Day 1: Embarkation in Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Day 1: Embarkation in Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Holland America Africa Explorer Cruise – 49 Days from Rotterdam to Cape Town
Date: Saturday September 27, 2014
Weather Forecast: Partly cloudy; 20 C/69 F
All Aboard: 3:00 PM
Sail Away: 4:00 PM
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Location Information:
Rotterdam in the Netherlands has the largest port in all of Europe. This city on the Maas River has a population that exceeds 1.3 million and the Euro is the local currency used. Visitors to Rotterdam will enjoy spending time at the Maritime Museum, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Euromast, ss Rotterdam, and the vast array of cafes and restaurants around the city center (WJ recommends Zeezout Restaurant and Rodin Restaurant).
WJs Day:
Strolling from our centrally located hotel in Rotterdam city center to the Cruise Terminal, where we would embark Holland America Line’s ms Rotterdam, took approximately 25-minutes. As we started to cross the Erasmus Bridge the ship came into view and our excitement intensified. The embarkation process was very organized, and within 30 minutes (it helped that only 420 guests joined the ship today) we were in our cabin (1908 on deck 1 – Dolphin). After meeting our cabin stewards, Matt and Ryan, it was time for lunch in the Lido Buffet and exploring the ship that we would call home for the next 7 weeks.
At 3:15 PM we attended a mandatory passenger emergency drill – our muster station is 10. It was made very clear by Cruise Director Michael Langley that all guests must attend the drill or would be required to disembark. We definitely appreciate that Holland America Line takes safety very seriously.
Sail away from Rotterdam was just after 4 PM, and we made sure to be out on deck to enjoy the scenic view of the city from the water (always a great perspective), and nearby towns as ms Rotterdam made her way out towards the North Sea. At the same time the Bon Voyage Party at The Retreat and Lido Poolside was in full-swing – with live music by the HALCats at the Lido.
For evening’s we are on “Open Dining” at La Fontaine Dining Room, so were able to arrive at 6:30 PM and get a quiet table just for the two of us. The rest of the evening we spent around the Piano Bar before borrowing a DVD from the Front Office and calling it a night.
Tonight the clock goes back an hour – always love that!
Next – Southampton, England
