Follow along with our daily adventures aboard Holland America’s newest Pinnacle-class ship, MS Rotterdam

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 12/12/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 12/12/22

Holland America Rotterdam Review

Our final review of Holland America Rotterdam in three separate videos.

Watch the three videos below for our review of Holland America Rotterdam. And, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/9/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/9/22

Day 11 - Stuck At Sea - The Day That Was Not Supposed To Be

Our arrival in Port Everglades has been delayed due to tropical storm/hurricane Nicole.

Today was the day we were supposed to disembark Rotterdam in Fort Lauderdale. However, Mother Nature had other plans when she sent tropical storm Nicole to the east coast of Florida. As a result, our arrival in Port Everglades is delayed by a day (at least).

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/8/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/8/22

Day 10 - Day at Sea

This is supposed to be our final day at sea, but Mother Nature has a different plan.

This morning begins pretty much like all of the previous nine days. I get my morning coffee at Grand Dutch Cafe on Deck 3 and proceed to work on my daily blog from the day before.

There is evidence that this is the last day of the cruise as the crew has placed luggage scales on every floor, outside the elevators so that guests can weigh their luggage. That is a nice touch I have not seen on any other cruise line.

It is very windy today, so Rickee and I decide to do our morning walk on the Promendade Deck instead of outside on Deck 11. It takes three laps around Promenade Deck to equal 1 mile (compared to 12 laps on Deck 11). And, the Promenade Deck offers protection from the sun and most of the wind.

This afternoon, we learned that tropical storm Nicole is on track to hit the east coast of Florida tomorrow which will delay our arrival into Port Everglades. At the very least, this will add another day to our sailing. Fortunately, our flights were booked through Holland America’s travel department so they are arranging to move our flights to the following day. This is a good reason to book your air through the cruise line.

We visit Guest Services to find out about how our Internet will work on the final day and to cancel the Luggage Direct program (where they deliver your checked luggage directly to the airline from the ship). While we are waiting in line at Guest Services, we overhear a guest yelling obscenities at one of the Guest Services supervisors. We could not understand the nature of his complaint, but he was getting right in her face and yelling obscenities. He even told her to “shut up” at one point. I was waiting for someone to call security. Had it gone any farther, I was considering stepping in between them and I think the gentlemen waiting in line behind me would have done so as well. The guy was way over the line. In fact, Holland America should ban him from ever sailing again. It was that bad.

We made sure to let our Guest Services rep know that we felt they were doing an amazing job under less than ideal conditions.

On our way back to our stateroom, we saw our room steward, Pande (right), and his assistant, Yoshua (left), in the hallway and thanked them for their great service.

*Yoshua (assistant) and Pande (steward) delivered excellent stateroom service*

For dinner this evening, we returned to Tamarind for our second time this cruise. Our first time was on embarkation day and we enjoyed it so much we had to try it again. We started with a cocktail in the Tamarind Bar.

Rickee tried something new tonight, the Thai Basil Szechuan Shrimp which she said was delicious. I had the Red Panang Chicken Curry which I ordered extra spicy. This is the best Thai curry I have had on a cruise ship and rivals any I have had on land, including one of the highest rated Thai restaurants in Bangok!

When we returned to our stateroom, we were concerned to find that a rodent had invaded our space and was resting on the bed. Can someone call an exterminator?

It appears that tomorrow will be another unscheduled day at sea due to the storm. Watch the video below for more information.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/7/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/7/22

Day 9 - Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos

Today we visit Grand Turk and have dinner at Rudi’s Sel de Mer

This is our next to last day on Rotterdam and today we are docked in Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands. Like every morning so far, I start the day with an Americano at Grand Dutch Cafe.

There are no plastic bottles of water available on Rotterdam; instead, they have cans of water (see below).

That canned water comes at a hefty price of $3.25 per can plus 18% service charge.

We can see Grand Turk from our balcony this morning. It is a beautiful, but windy day.

It is a short walk from the ship into the port shopping area.

Like many of these newly built ports, you enter the shopping area through a duty free shop.

Tonight, we had dinner at Rudi’s Sel de Mer, a French seafood bistro.

Rickee’s Foie Gras starter was one of the best she has ever had.

My fried calamari starter was amazing and the best calamari I have every eaten.

It was a great meal at Rudi’s. Perhaps the best meal of the cruise. Tomorrow is our final day at sea before we are scheduled to arrive back in Port Everglades.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/6/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/6/22

Day 8 - A Day At Sea

Another day at sea spent relaxing on our balcony. We try some traditional dishes at Grand Dutch Cafe for lunch then enjoy the Gala Dinner in the Dining Room.

Today is our second day at sea as ms Rotterdam sails toward Grand Turk. After walking our 12 laps around the jogging/walking track on Deck 11, we attended the lecture “Unexpected Heroes” in World Stage. The lecture was about how Caribbean athletes have contributed to professional sports.

We decided on a light lunch today at Grand Dutch Cafe. Rickee tried the pea soup and I ordered a veal kroket. Please don’t ask me to explain it to you.

After lunch, I wanted to try the milkshake at Gelato. Sunday is my “cheat day” when I eat whatever I want, so this was my treat. I ordered the Oreo Cookie milkshake and while it was good, I am not sure it was worth the $6.49 price ($5.50 + 18% gratuity).

This evening, we enjoyed a pre-dinner cocktail at Half Moon Bar on Deck 2 midship. There are only two ships (I believe) that feature a Half Moon Bar.

We thought we had reservations at Rudi’s Sel de Mer tonight, but after checking with the receptionist we learned that our reservation was not until tomorrow night! Well, that is an opportunity to head back to the Dining Room for tonight’s Gala Dinner.

We scored an excellent table for two at the very back of the Dining Room on Deck 2. Rickee started the meal with a roasted beet salad, which she loved.

We both ordered the Jumbo Shrimp Cocktails and we were both a little disappointed when they arrived without red cocktail sauce. The dipping sauce resembled Thousand Island Dressing. Nevertheless, the shrimp were fairly large and tasted good.

The Gala Dinner menu no longer includes a “Surf and Turf” option of filet and lobster, instead, the closest thing is the tenderloin with grilled shrimp (below). The tenderloin is about 3/4 of an inch thick, well cooked and tender, although I did not get the cracked pepper flavor I was expecting. The shrimp were delicious, but there were only two and should have been at least four in my opinion.

*Cracked Pepper Tenderloin with Grilled Shrimp*

Rickee’s Tangerine Glazed Duck Breast was perfectly cooked and delicious. The red cabbage was also excellent.

For dessert, we both ordered the Warm Chocolate Lava Cake, which came in a small ramekin. It was also very good.

After dinner, we returned to our stateroom to find another intruder. A friendly elephant has taken over our bed!

Tomorrow, we will be in Grand Turk and I promise, we WILL have dinner at Rudi’s!

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/5/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/5/22

Day 7 - Willemstad, Curacao

Rotterdam is docked in Willemstad, Curacao today. We do some exploring on our own, try out the pizza at NY Deli & Pizza and have dinner at Canaletto.

On most of our cruise assignments, we would be packing our bags on day seven to return home. However, there are still three full days left on this 10-night sailing aboard ms Rotterdam. This morning, the ship is docked in Willemstad, Curacao, a Lesser Antilles island country in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region. We have visited Curacao on a couple of other cruises, but we never docked at this location. It looks totally unfamiliar to us.

It is extremely windy this morning and it looks like it may rain. We decide to stay onboard until later this morning, hoping the weather will clear. It didn’t.

*The view of Willemstad from our balcony*

We spend the morning getting some laps around the track on Deck 11 then playing some Cornhole.

*Time for a game of Cornhole before going ashore*

We finally decide to brave the elements and take a walk into town. It is still very windy, but we never did get rained on. Good thing since we did not bring our umbrella!

There is a great walking path here into town with some good areas for photos of the ship.

After about five minutes walking from the ship and you arrive at the RIF Fort and Renaissance Mall. This area has been developed into a hotel, shopping and restaurant district for tourists.

There are lots of souvenir shops, eateries and bars in this area and it appears to be a relatively new development.

Walking through the RIF Fort and shopping area will take you to within sight of the Queen Emma Bridge which crosses the St. Anna Bay. This is a more familiar area to us because our previous cruise ships docked within sight of the pontoon bridge. Along the shore you will find a variety of local merchants selling souvenirs.

The Queen Emma Bridge (below) is a pontoon bridge that connects the Punda and Otrobanda quarters of the capital city, Willemstad. The bridge is hinged and opens regularly to enable the passage of oceangoing vessels. We actually arrived at the bridge just in time to see it swing open to allow a couple of ships to pass through.

After walking across the bridge and exploring Willemstad on our own, we head back to Rotterdam for lunch. Today, we plan to try the made-to-order pizza at New York Deli & Pizza (menu below). I order the Bronx and Rickee ordered the Grand Central.

*The lunch/dinner menu at New York Deli & Pizza*

It took about 20 minutes before our buzzer alerted us that our pizzas were ready for pick up. Both pizzas were hot and roughly 12” in diameter. My Bronx pizza was better than I remember from my experience on Nieuw Statendam. However, I wish they offered chili pepper flakes. If they do, I could not find them. The pizza has a thin, crispy crust and a reasonable amount of toppings.

This afternoon, we once again head to Team Trivia, hosted today by Samantha. This is becoming a habit. We are so predictable.

*Samantha calls out the Team Trivia questions today*

For dinner this evening, we have reservations at Canaletto on Deck 9. Canaletto is the ship’s Italian specialty restaurant. The cost to dine here is $19 per person (+ 18% service charge).

The menu at Canaletto would suggest a three-course meal. Small plates, followed by Large plates, followed by dessert. Pay close attention when ordering because some items come with an additional supplement charge.

We enjoyed our meal at Canaletto, but you will have to wait for our Dining Review video for all of the details on each dish we tried. Make sure you are subscribed to our YouTube channel (@cruisereport) so you will be notified when the video is released.

We were able to get out of Caneletto in time for the 9:30 show in the World Sttage. Once again, the Step One Dance Company is performing Musicology. While the dancing was great, the theme of the show was a little “out there” for our liking. We are not sure we get the theme of the show.

Tomorrow is our second day at sea. We plan to relax and enjoy our balcony!

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/4/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/4/22

Day 6 - Kralendijk, Bonaire

We spend 10 nights aboard Holland America Rotterdam

Today, Rotterdam is docked in Kralendijk, Bonaire, one of the Dutch islands in the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean. We disembarked this morning and got this beautiful shot of Rotterdam docked.

*ms Rotterdam docked in Kralendijk, Bonaire*

A short walk from the ship brings us to a local market with vendors selling souvenirs, trinkets and even salt from the island.

As we continue our walk, we come to the “downtown” area of Kralendijk, or so I assume. There are more local shops, restaurants, banks and pharmacies along this street. There is a great walking tour of Kralendijk with maps along the way. I shot some good video of the map, but then stupidly deleted all of my video files before transferring them to my laptop.

Kralendijk is a very easy town to walk around on your own and feels very safe. Also, they use the US dollar here as their currency, so if you make a purchase at a shop, you will get US dollars in change. Not so in Curacao, where they will accept US Dollars, but will give you change in Dutch Guilders.

We spent about an hour walking through the downtown area before heading back toward the ship. You do not have to worry about getting lost here, because you are never more than 1 block from the waterfront. From the waterfront, you can see the ship and can easily find your way back.

Once we are back on board Rotterdam, I decide to give Dive-In a try for lunch. Dive-In is Rotterdam’s Lido burger joint and can be found on all (I think) Holland America ships. The restaurant prepares burgers to order and all burgers are served with French Fries. I ordered the High-Dive Burger and asked for raw onions on the burger and a side of the fried onion strings. I am not sure what the Dive-In Sauce is, but it resembles French dressing.

They have many burger choices here including a vegan option and a low-carb burger served in lettuce instead of a bun. Nathan’s hot dogs are also available as well as milk shakes. The burgers and dogs are complimentary, but the milk shakes are $4.50. I will be trying one on Sunday (my “cheat” day) just for journalistic integrity purposes.

So what was my burger like? Well I would say it is pretty good. While not the best burger I have had on a cruise ship, it is far from the worst. I would say better than average. The bun was good and fresh. The burger was served hot. The French Fries were fresh and hot and crispy. The side order of onion strings was not worth it. They are better as a burger condiment than a side item.

This afternoon, we are back at Billboard Onboard where Samantha is conducting Team Trivia today. We did not do well again today.

Before dinner this evening, we chose to try the Crow’s Nest for a pre-dinner cocktail. We love the wrap around view here and the comfortable seating. Bar service was very good also. This is a great observation lounge.

For dinner this evening we dined in the Dining Room on Deck 2 aft (MDR). The menu had more choices than we have seen recently and I will just say that we were pleasantly surprised with the experience. For a full, detailed review of all of our dining experiences on Holland America Rotterdam, subscribe to our YouTube channel and watch for our upcoming video review.

When we returned to our stateroom tonight, we were greeted by a friendly crab (I think).

Tomorrow, Rotterdam will be docked in Willemstad, Curacao.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/3/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/3/22

Day 5 - Oranjestad, Aruba

We are docked at Oranjestad, Aruba today where we take a stroll, and do some shopping. We have dinner tonight at Pinnacle Grill.

Today, ms Rotterdam is docked in Oranjestad, Aruba. Aruba is the “A” in the ABC Island chain and we have been fortunate to visit here on many cruises. Our morning begins with a visit to NY Deli & Pizza on Deck 10 midship. You may not know that NY Deli & Pizza serves breakfast until 11am.

We decided to try the Breakfast Bagel, which, as it turns out is made-to-order and is delicious. The Breakfast Bagel has a fried egg, slice of ham another slice of cheese on a toasted bagel. It is really good and we both enjoyed it. They also have bagels with cream cheese here, scrambled eggs, bacon and a few other breakfast items.

We disembarked Rotterdam in Orajestad just to do some souvenir shopping.

We could not resist getting our picture taken here. Talk about touristy.

We looked for a t-shirt for me, but nothing we could find in Large size that I liked.

We came back on board for Piña Coladas at Panorama Bar, which were good, but lacked any Pinapple slices or other “flair”.

Tried the pizza by-the-slice at NY Deli & Pizza and honestly, not that great. Soggy crust and really greasy. The made-to-order pizza should be a better choice.

*Pizza by the slice at NY Deli and Pizza*

This afternoon we are back at Billboard Onboard for afternoon trivia. We did not do so well today.

Dinner tonight at Pinnacle Grill. We will go into great detail about our dining experience here in our upcoming Dining Review video on our YouTube channel, so make sure you subscribe.

The show tonight was Humanity, which was a really great combination of technology and dance performed by the Step One Dance Company. Excellent show. Afterwards, Karlijn, our Cruise and Travel Director prepares us for what we can expect tomorrow in Bonaire.

*Karlijn Verpalen, Cruise and Travel Director*

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/2/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/2/22

Day 4 - A Day At Sea

A relaxing day at sea with more trivia victories for us and dinner at Nami Sushi.

Today is our first day at sea and one look outside from our balcony would indicate that we are about to get some rain. However, the rain never got to us and it ended up being a very sunny and warm day.

This morning, we chose to go back to the Dining Room on Deck 2 aft for breakfast. When we arrived, there was already a line of guests waiting to dine.

We asked the hostess for a table for two and we ended up with a great table at the very back of the dining room, next to a window overlooking the wake generated by the ship’s propellers. I ordered coffee, which, by the way, is quite good. I like that they left a pitcher of coffee on the table today so I don’t have to wait for refills.

*Good coffee, and they leave the pitcher on the table!*

Rickee ordered the banana and strawberry pancakes again which were good and warmer than on our previous visit.

They seem to really struggle with getting the poached eggs right on my Eggs Benedict. Today, they are practically hard boiled eggs. I did tell the waiter that I wanted them cooked “medium”, but I consider these to be “well done”. Still, I would rather have that than raw, runny egg whites. Actually, I would just like them poached properly. They offer a Lobster Benedict on the menu for $12.50 and I have to say, if I ordered that and got eggs that were anything but perfect, I would not be pleased.

Nevertheless, I did enjoy the English back bacon and the corned beef hash, which is still the strangest corned beef hash I have ever had, but I like it.

After breakfast, we decided to check out the Lido Pool and could see that many guests have already claimed their poolside loungers this morning. The sun is already out and the temperature is climbing into the 80s. This is the perfect day for sun lovers.

Up on deck 11 aft, there were plenty of open sun loungers available. Does this mean the ship is not sailing at full capacity? We found lots of empty lounge chairs in several locations.

There is a short walking/jogging track on Deck 11, so Rickee and I decided to do a quick mile this morning. By the way, 12 laps make up a mile. I have a friend at home who is a marathon runner and she would laugh at my one mile stroll.

On Deck 11, there are also a couple of Cornhole boards, so we decided we would give it a try. We do play Cornhole at home sometimes.

*Rickee tosses the bean bag while playing Cornhole*

There is also a Basketball/Pickle Ball court where Pickle Ball seems to have taken over the top spot. When did Pickle Ball become a thing?

This afternoon it was time for trivia, once again with Don, one of the cruise staff. Today’s theme is Biology, a subject which Rickee enjoys. We ended up splitting the win with another team and acquired two more Rotterdam Caribbean pins. Guess what our friends will be getting for Christmas this year.

*Don calls out Team Trivia questions at the Explorations Cafe*

Tonight, we have dinner reservations at Nami Sushi. We have time for a quick photo as we are leaving our stateroom for dinner.

Nami Sushi is Rotterdam’s a la cartè Sushi restaurant located inside Tamarind. We are seated at the Sushi bar where we can watch the chefs prepare the various dishes.

Rickee’s Shrimp Tempura roll was a real work of art and was quite good. I had a Spicy Tuna Roll which was very good.

I tried the Red Curry Chicken Panang and asked the waitress for extra spicy. The chef was not shy with the chili peppers! The dish was delicious, but should have been served with a side of rice. I did not even see rice on the menu, but I am certain they would have brought some had I asked for it.

*Panang Red Curry Chicken at Nami Sushi*

We will be doing an in-depth review of all of the dining experiences on Rotterdam for our YouTube channel at the conclusion of this cruise, so make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel!

When we returned to our stateroom, we were greeted by our first towel animal, a friendly dog (I think).

Tomorrow, Rotterdam will dock in Oranjestad, Aruba.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/1/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/1/22

Day 3 - Amber Cove, Dominican Republic

ms Rotterdam is docked in Amber Cove, Dominican Republic today. We have lunch at Pinnacle Grill and end up winning two team trivia contests!

This morning, ms Rotterdam is sailing toward Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, with a scheduled arrival time of 1:30pm. I get to enjoy some nice sea views from my perch at the Grand Dutch Cafe for my morning coffee and blogging work.

The Grand Dutch Cafe has a small selection of pastries available during breakfast, but no hot offerings that I could find such as a egg and cheese breakfast sandwich. I will double-check on this tomorrow because I am not 100% sure of that.

I have been ordering the large drip coffee, which shows up on the bill as two regular coffee drinks for a total of $4.50 or $5.31 including gratuity. That seems pretty steep for drip coffee. And, I am not sure if this would count as two drinks toward the 15-drink-per-day limit on the Signature Drink Package. If you know, put it in the comments below.

For lunch today, we made reservations at Pinnacle Grill, Holland America’s signature steakhouse. Lunch is available here for $15/per person + gratuity. The lunch menu is much smaller than the dinner menu, as you would expect. Rickee ordered the Spinach Arugula Salad, and while the greens were fresh and crisp, the dressing was not to her liking. I started with the Crab Cakes, which were delicious.

For her main, Rickee ordered another salad, the Shredded Chicken and Bibb salad which she requested with bleu cheese dressing on the side. Once again, she was underwhelmed. My Pinnacle Burger was served with a bacon jam that sort of overpowered the flavor of the burger. I ended up scraping off the jam. Honestly, the meat was not as good as I remember from my last Pinnacle Burger on Nieuw Statendam.

Both of our desserts were good, with very large portions. We were not able to finish either one. We were a bit disappointed in our lunch at Pinnacle, other than the standout crab cakes. Nevertheless, we are going to try Pinnacle again for dinner later in the cruise.

*Warm chocolate fudge brownie with coffee gelato*

After lunch, we visited the library on Deck 2 forward which is a very nice space with lots of books available for guests to enjoy. There is no formal check out process. You can just grab a book and return it to the book drop when you are finished.

When we arrived in Amber Cove, we made the decision to remain onboard and enjoy our wonderful balcony. We have been to Amber Cover quite a few times. There are many excursion opportunities available here, so if you visit, it is well worth booking an excursion. I did go ashore to take some photos and video of the ship.

At 4pm, it’s time for Team Trivia, hosted this afternoon by Aya, one of the cruise staff.

*Aya prepares to indulge our trivia addiction*

Today’s trivia theme is food and drink and Rickee and I ended up winning! The prize? The highly sought after Holland America Caribbean pins!

There was another trivia this evening right before the 7:30 show, so we played again and won again! Two wins in one day! After trivia, we went to the show “Seven World’s One Planet” produced by BBC Earth. The show combines amazing video set to live music performed by the Rotterdam classical music performers. The World Stage theater is one of the nicest on any cruise ship with huge LED screens that wrap around the audience.

Tomorrow is a day at sea on ms Rotterdam.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 10/31/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 10/31/22

Day 2 - Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

On Halloween, we visit Half Moon Cay, Bahamas today, Holland America’s private island. We have lunch and dinner in Lido Market and enjoy a great comedy show.

Today, Rotterdam is anchored off the coast of Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private island in the Bahamas. As it is the first morning of the cruise, my task is to seek out, and secure, a good spot where I can enjoy a cup of coffee and work on my daily cruise blog, photos and videos, in relative peace and quiet. I found the perfect spot at the Grand Dutch Cafe on Deck 3.

After completing my daily blog, I decided Rickee and I would try the Dining Room for breakfast. The Dining Room has seating on Deck 2 and Deck 3. This morning, only about half of Deck 2 is being used as most guests opt for the Lido Market breakfast buffet. We prefer the quieter, more relaxed atmosphere of main dining to buffet dining at breakfast.

*Rickee looks over the menu at breakfast in the Dining Room*

The breakfast menu is quite extensive offering a variety of egg dishes, cereals, pancakes and waffles, etc. Rickee ordered the banana pancakes and I ordered the Classic Eggs Benedict. Rickee requested extra syrup for her pancakes (they never bring enough for her) and I requested that my eggs be cooked medium. I also asked for a side order of corned beef hash.

Rickee’s pancakes were good, but on the cold side of the temperature spectrum. My Eggs Benedict would have been good except the eggs were way under cooked. I like the egg whites completely cooked and don’t even mind if some of the yolk is cooked through, but these egg whites were runny and uncooked. I could have sent them back and had them re-cooked, but I was not that hungry anyway so I ate the ham and the corned beef hash. The hash was strange, unlike any I have ever eaten, but it was good and I will order it again.

Later in the morning, we boarded one of the large tender boats for the short ride to Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private island in the Bahamas.

There are some excursions offered at Half Moon Cay, but the most popular activity is definitely lounging at the beach and taking a dip in the clear blue waters of the Caribbean. There are shops selling logo gear, souvenirs, t-shirts, etc. and all purchases on the island can be charged to your onboard account. There are some bars here, too, but drinks here are not included in the Signature Beverage Package.

The Island BBQ offers guests a complimentary lunch with burgers, hot dogs, steak, chicken, fish and all the fixin’s you would expect at a barbeque. There’s even hand-dipped ice cream cones! It was so hot and humid on our visit that we decided to skip the Island Barbeque and head back to the ship where we could enjoy lunch in the air conditioned Lido Market.

Holland America has a shaded waiting area for guests waiting to return to the ship. Today, the wait was very long and, as I mentioned, it was extremely hot and humid. It would have been nice if Holland America would have at least provided ice water in this area for guests waiting to return to the ship.

Once back on board Rotterdam, we had a light lunch in the buffet and spent most of the afternoon enjoying our stateroom. While Rickee is relaxing on the balcony, I have time for a short nap.

There is a Happy Hour each afternoon from 4pm to 5pm in Billboard Onboard, Rolling Stone Rock Room & Ocean Bar, all located on Deck 2. During Happy Hour, drinks are 50% off. Fortunately, Team Trivia is also held at Billboard Onboard at 4pm. We enjoy playing trivia, but we usually just make up our own two-person team. We did okay today, but we did not win. Bummer.

Since we wanted to make it to the early show in the World Stage by 7:30pm, we decided to return to the Lido Market for dinner. As you may know, neither Rickee nor I are big fans of buffet dining. However, Holland America goes the extra mile by having crew members serve guests so we are not made to handle utensils that have been touched by hundreds of hands. Personally, I think every cruise line should provide this service, OR they should be required to provide disposable plastic gloves for guests to wear when self-serving. But, since the cruise industry is obviously waging a war on plastic, I don’t see that happening. Therefore, being served by crew members is the cleanest, safest way to enjoy a buffet.

Rickee had some spaghetti and meatballs while I went to the more exotic Indian flavors on offer at the Distant Lands station. The Biryani rice, Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Kebabs were all excellent, and even had a little kick of spicy heat. This was some of the best Indian food I have had on a cruise ship.

*Lamb and Beef Kabobs are spicy and delicious*

During dinner, Rickee received a notification from the Navigator app that the evening show had been changed from Humanity to a comedian. We decided we would give the comedy show a try and as we walked to the World Stage on Deck 2, we could see evidence that the crew was ramping up for the Halloween party later this evening.

The comedy show this evening was performed by Steven Scott, a prior contestant on America’s Got Talent. One of his great talents is the ability to use his voice to make all kinds of sounds, like musical instruments, a subway train, or even the sound of playing back an answering machine message on fast forward. The show was very funny and we are glad we decided to go.

After the show at World Stage, we walked back by B.B. King’s Blues Club where the Stars of B.B. Kings were about to perform. A lot of guests were already seated, but we were able to find a table for two. Many guests are dressed up in costumes for Halloween. It is amazing to see the lengths that some people go to for Halloween.

After the excellent jazz performance, there was a contest to select the best Halloween costume. We did not stay for the final decision, but our personal favorites were the group that came dressed as characters from Wizard of Oz. There was a tin man, cowardly lion, the good witch and of course, Dorothy. Very clever.

Tomorrow, Rotterdam will be docked at Amber Cove, Dominican Republic.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 10/30/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 10/30/22

Day 1 - Embark in Port Everglades

We embark ms Rotterdam, sail away from Fort Lauderdale and have an amazing dinner at Tamarind.

This morning, we checked out of The Dalmar hotel and ordered a Lyft to take us to Port Everglades to embark Holland America's newest Pinnacle-class ship, ms Rotterdam.

*Our Lyft driver, Ragnus, loads our luggage into his SUV*

We arrived at Port Everglades ahead of our scheduled boarding time of 11:30. After going through security and completing our check-in, we sat in the waiting area for nearly an hour before we were allowed to board.

As soon as we boarded the ship, we headed to Guest Services to get a couple of e-Gift cards transferred to our shipboard account and to check on some other items. The line was already forming at Guest Services when we arrived. Once we got our issues sorted out, we decided to drop our hand luggage at our stateroom before going to lunch. When we arrived at our stateroom, we were surprised to see that our stateroom keys were not waiting for us. Rather than issuing stateroom key cards prior to boarding, Holland America simply places the keys outside your stateroom, a common practice now on many cruise lines.

*The line forms early at Guest Services*

With no way to gain entry into the stateroom, I left Rickee with our luggage and walked back down to Guest Services on Deck 3. The line had grown considerably by now. It took me about 15 minutes to get to a representative who happily printed off two stateroom keys for me.

Once in our stateroom (#6138), we were impressed with the decor and amenities that we found waiting for us. Of course, we will do a thorough review video of the standard balcony stateroom after we have returned from this cruise, so make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

*Our standard balcony stateroom on deck 6*

Before going to lunch, we did complete the request form that we found waiting on the bed. This is a really great way to inform the stateroom attendant of anything needed. Rickee usually requires additional hangers, but upon inspection, the closet had plenty of hangers. This is a first for us! We did request ice refills morning and evening and evening turn down service.

For lunch, RIckee could not pass up the Chicken Salad Sandwich at The Breadboard serving station at Lido Market, the ship’s buffet. I opted for a meatball sub sandwich from the New York Deli & Pizza on Deck 10. My meatball sub was delicious and Rickee raved about her chicken salad sandwich.

While we were enjoying our lunch, I asked one of the bar waitresses if we could upgrade our Quench package (which was pre-purchased) to the Signature Beverage Package (which includes alcoholic beverages). She took my room key to make the upgrade and this is when we noticed that we had been given room keys with SERVICE STAFF printed on them! The waitress asked me if we were service staff because that would give us a 50% discount on any purchases. I told here , “no, I think they may have printed the wrong cards for us”.

Once I learned of the SERVICE STAFF key card, that meant yet another trip to Guest Services to get new key cards printed. By now, the line was very long at Guest Services and getting the cards re-printed took me about 20 minutes total. When I returned to the stateroom, we were hoping to watch the Dallas Cowboys play the Chicago Bears, which was being broadcast on the ship’s TV system, but the video reception was so pixelated that it was impossible to watch.

Interestingly, later in the day, after sailing away from Fort Lauderdale, the television reception improved greatly. We spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking until time for sail away at 4pm. There really was not any big sail away “party” like you see on many cruise ships, but many guests head to the outer decks to watch the ship sail out of port. One of the best spots is on Deck 10 midship, port side when sailing out of Fort Lauderdale.

We arrived at Tamarind early for our dinner reservation, but were seated right away. We were seated at a table for two next to a window, very nice. The waitress brought some condiments and crispy shrimp crackers.

Rickee and I both ordered the Cucumber Mojito cocktail ($11) from the specialty cocktail menu. The drink was delicious but very sweet.

Rickee ordered the Shrimp Tempura starter, which she devoured. She said it was the best shrimp tempura she has ever eaten. Now, in case you don’t know, that is VERY high praise coming from Rickee. She was disappointed, however, they only included two pieces of shrimp.

For my starter, I ordered the Satay Sampler which included grilled shrimp, beef, chicken and pork with a peanut dipping sauce. It was delicious. I would definitely order this again.

*Satay Sampler starter served at Tamarind*

I also decided to try the Tom Kha Gai soup, a coconut milk-flavored spicy soup with chicken, which was also excellent.

My main course was the Mongolian BBQ Lamb Chops and they were perfectly cooked medium rare, very tender and delicious. This is another dish I would not hesitate to order again.

*Mongolian Barbeque Lamb Chops at Tamarind*

Rickee’s Crispy Duck with Ginger Glaze had a great flavor, but the duck was overcooked and a bit dry. The accompanying Udon noodles, however, were excellent.

We decided to skip dessert tonight. As you can see below, the total bill for dining here (for 2) was $68.44. Rickee and I agree that the meal was well worth the cost.

After dinner, we decided to tempt fate and visit the ship’s casino. The casino is much smaller than on most cruise ships this size and we were not too fond of the slot machines they offered. Maybe if we had done a little better at the slots we would have liked them more?

We are pretty tired after losing our daily gambling budget so we are heading to bed. Tomorrow, we will be at Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private island.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 10/30/22 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 10/30/22

Pre-Cruise: Capital One Lounge and The Dalmar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale

We check out the new Capital One Lounge at DFW airport and spend one night at The Dalmar Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale.

Our Rotterdam cruise begins today with a flight from DFW to Ft. Lauderdale on American Airlines. We arrived at DFW Airport early enough to check out the new Capital One Lounge in Terminal D.

Even though Rickee and I have access to the American Airlines Admirals Club, which is one of the benefits of my Citibank American Airlines Platinum Executive credit card, Rickee recently signed up for the Capital One Venture X card that offers complimentary access to the Capital One lounges. We felt like a comparison of the Admirals Club amenities to the Capital One lounge was in order.

Our initial impression of the lounge was that is was spotlessly clean, very bright and fresh. The atmosphere is relaxed and there was a lot of seating available. The receptionist told us that everything was complimentary except for top-shelf liquor.

We arrived here at around 9:30am, so breakfast items were being offered on the buffet, which is extensive. They offer a wide variety of pastries and hot dishes at three different buffet serving lines.

Rickee’s favorite was the Gouda and Bacon Grits which are served in cute little individual pots.

If you need to get some work done before your next flight, there are plenty of workstations with AC and USB power provided for charging.

There is a full bar with complimentary cocktails. We tried the Bloody Mary which, unfortunately, was not to our liking. Next time, we will try something else.

There is a REFUEL station where you can grab sandwiches, salads and other snacks to take with you on your flight. This is a huge benefit that you won’t find at the Admiral’s Club. Rickee and I grabbed a couple of chicken salad sandwiches to enjoy on the flight to Ft. Lauderdale. In the airport, you would pay $9 or more for each of these. By the way, they were delicious!

It is unfortunate that we had so little time to enjoy the amenities offered here, but we have to get to the gate for our 10:54 departure to FLL. We boarded the flight and American Airlines did their job getting us to Fort Lauderdale on time.

As we were waiting for our luggage at baggage claim, I decided to call Element Hotel to check on our reservation, which was made by Holland America. The phone number online put me through to the Marriott main reservations office. I asked the gentleman if he could check on our reservation and, after a couple of minutes, he told me that he could not find a reservation in my name! Uh Oh. He offered to make me a new reservation for $430/night! I told him that we would just go to the hotel and deal with them directly. Turns out, that was the right choice.

First, Element Hotel is located within The Dalmar Hotel building. In fact, Element Hotel does not even show up as a destination on the Lyft app! So, we had the Lyft driver take us to The Dalmar, which does show up as a destination. Once we arrived, one of the porters at the hotel informed us that check-in for Element was on the third floor. My evil plan was to plead my case with reception. I was thinking that perhaps they have some special arrangement with Holland America and their reservations don’t show up on the Marriott system. I was really going on faith that this was going to work out.

We arrived at reception for Element and the guest services rep looked up my name, she asked if we were with Holland America and I said “yes”. She then said we needed to check-in at The Dalmar on the 6th floor, that our reservation had been moved to The Dalmar. Bonus! My patience paid off.

We went to the 6th floor, checked in and were even presented with complimentary glasses of champagne while we waited! We met with the ground representative for Holland America and she gave us all the information we needed for getting to Rotterdam the following day.

Our room at The Dalmar was very nice and modern with all of the amenities you could want. The beds were comfortable. There is a nice sized desk with USB ports for charging, large flat screen television with great programming, plenty of closet space, even a coffee/espresso machine. They also provide two bottles of complimentary water. The only thing missing was USB ports next to the bed.

Our only complaint with the room is that the air conditioner, which was very cold, would blow right on our heads when we were in bed. The bathroom was modern with all of the amenities you could want.

The Dalmar/Element hotels are located within easy driving distance of Port Everglades. A 10-minute drive will have you at your ship. It is also an easy one-block walk to a CVS in case you need some last minute sundries for your cruise. There are also several restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. However, we decided to have dinner at the Lobby Bar on the 6th floor of The Dalmar. My cheeseburger was $24 but was one of the best cheeseburgers I have had in a long time and it was served with delicious truffle fries.

Tomorrow morning we will get a Lyft to take us to Rotterdam. We are excited to board Holland America’s newest Pinnacle-class ship!