We all know food is subjective. We fully enjoy fresh, well-prepared food. We like fancy — it doesn’t have to be. We like inventive — it doesn’t have to be. It just has to be good. On a cruise, we completely understand that the ship is serving thousands of meals daily, and to expect five-star dining is setting one up for disappointment. That said, a deterioration in the food product and selection from our prior preferred line caused us to stray. So here we go with our first cruise dining experiences with Holland America.

Why We Booked Club Orange

We booked this Baltic cruise early and added Club Orange. As a result, our Have It All package included two specialty restaurant dinners, and for breakfast and dinner each day, the Rotterdam (and all Pinnacle Class ships) has a separate Club Orange dining room. We tend to eat the vast majority of our meals in the dining room. We like to be seated with table service — it lends to our enjoyment of vacation.

In all our years of cruising, a separate dining room was never an option. It simply did not exist on Princess until the Sphere Class ships. So this was new to us, and I am here to say, I am a fan. The main dining room is stunning, and we did eat lunch here on one sea day. Here is a picture of the main dining room.

Inside the Club Orange Dining Room

The Club Orange dining room is a relatively small space with tables of varying sizes and an open kitchen used for some of the cooking — mainly omelets and other breakfast items, plus the Club Orange entrée. The menu is the same as the main dining room, except at dinner there’s an added entrée that’s exclusive to Club Orange. The staff was extraordinary and plentiful. They get to know you immediately, along with many of your preferences, thanks to its size. It felt like coming back home each night, or going to your country club. We already have it booked for our 2027 Wild British Isles cruise.

What We Ate: A Sample of Some Dishes

To give an idea of the food in the dining room, here is a sample of first courses: fried cod slider, Caesar salad, Asian ribs, escargot and burrata melon salad.

An example of a true cruise staple: prime rib. Loved the plate of accompaniments for the beef and potato!

Lastly, an example of a Club Orange entrée — this was the first night: short rib in a mole sauce, with a crab cake starter. Very good, and even more fun to watch Diana the chef work in the open-air kitchen as she made the short rib dishes.

Skipping the Buffet: Lido Deck Alternatives

We are not fans of buffet dining — not specific to Holland America, but in general. We did partake at lunch a few days, as the salad station offers either premade salads or one built to your liking on the spot, with plenty of topping options, all assembled by staff — so no germ-filled utensils. Well done, Holland.

The casual options on the Lido deck — NY Pizza & Deli and Dive In burgers — were both very good for a quick bite, especially when returning from port and in need of a a bite.

Overall, we were pleased with the included food options we tried on the Rotterdam. 

Quick Tips for Holland America Dining

• Book early if you want Club Orange — it’s capacity controlled and fills up quickly.
• Try the salad station at lunch if you’re avoiding the buffet in general — it’s made fresh to order with no shared utensils.
• Watch the open kitchen in the Club Orange room — it’s always entertaining to catch the cooking in action.
• Grab a quick bite on the Lido deck (NY Pizza & Deli or Dive In) when you’re coming back from port instead of the buffet.
• The main dining room is open for lunch on sea days but not in Club Orange — worth a visit just to see the space and a nice nosh.

Next up: our specialty dining experiences on the Rotterdam.