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 States transitioned from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time. However, the Rotterdam is not observing this time change. No notification was sent to anyone saying NOT to set clocks back an hour and this caught a lot of people – including crew – by surprise.
In the captain’s noon announcement, he mentioned that the time change wouldn’t take place until we returned to U.S. waters at the end of the cruise and also apologized to the crew, some of whom were late to work this morning. With all the time changes that happened during the previous 12-day segment of this cruise, not having a time change was odd. So here we are, an hour ahead.
I mentioned that this cruise has a younger mix of passengers than the previous and it’s most noticeable at night. There were nights on the last cruise when the ship was a ghost town after 10 pm, but on this one, it’s a different story. Both B.B. King’s Blues Club and Billboard Onboard are both packed with people until the music stops at 11:45 pm. Bars are busy all night as well, and it’s often hard to find a seat.
Others who I’ve talked to who were on for the previous cruise also said things are vastly different with a completely different vibe onboard. In addition to the entertainment venues being busy well into late night, the casino is as well. Being that the casino on Rotterdam is very small, finding a slot machine to play is hard and I’ve seen some arguments break out over people lingering around a machine waiting for someone to leave.
Before I get into dinner, a little history of the Rotterdam. The first ship named Rotterdam kicked things off for Holland America Line way back in 1872, and they’ve been using the name ever since. The very first SS Rotterdam set sail from the Netherlands to New York on October 15, 1872, and this voyage was so pivotal that it pretty much established the Holland America Line on April 18, 1873. The Rotterdam II came into the picture in 1878, but it wasn’t until 1886 that Holland America got its hands on it. Then Rotterdam III joined the lineup in 1897, sticking around for nearly a decade.
Fast forward a bit and the fourth ship, aptly named Rotterdam IV, was doing its thing by 1908. It wasn’t just any ship, though—it doubled as a troop carrier after World War I, helping soldiers get back home. After the war, it settled into a routine, making regular cruises from New York to the Mediterranean.
Now, the fifth ship, Rotterdam V, also known as “The Grande Dame,” was something special when it set off in 1959. It was fancy, starting with two classes of service, and then in ’69, it switched to a more relaxed, single-class setup. The Grande Dame was a true globe-trotter for 38 years, including some epic Grand World Voyages. Today, she’s still around, but as a hotel and museum in Rotterdam.
And then there was Rotterdam VI which made her debut in 1997. During COVID, when cruise lines were looking to shed some of their older ships, the decision was made to sell off the Rotterdam VI. The current Rotterdam was under construction and was set to be named the Ryndam, but since there was never a time in the line’s history where they didn’t have a Rotterdam in the fleet, the ship’s name was changed and she was made the flagship of the fleet. If you nudge up close to the ship when she’s in port, you can see the faint outline of “RYNDAM” underneath the “ROTTERDAM” nameplates.
As one of three ships in the Pinnacle-class, Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam, and Koningsdam lack one amenity that many I’ve talked to are lamenting. While these ships have a walk-around Promenade Deck, these ships do not have room for steamer chairs or any type of seating to kick back and watch the world go by, unlike other ships in the fleet. The Pinnacle-class Promenade’s views are obstructed almost completely by lifeboats making viewing areas impractical. Unfortunately, for those who enjoy this shady retreat won’t find it on these three ships.
On to dinner, where I made another visit to the Pinnacle Grill, the $46 pp steakhouse. It wasn’t in my original plan to have dinner there yet again, but time once again escaped me and it was too late to have dinner in the main dining room. The MDR closes at 9:00 pm, while specialty restaurants are open until 9:30 pm.
As I sat down, some folks who I was talking to earlier in the day were leaving and said, “get the pork chop.” So I went with their recommendation, but before that, started out with a shrimp cocktail which consisted of three jumbo shrimp.
Next up, the pork chop which I asked to be cooked medium rare. It came out the perfect temperature, very flavorful, and tender.
And since there are no self-service ice cream machines on here, I decided to just have a couple scoops of vanilla for dessert.
After dinner, I stopped by the World Stage where Island Magic Steel Band was performing. This four-person group is onboard the Rotterdam for the entire Caribbean season, so every sailing will have the opportunity to see two shows from this group from Trinidad and Tobago. Tonight’s show started with the group introducing themselves and talking about their instruments – the steel ones all made from recycled oil drums.
This was their classical concert and featured songs from hit Broadway shows like Phantom of the Opera, plenty of Andrew Lloyd Weber numbers, and a tribute to Glen Miller at the end. This is not the type of steel drum music you would be hearing at the lido at Sail Away, these are tuxedo-clad musicians pouring their heart and soul into this unique style of music. It’s a must-see show!
We roll up to Kralendijk, Bonaire at 10 am tomorrow so be sure to check in tomorrow for pics from around town.
Links to Rotterdam Restaurant Menus
Restaurant menus for November 5, 2023, on Holland America Rotterdam:
- Lido Market – Breakfast Menu
- Lido Market – Lunch Menu
- Lido Market – Dinner Menu
- Main Dining Room – Breakfast Menu
- Main Dining Room – Lunch Menu
- Main Dining Room – Dinner Menu
- Club Orange – Breakfast Menu
- Club Orange – Dinner Menu
- Pinnacle Grill – Lunch Menu
- Pinnacle Grill – Dinner Menu
- Canaletto – Dinner Menu
- Nami Sushi – Dinner Menu
- Tamarind – Dinner Menu
- Tamarind Bar – Lite Bites Menu
- Rudi’s Sel de Mer – Dinner Menu
- Rotterdam Room Service Menu – All Day Menu
- New York Deli & Pizza – All Day Menu
- Dive In Burgers & Hot Dogs – All Day Menu
Daily Planner for Day 3:
