if this will be your 1st cruise you may think this is a pretty good ship with pretty good service. The ship is attractive, clean and well appointed with enough public space to find reasonable privacy if you want it. The food is OK but inconsistent. The wine list is unimaginative and overpriced. The cabins are nice. We had a balcony (definitely recommended) and there was a tub in the bathroom.
If you have cruised before, enjoyed really good food and service and had a diverse group of fellow passengers, you are likely to be disappointed in the Rotterdam. The ship is poorly managed. The officers are unfriendly and seem unhappy. Waiters are inattentive and seem poorly trained. Cabin stewards, however, are great.
This was a great itinerary, which is why we chose this cruise. We started in Rio at the Sheraton provided by Holland America. Like most passengers from the states, we arrived about 8:30 AM and were told our room would be ready at 3:00 PM. This is not what you want to hear when you have been on a plane for at least 8 hours. Some passengers had been traveling much longer. The hotel is in an attractive setting but is not convenient to anything. Food is mediocre and expensive. Front desk staff are rude. We were lucky because we had arranged for a driver to show us the city and take us to a locally popular restaurant for lunch. If you are a seasoned traveler and feel up to it, you may want to arrange your own hotel. Rio is beautiful and fascinating but not the best city to explore on your own. There is an enormous gap between rich and poor. Crime is a problem.