MaryBethV

On 3/29/2024 at 11:41 PM, Trish Traveler said:

Mary Beth thank you for the outstanding review!  Your photos were fabulous.  We got on the Rotterdam the day you got off.  We did the 12 night Panama Canal itinerary and loved most everything about it.  The Rotterdam is a beautiful ship.  You captured it perfectly.  I made myself complete posting my review before I took time to read yours. We did the same thing the first time we ordered the room service breakfast by accidentally ordering double! 😂 

Sorry that you missed HMC as it is beautiful and photogenic. We had heard your cruise missed it when we boarded so we were hopeful and felt very lucky to visit the day we did.  Glad you had a great cruise and Happy Anniversary to your in-laws!

 

Thank you @Trish Traveler - I'm reading your review now! We have not done a Panama cruise and I'm looking forward to reading every detail you post about your cruise. 😀

@Bimmer09 - I've bookmarked your reviews for some relaxed evening reading - thanks!

DH and I took a trip to Traverse City and explored the Old Mission Peninsula last year. Gorgeous area!

Sunday | February 25, 2024 | Debarkation

 

We woke up next to RC's Odyssey of the Seas and the Celebrity Ascent. It was a beautiful Florida morning!

 

 

 

 

 

Just five blissful final minutes on the balcony 😊 & then crew came through opening up all the partitions and hosing everything down.

 

 

DH found this little guy on the stairs -

 

And FIL found this one next to the elevators -

 

Cute little flock of cruise ducks - don't you think? 

 

Time for goodbyes. 😭 I hate this part. California is just too far away. We had such a fun week though - and the memories always bring you closer!

 

 

MrC and MrsC headed to the airport and we headed to our hotel with FIL and MIL. Our flights would leave the next morning.

 

I always look forward to going home, even if we don't have palm trees in Michigan. Until next time...

 

 

A few final thoughts for those who are interested in how HAL and Princess compare (in our opinion).

 

HAL - what we loved!

Around the ship:

- Classic exterior - she is a beautiful ship!

- Covered pool - this allows for use of the top deck area even in inclement weather

- Aft pool is 5'6" deep, stair entry, and adults-only

- No loud concerts/movies playing by the pools during the day which allowed for a more relaxing experience

- Full promenade deck!

- Crow's nest - a forward viewing venue open to all 

Stateroom:

- Spacious shower with a glass door

- Separate shampoo & conditioner

- lit mirrors in the bathroom and at the desk, which made doing hair & makeup easy

- plenty of drawers

- deeper balcony with pull-out footrests for the chairs

- unlimited laundry (worth every penny)

- we loved that the cabin stewards worked in pairs, ours were the best we've had on any cruise and I imagine that having someone to work with is better for your mental health as well

Dining:

- The food across-the-board was of a very high quality and plated beautifully. (I do think their desserts could benefit from more creativity and attention to plating.)

- Breakfast room service - multiple hot options and due to using a hot plate, our food arrived at a good temperature

- we were usually seated immediately (and never had wait more than a few minutes) in the MDR (anytime dining with 2-6 people dining)

- Bars available inside the Lido Market which made it easy to grab a drink with food 

- incredible sushi at Nami Sushi

- The Grand Dutch Cafe sounds great, but is not a place to grab a quick lunch and also is not open at times that would be beneficial (late night)

- Lido Market buffet hours were very limited compared to other ships. This was especially noticeable at night and early afternoon.

 

HAL - what we didn't love ☹️

- When we booked this cruise there was classical music from Lincoln Center that we were very much looking forward to! Not only was this gone with the termination of their LC contract, but there seemed to be no effort to have any easy-listening music (during the day, pre-dinner, or evening) on the ship. There was even an unplayed grand piano in the Ocean Bar lounge. We mentioned this to an officer (he was walking around and asked about our experience) and also noted this in our post-cruise survey. We will likely hold off on a future HAL cruise until some effort has been made to bring back classical/easy-listening music on the ship in various venues.

- We had the signature beverage package and MANY common drinks were 50 cents to a few dollars above the $11 cap. That, combined with having to physically sign for drinks, really took away from the "have it all" experience.

- The interior design/decor of the ship may be classic but often felt a little boring.

- The shows (except for the steel drum band) seemed amateur in comparison to the talent we have experienced in the past.

 

PRINCESS - what we missed about Princess (I know, I'm sorry HAL friends)

- Classical/acoustic/easy-listening live music (string quartet, pianist, guitar/vocalist) in various venues around the ship throughout the day and evening. This was in addition to a house band that would play band/rock/dance music and shows with highly talented dancers and singers.

- The medallion. This allowed us to see where our traveling companions were on the ship (a must when traveling with older kids in our opinion), we didn't have to sign for drinks and didn't have to dig out our cruise card to open our stateroom door. 

- The interior decor was just gorgeous. Every hallway was lined with photographs. Venues and seating areas had so much detail and design put into every nook & cranny - yet the design remained classy and elegant.

- The grand 3-story Piazza - wow factor and gathering place

- The International Cafe - open 24 hours and a place to grab a quick meal, snack, or coffee

- Large open closet in our stateroom that also functioned as a spacious, private dressing area

- More late-night food options and extensive buffet hours (which again, if traveling with young adults is a must - and we liked it too 😉)

- Desserts that looked incredible and tasted amazing. Memorable! (and not just in the specialty restaurants)

- Ability to pre-purchase bottled/canned water for your stateroom

 

We will keep both HAL and Princess in mind as we shop for our next cruise. 😍 Thank you for following along!

 

48 minutes ago, Bimmer09 said:

Yes that amazing dinner in Pinnacle Grill was  a perfect ending! Great photos of what looks like delicious food.

I've enjoyed following along as Rotterdam will be my first HAL ship. I usually sail Princess, Celebrity and Azamara. Myself and DeckChairQueen are sailing the 9 day Christmas Cruise to Aruba etc December 20 this year in an aft wrap-around Neptune suite. If we like it as much as I think we will

we'll keep our Nieuw Statendam 14 day Arctic mid June 2025 booking. If it's awful then we can cancel and try elsewhere. I already have my thermal undies and Icelandic sweater ready for the NS so you can see which way I'm leaning!

 

Norris

 

Those cruises sound amazing! Enjoy that wrap-around Neptune Suite!

9 hours ago, 0bnxshs said:

Since you hadn't posted a photo of the "Mast Coin" I was curious if you found it while wandering outside on the upper decks?  It's one of those hidden jewels that can be found on every 'dam ship.  If you didn't, it's just another reason to book another HAL cruise.

 

So long as you order the day before, you can generally have most anything prepared for you, Indian or not.  This is the manner that HAL uses for those with special restrictions and diets, whether for medical, religious or just preferential reasons; my SIL has made extensive use of this feature on her HAL cruises.

 

Thanks again for your great photos and thoughts; your report has been thorough and easy to read. 🥂

I knew the mast coins were in the front somewhere (I even saved a photo someone posted of them so I'd know what I was looking for) and then I forgot to search for them! I'm easily distracted. 😂

 

Thank you for the info about the dining room ordering. I will try to remember that for our next cruise. Indian food is my favorite!

What an amazing journey (so far)! Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to take us along. Following!

21 hours ago, Holly g said:

Really enjoyed your report since we will be sailing on Rotterdam in April. 
so where are you heading next?  Will look forward to your next trip report.  
thanks for a well written and informative yet fun review. 

 

We don't have anything booked yet. It is always fun to look and plan though!

Saturday | February 24, 2024 | Half Moon Cay

 

Our alarm went off at 7:30 am. The Rotterdam was scheduled to be at Half Moon Cay at 8:00 am and we thought we'd tender over after the initial rush.

 

The Daily -

 

 

DH was on our balcony as I was getting dressed and packing for the beach. I hear "Uh-oh! Look at that tender!" and ran to look. A tender was making its way towards us and it was bobbing like a duck in a wave pool. 😧

 

 

Our captain swung the ship around to shelter it from the wind and waves. Sadly, the 20+ knot winds were blowing the ship into the tender and the call was made to cancel our day at Half Moon Cay. 😪

 

 

I zoomed in and captured our only look at the beach. Maybe next time! We were disappointed, but it was obvious from what we had seen that the Captain made the right call. We are thankful they take safety first! I must admit that I wasn't entirely surprised as I remember reading somewhere that Half Moon Cay is the most missed private island. (Maybe because of it's location?)

 

 

Since we had ordered room service breakfast the night before, we decided to enjoy it on the balcony and think about how to make the most of what was now not only our last day, but also Sea Day #6.

 

 

Room Service Menu -

 

 

All American Breakfast with Fried Eggs - the sausage was lukewarm today at best, so I just ate around it. 

 

We turned on the bow cam on so that we could hear the announcements from the captain and the cruise director.

 

 

Time to rally and find something to do! We met up with MrC and MrsC for coffee in the Explorations Cafe. Sadly, their coffee machine was undergoing scheduled maintenance... so no lattes. Good company though! And that is the important part, 🥰

 

On our way back to our room, we noticed that there was a showing of Top Gun Maverick in the theater, so we popped in to watch the first 15-20 minutes.

 

 

 

Great movie, but it seemed wrong to us to spend 2 hours watching a movie we'd already seen... so we did some exploring and souvenir shopping instead.

 

 

 

This photo was taken at 10:51 am... we must have caught them in-between breakfast pastries and lunch at the Dutch Cafe. 

 

Back in our room, the dreaded luggage mats were out. I'm the type that knows we need to pack because they are going to kick us off tomorrow -- but I'd rather live in denial as long as possible!!!

 

 

So, we chatted in our room with FIL and MIL for a while. This trip together has been such a blessing! After that, I read my book on the balcony for a while until it started to rain.

 

 

Woo hoo! Made it to chapter 22 in a book = cruise record! 😂

 

 

 

Hmmm - what to do for lunch?

My internal thought process: Buffet? No, not in the mood to fight the crowds and find a seat. MDR? No, not craving anything on that menu either. Burgers at Dive In? Best option yet, but it seems like a repeat. NY PIzza? No, not special enough for our last day... plus those movie snacks were 😬. Wait - I wonder if Pinnacle opened up for lunch today even though it wasn't a planned Sea Day? Doesn't hurt to check..."

 

And here we are. Yes, we have 7:30 pm reservations with the whole crew here tonight, but darn it, this sounds fun.

And yummy.

And makes me less sad for missing HMC. 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was like we had the whole restaurant to ourselves! The photos above may have been taken during closed hours... but it was almost the same. It was just us and two other couples. Our waiter was fantastic and the food was...

 

 

 

Best bread basket yet, hands down! Warm and served with creamy garlic butter.

 

 

 

 

 

Yuzu Margarita from their featured cocktails list - pretty and very good.

 

Crab cakes - DH loved these! He cracked one open and had me take a photo.  Not much filler here friends - just melt-in-your-mouth crab. 

 

 

Grilled Prawn Bruschetta - 9.5/10! It was served piping hot and was ah-maz-ing. I only deducted 1/2 a point for needing to take the tails off to eat it. There is no polite, gracious way to do that! Why?!! A fork and a knife risks a Pretty Woman escargot incident. Fingers are just messy and probably far from proper. Oh well. Whatever. Worth it! 

 

Beef Tenderloin with Oregon Blue Cheese - DH enjoyed it. It was cooked to order (medium rare) and full of flavor.

 

Broiled Alaska King Salmon - This was very good. I LOVED the salmon and liked the rice pilaf. I don't know if I would order this again - just because there are many other main entrees I'd enjoy trying.

 

 

Warm Fudge Brownie - DH loved it. The coffee gelato was 🤩

 

Coconut Trifle - This was a beautiful dessert. Maybe more beautiful than delicious, but still a solid choice.

 

 

Back in our room, we spotted Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas heading the other way.

 

I took FIL & MIL out for some photos to commemorate this cruise and their 55th wedding anniversary. ❤️

 

 

 

Wonder of the Seas was now just a speck, literally sailing into the sunset. 

 

I love them! 🥰

 

 

Commence crazy packing - what a mess! (I couldn't believe that when we returned after dinner, Gin & Jay had bothered to neatly arrange our pillows behind the messy bed full of suitcases! I'm going to miss them!)

 

Time for dinner! We have such full hearts from being able to sail with & spend time with these very special people. ❤️❤️❤️

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forest Mushroom Soup - poured table-side and MIL said it "was like her mushroom soup", which means it was good. 😊

 

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes - I had to get them this time and I was glad I did!

 

Heart of Romaine Caesar Salad - DH ordered this and at first I thought it was burrata on top, but no, it was a poached egg. DH loved it and will not want a Caesar Salad any other way from this point forward!

 

Panko Fried Stuffed Mushroom Caps - FIL enjoyed them.

 

Onto the main entrees...

 

Seared Jumbo Scallops - MrsC seemed to enjoy them! 

 

Beef Tenderloin with Lobster Dumplings (with a side of green peppercorn sauce) - My steak was delicious and the sauces were so good. The lobster dumplings were good, but the lobster flavor didn't come through at all in my opinion. 

 

Boneless Rib Eye - DH said it was a very nice steak - and served medium-rare, as ordered.

 

Beecher's Lobster Mac & Cheese ($10 extra) - MIL ordered this and was surprised that the lobster wasn't mixed in... but we just cut it up and mixed it in for her. I tasted a spoonful and thought it was creamy comfort food at its finest.

 

Sides served family style (L to R) - Roasted Baby Beets with Blue Cheese, Asparagus with Hollandaise, Sauteed Mushrooms 😍

 

Creamed Spinach (on the Left)

 

Mini desserts - they brought enough for each person to try one of each kind. 

 

Creme Brulee - MrC seemed to love it.

 

Not-So-Classic Baked Alaska - this has such a fun presentation and FIL thought it was very good

 

Key Lime Pie - Solid Key Lime Pie

 

Jacques Torres Chocolate Souffle - Loved it!

 

 

What a perfect way to end our last night of this lovely cruise.

Thank you if you have followed along this far! Next up: Disembarkation & some final thoughts.

 

14 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

MaryBethV, I want to thank you for the Aruba countryside tour review. Now I know I need to bring some sturdy walking shoes since we have also booked that tour. 

 

Your trip review gets an A+ for so much great, up-to-date Rotterdam info, and for such wonderful photos. I’m hungry every time I put down my ipad.

 

Really looking forward to boarding on March 29!

I'm glad this review helped you plan and I hope you have an amazing cruise!

46 minutes ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

Well today was the last day of our courtesy hold on our stateroom for our cruise the end of November. We called today to ask a few questions. One being the written itinerary says one of the stops was Grand Turks (Turks and Caicos). On the actual map of the itinerary it shows Grand Cayman. Hmm? The customer service person after our repeated explanations that they didn’t match didn’t understand and made up some unrealistic reason which made no sense. Every question we asked she didnt know the answer or offer to volunteer to transfer us to someone that could answer the questions. Finally after getting a headache we both said we will try back later.

After an hour we call back again and get another customer service person. She was easier to understand but again could not give answers that were for sure answers. So reluctantly we gave up just tired and stressed.

These weren’t hard questions. We were going to book today. So disappointed…

Questions were where are we cruising to? Grand Turk or Grand Cayman? Refundable or non refundable deposit details, AARP Discount, upgrading drink package, she said we couldn’t upgrade?

A few others but something a customer service person should know.

We were looking forward to cruising with a HAL again. Please don’t bring up get a TA. We’ve booked 15 cruises on our own but not with HAL.

Sorry I had to vent.

That is terrible! They couldn't tell you why the itineraries didn't match? WOW

We've booked all of our cruises through Costco and while mostly helpful, there were times I felt like I was in a game of chicken to see what would happen first - me giving up or them finally passing me up the line to a supervisor. I'm super stubborn, so I usually win cruise-chicken, but it is always exhausting. 😎 Sorry your day was so frustrating! 

50 minutes ago, POA1 said:

It was a cooking lesson and demo like you'd expect. Previously, there was a Food & Wine cooking demo series in the Queens Lounge room. (That's where BB King or Rolling Stone is now.) And, prior to that, there were cooking demos by guest chefs on longer voyages, or demos by the ship's chefs That goes back at least 25 years.

I would have loved that!!!

Friday | February 23, 2024 | Sea Day #5

 

You know this view makes me 😃!

 

The Daily -

 

 

We woke up early, bundled up our last laundry to go out, and headed to the MDR for breakfast. Budayasa was our server and we had a table with an aft view. 

 

 

 

The last MDR breakfast of the cruise called for a mimosa!

 

Full English Breakfast for DH

 

Aloo Masala and Egg Bhurji - I had read on these boards that this Indian breakfast option was delicious. And it was! Mmmm!

 

After breakfast, we headed to the World Stage for the "City on the Sea" presentation. Think of it as a behind-the-scenes tour without all the walking!

 

 

 

We were joined by FIL, as well as MrC & MrsC. 

 

 

A well-deserved standing ovation for all of the crew! (photo taken as they just started to walk out)

 

 

We passed by the DE LIJN gin DH had come to like. Why we didn't purchase some onboard, I don't know! Regretting that.

 

 

 

After a short break on the balcony, we headed to meet MrC and MrsC for lunch.

 

 

 

When we ordered, MrC and DH both ordered the club sandwich. Our server asked each one of them if they would, perhaps, like half a sandwich, which was a tad odd. MrC ordered a half and DH ordered a whole sandwich. When they came out it was obvious that it had only a fraction of the lunch meat on it as the ones they had had previously on this cruise. (Kicking myself for not taking a photo!) HAL might not have anticipated the lunch meat needed for a 9-day cruise with so many sea days - or maybe our love of club sandwiches was what threw off their calculations. 😂

 

BBQ Chicken Springroll - MrsC liked it!

 

Mexican Street Tacos - both MrsC and I ordered these with fish. Very good!

 

After lunch, DH rested and I decided to explore the top decks a bit. This is outside of Tamarind.

 

 

Busy aft pool area -

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pickleball!

 

 

 

 

Main Lido Pool -

 

 

Forward -

 

 

If you put your camera over the glass wall, it is a great forward view!

 

Beautiful Retreat area - maybe next time!

 

 

 

 

I headed to the Explorations Cafe and met MrC & MrsC for some puzzle time in the game room.

 

 

 

Iced Mocha from the coffee bar - refreshing!

 

Another pre-dinner elevator selfie. 🤷‍♀️😄

 

And a Pre-Dinner Snack at Nami Sushi 😉

 

 

 

We decided to try some Sake for the first time and went with our server's recommendations. Amy (who was our server in Tamarind earlier in the cruise)  came over to say hi to us and warned us about Sake. "Easy to drink. Easy to drunk." she said. 😂 Warning taken. We only shared two little shot glasses. I wasn't expecting to like it, but I thought it was pretty good!

 

 

 

Vegetable Tempura - very light batter, we enjoyed it.

 

The couple sitting next to us at the bar told us how amazing the Spicy Scallop Roll was and they were not wrong! It was even better than the Lobster roll we had previously! Mmm!

 

Beautiful sunset!

 

We had such a nice time chatting with Laxman, who is from India. I mentioned to him that all of the Indian dishes I've had on the ship were SO delicious and he said that you can ask for a special Indian menu in the MDR if you ask for it a day in advance. Can anyone confirm that? That alone may be worth booking another cruise! 😍

 

 

Asparagus & Salmon Roll - very good. We had now tried all 4 signature rolls and felt accomplished. 

 

 

The sun may have already set, but the afterglow was gorgeous!

 

 

We headed to the Half Moon Bar area and sat for a while by one of the windows across from Club Orange. All of a sudden, DH takes his camera and takes a photo of something by the window next to me. I turn around and...

 

 

Aw! Turns out it was hidden by someone on our cruise who was celebrating her graduation. It came with instructions to post it to a duck Facebook group - so I will try to do that soon. I have to say though, when looking up duck Facebook groups, I wasn't expecting to find so many and with, um, DRAMA. How can you have drama in a duck-hiding group? I'm a little scared to post there lol.

 

 

 

Late Gala dinner with my amazing DH! ❤️

 

 

 

 

 

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail - the shrimp were quite large and DH liked it!

 

Ricotta & Spinach Tortellini - pasta course for my starter again. It was very good!

 

Cracked Pepper Tenderloin with Grilled Shrimp - DH and I both ordered this, medium rare. Delicious! A classic dish done well always makes me happy.

 

Rhubarb Crisp - DH thought it was very good.

 

Tiramisu - Mmm! Perfect ending to a lovely meal and a wonderful day.

 

 

Next up: Last full day!

32 minutes ago, POA1 said:

The Club Orange Dining Room space was originally slated for America's Test Kitchen. That was a cooking demo area. It wasn't until the Rotterdam that they made it a dining area from the start. It's why the Rotterdam CO Dining Room has more comfortable chairs than the ones in the same area on the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam.

They used to have an America's Test Kitchen on the ships?!? I love ATK (subscriber and avid YouTube watcher). What was that like?

On 3/9/2024 at 12:17 PM, Vict0riann said:

The only Pinnacle ship on which I am not crazy about Club Orange is Rotterdam...  those open slats allow for much more noise from the Half Moon Bar in the evening.  That bar can get very "merry"!  We always tried to get a table at the far end away from the bar.  On the other two ships, the CO is surrounded by glass, and there is no HMB, so it is much quieter.

That is what I was wondering (regarding the slats). I have to say I'm also surprised that the window views went to chairs/tables along the hallway instead of to the suite-restaurant.

On 3/9/2024 at 10:19 AM, Woofbite said:

Are you aware they can open those dividers between cabins so you can share two balconies with groups traveling together? Friends and I always ask that they be opened.

When booking you can also choose connecting cabins same as in hotels.

We are aware of that (and have had a divider opened before when traveling with our kids). We had connecting rooms, which came in handy when needed, but we felt we each wanted some privacy on our balconies.

On 3/9/2024 at 1:41 AM, Anastas617 said:

I got multiple starters several times on the Rotterdam last month, no problem at all to do that. I also got two mains once, which didn't work out great because the portions were not as small as I expected.

I agree - the mains are not super small portions!

On 3/8/2024 at 8:17 PM, cheeseheads4ever said:

Just a couple more questions. Hope you are settling in at home..

What is the Orange Club all about? is it worth it? Tried to read about it but a lot of priority stuff which is ok but doesn’t float my boat enough to spend more money.

As far as entrees in MDR can you get extra appetizers and an entree if you want? Just in case ai can’t make my mind up. I understand some things like lobster are extra.

If you have any other tips please pass on. I very much appreciate your help!

I see others have weighed in on Club Orange for you. I didn't look into it extensively because we traveled with family on this last cruise. If DH and I take a cruise in the future with just the two of us, we may consider it.

 

We have ordered more than one starter (soup & salad for example) in the MDR, on occasion. We also ordered an additional entree to share once or twice.

 

Thursday | February 22, 2024 | Sea Day

 

Good morning! Looks like it is going to be a wonderful day!

 

 

The Daily -

 

 

 

 

We woke up in time for breakfast in the MDR! 🎉 This breakfast menu is extensive! (coming from Princess' much smaller breakfast menu, I was impressed)

 

 

 

 

Full English Breakfast - DH said it was very good. We both love the Engilsh Banger Sausages!

 

Ham & Cheese skillet with an English Banger Sausage on the side (or so I ordered... but my sausage was not the same. It had a different taste and texture. Oh well.) The skillet was yummy though!

 

Swedish Pancakes to share - they have custard in the middle and the pancakes are crepe-thin. Very good!

 

After breakfast, DH and I headed to Ask the Captain in the theater. These things are always fun. You get some good questions, some "let me show you how much I know about boats" questions 😂, and some interesting answers, There was a couple with two young children in the front. The dad asked a question for his son. "How many water-tight compartments can flood without sinking the ship?" I love little kid's brains! And the captain's answer was reassuring.

 

 

 

We wandered the ship a bit on our way back to our room...

 

Notes Bar - I never saw anyone here, but it was pretty!

 

 

 

Rudi's... next time!

 

 

 

I peeked through the slats into Club Orange. Have any of you had Club Orange dining here? Did you like it? 

 

 

 

 

Hallway seating -

 

"Our" elevator bank art - if there were no fish, we were in the wrong spot!

 

 

 

Side note: not sure I'll ever get used to water in cans.

 

Balcony time. ☀️

 

 

I love that DH would always pop his head around to talk to his parents. I'm too short to do that! 

 

 

 

I placed a Dive In order on the app while I was in the room and by the time I got to Dive In it was ready within seconds.

 

 

 

 

Really good burgers & fries!

 

When I was walking back though the buffet... the seafood paella caught my eye so had to grab a little to try. Sadly my first bite had shell in it... but hey, it made for a fun photo at least. 😂

 

 

This looked interesting, so I met up with MrC and MrsC for this talk in the theater. Karlijn did a great job with the presentation!

 

 

 

After some rest, it was time for a pre-dinner drink at our favorite spot - so we met MrC and MrsC for drinks and chit-chat.

 

 

A 3 Mile Honey Bee for meeeee. 😉

 

MrC and MrsC headed off to dinner and we wandered a bit until it was time for dinner with MIL and FIL.
 

 

Watermelon & Feta Cheese - FIL liked it.

 

Spiced Coconut Crusted Meatballs - MIL and DH both had this. I tried a bite and they were crispy and had good flavor. 

 

Fusilli a la Vodka - I went for the "pasta course" for my starter again 😄 and this one was just OK. The sauce was a bit thin and the sauce wasn't as flavorful as others likely because it wasn't a meat sauce (the ham was just added along with the peas and noodles). Not bad, but I wouldn't order it again.

 

Backstory: this cruise, at the Half Moon Bar, DH had been enjoying a gin & tonic made with Delijn gin (a Dutch gin made just for HAL). So - he ordered that in the MDR and was super confused with what he got. Looked like a salad fell in his g&t! 🧐 

 

 

Carrot and Coconut Soup - 

 

Parmesan Coated Veal Loin - FIL said it was good!

 

Prime Rib of Beef au Jus - DH said it was very good! Better than his MDR steak earlier in the cruise.

 

Blackened Seabass - a beautifully cooked piece of fish.

 

Passion Fruit Mousse Torte - creamy, pretty good

 

Chocolate Raspberry Tart - Is that a strawberry? I was afraid this would happen since someone got loosey-goosey with the raspberry rationing last night. 😂 All jokes aside - this was heavenly. Rich, creamy chocolate in a tart with raspberry curd under the chocolate. SO GOOD that MrsC texted me during dinner a photo of her chocolate tarte because it was that yummy. Order this.

 

The FIRST order of business after dinner was to go see Reema at the Half Moon Bar and show her photos of the strange drink DH had at dinner. It turns out that it is the specialty drink from the Pinnacle Grill (which also explains the surprise upcharge 🙄). She showed us a whole tray of ingredients she had just to make that drink... which included peppercorns, anise, cucumber, some fruit syrup (raspberry?) and FISH SAUCE. I really don't know what to say to that, I just don't. 🤷‍♀️

 

Anywhoo - It was Orange Night at BB King's Blues Club! Beautiful venue - we would have loved listening to classical music here.

 

 

 

When we arrived it was already hopping! People were having a blast dancing and the band was pretty good. We didn't try any of the "orange" drinks - but they looked interesting.

 

 

We aren't dancers - but people-watching is always fun!

 

 

 

 

Another Sea Day tomorrow & more ship exploration!

 

16 hours ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

The thing I’m so impressed about on this report not only for the incredible job you have did with pictures and detailed info is the LOVE your DH has for his mother.

Not a doubt about this. there’s not a day goes by I wished I was in his place on a cruise ship sitting next to my mother having a drink.

So impressed by your report. You should be so proud of your DH.

Hopefully I haven’t missed anything…

Looking forward to our cruise on Rotterdam in November.

Thanks again for the great job detailing your vacation…

 

He does love his mom and is always looking for ways to make her as comfortable as possible. He even bought a portable/collapsible stool and brought it along for her. It allowed her to put her foot up or sit at a moment's notice. However... it did get his bag kicked to the TSA search table in Ft. Lauderdale when we were leaving to fly back home. 😂 

 

17 hours ago, Iamthesea said:

 

I am the same way.  I like to enjoy my food. After eating with others, I can't even remember what I had to eat. 😃

 

What a wonderful idea to top your salad with some beef from the carving station.  I have a salad most days when we cruises.  Sometimes I make it a taco salad.  The tri-tip will elevate the protein needed for some of those exhausting excursions around Europe.  We sail the Rotterdam in May.  Enjoying your review very much!!!

Ooo - Europe! 😃 Definitely get your protein!

Aruba cont...

 

After our excursion, we joined FIL and MIL in the Lido Market for lunch. MIL finally got her fish & chips... and she always loves sitting next to "her favorite second son". 😉

 

 

Salad for me, please! They assembled my salad, then I took it over to the carving station for some roasted tri-tip. Just fabulous!

 

 

Since we didn't get to the beach in Curacao, I really wanted to go to one in Aruba. DH's back wasn't feeling all that great after our morning excursion, but he was still game to head to a beach with me. 🥰 So... we changed, SPF'd up, and walked off the ship. We were prepared to have to walk all of the way over to the ship next to us to catch a cab - but amazingly one was dropping off passengers in front of the Rotterdam just as we walked out. 😃

 

"Eagle Beach please!" The cab ride was $15 one way (set prices) and our driver let us off near the Coco Loco bar. We made our way to the loungers and umbrellas and found a set in the first row by the water. Score! The attendant came and set them up for us. Thankfully I had done some research in advance so we didn't visibly choke at the $50 USD charge for 2 loungers + an umbrella. (We were given wristbands that would allow us to use the showers and restrooms at the bar.)

 

And this is why it was worth it -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ahhh - water, sun, and sand are good for the soul!

 

This was looking back at the Coco Loco bar on our way out.

 

❤️ - indeed!

 

Back on the ship - the view from our balcony.

 

 

I was trying to get in touch with MrsC to make dinner plans with them - but wasn't getting a response. (Turns out she was getting in some port shopping time! 🙂) So, DH and I decided to head to the Dutch Cafe to try some of the Dutch snacks.

 

 

We sipped wine while we waited... and the snacks eventually came. Top left is the Mini Cheese Souffle (OK - fried cheese is fried cheese), then the Bitterballen balls (OK - tasted like fried mashed potatoes?), and the Vlammettjes spring rolls (these were good!).

 

On to see Reema & Lyn at the Half Moon Bar. Reema found out I love cherries and from then on there were cherries in pretty much every drink I ordered. LOVE her!

MrsC texted me back and even though MrC wasn't feeling well, she was up for joining us. Yay! She met us at the HMB and I introduced her to the 3 Mile (she likes hers with vodka). Mmm!

 

Chatting with Lyn, we learned that they were low on martini glasses and had even run out earlier. The horror! 😧 Some cruisers apparently do NOT like their martinis in the "uuuugly goblet" glass. 😂 I guess I was lucky...

 

 

Time for a late dinner with MrsC! So fun!

 

 

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio - I know this is a main dish, but I ordered it as my starter. It's a pasta course ok? And it was delicious!

 

Gourmet Greens - 

 

Shrimp Crostini - DH liked it.

 

Caribbean 'Jerk' Chicken Breast - (with the infamous rice & black beans). DH said it was good.

 

Tri-Tip Beef with Creamed Leeks and Bacon - I guess I had a thing for tri-tip today. This was good, but I'm going to say that my salad at lunch was still my favorite of the two.

 

Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon - MrsC seemed to like it!

Dessert - this is when we hatched our genius plan to "help" Lyn at the HMB. So, we ordered a round of lemon drop martinis with our dessert order. 😎

 

Raspberry Mouse Tart - with TWO quarters of a raspberry! Someone is going to get it for not rationing correctly. 😂 

 

Opera Cake - delicious! It tasted like tiramisu to me - which I love.

 

Finally, we absconded with our half-empty lemon drop martinis and promptly took them to the Half Moon Bar. When Lyn saw the three of us walking down the hall to present her with our stolen "extra" martini glasses, she about died laughing. We were the crazy martini glass people from that point on I'm sure... and we're ok with that. 🤣

 

@wdw1972 Sue - I hope you get to meet Reema & Lyn. They are so much fun! If you do, please tell them hi from us. (They may not remember us - we were 3 or 4 cruises ago already! - time flies!)

 

Next up: sea day shenanigans

 

10 minutes ago, ski ww said:

Enjoyed your write up & pictures of Aruba, we spent a week on the Island a few years back, they brought back great memories. We will be on the Rotterdam for two weeks in Aug.

 

I would happily spend a week in either Aruba or Curacao - we have friends that go to Aurba every year and I now understand why! Have fun on your Aug cruise. 😊

5 hours ago, wdw1972 said:

Thanks from me as well - I board Rotterdam tomorrow! We plan to book Rudi's for the first night, have a couple Tamarinds & a Pinnacle dinner already booked and will add a Pinnacle lunch and a Canaletto once onboard. Your photos have been excellent and your positive/upbeat approach is very enjoyable!

 

Looks like I'll finish reading your report while I'm onboard - enjoying the Retreat!

 

Sue/WDW1972

 

I'm so excited for you!!! You should be boarding about now. 😃🎉 Have the BEST time ever!

Add me to the list with @POA1 - I'd love to hear about your thoughts on the retreat as well! 

3 hours ago, Kakiwynn said:

I will add we had the anytime dining so maybe that is why we had bad service. We tried both tables for two, and tables with other passengers. 

 

You are one of those brave ones! I just can't eat and chit-chat with strangers at the same time. 😂

We also had anytime dining... we ate at all different times and with anywhere from 2-6 in our party. The longest we ever had to wait was 3-4 minutes. My MIL was having a hard time walking and when we ate with MIL/FIL, they would have us take the elevator upstairs so they could give us a table close to the entrance so she wouldn't have to walk far. That was very much appreciated. The MDR practically needs it's own zipcode and if you are shown to a table all the way aft you almost need hiking boots!

 

I hope your dinner service is better on your next cruise. 🥰

9 hours ago, POA1 said:

Wonderful thread! We're on the same 9 day cruise over Easter, albeit a slight variation to the ABC islands part. Your words and beautiful photos are really helping to set the mood for our sailing at the end of the month.

@MaryBethV

I am already looking forward to the Institute of Cheer's Easter cruise! 🤩