Good morning from Fort Lauderdale, where it’s turnaround day on Holland America Line’s Rotterdam. I’m staying on for the next cruise, so I’ll walk you through what us back to back cruisers have to do: switching rooms, gathering in the theater, going through immigration in the terminal, and waiting for the ship to clear before we can get back on board.
Holland America Rotterdam Back to Back Cruise Process
Holland America Rotterdam turnaround day in Fort Lauderdale: what back to back cruisers do for room changes, immigration and getting back on board.
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Key Takeaways
- Turnaround day means new passengers are coming on, existing passengers are leaving, and back to back folks like me are staying for the next cruise.
- You still have to be out of your room fairly early so housekeeping can get it ready for the next guest.
- I’m switching rooms, and housekeeping moved all my things for me, from Deck 1 up to Deck 8, putting clothes in the closet and leaving the suitcases to unpack.
- Back to back guests meet in the main theater, the World Stage, and wait there until we’re cleared to go ashore into the terminal.
- You’ll need both your old room key and your new one: scan off with the old key, toss it, then scan back on with the new key.
- Government officers in the terminal check passports, and it’s quick: they look at it and you’re good.
- You can’t reboard until the ship gets a zero count, meaning every departing guest is off. Then general embarkation starts for the next cruise.
Good to Know
It’s a bit of a pain, but it’s a government requirement. Every back to back I’ve ever done, there’s always that one person who lingers the longest on the ship. They’ll call their name and go looking for them, and nobody in the back to back group gets back on until they’re finally off and the ship hits that zero count.
Pack a small bag with your laptop and valuables to keep with you, and leave the rest in the room for housekeeping. You won’t see your other things again until you’re back on board and your new room is ready. Our meeting time was 9:00, so plan on an early start.