Rotterdam Review

4.0 / 5.0
0 reviews

what a great ship and crew

Review for Transatlantic Cruise on Rotterdam
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cmamd
First Time Cruiser • Age 80s

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Sail Date: Mar 2008
Cabin: Vista Suite

After reading some prior reviews we were worried what was waiting for us at the Rio de Janeiro port. We were glad to finally be on the Rotterdam and see what was going to be home for the next 28 days. A wonderful surprise, both ship and room had traditional design which was beautiful (not worn in any area). We found all the public spaces elegant and cabin was first class. Begin with the best bed, why was it better than the new Noordam, it was a treat to get into each evening. The leather sofa was very comfy and the cabin was spacious. The cabin steward, Rudy, was excellent, he became a wonderful friend after 28 days, knowing our routine and keeping our stateroom in tip-top shape, always had the ice bucket filled for my husband. The fresh flowers throughout the public areas were lovely and appreciated when at sea for so many days. The bed linens were luxury, as well as the bathroom towels, soaps, shampoo, lotions.

The food was very good the first 16 days of the cruise and the next 12 were not the same quality but perhaps being on the ship you get tired of the same kitchen and there were some repeats. The Pinnacle Grill was very good steak, limited menu choices but staff was very professional and made the evening a delightful surprise. The lido was very good for breakfast, and when we learned how to find the lighter dishes we were very happy to have lunch as well. I took a cooking class and had a fun afternoon, unlike any prior cooking classes I have attended. The Cruise Director was good, she had pax attending many different events that covered all age groups, this was a change from prior Hal travel which tended to be more senior pax. We had great music on the lido deck pool side and pax were having good party with crew and band (BBQ Night). Jeff Warren was a real treat, what a great entertainer in the piano bar, sorry he had to leave in Lisbon but he was overdue for a break from the ship. His replacement was not to our taste and we missed Jeff alot. The best bar waiter, Jax, made us feel like we were in our own country club, he remembered our names, and drink choice. We moved to the Ocean Bar to hear the band and Jax was moved as well, so we enjoyed the music played after and before dinner.

We had two parties for the CruiseCritic members which was attended by the Captain and his staff, in the Crows Nest, and they gave us some wonderful info on the future of Hal and answered many of our questions. The Captain was very kind to us sharing his history of becoming a cruise ship captain. Some pax had some issues with Port Director, which the Captain stated he would address and as the cruise continued we did see a change regarding ports of call info. The port trips ranged from okay to outstanding. The port trip to horse breeding farm in Cadiz was outstanding and would recommend to any pax interested in horses but only offered on Saturday. We had a problem with one port call not good for wheelchair pax and was refunded the cost. During the entire cruise the Captain keep his pax informed about what was coming and made everyone aware of the special places we were passing.

Cabin Review

Vista Suite

Cabin B
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