Side by Side

March 18, 2023

“Back to Back” is when you take two cruises in a row on the same ship, as we just did on the Sky Princess. “Side by Side” is taking two cruises in a row on different ships. That’s what we are doing now. We disembarked from the Sky Princess this morning and took a taxi across the port to the Rotterdam.

This is our first cruise with Holland America, and I think I am going to like it - a lot! The Rotterdam is new and she is glamorous … classy … fascinating.

The design of the public areas is mostly “open concept.” There are fewer rooms, more spaces. It all flows from one space to the next. You can see into some of the restaurants because the walls are often more suggestions than solid walls. The main entertainment area of the ship is called the “Music Walk.” The main venues for entertainment are B.B. King’s Blues Club, Lincoln Center Stage, “billboard onboard” and the Rolling Stone Rock Room. The World Stage is a large semi-circular state-of-the-art theater.

Much of the art on the ship is a continuation of the music theme. The art is fresh and often amusing.

There are subtle reminders of the company’s Dutch roots everywhere. Sometimes it is just an orange stripe. Sometimes it is a bit of delftware or a tulip design in the carpet.

Our stateroom is very comfortable. The colors are muted. The balcony is big enough for two chairs, two ottomans, and a table. Our mattress is excellent. So is the shower. There are various amenities for us to use during the cruise: bathrobes, lap blankets, beach towels, and a big orange umbrella. (I don’t think this app lets my add footnotes. If I knew how, I would add a footnote here that says we never used the lap blankets.😎)

Safe, mini-fridge, three drawers for storage

On the other hand, I would have liked a little more soundproofing between cabins. Our neighbors had very loud voices. Did you know that you can tell someone has a southern accent even when you can’t make out their words?

We had dinner at the Pinnacle Grill, which is one of the specialty restaurants on Holland America. It was primarily a steakhouse, but they had seafood and other types of meat. It was delicious, and the service was first rate.

Crab Cake appetizer

Beef tenderloin with lobster dumplings

Later we went to a show at “billboard onboard.” The theme was British Invasion. We watched Trenton and KG play baby grand pianos and sing. They had so much energy. It was infectious. 

Today’s color is slate gray. Our bathroom floor and shower floor were slate, and the shower was one of our favorite things about our cabin.