Rotterdam. Does it always rock about?

[tula45]

I have tried many times to pst this on the review page, but it will not upload, so here it is- 

 

This was the first time I have travelled with Holland America Line on a 21 day Caribbean cruise on HAL Rotterdam.

The ship is new, the decor and the art work throughout the ship is very good.

The main age group on the Ship seemed to be elderly; we are in our mid sixties and were some of the youngest on the ship! There were many electric wheel chairs and scooters around.

For me I did not like that the ship rocked about quite a lot, in what looked to me like calm seas – the English Channel on a good day- the ship was rocking and rolling about, each sea day the ship rocked about. It was so bad that people struggled to walk in a straight line and the water in the back pool was spilling out all over the deck. As I have not been on HAL before I don’t know if this is normal, but I have been on Celebrity, round Cape Horn and never felt this amount of movement.

The size of the balcony cabin was small but adequate, the storage area was good and the shower in the bathroom was large and the water pressure good and always had hot water. Our cabin attendants were fantastic and we had room service twice a day. I did not like the smell of the ship, but this did seem to improve on the second leg of the cruise.

The layout of the 9^th floor on the Ship was odd, as there is a pool at the back, then the buffet area, then a pool, with retractable roof at the front. So the buffet area is used as a thoroughfare. Also the smoking area at the back is close to the doors so the smoke wafts through to the buffet area. On the theme of smoking, smoking is allowed in the Casino, there is a stair case down to the music walk on the third deck and the smoke also wafts down into the music walk. I was very surprised that smoking was allowed inside, especially on a new ship. 

Both pool areas were very busy and the amount of sun beds was inadequate. There were a lot of tables in both pool areas; the tables were busy with people playing cards, games, sewing ect.

Whist the ‘Music Walk’ of BB King Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room and the two pianos was good, and provided evening entertainment, actual activities were poor. Activities on sea days were Origami, flower arranging and colouring, there were a couple of line dancing classes, no energetic dancing like Zumba, Salsa or Aqua. No sports baced competitions, really very boring and apart from enjoying the bands in the evening there was not much variety in activities.

FOOD. A lot of passengers were complaining about the food, this I do not understand and think maybe they employ gourmet chefs at home? The food was outstanding. The Lido Buffet is open from 06.30 for breakfast, 11.30 for Lunch, 17.30 for dinner. It has many stations, the food is served to you, and there is a salad bar, sushi, pasta made to order, roast meats counter, sweets, breads, fabulous sandwiches, cold meats, fish….. the same food that is on the menu in the formal dining room is also served in the Lido Market. The tables are set with cutlery and the drinks service is fast.

The dining room is more formal and opening times vary depending on if it’s a sea day, we ate in the dining room and found the food to be very good, plenty of choice, always hot and drinks service good. As well as this there is the New York Deli and Pizza for sandwiches, salads and Pizza made to order from 11.30 till midnight, the Dive in for Burgers and hotdogs (and really crunchy chips) from 11.30 to 18.00. Movie night snacks such as Nachos / chicken wings on movies by the pool nights. The Dutch Café have Dutch food from 06.30 to 22.00. As well as 24 hour room service should you want it.  Then there are the speciality restaurants!

The crew working in the restaurants, bars, and cabins and cleaning the ship are outstanding, hard working and very polite even when dealing with some very obnoxious, entitled passengers – and they were a lot of these types of people! 

Although I enjoyed the food and music walk due to the rocking and rolling movement of the ship, lack of (active) activities on sea days and some extremely rude and entitled passengers onboard I would not go with HAL again.

[Cruise Suzy]

12 minutes ago, tula45 said:

Although I enjoyed the food and music walk due to the rocking and rolling movement of the ship, lack of (active) activities on sea days and some extremely rude and entitled passengers onboard I would not go with HAL again.

I am sorry you had enough problems that you will not cruise with HAL again. Each of us has our individual preferences. That's why there are so many cruise lines from which to choose.

 

I have been on the Rotterdam for 3 Caribbean cruises - 7, 10 and 11 days. I have not experienced water spilling out of the pools or excessive rocking and rolling. We book staterooms near the aft elevators on Deck 7.

 

I agree there are not many active events on sea days, but I cruise to relax and spend much time on our balcony. (Love to attend Afternoon Tea and meet others.)

 

I suppose there are a few rude passengers who feel they are entitled on most cruises, but if I should encounter them, I can ignore them. I have encountered such only once.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I have not been on all of HAL's ships, but I have sailed on at least one of each class, and I have to say that the Pinnacle class (Rotterdam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam) is my least favorite. I have been on Koningsdam twice, and when I had an aft cabin, I was miserable when we had winds and waves coming at the stern. The ship did not ride well, pitching and slamming down on the waves at the back. I am rarely seasick, but there was a night or two when I could not go to the MDR because the ride was so bad back there. When I was in midships cabin, I was more comfortable. 

 

The Pinnacle class ships are more crowded than other HAL ships. Loungers are harder to get, as are tables if you want to eat by the pool. HAL's smaller ships don't feel as crowded.

 

The buffet as a thoroughfare is a common ship design, and most of HAL's ships are like that. I agree that it's annoying during busy times if all you want to do is to get from end to the other. 

 

I don't like HAL's entertainment options, especially since they dropped the Lincoln Center classical group. I sail HAL for the itineraries and the smaller ships--which is why I don't want to sail on the Pinnacle ships. So if you see an interesting itinerary on HAL, and it's on a smaller ship, don't rule it out immediately. 

[RD64]

32 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I have not been on all of HAL's ships, but I have sailed on at least one of each class, and I have to say that the Pinnacle class (Rotterdam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam) is my least favorite. I have been on Koningsdam twice, and when I had an aft cabin, I was miserable when we had winds and waves coming at the stern. The ship did not ride well, pitching and slamming down on the waves at the back. I am rarely seasick, but there was a night or two when I could not go to the MDR because the ride was so bad back there. When I was in midships cabin, I was more comfortable. 

 

The Pinnacle class ships are more crowded than other HAL ships. Loungers are harder to get, as are tables if you want to eat by the pool. HAL's smaller ships don't feel as crowded.

 

The buffet as a thoroughfare is a common ship design, and most of HAL's ships are like that. I agree that it's annoying during busy times if all you want to do is to get from end to the other. 

 

I don't like HAL's entertainment options, especially since they dropped the Lincoln Center classical group. I sail HAL for the itineraries and the smaller ships--which is why I don't want to sail on the Pinnacle ships. So if you see an interesting itinerary on HAL, and it's on a smaller ship, don't rule it out immediately. 

May I ask what deck you were on - I have an upcoming cruise on the Rotterdam - aft cabin in the 7100 range.  Thank you.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I don't remember the number, but it was a corner aft neptune suite on deck 7.

[Cruise Suzy]

We were in 7136 once and 7146 twice.

[OlsSalt]

One "complaint' we had about a Pinnacle sister ship Konigsdam is it sailed too smoothly and too quietly. Easy to forget one was on a ship on the ocean and not inside a land based hotel.  So as a class of ships, our Pinnacle experience was just the opposite. 

 

Constant piped in music was our other "complaint" because we like being at sea with all its sounds, waves and endless vistas tying the ocean voyage experience all together. 

[aliaschief]

Spent 14 days on Rotterdam last year in an Aft Verandha and didn’t get the sensation described but I agree that there are areas on Pinnacle Class ships that feel overcrowded to me.

[chengkp75]

The movements described by @3rdGenCunarder are quite common for azipod equipped ships, and has to do with the flat hull at the stern above where the azipods are.

 

As I've said before on other threads, the only way to compare how two ships roll or pitch, is to have them at the same location, at the same time, going the same speed, and in the same direction.

[OlsSalt]

There are some notoriously rough passages, but even those have good days and bad days.

 

From my own experience:

1. Drake's Shake Passage -Cape Horn;

2. Madagascar Straights to Cape Town;

3. Bay of Biscay - North Atlantic;

4. Alaska run out of Seattle.

5. That wind blast gap on the western Mexican coast.

6.

7.

[Tennessee Titan]

2 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

One "complaint' we had about a Pinnacle sister ship Konigsdam is it sailed too smoothly and too quietly.

tula45

•  

For me I did not like that the ship rocked about quite a lot, in what looked to me like calm seas – the English Channel on a good day- the ship was rocking and rolling about, each sea day the ship rocked about. It was so bad that people struggled to walk in a straight line 

2 quotes in the same post. You pays your money and you takes your choice......

[OlsSalt]

2 minutes ago, Tennessee Titan said:

2 quotes in the same post. You pays your money and you takes your choice......

 

As chengkp noted: it can depend upon different sea, weather, wind, location, time of the year, and current conditions.

 

We once happily reached the tender dock in Nome Alaska once, only to be turned back just as we were really to step on land. The ocean currents had picked up so badly back at the ship, they were afraid we would not be able later to re-board the ship. So that was a major change in only the span of a half hour. 

[ChinaShrek]

I have sailed on the Rotterdam twice mid-ship Deck 8 in the Caribbean and on a Norway cruise. The sailings were very smooth. I have also sailed on the Koningsdam twice (same class as the Rotterdam). I was on Deck 4 mid-ship (pretty noisy) and Deck 6 (sounded like I was near a washing machine). 

[Sir PMP]

1 hour ago, OlsSalt said:

There are some notoriously rough passages, but even those have good days and bad days.

 

From my own experience:

1. Drake's Shake Passage -Cape Horn;

2. Madagascar Straights to Cape Town;

3. Bay of Biscay - North Atlantic;

4. Alaska run out of Seattle.

5. That wind blast gap on the western Mexican coast.

6.

7.

6. Bering Sea

7.Tasman Sea

[Vic The Parrot]

7 hours ago, tula45 said:

 I did not like the smell of the ship, but this did seem to improve on the second leg of the cruise.

 

???? 

 

What was "the smell" ?

[doone]

I just got off the Rotterdam last Saturday and did not notice the ship rocking that much, as a matter of fact I thought it was a very smooth cruise with he exception of our stop in Turks and Caicos which was overcast and windy.  We were on deck 6 aft and thought it was a smooth ride.

 

Sorry you didn’t enjoy your cruise on the Rotterdam, there are a lot of different cruise lines you can sail, I hope you find one that you enjoy!

[Tennessee Titan]

On any cruise, 10% of the passengers complain about something, and 1-3% complain about everything!

[gregma60]

6 minutes ago, Tennessee Titan said:

On any cruise, 10% of the passengers complain about something, and 1-3% complain about everything!

Not sure that is restricted to cruises.  We spend a lot of time in certain AI resorts in the Caribbean and about 10% of the guests complain about something and 1-3% complain about everything 🙂

 

-gregma

[RD64]

10 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I don't remember the number, but it was a corner aft neptune suite on deck 7.

Thank you

[RD64]

10 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

We were in 7136 once and 7146 twice.

Thank you - I am right in the middle coincidentally - 7142.

Edited March 27, 2023 by RD64
Update

[Suncitycruiser1925]

We sailed on NS in cabin 1024 (deck 1) and felt very little movement of the ship.  Southern Caribbean 2/25 sailing.  

[Iamthesea]

20 hours ago, ChinaShrek said:

I have sailed on the Rotterdam twice mid-ship Deck 8 in the Caribbean and on a Norway cruise. The sailings were very smooth. I have also sailed on the Koningsdam twice (same class as the Rotterdam). I was on Deck 4 mid-ship (pretty noisy) and Deck 6 (sounded like I was near a washing machine). 

Please elaborate on why Deck 6 sounded like you were near a washing machine?  We will be on Deck 6, in a Vista near the midship elevators, on the Nieuw Statendam next month.

 

I'd also like to know about the smell!

[chengkp75]

On 3/26/2023 at 10:13 AM, tula45 said:

I did not like the smell of the ship, but this did seem to improve on the second leg of the cruise.

Coupling the smell complaint with the fact the ship was rolling enough to splash the pool out onto the deck, and that the smell improved the second week, when the rolling stopped, tells me what this was.  Every floor drain on the ship, including the one in each cabin bathroom (there is a floor drain in addition to the shower drain, that is outside the shower, usually under the wall mounted toilet), has a "trap" on it, just like the U-traps or P-traps that are under the sinks and showers in your house.  These traps have some water in them, to act as a seal and keep odors and gases from coming back up the drain pipes.  Rolling and pitching of the ship will cause the water in these traps to empty down the drain pipe, and then you lose the seal, and the odors come back up.  As the crew notice the odors, they will start pouring water down all the traps to "re-seal" the trap. Complaints about odors in the cabin bathrooms are dealt with the same way, pour a glass of water down the drain, and the odor will stop.  These drains, unlike sinks and showers, do not see water running down them frequently, so the dry AC air in the ship will evaporate the water in the trap, causing the odors to come up.

[OlsSalt]

16 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

Please elaborate on why Deck 6 sounded like you were near a washing machine?  We will be on Deck 6, in a Vista near the midship elevators, on the Nieuw Statendam next month.

 

I'd also like to know about the smell!

 

There are times when "cavitation" affects the newer duck-bill sterns - the sound and power of air bubbles generated in certain seas and maneuvers can be very jarring.

 

We experienced this once on the Nieuw Amsterdam and on another smaller cruise ship on another line. A badly loaded washing machine, hitting the spin cycle and rocking off its support legs is a perfect description. It passes, but it certainly cannot be ignored.

[3rdGenCunarder]

7 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

 

There are times when "cavitation" affects the newer duck-bill sterns - the sound and power of air bubbles generated in certain seas and maneuvers can be very jarring.

 

We experienced this once on the Nieuw Amsterdam and on another smaller cruise ship on another line. A badly loaded washing machine, hitting the spin cycle and rocking off its support legs is a perfect description. It passes, but it certainly cannot be ignored.

 

It feels like the stern is slapping down on the water. Jarring is a mild description of my experience with it. Pitching and rolling are sort of rhythmic, and you can go with the flow of the movement. We were pitching on Zuiderdam so much that the underbed drawers in our aft cabin kept rolling out and back in again, but there was none of the slap-bang. Part of what makes that so annoying is that it's random and loud.