[Fore!]

Originally Posted by dtennent

We just returned from an 11 day cruise on the Holland America Rotterdam sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale. Here are some of our cruising experiences on this is a brand new ship which did its first cruise starting on October 20th which was a transatlantic crossing. Please realize that this is just a description of our experience on board the ship and is not meant to be a discussion of mask vs no mask or vaccine vs. no vaccine.

1. Vaccination record and negative Covid test within 48 hours of boarding were required by the cruise line and were confirmed before proceeding to check in.

2. Masks were required whenever you were outside of your room unless you were eating or drinking. In fact, each cabin came with 2 masks/person. There was about 99% compliance. Captain reminded folks of this requirement several times during the cruise.

3. There were 4 areas with sinks for washing hands as you came into the Lido dining area. Staff members were there to encourage you in a friendly way. Food was plated and given to you rather than having it open to serve yourself.

4. The muster stations are not on the decks near the lifeboats but rather in areas within the interior of the ship. In part, this is due to the change in design where the life boats are on the same level as the Promenade Deck which reduces the width of that walkway.

5. Staffing seemed to be a little short. May have been due to many of the staff being relatively new and were still learning their positions. However, the effort to provide great service was always there. One nice change was the Dining room steward now served the wine so you didn’t have to wait for a wine steward to show up.

6. Excursion tickets are now e-tickets. This requires a smart phone or a tablet to use them. This is part of an ongoing effort to reduce paper on Holland America ships.

7. Each island had its own requirements about getting off the ship.
a. St. Thomas, St. Maarten and St. Lucia allowed everyone to get off the ship and roam freely but took our temperatures as we got off the ship.
b. Barbados only allowed passengers on Holland America excursions and Government approved excursions to leave the port area. They also had disinfectant stations that measured your body temperature. Made me jump the first time I put my hand under the dispenser.
c. Dominca only allowed passengers on Holland America excursions to leave the port area.
d. St Kitts and Nevis only allowed passengers on Holland America excursions and Government approved excursions to leave the port area.

8. They ran shows in two different venues and had music a few different places. Given that everyone was close together, all wore masks.

Overall, the ship is beautiful. We had 1800 passengers on board (2600 passenger capacity). We felt very safe and had an enjoyable trip.

We just returned from a 12 day cruise on Celebrity Equinox. We had a blast. No masks unless going to the islands where they all require masking. Our captain, Tasso Kafetzis was the best! We’ve cruised many times and I have to say he was the best and most entertaining and engaging captain we’ve ever had. He goes to the Celebrity Edge next so if you get a chance, by all means take a cruise with his ship. You won’t be sorry. Ship was about half full, plenty of excellent staff, lots of great entertainment. Food service was given to you at the buffet, you were not allowed to touch anything. Constant sanitizing was going on during the cruise. Overall a wonderful cruise experience.

[allsport]

Originally Posted by billethkid

We will not return to cruising until the masks are no longer required.

Wearing a mask most of ones waking hours is not a vacation (for us).

Good thing you never chose the medical profession.

[diamond2005]

celebrity Apex did not require masks on board.

[Ithreeputtoo]

Originally Posted by Allen Dronsfield

Just a correction, the Rotterdam is not a new ship, it's home port is Rotterdam where the original Rotterdam is moored. The Holland America ship has been in service for many years as my wife and I sailed on her 3 years ago out of Tampa to Rotterdam and the Baltic then returning to Rotterdam. Enjoyable cruise, lots to see, great crew.

The new Rotterdam just came out this summer and it is the new design like the Koningsdam and the Nieuw Statendam. We are scheduled to do the holiday cruise on this brand new ship.

[kenoc7]

I can't believe all the whining about wearing masks. Get over it people.

[Joe C.]

Wearing a mask when trying to enjoy things is a real downer. It puts the kebosh on all the fun. So if we are on vacation (read..having a lot of fun) why should we be required to wear a mask..... especially when we are paying for all the fun with our $$$$.

[toeser]

Lucky you. Our Holland America cruise was cancelled for 2020, 2021, and 2022. It is now scheduled for 2023.

[billethkid]

Originally Posted by kenoc7

I can't believe all the whining about wearing masks. Get over it people.

Opinions or preferences do not = whining.

[Old Bob]

Originally Posted by dadspet

Our experience on Holland wasn't very positive, but it had nothing to do with Covid. We like to dance and Holland had no dancing at all. They had a BJ King blues room (I think it was called) that only played jazz music and we found the ship boring at night. Not sure if other Holland ships are the same but we will avoid Holland cruises. We cruise a fair amount, mainly based on itinerary, and tend to like MSC and Royal Caribbean cruises which have good entertainment.

I'm with you. I love dancing. I have been on 6 cruises with Carnival, and we had good dancing every night.

[ElDiabloJoe]

Moderators, please move this thread to the travel section, where it belongs. TY.

[bp243]

Thank you for the detailed account of your trip. Planning a Holland America trip for next summer and your comments are very helpful.

[Idaholady]

It’s a brand new ship — the Rotterdam 7. The seventh to be so named. Gorgeous and fun with outstanding entertainment. I took the repositioning cruise from Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale. A great time.

[rpalumberi]

Originally Posted by billethkid

We will not return to cruising until the masks are no longer required.

Wearing a mask most of ones waking hours is not a vacation (for us).

We agree 100%, we'll find other things to do in the meantime. To each their own, or something like that.

[Ingridbrandt48@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by dtennent

We just returned from an 11 day cruise on the Holland America Rotterdam sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale. Here are some of our cruising experiences on this is a brand new ship which did its first cruise starting on October 20th which was a transatlantic crossing. Please realize that this is just a description of our experience on board the ship and is not meant to be a discussion of mask vs no mask or vaccine vs. no vaccine.

1. Vaccination record and negative Covid test within 48 hours of boarding were required by the cruise line and were confirmed before proceeding to check in.

2. Masks were required whenever you were outside of your room unless you were eating or drinking. In fact, each cabin came with 2 masks/person. There was about 99% compliance. Captain reminded folks of this requirement several times during the cruise.

3. There were 4 areas with sinks for washing hands as you came into the Lido dining area. Staff members were there to encourage you in a friendly way. Food was plated and given to you rather than having it open to serve yourself.

4. The muster stations are not on the decks near the lifeboats but rather in areas within the interior of the ship. In part, this is due to the change in design where the life boats are on the same level as the Promenade Deck which reduces the width of that walkway.

5. Staffing seemed to be a little short. May have been due to many of the staff being relatively new and were still learning their positions. However, the effort to provide great service was always there. One nice change was the Dining room steward now served the wine so you didn’t have to wait for a wine steward to show up.

6. Excursion tickets are now e-tickets. This requires a smart phone or a tablet to use them. This is part of an ongoing effort to reduce paper on Holland America ships.

7. Each island had its own requirements about getting off the ship.
a. St. Thomas, St. Maarten and St. Lucia allowed everyone to get off the ship and roam freely but took our temperatures as we got off the ship.
b. Barbados only allowed passengers on Holland America excursions and Government approved excursions to leave the port area. They also had disinfectant stations that measured your body temperature. Made me jump the first time I put my hand under the dispenser.
c. Dominca only allowed passengers on Holland America excursions to leave the port area.
d. St Kitts and Nevis only allowed passengers on Holland America excursions and Government approved excursions to leave the port area.

8. They ran shows in two different venues and had music a few different places. Given that everyone was close together, all wore masks.

Overall, the ship is beautiful. We had 1800 passengers on board (2600 passenger capacity). We felt very safe and had an enjoyable trip.

We were on that ship on the Oct.20, 2021 Inaugural Trans Atlantic cruise ... Nothing but great things to say about HAL !

[NAB20]

We just returned from a cruise on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas. They had similar requirements on board as listed by the OP, but only stopped at San Juan, St. Martins and Cocoa Cay. The ship was at 60% capacity, and even though the staff had more work in dining areas and especially buffet locations, those we asked told us their work was easier because of the smaller number of passengers. On board they had posted signs asking for a limit of 4 on the elevators, which was impossible to comply with during dinner hours. Also, because they had required vaccinations and tests, they allowed adults in the Solarium section to go unmasked while there and allowed certain sections of the theater to be unmasked. All staff wore masks at all times. On our two bus tours we were not required to wear masks. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip.