Holland America Line started 2025 with several headlines, announcing everything from a partnership with The History Channel to create themed shore excursions to declaring the company was making a $70 million, multi-year investment to enhance guest experiences in Alaska, a destination the brand has been cruising since 1947, before it even became a state.
Falling under Carnival Corporation’s mid-size category, Holland America Line understands that innovation floats right alongside amenities and service as factors for success in the competitive cruise waters.
To get a better understanding of how the liner is navigating these ever-changing waters, Forbes Travel Guide hopped aboard its newest vessel, Rotterdam. Though the 2021-debuting ship offers robust itineraries to the Caribbean and Panama, our seven-day Norse Legends cruise started and ended in the Netherlands, making memorable stops to photogenic hamlets on Norway’s coastline along the way.
The Vessel
Because of its 150-year heritage, Holland America Line has a reputation for wooing older travelers. While spotless Wi-Fi and state-of-the-art fitness equipment assure the company has a grip on the future, Rotterdam does have an undeniable sophistication. Tihany Design and Yran & Storbraaten created the interiors to evoke motion and the architecture of music. Each curvature means something. Furniture shapes are purposeful. And if a dining hall happens to remind you of the inside of a cello, it’s not by coincidence.
The 1,340 rooms, which go from standard units to the more spacious Neptune Suite, may not make obvious musical nods, but they still harmonize with the rest of the ship. Our light wood-adorned Verandah stateroom was thoughtfully packed with elevated touches. Marble bathrooms feature massage showerheads and Elemis toiletries. The Mariner’s Dream bed with a Euro-top mattress is beyond plush. Aqua Panna waters and fresh fruit are always within arm’s reach. Even the terrace has enough room for two people to snap pictures without ever bumping into each other.
Speaking of photos, the entire ship feels like a floating gallery. In fact, more than $4 million was invested in the art, which ranges from oil paintings of vintage vessels to a piano keyboard made from wood and a hanging rhino piece constructed from old flip-flops. With Murano glass baubles dangling in the restaurants and beautiful bouquets orchestrated by the full-time florist in the passageways, every corner of the ship seems frame-worthy.
The Food
With more than 10 dining and drinking options on Rotterdam, if you want to sample something different at nearly every meal, you can. (Fun fact: the ship’s culinary team, which prepares 500 pounds of chicken and 300 pounds of rice per day, is made up of more than 140 members.) On the other hand, if you feel like partaking in Lido Market’s lavish buffet a few times, we understand.
While every ship has its salads, sirloins and sweets, this impressive spread is unlike any buffet we’ve had on the high seas. The stir-fry is fresher. The bread selection is more bountiful. The seafood has more flavor. After all, “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto is Holland America Line’s Global Fresh Fish Ambassador, meaning he ensures daily catches go from port to plate in less than 48 hours.
When you want something else for lunch, you have options. NY Pizza & Deli has solid pepperoni slices and pretzels. Grand Dutch Café offers traditional baked goods and brews. And not to call out any guests, but we couldn’t help but notice former Auburn head football coach Gene Chizik on our cruise grabbing a delicious burger at Dive-In on a few occasions. There’s a standout gelato station right across from the grill that proves the perfect spot to stop for an afternoon treat.
Come evening, Rotterdam can snazzy up a bit, so make sure the appropriate attire is packed. No matter if you’ve craving Asian (Tamarind and the new Morimoto by Sea sushi bar), Mediterranean (Rudi’s Sel De Mer), Italian (Canaletto) or a traditional steakhouse (Pinnacle Grill), there’s a place that pleases. The Dining Room, an elevated all-day dining establishment, does incredible things with cilantro pesto-topped seam bream and green peppercorn-speckled strip loins. And of the numerous bars and lounges, we repeatedly found our way back to Billboard Onboard for the refreshing Whiskey Smash.
The Onboard Distractions
Rotterdam has its quiet corners (the Crow’s Nest is great for a puzzle or solving the day’s Wordle) and its loud sections (we saw a woman win $1,000 at a casino slot machine), but where the ship shines is with its delightful live shows. Performances like “Song & Dance” take you on a rollicking trip through famous Hollywood and Broadway tunes that fills the 714-seat World Stage theater with energy.
Still, the venue’s most fun may be with “A City at Sea,” a fast-paced look at the intricacies of ship life — workers, who come from 45 countries, range from hull painters to an onboard tailor — that is both entertaining and informative.
Of course, going from shows to pickleball classes to after-hours jam sessions at B.B. King’s Blues Club can be tiring. When your muscles need relief, find some relaxation at the Greenhouse Spa, where you’ll discover treatment rooms, a steam and aromatic room, a sauna, a hydro pool and much more. Bamboo massages, acupuncture sessions and other treatments are performed by skilled therapists.
The Offshore Detours
Norway’s coastline is amazing from the ship, but it’s otherworldly up close. Rotterdam’s excursions get you even closer to the fjords and fishing villages through guided walks, kayaking adventures and glacier tours. Reserve the Voss Gondola and Waffles trek in Eidfjord and you’ll see majestic waterfalls and ride a gondola up more than 2,500 feet to the Hangur summit, where a tasty waffle and jaw-dropping panoramic mountain views await you.
Skjolden is another essential stop for exploring. If a watercolor of a Norwegian landscape were brought to life, the homes, docks and cideries would look like they do here. You won’t go wrong setting up an official walking tour, but by merely frolicking around the town’s bridges and ducking into some of its shops at your own pace also gives you a sense of the place.
One of the cruise’s final stops is Kristiansand. While you may be a bit weathered from the week’s worth of excitement, we still suggest disembarking to see all that Norway’s fifth-largest city has to offer. Be astounded by Kilden Performing Arts Centre’s architecture, do some window shopping along Markens Gate and take a walk around the photogenic Kristiansand Cathedral.
As you make your way back to the ship, you’ll pass through Fiskebrygga, a fish market-turned-tourist destination dotted with restaurants, cute shops and rows of red- and orange-painted buildings. It’s a dreamy Norwegian scene you’ll thank Rotterdam for allowing to come true for you.
