And we’re off!!!

The crossing

On Friday, April 7th, we attended the MS Rotterdam departure party at pier 88 in NYC. While very cold on deck in New York, it was great fun to watch the Manhattan skyline as we left port.

We then spent 8 days crossing the Atlantic. This provided a perfect opportunity to relax and enjoy the ship’s amenities.

This was a special crossing, honoring Holland America’s 150th anniversary. A renowned ocean liner historian, Bill Miller, was on board and offered a number of excellent lectures. The theme of HAL’s history was evident throughout the cruise.

In keeping with the history theme, 111 years and 4 days after the Titanic disaster, we sailed directly over the location of the wreck. A brief ceremony of remembrance was held, with flowers released into the ocean. It was moving and, yes, slightly eerie.

Food was varied, plentiful, and delicious. It was a challenge to not “over-partake”. We offset decadent desserts with laps around the promenade deck; 3 laps equaling a mile. But it was cold!!! Thankful to have packed multiple layers of outerwear. I also made time for the gym daily. Our first night at dinner, we met a couple from Maine, Jeff and Amy. We met up with them for dinner later in the cruise and enjoyed their company.

Even though it was cold outside during portions of the crossing, the indoor pool area and hot tubs were nice. We also splurged a couple of days and enjoyed the thermal suite - a private area with specialty hot tubs and various styles of therapeutic showers. Plus a steam room, saunas, and heated loungers overlooking the ocean. This I could get used to! When the weather turned warmer, we found a cozy spot on deck outdoors to bask in the sunlight and enjoy being surrounded by water.

The entertainment on board was excellent. Comedians, musical performances, and excellent daytime lectures. Bill Miller, in particular, is a compelling speaker and we loved listening to his stories about ocean liners, port histories, etc. He had a great lecture which covered HAL’s history and the cruise director also presented a video tribute to the 150 year history, Holland America’s origin story.

Additionally, the ship had a games room and well stocked library. Not to mention the mandatory casino! It was fun to enjoy drinks in the evenings with excellent live music at the bars.

One day, we saw whales a few hundred meters off the side of the ship. Another day, we had a traditional British afternoon tea. Despite eight sequential days at sea, the program was varied and interesting.