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Holland America Line

MS Rotterdam (VI)

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: James Tagliani
# previous cruises: 10+
Date of Trip: April 26, 1998
Itinerary: Transatlantic

This was my first sailing on the "new" Rotterdam. Though overall we had a good time, I do not think the ship fits the bill, in as far as what Holland America is pushing her as (five star). I found HAL other ships better!. Our verandah deck cabin flooded and the toilet didn't work. The air conditioning in the public room is erratic, creating some HOT rooms. I hope that when this ship goes into dry-dock and that these problems will be fixed. The food was better than usual HAL fare and the alternative restaurant was a nice touch. Wait till the get the bugs out of this ship before sailing on her. E-mail me with any questions!

The public rooms are similar to the "Statendam" class ships, except for the extra dinning room and the additional staircase. I found the fake wood, which is everywhere, a bit cheap looking. Their were many "replicas" of the famous HAL artwork, I expected more "originals". The Lido deck was done in the worst neon yellow and bright orange-Ugly. There is a great walk around promenade. I liked the queens lounge-the main show room, as well as the crows nest and explorer's lounge. The dinning room is similar to the other ships but with a few too many additional colors.

Food and service was good. The food was better than on other HAL cruises. The alternative restaurant was a nice choice on some evenings. Our waiter and bus-boy were fine. The lido food was normal HAL fare.

Our cabin was a category A verandah cabin. It was nice with lots of closet space, a queen sized bed and a leather couch in the seating area. Two days into the cruise it flooded and remained a wet mess for five days. The ship personal did not act quick enough to solve this problem. The toilet also flushed erratically.

Good shows with great Vegas style costumes.. Three full shows in our 10 day cruise.

I spent my days lazily doing nothing....it was great. Though there was enough activities planned to keep all entertained

I was the youngest (30 Years old), except for the one 5 year old girl on board. Some i would invite home...Actually I plan to cruise again with a group I met on board!