Rotterdam “Pool scene” ?

[Bxc53]

We are booked on the Rotterdam TA next Spring. Our first HAL cruise in 20+ years.

Wondering what the general pool / hot tub ambience is?
 We like a quiet soak in the hot tub and pools. Our last cruise was a RCL to Hawaii. Even with several pools and hot tubs it was difficult to find any real serenity.  

Hoping the HAL experience is a bit more subdued.

 

Thanks for any comments. 
 

[CruiserBruce]

You know each cruise is different,  right? A 7 day Caribbean in the Spring is probably going to have more families on board. The longer the cruise the less families,  and probably quieter at pool. 

 

That being said, I suspect just about any HAL cruise will have a quieter feel than an RCI cruise.

[Sea42]

I would say in general it is pretty laid back. However, at least on the Nieuw Statendam, there was a movie played by the lido pool in the afternoon that was very loud. I didn't enjoy that! There is music played in the background during other times but at a much lower level.

[SanDiegian]

There are hot tubs by the Main Pool and 2 on the Aft deck for adults. The Spa hot tub serenity is a sure thing. Then the Pinnacle Suite has a hot tub of their own. 

[Petronillus]

We just spent 14 days in July on the Rotterdam cruising in and out of fjords and up above the arctic circle. The dome over the Lido pool was closed most of the time and was opened partially at other times. The hot tubs were frequently unoccupied and even when used never looked crowded. Absolutely no horseplay. Children were few in number and invariably well behaved.

The other pool at the aft end is completely open-air. I saw very few swimmers but the hot tub got more usage. Of course, that's the only spot where smoking is permitted.

[Catlover54]

One of the two pools on Rotterdam is supposed to be either for adults only (so no kids), or no kids under 16 unless accompanied by adult (I saw  several interpretations when I was on a few months ago, depending on which staff were working).  At that time there were almost no kids on board (but it was not break time -- will you be on where there is spring break?).  Both pools were full during nice weather and not at all serene during prime time (i.e., afternoons and sea days).  Off prime times (e.g., mornings when people are just heading off on excursions in port, and after dinner it was quieter, i.e., just after opening and just before closing, though music continued to be pumped in. 

The serenist places during nice weather and prime time were in my cabin, or walking on the exercise loop deck.

 

It is still a lovely ship in other ways , however, and is popular with seniors, so that tells you something.  With proper strategy (i.e., doing things at atypical times -- like staying on board when people go into ports), you will likely be happier than on RCL.

You could also consider a semi-luxury cruise (e.g., Silversea or Seabourn ), where the atmosphere is usually *very* quiet, but even there people jockey for position at the pools in prime time (they just spend more money doing it).

Have a wonderful time next spring!

Edited August 7, 2023 by Catlover54
Typoi

[BigMattT]

I’d splurge for the Thermal Suite. While the pool was never rowdy or full of kids on our spring break Rotterdam cruise… the spa was always the quietest option 

[Bxc53]

Thanks to all for the information. Im sure we will find opportunities  to relax in the water especially, as mentioned, at the non-prime times.

I didn't mean to demean RCL. They do a good job with their demographic. We are recently retired and are looking forward to seeing how we like the current HAL experience. Our last was the Maasdam in 2000 where we were the  newly wed ‘kids’ 🙂

 

Edited August 8, 2023 by Bxc53

[cbr663]

I've never sailed a TA and when we do sail we avoid the pools all together.  MY personal thoughts, and hopefully someone who has sailed a TA can confirm or refute, is that the pool area would be relatively busy with so many sea days.  HAL can easily close the roof during cooler days and this does tend to attract more passengers to the pool area.  Also remember that the Rotterdam has a passenger capacity of nearly 2700 and with that many people I would expect very few public areas to be serene.

[lf4UA]

On an April 2022 Caribbean cruise on Rotterdam, I found it very difficult to snag a chair at either pool and not even on the upper deck above the pool, except when returning to the ship early while in port. Although I haven’t cruised on other lines, I assume that’s always the case on warm weather cruises and imagine it would be even worse on larger ships. The crew members did try to make it a festive atmosphere at the aft pool on sea days, but I wouldn’t call it a party atmosphere in the Carnival sense (based on what I’ve heard and read about Carnival).

[oakridger]

I've not sailed a Trans-Atlantic, but I imagine there will be very few if any kids onboard in May.  I'll be on Zuiderdam next May from Florida to the Netherlands. Will one of you experienced spring TA cruisers let us know about kids on the TAs please?

 

Thanks,

~Nancy

[ISLANDFAN]

9 hours ago, cbr663 said:

I've never sailed a TA and when we do sail we avoid the pools all together.  MY personal thoughts, and hopefully someone who has sailed a TA can confirm or refute, is that the pool area would be relatively busy with so many sea days.  HAL can easily close the roof during cooler days and this does tend to attract more passengers to the pool area.  Also remember that the Rotterdam has a passenger capacity of nearly 2700 and with that many people I would expect very few public areas to be serene.

We have sailed on 5 TA's and find them very relaxing. Our most recent cruise which was in July onboard Rotterdam gives me perhaps a perspective you are looking for. First, whether east or west bound you will encounter 6-8 days at sea crossing the Atlantic, during that time you will find that most passengers fall into a rhythm which tends to spread out participation in activities and venues. Therefore I would suggest that Hot Tubs will be available for use through out the day. 

The Rotterdam in our view was one of the best overall ships that we have cruised. As we have become somewhat disenchanted with RCCL and Celebrity, we took the risk and booked Holland America. We were pleasantly surprised with all of our expectations being met or exceeded. Enjoy your TA on Rotterdam, I hope your expectations will be met or exceeded as well!

[sherryf]

15 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

One of the two pools on Rotterdam is supposed to be either for adults only (so no kids), or no kids under 16 unless accompanied by adult (I saw  several interpretations when I was on a few months ago, depending on which staff were working).

Isn't one pool (usually aft) supposed to be adults only on all/most HAL ships?  That was my understanding on my first HAL cruise (Alaska, Westerdam 2016) and although it was stated in the daily schedule at least once, it was not enforced.  We had unsupervised kids in the hot tub with us, and when I commented that it was supposed to be adults only, the mother came over and berated me. 🙁

 

Our second HAL cruise (Nieuw Statendam Caribbean Christmas 2021) was during the pandemic, at a time when vaccinations were required but not yet available for young children.  We had a few very well behaved teens on board, but no children.  We never had issues with pools/hot tubs on that cruise! 😃

 

We leave Sunday for our next cruise (Nieuw Amsterdam Alaska) and wonder what the pool/hot tub situation will be like.  We are from the Seattle area, so we do like to use the pool or hot tub even at times when others are huddled on deck with blankets. 🤣

[kazu]

17 minutes ago, sherryf said:

Isn't one pool (usually aft) supposed to be adults only on all/most HAL ships?  That was my understanding on my first HAL cruise (Alaska, Westerdam 2016) and although it was stated in the daily schedule at least once, it was not enforced.

 

It used to be that way.  There were few children on our TA and the Sea View Pool area was quite sedate.  (LIdo pool much busier).  However, when I sailed on the Koningsdam, there were a pile of children in the Sea View Pool. (Christmas/New Years’ time).  The sign stated must be over the age of 16 otherwise children had to be accompanied by an adult.   

 

For the OP - my experience on my last TA was similar to the others I have done.  The Sea View Pool area is usually not too busy.  I haven’t done a crossing on a Pinnacle Class ship though - this October will be my first one and I will be reporting 😉 

[sherryf]

1 minute ago, kazu said:

The sign stated must be over the age of 16 otherwise children had to be accompanied by an adult.   

In my experience, "accompanied by adult" is very loosely followed, ie there is an adult somewhere in the pool area, sitting on a lounge chair and not paying any attention to their children, which kind of defeats the purpose of the rule. 🙄

[kazu]

4 minutes ago, sherryf said:

In my experience, "accompanied by adult" is very loosely followed, ie there is an adult somewhere in the pool area, sitting on a lounge chair and not paying any attention to their children, which kind of defeats the purpose of the rule. 🙄

 

That was my experience on the Koningsdam.  Pretty risky for a small child in a pool filled with children IMO.

[highscar]

Enjoying a calm float in the aft pool I was whacked hard enough to put me under water, when I saw a swimmer I hollered “hey what are you doing?” He answered swimming, stay out of my way b——h.  When he was getting out of the pool, saw he had a wooden leg. That’s what hit me. Sorry about his disability but not his attitude.    

[YXU AC*SE]

Four of my last five cruises with HAL have been westbound TAs on Pinnacle-class ships -- almost next to no kids -- and the pools were for the most part empty. Have another booked this fall on Rotterdam with @kazu.  On an eastbound you might run into a kid or two if the dates of your cruise line up with the Easter break. Hot tubs were generally empty in the morning until 11h00 or so, then fairly occupied in the afternoon, and by 17h00 or so empty once again.   Scott. 

[Catlover54]

45 minutes ago, highscar said:

Enjoying a calm float in the aft pool I was whacked hard enough to put me under water, when I saw a swimmer I hollered “hey what are you doing?” He answered swimming, stay out of my way b——h.  When he was getting out of the pool, saw he had a wooden leg. That’s what hit me. Sorry about his disability but not his attitude.    

 

 

From that man's perspective, a "swimming pool" is for swimming (something he is still empowered to do for cardiovascular fitness, even with his wooden leg), and a pool is not for floating.  He struggles with his disability every day and may not be in the best of moods, but he certainly could have tried to be more polite after bumping you, maybe even apologized. I was seriously injured in a swimming pool by an aggressive "swimmer" who kicked me on a vulnerable part of my body. This was while I was trying to water walk (in my designated lane), to recover from fractures sustained elsewhere.   So I know the risks, and now mostly stay out of pools with dedicated swimmers, children, pool party equipment, big groups, and heavy drinkers (so sadly that means I'm almost never in a ship's pool, and stick to tubs -- I liked the thermal pool on the Rotterdam but even there at prime times, I was still worried about injury, e.g.,  from big guys next to me, especially when they were talking with others, moving a lot,  or were otherwise distracted). 

Be careful, and I am sorry he resorted to such unnecessary rudeness.  I have limited experience on HAL, but fortunately found that unlike this man, most people try to be courteous and kind even when there are crowds.  

[0106]

@Btimmer Would you like to make a comment about children in the Seaview pool on the Noordam?

[Bxc53]

OP here. Thanks again for the reports. I expect we can find good times to enjoy the pools and tubs.  I certainly don’t expect to have one all to myself at any given time , but do want to avoid what one reviewer called “Kid Soup”.. Or the adult version where a travel group ‘ takes over’ a hot tub while making the most of their drink package.. 🙄

[MrBill923]

Maybe I have missed it but no one has mentioned if any of the pools are heated. We sail on Nieuw Amsterdam to Alaska at the beginning of Sept. 

Thanks. 

[Btimmer]

12 minutes ago, 0106 said:

@Btimmer Would you like to make a comment about children in the Seaview pool on the Noordam?

Let me just say that I don't recommend that children be allowed in the Noordam's Seaview Pool because of the skimmer design which can trap appendages.  I don't remember if the Rotterdam has the same design. 

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, MrBill923 said:

Maybe I have missed it but no one has mentioned if any of the pools are heated. We sail on Nieuw Amsterdam to Alaska at the beginning of Sept. 

Thanks. 

Yes. And the midship pool has a closeable roof.

[Petronillus]

22 hours ago, SanDiegian said:

The Spa hot tub serenity is a sure thing.  

The spa slipped my mind. If serenity is a high priority, then it would be to beat the ceramic-tiled, warm-water-fed loungers in the spa. Heaven on earth, imho.