Live – Rotterdam, Prinsendam, Queen Mary II

[buckirj1]

Nice to see Part 1 of your journey went well. Looking forward to reading the rest. Thanks again for providing such an enjoyable read.

[Rotterdam]

Congradulations - you sailed from New Amsterdam on the ROTTERDAM VI to Board the Rotterdam V in Rotterdam!!!

 

Looking forward to your Rotterdam V report......

 

 

 

Thank you, all. I disembarked the Rotterdam about 8:25 (smooth, no surprises involved), and the water taxi had me at the SS Rotterdam at 8:55. No surprise, my room was not ready so I walked into town and took a 2.5 hour harbor tour and have now stopped for lunch. I plan to be checked in and on deck of the SS to watch the MS sailaway at 5.

 

Rob, I'm mot sure what's happening with the menus but I copied the code for accessing the files from the programs page and I must have one little type which affects each of the files. I'll check on it hopefully soon. Looks like the capital letters I used in naming the menus got changed by wordpress to lower case and that seems to have been the problem. I paid $103.95 for 270 minutes and had about 70 left at the start of the day 8.

Roy

[DeepWaterMariner]

I'm guessing you'll have a better cabin on the SS than we did back in 1971 and 72. Those were when we were newly married and surprised that we could afford to cruise...inside cabins with upper and lower bunks. It will be interesting to hear your take on the SS.

[rafinmd]

aquilegia, I'm glad you posted. I won't be going your way this time but have enjoyed both Bath and Stonehenge from Southampton.

 

Today I made my transition from the active MS Rotterdam VI to the retired SS Rotterdam V. Where did this happen? In Rotterdam, of course.

 

Rotterdam sits in a long channel quite a distance from the open ocean. When I went on deck at 5:30 we were already sailing slowly up quite a narrow channel with a combination of clouds and drizzle. As the Captain had told us to expect (he claims the people of Rotterdam expect it from their ship) the horn blew very frequently as we made our way up the channel at the crack of dawn. At about 6:45 the SS Rotterdam appeared stately in view off our port bow and we made a sharp turn to port into a side channel just before reaching it, leaving a great view of the Grande Dame through the openings in the forward promenade deck as we turned to pass it on our starboard. We continued another half mile to the cruise terminal and set our first lines off at about 6:55. I ate my final breakfast of the crossing on the Retreat at a table facing my home for the next 2 nights.

 

After a bit of final packing and spending some time in the library with the atlas looking at my next ports, the call to leave the ship came at 8:25. Exit and luggage pickup went quickly and it was off to the water taxi, sitting just behind the original Holland America Headquarters (Now the New York Hotel).

 

The trip; between the 2 ships is only about 3/4 mile by water taxi but over 2 miles on land. I arrived at the SS Rotterdam V about 8:55am.

 

The room was not ready so I walked into town. One of the recommended tours was a boat tour as Rotterdam (as well as Amsterdam) is a mix of land and canals. My 2 ½ hour Spido tour went several miles towards the sea and a mile or 2 further inland. The area is a complete patchwork of multiple crisscrossing channels; I had passed them on the Rotterdam without realizing how complex the area was. After the tour I got lunch and returned to the SS Rotterdam about 4:15. My room was very nice, from the deck plan on my blog it looks like I got one of the light blue suites on the lower promenade deck just aft of the main staircase.

 

I went up the promenade deck about 4:45 and watched the MS Rotterdam sail away on it’s way to the Baltics. It looked like a very tight U-turn in it’s narrow channel but it continued past ny stern about 5:15.

 

The SS Rotterdam V entered service as a combination transatlantic liner and winter cruise ship in 1959. In 1971 it became a full-time cruise ship (My crossing was a 40th anniversary commemoration of the end of that service) and continued as the HAL flagship until it’s retirement in 1997. It took on a brief retirement job with Premier cruise lines and has been inactive since about 2001. I sailed on her once, Seward to Vancouver in it’s final Alaska season (note to Keith:that’s my only voyage with Rick Spath as CD; it’s been Gary Hunter on all my Serenity cruises).

 

The restoration has been somewhat problematic. Asbestos removal has cost far more than planned, and I think much of the interior has been redone instead of restore. There seem to be fewer places one can go freely than on the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

 

I had dinner tonight in the Lido Restaurant. It is now a full service although rather noisy restaurant in much the original space. The after lido deck still exists with the pool where we had the model shipbuilding trials on the inside passage but I suspect actually swimming there would be problematical.

 

DeepWaterMariner, I'm sure my cabin is much nicer than yours and all the insides are now closets. My cabin is great, but the cot in the sitting room looks a little out of place.

 

As today’s parting shot, it is a joy to see the Rotterdam taking on a new life. This beloved ship may live to outlast the current version. Still, in many ways it is just a shadow of it’s former self. Time will tell if you can go home again.

 

Roy

 

This post comes to you live from the SS Rotterdam V.

[RuthC]

Oh, thank you for the report and photos from ss Rotterdam. If there's any ship that I could call "my" ship, that's the one.

How often I've wondered if I would like to walk her decks again, or would I be disappointed? Am I better off just left with the sweet memories of all those days and nights sailing her?

Have a fine time waiting for the Prinsendam to arrive.

[Seren Ap Gwalia]

Thank you! I have loved reading every minute of your trip and look forward to sailing on her very soon.

 

As someone that lives in Rotterdam it is great to be sailing from Rotterdam on the Rotterdam!

 

For now I shall simply say once again, thank you for taking the time to write such a great log, and now from one person to another in Rotterdam ... sleep well on the Rotterdam!

[rgaudet]

 

Rob, I'm mot sure what's happening with the menus but I copied the code for accessing the files from the programs page and I must have one little type which affects each of the files. I'll check on it hopefully soon. Looks like the capital letters I used in naming the menus got changed by wordpress to lower case and that seems to have been the problem. I paid $103.95 for 270 minutes and had about 70 left at the start of the day 8.

Roy

 

Got the menus. Thanks for taking the time to share them with us. I'm hungry now!

 

Enjoy the next phase of your trip.

[MightyQuinn]

Roy, I can't quite tell from your post if all is well or not on the lovely Rotterdam V. Was there enough left of the Grande Dame for you to recognize that it was indeed she? Or was it just a functional restoration with no sense of her past glory? Are the Lido and other restaurants open to the general public or only to hotel guests? Would you stay there again?

 

Take care. Enjoy your time in Rotterdam and your onward voyages.

[GoldenLover]

Just found this thread and haven't "followed" you previously, but I'm now a fan. Thanks for taking the time (and $$$) to inform and entertain us. I think this will be one HAL of a trip!! Sailing on Prinsendam is on my bucket list, but this will satisfy the urge for now.

 

(GoldenLover) jefinpa

[Oahucruiser]

Thoroughly enjoying every word as I have in your previous blogs over the years! Through the photos and your excellent writing, it's as though I am there sharing your travels.

[rafinmd]

Thank you all.

 

This seemed to have become a day to catch up on sleep. I did not make it out of bed until 8:30 and ended up leaving the Rotterdam about 10. My plan had been to make a day trip to Amsterdam. When I arrived at the train station I discovered my credit card would not work in the ticket machine. I consulted a live agent and was told it was "impossible"; my only option was cash. I decided not to go into my cash that way considering my late start but did buy a ticket to the ferry terminal for tomorrow. It was time for plan B.

 

My afternoon was divided between 2 maritime museums. I spent most of my time at the Maritime Museum of Rotterdam. This is a moderate size 4-story building. The displays were mostly posters and models with not a lot of actual objects. There was a big model of the Rotterdam harbor from the ocean inlet past the city, displays on "boat people", and the history of Netherlands history. There was also a 19th century steam warship, the Buffle open for tours. The Captains quarters were beautiful, the officers cabins were close to that old inside on the SS Rotterdam, and the rest of the crew slept in hammocks strung above the dining tables. There was also a "hole" with about 6 cells, quite a few for such a small ship.

 

Right next door was the Haven Museum. This was big on displaying objects from a lighthouse to cargo cranes to gas and steam engines to a number of small ships in the adjacent canal. The Haven had 3 buildings. One had equipment on display although without a lot of explanation of what it was; the other 2 were nominally open but appeared to be mostly workshops with the walking spaces cluttered. I stepped inside the door of these 2 buildings but dared not go any further.

 

I finally walked down to the New York Hotel. This was originally the Holland America main offices. I did not actually see a lot of interest in that quaint old building but was surprised at how compact that peninsula is. After the New York Hotel I returned to the Rotterdam for a while and then got dinner in town.

 

My parting shot today will be a few impressions of Rotterdam as an American tourist. I was a bit surprised that there were relatively few signs and publications in English; no reason there should be but it was a bit surprising considering the number of people who speak fluent English. I found the public transportation system today to be quite efficient with it's network of subways, trams and busses. As a pedestrian I found a mixed bag. I actually fared quite well relative to autos but found that in allocating street space we were often far behind bicycles (and motorcycles). While the cycle pathways were constant, the pedestrian space often got crowded down to inches and often a rough surface. Seemed a bit strange.

 

Roy

 

This post comes to you live from the SS Rotterdam V

[Seren Ap Gwalia]

Tip for you in Rotterdam, especially being American, try and find your way to the Pilgrim pub an Church in Delfshaven, it is the point that the Pilgrim left Holland to sail to Plymouth to board the Mayflower.

 

The Church is quite often open so you can see inside, a little museum a few doors away, windmill at the end and the Pub is the last of the Rotterdam breweries and has a great 5 glass taster menu!

 

Saturday is also market day, so its worth a visit on the main square (Blaak) ... my American friends are always amazed by the flowers! Be warned it does get very busy.

 

Enjoy!

[rafinmd]

I checked out of the hotel a little before 9, and made my way into town. I had investigated tours of the Rotterdam but found the engine room tour was not available in the morning and decided to wait. I spent some additional time at the Haven Museum. There are probably 20 boats and ships in the water by the museum; most had placards but did not appear available for boarding. They appear to depend heavily on the work of volunteers to maintain and show the vessels. A steam tug was scheduled to give Sunday rides and a crew was checking it to be sure it would be ready. The range of vessel includes tugboats, steam and sailing ships, a dredge, a grain elevator, a patrol boat and several others. A lightship was nearby, converted into a restaurant and open only late in the day.

 

After the Haven I boarded the Number 8 tram for the ride (about w miles to Delfshaven. I disembarked the tram near a windmill sitting just across a narrow channel. The windmill was sitting at the end of a small peninsula surrounded by a j-shaped channel with the bottom of the j near the main harbor and access to the small channel through a connection at the top. The windmill had a small exhibit of flour milling. Walking up the peninsula there was an old church. This church had been the sendoff point for the Pilgrims who sailed to America on the Mayflower. The church is no longer active and was closed today but the bells were active and chimed out at 11:30 with a short song. At the top of the peninsula was a busy shopping street, leading to the Delfshaven Metro Station. After lunch I returned to the Rotterdam for about 4 hours of touring which will be reported on a separate post (on the wordpress site it will be in the "ships" section).

 

I left the Rotterdam about 4:45 for Hook of Holland arriving about 6PM. Boarding, followed by dinner commenced about 7:30.This is an a la carte cruise, dinner was extra and a movie is available for 7:50 Euro. There is a casino and of course shops. Wifi is free but it is quite slow. Decks 1-8 are for vehicles, 9 is the public rooms, 10 and 11 are cabins, in 6 rows (2 outside, 4 inside). It must be stressful for the crew ad it is turned around twice a day with an average 4 hours in port.

 

We dock in the morning and disembark at 6:30 so I will try to post this in the evening (we departed at 9 UK time) rather than in the hectic morning.

 

With my impending visits to Norway I can have no other parting shot than the recent events there. I haven't heard news for about 10 hours now but this seems to be the work on one person who is thankfully in custody. My condolences to the people of Norway and may healing come quickly to the injured, the bereaved, and all the good people of Norway.

 

Roy

 

This post comes to you live [but SLOW] from the Stena Britannica

[rafinmd]

While there are some parts of the Rotterdam that are open to the public most can be seen only as part of a tour. There are several different tours available at different times and I took the best on e available today. Most was self-guided with an audio device but the lower decks were seen only with a guide.

 

We started at the grand staircase. The audio mentioned that the dual staircase could be configured to keep the classes segregated (mostly alternating decks) or opened up for a single class ship, but did not go into details. We looked at some areas on the bow (anchor, cargo holds, cranes, forward decks).

 

I believe the bridge was an extra cost option. I thought I had heard in Bill Miller's comments that it could not be opened due to asbestos concerns but it in fact was open. My understanding is that asbestos is safe if left undisturbed and the bridge was preserved pretty much untouched. We continued back to the Captain's and Officers' quarters and immediately aft to the First Class sports deck. Immediately behind the sports deck was the "Sky Room" a lovely First Class lounge with a great view but now used for private functions and the furniture was very plain and not set up.

 

On the way to the bridge a staff member said "save the bridge for later. The public rooms are open now. We were directed in to the balcony lever of the theater. This was originally the First Class seating for shows with tourist class sitting on the orchestra level. We did not get to go down there but could see the theater stage looked good but the orchestra seating had been replaced with tables. The theater is sometimes used for things like jazz shows and the seating may vary with the type of event.

 

We continued back through other First Class rooms, the Ambassador Lounge, Smoking Room, and Grand Ballroom. I doubt that these rooms have changed much inherently but they are used for functions and the furnishings probably vary frequently according to the event.

 

At this point I had to interrupt my self guided tour for the live engine room tour. I was directed to the inside swimming pool on D deck for the engine room tour. I think at times this may be or have been self guided but we were only allowed with a guide. He spoke little English but the equipment mostly spoke for itself and I found later that some of the audio for the self guided tour was still available. We walked through several distinct areas, a bank of electrical generators, condensers where fresh water was made, a bank of air conditioning equipment (along with the stabilizers), the boilers (directly under the dual smokestacks) and finally the propulsion engines. The engine room required a crew of about 15 per shift. The area was pretty much as it was in 1997 although several of the most dangerous areas have been placed behind plexiglass walls.

 

I noticed the lifeboats used were open boats with canvas covers. When I was on the Rotterdam in Alaska we did some tendering, and I'm sure it was in modern style covered tenders. I am guessing all the boats were upgraded at some time in the life of the Rotterdam and the original style boats were returned for the Museum aspect of the ship's life. I also noticed 4 of the lifeboats were missing, so it could also be that 4 of the updated boats were used as tenders along with the open boats as lifeboats.

 

I also noticed that the lifeboats were hung on 2 levels. It seems like even for evacuation "separate but equal" was the word of the day.

 

There was little left of the tour after the engine rooms. The final stops on the resumed tour were the tourist class sports deck and the kennels.

 

There are parts of the ship that are much in their native condition usually visited while on a tour. The hotel part of the ship is barely recognized as it’s former self. Both are valuable resources but economic necessity apparently dictates that they are somewhat distinct and separate.

 

Roy

[RuthC]

We started at the grand staircase. The audio mentioned that the dual staircase could be configured to keep the classes segregated (mostly alternating decks) or opened up for a single class ship, but did not go into details.

Did the audio mention that the staricase, taken as a whole from top to bottom, was one work of art depicting the universe? From the heavens to the depths of the sea, every deck was a piece of the complete work.

 

 

We continued back through other First Class rooms, the Ambassador Lounge, Smoking Room, and Grand Ballroom.

Ah! The Grand Ballroom was the Ritz Carlton room. Arguably the most beautiful room at sea in her day. That winding staircase, with the mural, is something no one sees today. Toss in the dance floor---hammered copper, I believe---and it was unequaled.

[DeepWaterMariner]

Great description of your tour. It has been many years since we sailed on her but I had no problem following along and seeing those rooms again in my minds eye. She was designed for both transatlantic two class service and one class cruising so the partitions that divided the classes could be opened and become nearly invisible for cruising. The striking features I remember, and you toured, were the movie theater and the Ritz Carlton night club. Fantastic.

[rafinmd]

A number of pictures of the SS Rotterdam are now posted on my blog on the ships page:

 

http://arctictriple.wordpress.com/ss-rotterdam/

 

I was working from memory. If any of the titles and descriptions are clearly known, please let me know.

[DeepWaterMariner]

I've got some good interior pictures from 1971 of the some of these rooms and it would be great to post them for the comparison. Unfortunately they are color slides so I can't scan them.

[rafinmd]

One more thing on the Rottterdam tour. I have a current deck plan which has the current configuration of the ship as well as the parts not normally shown like the engine room. I cannot scan this on my portable scanner but can do it on my flatbed scanner when I get home and post it.

 

The seas were a bit rough overnight. Getting up in the middle of the night I stumbled but there wasn't really enough room in the cabin for a proper fall. I set my alarm for 5 (I finally had the change of clock on my side), and was enjoying a cup of coffee by about 5:15, and we the crew was just then attaching lines to the shore. At precisely 5:30 the tones of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" came over the PA system (shades of the space shuttle). Disembarkation for foot passengers began at 6:45 and I was through passport control to the train platform about 10 minutes before my train's 7:20 departure. The 100-minute ride to Liverpool Street Station was mostly through pleasant country. I was supposedly close to the Novotel Tower Bridge but between the twisting streets and my unfamiliarity with the area it became a half hour walk. The good news is I am right across the street from Fenchurch Station for the ride to Tilbury.

 

A few blocks away was St. Botolph without Aldgate Church. (I believe Aldgate was originally an actual gate and without Aldgate presumably means "outside the gates"). Cunard uses Church of England liturgy in their services but this was the first time I have actually attended one of their services. The service today was a sung Eucharist, something quite a novel change from my normal form of worship.

 

After lunch I explored the area a bit including a walk across the Themes on the Tower Bridge and around the Tower of London, then some repacking and organizing before dinner and a long walk back to the hotel. On the dinner walk I just happened across something new to me, the lovely monument to the great fire of 1666.

 

I arose early Monday and, using a rail pass, took the 5:40am train to Tilbury hoping to see the ship sail up the Thames. I arrived just a bit late but did get a couple of pictures from the ferry dock. The shuttle bus to the train station was gone when I returned. My GPS said 3/4 mile to the train station, but when I walked it it was 2 miles by road. I think I arrived just in time to catch the same train back to London as if I had taken the next bus.

 

As today's parting shot, I understand the heat has been quite intense in much of the US. While London weather is pretty unpredictably, today has been just a perfect day with plenty of sunshine and temperatures around 20C/70F for most of the day. It seems like a portent of a perfect start to a great adventure on a wonderful new (OLD) ship.

 

Roy

 

This post comes to you live from the Novotel London Tower Bridge.

[rafinmd]

I stepped onto the Elegant Explorer about 12:25. Despite reports of others’ experiences I had no trouble getting into the Mariners Lunch as a 1-star. Enjoyed lunch with a lady from San Francisco whose friend has not arrived. No luggage yet, but soon will start to explore the ship.

 

Roy

[MightyQuinn]

...The seas were a bit rough overnight. Getting up in the middle of the night I stumbled but there wasn't really enough room in the cabin for a proper fall...

Ah, the unexpected joys of being in tiny quarters. LOL.

 

Roy, you've done very well in your days between the dam ships. And now for the adventure that anchored it all! I look forward to reading your impression of the Elegant Explorer. Take care.

[RuthC]

The seas were a bit rough overnight. Getting up in the middle of the night I stumbled but there wasn't really enough room in the cabin for a proper fall.

Sorry. I lost track, or something. What vessel was this on???

[momatibm]

Sorry. I lost track, or something. What vessel was this on???

 

Ruth, I believe it was on the Ferry from Amsterdam to England that he was referring to.

[RuthC]

Ruth, I believe it was on the Ferry from Amsterdam to England that he was referring to.

That was what I sensed, but wanted to confirm it. Thanks.

[rafinmd]

Ruth, that's correct. I was referring to the ferry with the TINY room.

 

I left the Novotel at 10 for Fenchurch station and my 10:20 train got me to Tilbury Town at 11, just as the shuttle to Riverside was preparing to leave. It was very crowded with luggage but about half the seats were empty for the short trip. I finished checkin about 11:30 and then waited to be called for boarding (so close and yet so far), getting on board about 12:25. I left my daypack in my cabin and went up 1 deck to the LaFontaine Dining Room for the Mariners Lunch, enjoying a pasta dish with a lady from San Francisco waiting for her companion to arrive on a later flight.

 

This is the first time I have used the London Cruise Terminal in Tilbury. It seems quite an ancient facility. There is a floating island between the ship and the terminal building where trucks and luggage are staged for loading the ship. The bridges to this island have a real look of 20+ years of abandonment although the insides have a fresh coat of paint.

 

Assistant Cruise Director Kevin gave a tour of the public rooms at 2; when I returned to my cabin at I started unpacking the bag that had arrived. Within a few minutes my cabin steward Matthew arrived with my second bag. I finished unpacking just in time for the 4:15 emergency briefing and a few comments by Captain Tim Roberts.

 

There was a Cruise Critic gathering planned at the SeaView Pool. About 4 of us were present although I had to leave a bit early for dinner. We sailed away somewhat late due to loading of supplies, but had just begun moving when I entered the dining room about 5:45.

 

I am at a table for 8 in the side section of the LaFontaine Dining Room. There were 5 of us present this evening, a couple from Arizona, a lady from New York widowed last year, and a lady nominally from Nevada who spends most of her time on the ship. My waiter was Farula assisted by Oka.

 

There was a single evening show at 9:30 in the showroom. Cruise Director Linda introduced the Explorations team and there were selections by Counterpoint from the Ocean Bar, the Moonlight Trio (Piano, bass, violin) from the Explorer's Lounge, and Crow's Nest pianist Robyn, along with a number from the Prinsendam Singers and Dancers.

 

As today's parting shot, the Prinsendam is a really new experience to me. Not really a true luxury ship, it has it's roots in luxury, a character unlike any other ship I've been on, and a crew that has made a superb first impression. I am not yet sure what I will like most about this ship but it is shaping up as a great experience I will want to return to.

 

Roy