the bar, which in hindsight probably wasn’t the best move since everyone else was outside enjoying the views and I was literally the only person sitting there the entire time. Quiet dinner, I guess.
Prices are listed in Caribbean guilder, even though most places accept U.S. dollars. So if you’re trying to keep track of what you’re spending, you’ll need to do a quick conversion. If you’re paying with a credit card, it’ll be charged in guilders and your card company handles the conversion. Just make sure you’re not getting hit with foreign transaction fees.
Also, and this is important… American Express is basically useless here.
I use Amex for almost everything, and I got caught off guard last week when it wasn’t accepted. Same deal here at Haven. No Amex. So bring a Visa, Mastercard, or cash unless you want an awkward moment at the end of your meal.
After last week’s questionable decision involving drinks with ice, I kept it simple tonight with beer and whiskey. And here’s something I didn’t know… beer bottles here are smaller.
A Heineken shows up… looks tiny. Same with an Amstel Bright. Turns out most bottles are around 8 to 9.5 ounces instead of the standard 12 oz we’re used to. The reason? The heat. Smaller bottles stay cold and you can finish them before they warm up. Makes sense.
For dinner, I started with the Iberian ham croquetas. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and while they could’ve used a bit more ham, they were still solid.
For the main course, I went with the Haven Steak, an Argentinian strip loin topped with a mushroom duxelles. Cooked a perfect medium and really flavorful. I paired that with Brussels sprouts and yuca fries, both of which were great.
Overall, the food was excellent, service was solid (hard not to be when I’m the only one at the bar), and the bartender was very friendly and helpful in choosing what to have for dinner.
When the bill came, after conversion, it landed right around $100.
Then came the tipping conversation. I asked about adding a tip to the card and was told, “Nobody really tips.”
So I asked if cash was okay, handed over a tip in USD. Just something to keep in mind.
Also worth noting, while English is widely spoken, it’s not the first language for many people here, so just be patient if there’s a little back and forth.
All in all, a very solid dinner ashore, a stunning restaurant, and a nice change of pace from eating onboard… even if I probably should’ve taken that seat outside with the view.
For those who stayed on the ship, here’s a look at what was being served in at the Lido Market and in 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 Dinner Menu C
Menu from Rotterdam, March 2026
Available on: all ships
After dinner I still had some time to kill before the 10:30 p.m. all aboard, so I wandered around a bit and took in the waterfront at night.
Absolutely stunning.
The entire area is lit up, and one thing that really stands out is the use of rainbow-colored lighting across the buildings. It gives the whole place a really vibrant, almost surreal look once the sun goes down. And yeah… I couldn’t help but laugh thinking if this were back home, especially in Florida, there’d probably be a full-on debate about those lights.
Eventually made my way back toward the ship just in time.
One last stop at Half Moon Bar for a nightcap before calling it a night, and then Rotterdam slipped away from Curaçao right on schedule, heading out to sea toward our next stop.
Up next: Bonaire… the “B” in this CBA run. B for beautiful, B for Bonaire.
We’ll be arriving bright and early in the morning.
More tomorrow, and as always, thanks for following along.
Daily Schedule
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30 AM | Stretch & Release | Fitness Center 9 |
| 7:30 AM | Walk a Mile | Atrium 3 |
| 8:00 AM | Tai Chi for Everyone | Lido Poolside 9 |
| 8:00 AM | Morning Catholic Prayer | Hudson & Half Moon Room 1 |
| 8:30 AM | Coffee with Travel Guide Holly (Shore Excursions) | B.B. King’s Blues Club 2 |
| 9:00 AM | Pickleball Instruction: Scoring | Sport Court 11 |
| 9:00 AM | Complimentary Footprint Analysis | Fitness Center 9 |
| 9:30 AM | Origami Folding: Waterlily | Game Room 12 |
| 10:00 AM | Learn to Line Dance | B.B. King’s Blues Club 2 |
| 10:00 AM | Ping Pong Tournament | Lido Balcony 10 |
| 10:00 AM | Knitter’s Meetup | Crow’s Nest 12 |
| 10:00 AM | The Art of Thomas Kinkade | Billboard Onboard 2 |
| 10:00 AM | Pickleball Open Play until 4:00 PM | Sport Court 11 |
| 10:00 AM | Meet for a Game of Mahjong until 3:00 PM | Dining Room 2 |
| 10:00 AM | Party Bridge Play until 12:00 PM | Half Moon Room 1 |
| 10:30 AM | Liquid Facelift with Your Medical Physician | Greenhouse Spa 9 |
| 10:30 AM | Creating Doodle Designs | Game Room 12 |
| 11:00 AM | Learn to Play Sjoelen | Lido Poolside 9 |
| 11:00 AM | Port Talk: Curacao, Bonaire & Aruba | World Stage 2 & 3 |
| 11:30 AM | Deal or No Deal Challenge | Game Room 12 |
| 12:00 PM | Detox for Health & Weight Loss Seminar | Greenhouse Spa 9 |
| 12:00 PM | Willemstad Photo Opportunity until 2:00 PM | Pier Ashore |
| 12:00 PM | Rotterdam Arrives in Willemstad | Ship Docked |
| 12:00 PM | Ask Your Travel Guide Holly | Half Moon Room 1 |
| 12:00 PM | Party Bridge Play until 3:00 PM | Half Moon Room 1 |
| 1:00 PM | Complimentary Skin Care Consultations | Greenhouse Spa 9 |
| 1:30 PM | Complimentary Massage Sampler | Greenhouse Spa 9 |
| 2:00 PM | Let’s Play Cornhole | Sport Court 11 |
| 2:00 PM | Vivace Strings Trio Plays | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 3:00 PM | Today’s Movie: Long Story Short | World Stage 2 & 3 |
| 3:00 PM | Vivace Strings Trio Plays | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 3:30 PM | Coloring for Adults | Game Room 12 |
| 3:30 PM | Friends of Bill W. Meet | Half Moon Room 1 |
| 4:00 PM | Needlework Meetup | Game Room 12 |
| 4:00 PM | Team Trivia Challenge | Billboard Onboard 2 |
| 4:00 PM | Basketball Knockout | Sport Court 11 |
| 4:00 PM | Vivace Strings Trio Plays | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 4:30 PM | Origami Folding: Waterlily | Game Room 12 |
| 4:30 PM | Have Your Casual Portrait Taken | Atrium 2 |
| 5:00 PM | Evening Stretch | Fitness Center 9 |
| 5:00 PM | A Pickup Game of Pickleball | Sport Court 11 |
| 5:00 PM | Regional Soloist Dereck | Ocean Bar |
| 5:30 PM | Single & Solo Travelers Meetup | Ocean Bar 2 |
| 6:30 PM | Music Trivia: 70s | Billboard Onboard 2 |
| 6:30 PM | Regional Soloist Dereck | Ocean Bar |
| 7:00 PM | On World Stage: Comedian Steven Scott | World Stage 2 & 3 |
| 7:30 PM | On World Stage: Comedian Steven Scott | World Stage 2 & 3 |
| 7:45 PM | Game Night: Motion Picture Password | B.B. King’s Blues Club 2 |
| 7:45 PM | One Hit Wonders | Billboard Onboard |
| 8:00 PM | Uno Tournament for Teens | Kids Club 10 |
| 8:00 PM | Paint Tropical Bliss on Canvas $40 | Game Room 12 |
| 8:00 PM | Movies by the Pool: Bride Hard | Lido Poolside 9 |
| 8:00 PM | Summer of Love | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 8:30 PM | The Best of B.B. King’s All-Stars | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 9:00 PM | On World Stage: Comedian Steven Scott | World Stage 2 & 3 |
| 9:00 PM | Loft Lounge for Teens | Kids Club 10 |
| 9:00 PM | The 1970s | Billboard Onboard |
| 9:30 PM | The Best of B.B. King’s All-Stars | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 10:00 PM | All Requests | Billboard Onboard |
| 10:30 PM | All Aboard as Rotterdam Departs Willemstad | Shipwide |
| 10:30 PM | The Best of B.B. King’s All-Stars | B.B. King’s Blues Club |
| 11:00 PM | Returns Tomorrow | Rolling Stone Lounge |