After 25 years of exclusively cruising Princess Cruises and over 30+ cruises, we ventured to another line. Why? We watched as the reasons we fell in love with Princess Cruises slowly slipped further and further away. The ships kept getting bigger, the service slimmer, another cost added each voyage, and a serious deterioration in the quality of the food offerings. So it was time.

This is the first in our series on our first Holland America cruise. Coming up:  main included dining and Club Orange, specialty dining at Tamarind and Rudi’s Sel de Mer and more, and Baltic port roundup.

Why We Chose Holland America’s Rotterdam

We researched a number of lines but wanted to return to a smaller ship experience without to cost of the luxury lines.  We chose this itinerary on the Rotterdam. As part of the Pinnacle Class, the largest of the ship’s in Holland’s fleet, its size is equivalent of the Grand Princess which was our first ship 25 years ago when it was new.  It now represents one of the smallest ships in the Princess fleet.

We booked early so we were able to take advantage of the Early Booking Have It All Bonus that gave us an upgraded beverage package and wifi packags along with paid gratuities.  The price point was slightly more than Princess, but once the Have It All bonuses were factored in, it was fairly comparable. We also chose Club Orange… that’s another post.

We enjoy slow sea days, good wine, cocktails, dining and live music.  We do not participate in games, shows, shopping events or ship photos.  No judgment here just trying to lay the foundation for our review.  This will not be a comparison to Princess; rather with that background here is our take on our first Holland America Cruise.  

Embarkation Day in Rotterdam

We embarked the Rotterdam in Rotterdam. The port is very convenient to anywhere in central Rotterdam. We stayed the night before at CitizenM by Markthal and elected to walk since it was a beautiful day and only a 30-minute walk (we travel with carry-on-only luggage). We had Priority Embarkation (thanks to Club Orange), and it was sidewalk to ship in 30 minutes flat — including a 12-minute wait for the boarding process to start. Simple and efficient. The cabins weren’t ready for another 90+ minutes, so up to the Lido Deck for pizza at New York Pizza & Deli.

Prepared to order, the pizza was hot, crispy, and tasty. Everything at New York Pizza & Deli is included in your fare. They also have breakfast bagels, sandwiches, and coffee in the mornings, and snacks at night like popcorn and soft pretzels. Nice touch.

Our Aft Verandah Cabin

We had an aft verandah cabin on deck six. Well designed, with a small loveseat — a bit tight at the corners, with the doors between the bathroom and the closet oddly hitting each other. It’s one or the other; not both at once. The bathroom was well done, and the shower had great pressure and hot water at all times.

The Unlimited Laundry Package

After traveling for 6 days through the Netherlands, our first order of business was to get the Unlimited Laundry Package: $168 for the cabin, not per person, for a 14-night cruise. Since we travel with carry-on only, this was a no-brainer. We have free laundry on Princess due to our loyalty status, but we’re new here. The laundry bag is cloth, the service is a one-day return, and small items come back in a basket wrapped in paper, with hanging clothes returned in a cloth garment bag. Super nice. Impressed.

Ship Layout and Live Music

We found the ship’s layout and décor understated, elegant, and easy to navigate. Decks 2 and 3 had most of the entertainment venues, bars, dining rooms, and two specialty restaurants. The Lido buffet, poolside pizza, and burgers were all located around the main pool, with various bars from stem to stern.

The “Music Walk” venues — B.B. King’s, Billboard, and Rolling Stone — are close together and stagger their sets so they don’t compete with each other. The variety of live music is very nice in the evenings; some nights it’s themed (e.g., ’70s rock). There was also a strings/piano trio that played classical music, mostly in the afternoons at afternoon tea and a few other random times. We very much enjoy live music of all kinds, and this ship did not disappoint in that area.

A Local Touch in Warnemünde

Speaking of music: we were in port in Warnemünde, Germany until the evening, as many passengers went to Berlin for the day. A local German brass band came aboard, and Holland America set up the Lido pool area as a beer hall in the Oktoberfest tradition, with the buffet featuring food to match. They were terrific.

Little local touches such as this makes the trip even more memorable.

Quick Tips for First-Time Holland America Cruisers

• Book early to snag the Early Booking Have It All Bonus — the upgraded beverage/wifi package and paid gratuities may close the price gap with Princess and other lines.
• Head straight to New York Pizza & Deli if your cabin isn’t ready at embarkation — it’s included in your fare and open right away.
• Get the Unlimited Laundry Package if you’re a carry-on-only traveler — $168 covers the whole cabin for the full cruise (based on our 14 day cruise), not per person.
• Check the entertainment schedule for the Music Walk venues — B.B. King’s, Billboard, and Rolling Stone stagger sets so you can bounce between them all night long.
• Keep an eye out for local touches in port — like Warnemünde’s Oktoberfest-style beer hall setup — watch for them in teh daily itinerary.

Let us know your tips and tricks for Holland America.