Rotterdam, The Neatherlands

[margord]

Any thoughts on what to do in Rotterdam? We are there for a port stop in September.

[Ine]

Check the website of the Rotterdam tourist board with lots of information.

http://www.vvvrotterdam.nl/uk/

To give an impression: a Spido boattour through the harbor (leaving from opposite the cruise-terminal, on the city side of the river.

Have a drink at Hotel New York, the former Holland America headoffice. Take a watercab over the river.

Visit the "cube-houses", visit the interesting maritime museum, maybe even Blijdorp Zoo.

Take the elevator to the top of Euromast, have a drink there and see the city from above.

Or take a short (very frequent) trainride to Delft, visit this lovely small old city. At the church on marketsquare dutch royals are buried. Visit the factory and see how Deflt Blue is made.

http://www.royaldelft.com/english.html

[tom_uk]

I was in Rotterdam for a 2/3rds of day call on P&Os Oriana in June last year, and we had a good day. We did a couple of the things Ine suggests:-

 

a) we visited the Cube houses, and in fact went into one of them that's open as a 'show cube' (there's a small charge). Very interesting, but not where I would want to live! I'm glad I've visited them, however;

 

b) we did the Spido boat tour of the harbour. This was OK but not sensational: there were some great moments and some other periods when it was just OK. However, it certainly gave us a good immpression of the size of Rotterdam harbour.

 

I'd add one more suggestion to Ine's list: visit the SS Rotterdam, if it's ready for visitors when you're there. She's a classic post-war ocean liner, built and operated by the Holland America line when it was still Dutch-owned and based. She's been bought by a group that is restoring her and is intending to put her on display, and she's permanently moored in Rotterdam harbour. Unfortunately the project is apparently costing much more money, and taking much more time, than originally expected. But all the messages I read are that it is still going ahead.

[Ine]

Re visit to ss Rotterdam, I am not sure the ship is ready to get visitors. The project is delayed since it costs lots more then intended. So check before you will get there.

[margord]

Thanks so much for the information. Can I do all this on my own? How do I get to it from the port? Can you walk or do I need to get a taxi? Once I get to the town can you walk to everything?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Marilee

[Cruzer Two]

Any thoughts on what to do in Rotterdam? We are there for a port stop in September.

 

 

 

Margord, I recommend a full-day private tour from the Port of Rotterdam that includes:

• Driving along the back roads of Holland to see the dikes and canal houses.
  
• City tour of Amsterdam, lunch, and a Canal Boat Cruise
  
• Tour of Delft and the Royal Delft Pottery Factory
  
• Tour of Rotterdam
  

We did this same tour last year with two other couples. It is a full day, but we had plenty of time to see the sights described above. The tour guide was Rose-Marie Cannemeijer http://www.hollandguides.com. Email info@hollandguides.nl. Rose-Marie has a Dodge Voyager van that will accommodate 6 people plus driver.

 

This was a wonderful tour and the canal boat ride in Amsterdam was great.

 

I have posted some travel videos on Youtube and one of these videos is the tour described above. Click on the link below for information on viewing this video.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=926243

 

Cruzer Two

[Ine]

Thanks so much for the information. Can I do all this on my own? How do I get to it from the port? Can you walk or do I need to get a taxi? Once I get to the town can you walk to everything?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Marilee

 

Walk left to the Erasmusbrug (white bridge you will see next to the terminal. ) from there either take a tram or undergrtound for a few stops. I am sure inside the terminal you will find maps and information. All is very walkable.

The harbour boattours leave from the opposite from the bridge, so just walk to the other side. Hotel New York is on the same piece of land when leaving the ship to your right.

Also check this link:http://www.congrex.com/espe2006/images/rotterdam_map.jpg

[Ine]

I tried to inform cruise-critics that moving this Rotterdam question to the Baltic section is funny and confusing.

This since Amsterdam (that is just about approx. 50 miles away) is in the Western Europe section. Both of course are in The Netherlands......

I asked them to remove this again to the western Europe section.

[GO 4 Rotterdam]

You can check out the Rotterdam highlights on http://www.GO4Rotterdam.com. I developed the site myself to show Rotterdam hospitality to visitors. Rotterdam will also be a good start to visit the 19 windmills at Kinderdijk (about 30 minutes by bus/boat/car) or historic Delft (only 15 minutes by train or car). What ship will you be travelling on?