Rotterdam Review
4.0 / 5.0
0 reviews
jollyjojo1729
First Time Cruiser • Age 40s
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Additional details
Sail Date: Dec 2018
Cabin: Large Interior Stateroom
We needed a relaxing all-inclusive getaway but wanted a good value too. We wanted a smaller ship for a calmer experience, so the 7-day HAL cruise catering to "mature crowds" departing from Tampa, a six-hour drive away, fit the bill for us, a couple in their late 30s and early 40s.
We booked directly through HAL online, picked the cheapest room, and didn't regret it. I don't know how room assignments are made, but we lucked out with a room in the middle of the boat, smack in the middle between the two stairwells, and on the 2nd level, so we felt minimal rocking except on the one choppy open sea day with 10 foot waves. The room was spacious with plenty of closet and drawer space. Don't throw anything but toilet paper down the toilet; it will clog! However, the cabin stewards and staff were always super responsive and fixed anything when I reported the toilet or TV not working.
Each evening you get a paper copy of the next day's itinerary. Use the ship's internal WiFi to access the Navigator web app for the entire week's worth of daily itineraries to help plan your day.
Cabin Review
Large Interior Stateroom
Cabin J
Excellent. The room is in the middle of the ship, smack in the middle between the two stairwells/elevators, and on the 2nd level, so we felt minimal rocking, except on the one open sea day when we had 10 foot tall waves. No problem at all without a window. The queen bed with twins pushed together was so comfortable, and the room was much more spacious than I expected with plenty of closet and drawer space. Don't throw anything but toilet paper down the toilet; it will clog! The staff are very responsive though, and all problems were quickly resolved.
Port Reviews
Key West
Rotterdam docks at the navel base and contracts with the conch trolley tour to take you to Mallory Square and back. Not a cruise port, but a way to get into Key West proper.
Santo Tomas de Castilla
Commercial port with a building of handicraft vendors and on-site excursion providers competing for business, unlike other more mature ports where the excursion providers are coordinated or single providers. Excursions by sea include river tour with Livingston (which we did with Happy Fish Travel for $50 USD per person including lunch), or land tours to nearby town Puerto Barrios or other inland attractions like the waterfalls.
Roatan
Small but nice mature cruise port with seaside beach with free beach chairs and snorkeling area. Have to go through the port shopping area to get to the beach and restaurant/bar area at Mahogany Bay, either by Flying Beach Chair for cost or a 10-minute walk.
Costa Maya
Mature cruise port with restaurants, bars, chocolate and tequila "museum," and activities like salt water swimming pool, artificial beach with beach chairs around the swimming pool, and Dolphin Discovery that you can watch for free. Need to purchase excursion to go beyond the port area. Just outside the port is what appears to be a failed commercial development area, but there's convenience store where you can buy local snacks.
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