 Durant
and Cheryl Imboden'sEurope for Cruisers europeforcruisers.com |
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ms Rotterdam Cruise ReviewPage 2
ABOVE: A fisheye view of the Lido Restaurant's outdoor seating on Deck 8 and the Sea View Pool on Deck 7. ms Rotterdam: the shipHolland America Line's ms Rotterdam is a ship of Dutch registry, and it was dedicated in December, 1997 by Princess Margriet of the Netherlands. The ship's key dimensions and numbers are:
Although Rotterdam is Holland America Line's flagship, it isn't the largest ship in the fleet. HAL's newer Vista and Signature Class ships carry up to 2,106 passengers, a size that's still quite a bit smaller than the 3,000- to 4,200-passenger megaships that some mass-market cruise lines have brought into service over the past few years.
Rotterdam has 10 passenger decks, with most public rooms on Decks 4 through 8.
Higher up, Deck 9 houses the Crow's Nest bar, sports court, and the Club Hal children's facilities. Deck 10, the "Sky Deck," is mostly a sundeck with an "Oasis" area for teenagers.)
Getting around Rotterdam is easy: Most decks run the full length of the passenger quarters and public rooms, and the ship's manageable size means that you can get from Point A to Point B without a time-consuming hike. (If you prefer lifts to stairs, you can head for Rotterdam's aft, midship, and forward elevator banks.) Next page: Staterooms, suites
1st, 3rd inset photos copyright © Holland America Line. |
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Thanks
to a trim white superstructure atop a navy-blue hull, Rotterdam's lines
have more in common with late 20th Century ocean liners like the SS France
and QE2 than with the newest generation of balcony-laden megaships.
Rotterdam is clearly a vessel that was designed not only for the
Mediterranean and Caribbean, but also for the high seas.
Decks 1 to 3 are dedicated to inside and outside staterooms--along
with an "outdoor walkaround" on the Lower Promenade Deck.
At
the center of the ship, a 3-deck atrium is dominated by an elaborate clock tower
that is covered with clock faces, sculptures, astronomical indicators, and other
whimsical touches. Throughout the public rooms, you'll find other examples of
Rotterdam's art collection, which includes pieces that range from replicas
of Chinese terra-cotta warriors to an 18th Century ship model carved from bone.