Itinerary: Departure on July 12, 2011. 9-nights. New York to Rotterdam with one stop in Cobh, Ireland.

This voyage was touted by Holland America as a traditional crossing. One mailing I received advertised "Relive the days of the great transatlantic crossing". Well that was enough to grab my attention! Two crossings (one Eastbound and one Westbound) were advertised to commemorate the 40-year anniversary of Holland America's transition to vacation cruising. Scheduled to be onboard were The Pasadena Roof Orchestra; Master chef Daniel Orr; Bill Miller aka "Mr. Ocean Liner"; marine painter Stephen Card; and Naval Architect Stephen Payne. Unfortunately Mr. Payne did not make the voyage, but in his place was actor and singer Lorna Luft, better known as the daughter of legendary Judy Garland.

As much as I enjoyed the crossing, I don't think HAL will be scheduling a repeat performance. Fares hit rock bottom, and while the ship was full the yields had to be very low. Frankly most people are just not interested in a leisurely crossing with 7 days at sea and only one port. For me it was an itinerary made in heaven! The fewer ports the better! According to the Cruise Log, we motored our way a total of 3443 nautical miles from New York to Rotterdam, with a single stop in Cobh, Ireland. Our cruising conditions ranged from slight seas and fog to a fresh gale and rough seas. All in all it was a smooth voyage, a little too smooth for my liking. The first couple days were almost Caribbean like, with warm temperatures and plenty of sun bathing by the pool. Later the temperatures dropped, although it was never cold and there was some fog.

I started the trip in my hometown of Philadelphia, visiting family. Being in Philadelphia afforded me the opportunity to swing by the waterfront and grab some photos of SS UNITED STATES. Even in her current state she is an imposing and impressive figure on the waterfront. Her stacks still rank as some of the most impressive ever put to sea. A quick ride on Amtrak's Acela Express from 30th Station and I was in NY. My ship, the ROTTERDAM VI awaited at the West Side Passenger Ship Terminal in Manhattan.

My first impressions of ROTTERDAM VI were quite positive. She is in excellent condition and I liked the upgrades performed on her, minus the ridiculous "Retreat" at the aft end of the ship. I do admit The Retreat looks better in person, but frankly it's a complete waste of space and a second quiet pool is sorely missed. We had many families on this crossing and the kids basically took over the only pool, which is located midship under the magrodome. Public spaces and my cabin looked excellent and were in top condition. I absolutely loved the size of ROTTERDAM VI. At just 1404 passengers and 59,885 gross tons, she is easy to navigate and never overwhelming. I actually preferred her over the brand new NIEUW AMSTERDAM which I sailed on last November.

I occupied cabin 3307, which was forward on Lower Promenade Deck and overlooked the outdoor promenade deck. My window was tinted, so at least during the day the walkers outside could not see in. The cabin was a nice size and offered a good view of the ocean. I liked the fact I could easily get out on deck in a matter of seconds. Overall though I would have preferred an outside cabin on Deck 1 or Deck 2 with direct ocean views. Being so far forward meant a little more movement, and being directly under the show lounge meant you could hear rehearsals each morning starting at about 9:45am, and of course the evening shows as well if you happen to be in the cabin. I was usually still sleeping when the rehearsals started so they became my morning wake-up call. Most nights I didn't get to sleep until 3am or later, in part because we lost an hour most nights of the cruise. This is definitely a disadvantage of an Eastbound crossing. On a couple occasions we even lost an hour during the day, with the clocks being set forward at 2am and 2pm. One feature of the cabin I haven't seen in years is piped in music. These days on the newest ships, if you want music you have to turn on the TV. On ROTTERDAM VI, they still have a separate little control panel by the bed with several channels of piped in music over the cabin's speaker. This was a nostalgic touch I really enjoyed.

One incident that happened early on is that I got sick, presumably with the dreaded noro-virus. This happened on the first evening after dinner. It came on quick, in the way of an upset stomach and fever. The next day I decided to go to the doctor and I was quarantined for 24 hours. Basically the symptoms went away as quickly as they came on, in just under 24 hours. What is interesting is that I'm a flight attendant exposed to thousands of people held captive in a silver tube every month, and I've never gotten this illness before. I've also sailed on about 90 cruises and this was the first time I contracted this virus. I guess there is a first time for everything, no matter how careful you are. One aspect of this illness that marred my entire crossing was an oversight by the medical center. They put me into the computer as being under quarantine. The next day they called me to check on my condition, and at that point I was released from quarantine. Unfortunately they never took me out of the computer. This meant for the entire cruise whenever I gave my cabin number, I was identified as being under quarantine and given the third degree by a staff member. They would then have to call the medical center (if it was open) to confirm I was released. The medical center would advise that I would be taken out of the system but they never followed through. On the last day of the cruise my friends and I decided to have lunch in the dining room. For whatever reason HAL requests your cabin number as you enter. Sure enough when I gave my cabin number the quarantine was still listed and we were asked to step aside. This is when I about blew a gasket. It was the last day of the cruise and frankly I was tired of being reminded and inconvenienced about something that happened on the first day! I think the friend that was with me was even more upset than myself, and demanded to speak with the Hotel Manager. Unfortunately that never happened and we got apologies but no real resolution to the situation. This aspect of Holland America did not impress me.

Since we are on the subject of service, I'll say that overall food and service was adequate. We had traditional main sitting (late) for dinner and we never had the nice introductions from the wait staff. Our head waiter never came to check on us until the last evening. Too little too late. Often times the waiter would forget who ordered what and would have to ask, or sometimes just forget all together. It wasn't horrible or anything, but it certainly wasn't polished or memorable either. The same holds true for the quality and presentation of the food. It was all good enough, but nothing really stood out as being exceptional.

Some of the entertainment on this crossing was truly a highlight of the voyage. The Pasadena Roof Orchestra was a delight, and really transported one to a bygone era of big band, dancing, and glamour. Bill Miller as always gave exceptionally entertaining lectures, and I never tire of them no matter how many times I have heard the same stories. Stephen Card was also onboard, and for those that don't know him he is an incredible marine artist based out of Bermuda. His beautiful paintings are all over the ROTTERDAM VI and the entire Holland America fleet for that matter. I think what truly sets his paintings apart is a three-fold approach. First is his love of ships and this certainly comes across in his work. Second is the amount of detail in every painting. Stephen goes to great lengths to ensure the setting for each painting is historically valid, and also that the ship is aesthetically correct in every way. This takes a great deal of time and research. Third is just pure talent, which Stephen possesses in abundance. The colors literally jump out at you and can be quite dramatic. Stephen gave one lecture which unfortunately I missed (I fell asleep on deck!), but I was able to catch it on TV and also some of it one to one during a dinner I was invited to in his penthouse. That was a lovely evening. Thanks again Stephen if you happen to be reading this! A surprise entertainer was Lorna Luft, daughter of legendary Judy Garland. Her performance was very entertaining, although I will say some of the notes were a bit of a stretch for her. She has an old Hollywood style so I think it was quite fitting she performed on this traditional crossing. Lastly we had Holland America's production shows, if you can call them that. You see they have this concept called "Showroom at Sea". It's supposed to be a more intimate cabaret type setting with shows that are equally more intimate. Translation is that the large production shows are history, replaced by smaller shows with four lead singers and only two female dancers. That is the entire compliment of performers for the shows. Personally I thought the shows were rather amateur and it truly seemed like more of a cost cutting measure to me. When I was on NIEUW AMSTERDAM last November, they still had the large production shows but also some smaller shows like Cantare, which comprised of four males singers performing in a similar style to Il Divo. It thought it was excellent and would have loved to have seen it again on ROTTERDAM VI.

Our single port of call was Cobh, Ireland. This city is pronounced as "Cove". It's a lovely little waterfront town with quite a heritage. Cobh is somewhat famous for being the last port of call before TITANIC met her doom several days later. The last photographs of the ship were also taken as the ship departed Cobh. Many aspects of the town have a Titanic theme from pubs to gift shops. Overall it was a quaint and charming diversion from shipboard life. Not too far away is the Blarney Stone, but already kissed that on my last visit!

This voyage ended in the city of Rotterdam, which after all is quite fitting considering the historic nature of this crossing. We docked not far from the original Holland America Line headquarters, which you can now spend the night in as the Hotel New York. We also passed the now static ship ROTTERDAM V, which is permanently docked as a floating hotel. Since I started this adventure off by seeing the beautiful laid up SS UNITED STATES in Philadelphia, what better way to end it than by staying the night on the original "Grande Dame", the ROTTERDAM V. I wish I could say my visit to the hotel ROTTERDAM V was a complete success, but this was not the case. On the positive she is beautifully restored. Absolutely stunning and the restoration work is first class all the way. She is very much how I remember her aesthetically.
Unfortunately I can't recommend staying onboard as the current management is pretty horrific. I can't remember when I've encountered so many rude staff members and one hardly feels welcomed onboard. Most of the ship feels like a police state, as there are rent-a-cops all over the ship looking and acting like they belong in the Nazi SS. You would think they were guarding Hitler himself! Honestly it was beyond ridiculous. Even when you first embark the ship there is a large security office just as you enter, looking very high tech and imposing. This is your first impression and unfortunately it sets the tone for the overall experience. While I enjoyed my time onboard, I would not return under the current management and cannot recommend it to anyone else.

I was able to capture some photos of the beautiful public rooms (which wasn't easy believe me), and they are looking very much as I remember from her sailing days with HAL and Premier. The cabins/rooms were also nicely done, and for the most part they are the size of two cabins when the ship was active (an inside and outside cabin).

Overall I really enjoyed this trip. It afforded the opportunity to spend time with some old friends and make new ones as well, all in an atmosphere of relaxation and no set schedule. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Attached are two picture links, those of the current ROTTERDAM VI crossing and another link for the static hotel ship ROTTERDAM V. I hope you enjoy.

Ernie

Pictures link:
ROTTERDAM VI Crossing

ROTTERDAM V Static Hotel Ship

David - I just got back from Sea Princess a few days ago and I have to say you can add Princess to that list as well. While I had a lovely time on her I felt a bit underwhelmed in terms of service and food. I want to make it clear I am not "bad mouthing" Carnival Corp. I think they have great products but as a frequent cruiser I felt that the service and food could have been better conisdering Princess is a premium cruise line. Or has that changed? I'm not even sure but back when I was a travel agent (especially in my early years 1998/1999) Princess was considered premium.

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Originally posted by nycruiser:
I felt that the service and food could have been better conisdering Princess is a premium cruise line. Or has that changed? I'm not even sure but back when I was a travel agent (especially in my early years 1998/1999) Princess was considered premium.

I will post a review with pics shortly.

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I look forward to the review.

I also remember when Princess was quite upscale and premium back in the 80's. They were expensive to sail on as well. Times have changed. I don't really consider them "premium" anymore, but then again I'm not even sure what premium is anymore. The line between so-called mass-market lines and premium lines is so blurred that I don't think there are significant differences anymore. The mass-market lines have really beefed up the product with amenities like luxury bedding, specialty restaurants, butlers, and elaborate spas while the premium lines have built bigger ships and no longer seem to have specialized amenities or features that differentiate them. Even the prices these days seem to be the same. Often times you can sail on HAL, Carnival, Princess, NCL, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity all for around the same price.

The biggest thing that seems to differentiate the cruise lines these days is the hardware. Each line offers it's own style of cruising in large part due to the design of the ships, but the software (such as food and service) doesn't seem all that different these days.

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
I liked your photos! Especially of Cobh. Rotterdam looks like a decent ship. The Terra Cotta army guys are cool to see but a little over the top. Thanks for sharing!

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Thanks Barry. I agree some of the art is questionable. I had many "huh" moments while touring around the ship and viewing the art.

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Originally posted by desirod7:
Does HAL compare to Celebrity?

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Honestly they are more alike than different. As you know I personally prefer Celebrity, and that is mostly because I love the design of their ships and the decor. Personally my experience has been the food and service is slightly elevated on Celebrity, but that really depends on the cruise since as you know it varies from ship to ship and even from cruise to cruise on the same ship.

Rotterdam VI remains one of my fondest cruises memories having had the good fortune to do a 10-night Canada/New England cruise from New York to Montreal back in 2003. I was on the same deck as you Ernie but had a cabin further aft (3393 if memory serves) and very close to an easy access door to the (lower) Promenade Deck to catch morning sunrises.

I don't think I care for the jumbo-tron overlooking The Retreat. Do they blast movies and music or more relaxing alternative entertainment?

It was on this cruise (and the very first time) that I never stepped door in the MDR except to get pictures, eating in the Lido every night except the last night where I ordered room service. A very relaxing cruise. 

I do remember seeing the Terra Cotta Warrior replicas that first time thinking how sort of tacky and out of place they seemed. Not awful, just weird. 

Maybe one day I will get the opportunity to sail her again. That would be very nice indeed.

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Originally posted by eroller:

I look forward to the review.

I also remember when Princess was quite upscale and premium back in the 80's. They were expensive to sail on as well. Times have changed. I don't really consider them "premium" anymore, but then again I'm not even sure what premium is anymore. The line between so-called mass-market lines and premium lines is so blurred that I don't think there are significant differences anymore. The mass-market lines have really beefed up the product with amenities like luxury bedding, specialty restaurants, butlers, and elaborate spas while the premium lines have built bigger ships and no longer seem to have specialized amenities or features that differentiate them. Even the prices these days seem to be the same. Often times you can sail on HAL, Carnival, Princess, NCL, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity all for around the same price.

The biggest thing that seems to differentiate the cruise lines these days is the hardware. Each line offers it's own style of cruising in large part due to the design of the ships, but the software (such as food and service) doesn't seem all that different these days.

Ernie

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True. I see that the line betweem premium and standard has been erased almost. I guess there are the mass-market ships, deluxe and luxury categories of cruise lines.

Funny what you said about Princess in the 80s. I collect old cruise brochures and I was looking through some old late 80 early 90s Princess brochures and you can see that they did promote themselves as more of a premium line with the Italian influence from Stimar. I have one brochure where they tout all the pasta they served! I had Fettuccini Alfredo in the dining room one night on the Sea Princess cruise I was just on and almost all the Fettuccini was stuck to each other! The Alfredo sauce was like glue! I'm Italian and thats a sin! LOL

[ 08-03-2011: Message edited by: nycruiser ]

In regards to the service levels, we have noticed a decline in Princess and HAL in the last couple of years, the problem that I noticed isn't the training level of the crew, it's the number.

On both lines I noticed that there were less people working in the restaurants, in the buffet on both lines there used to be two or three people working a station, now there is one, of course if someone orders eggs made to order then the whole line stops.

So yes, the line between mass and premium lines has be blurred, in many ways Carnival actually has a better product than Princess or HAL, at least in the standard rooms.

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Originally posted by dmwnc1:

I don't think I care for the jumbo-tron overlooking The Retreat. Do they blast movies and music or more relaxing alternative entertainment?

It was on this cruise (and the very first time) that I never stepped door in the MDR except to get pictures, eating in the Lido every night except the last night where I ordered room service. A very relaxing cruise. 

 

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Nope, they don't blast things on the screen like on other ships. Frankly I don't even know why it's there. At night they would play various concerts on it which was nice.

Funny you mention the Lido. I was quite surprised that HAL doesn't keep it open 24/7 like on some other lines. Basically after 1am there is nothing available but room service. I'm not normally one to eat so late, but on this cruise I was up past 3am on most nights, and sometimes it would have been nice to grab a quick bite. No need for the full buffet of course, but a small sandwich or something like that.

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Originally posted by nycruiser:

Funny what you said about Princess in the 80s. I collect old cruise brochures and I was looking through some old late 80 early 90s Princess brochures and you can see that they did promote themselves as more of a premium line with the Italian influence from Stimar. I have one brochure where they tout all the pasta they served! I had Fettuccini Alfredo in the dining room one night on the Sea Princess cruise I was just on and almost all the Fettuccini was stuck to each other! The Alfredo sauce was like glue! I'm Italian and thats a sin! LOL

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Princess had the Italian influence even before Sitmar. Although the officers were British, the entire dining room staff was Italian and Princess was quite proud of that fact. It's also one reason the combination with Sitmar seemed to be a good fit. Back in the day, the Italian staff in Princess dining rooms really put on a good show. There was some type of table side preparation almost every night. It might be something like Caesar Salad, a special pasta dish, or a desert like Cherries Jubliee or Crepes Suzette.

Times have changed .... mostly for the good I think but not for the MDR which seems to have declined on most ships.

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Originally posted by jetwet1:
Thanks for the report.

In regards to the service levels, we have noticed a decline in Princess and HAL in the last couple of years, the problem that I noticed isn't the training level of the crew, it's the number.

On both lines I noticed that there were less people working in the restaurants, in the buffet on both lines there used to be two or three people working a station, now there is one, of course if someone orders eggs made to order then the whole line stops.

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I think you hit the nail on the head. We noticed the same thing on ROTTERDAM. Less staff serving more passengers. Not just in the dining room but the cabins as well. It's one reason that sometimes your cabin is not made up until 1 or 2pm. That never happened in the past. The dining room staff never seemed to have a minute to even chat for a second. It was rush rush rush all the time.

I do agree with you about the suites on Carnival. Nothing special except the size is larger. Most mass-market lines (Royal Caribbean, NCL, Princess) offer a lot more suite amenities than Carnival. They are really behind in that regard. I think the only thing you get with a suite on Carnival is VIP check-in. Big deal!

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Originally posted by jetwet1:
I will say the suites are far superior on both Princess and HAL than on Carnival though.

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We had a nice suite on HAL's Oosterdam before they went back and added those aft cabins and took away that outstanding deck. I agree about Carnival's suites. One reason that we no longer cruise with Carnival. NCL and RCI actually have nicer suites than lines such as Princess and Celebrity.