Disembarking in Rotterdam, flying next day..stay in Rotterdam or close to airport?

[Barwick Cruiser]

We are departing the Silhouette next June in Rotterdam and can’t make the only non stop flight back to Toronto so will prob stay overnight and book the non stop for the next day. Question, are there some decent reasonably priced hotels in Rotterdam or would be be better heading from the ship to Amsterdam and staying close by there? We’ll have spent 6 days in Amsterdam and surrounds prior to the cruise. Thanks! And any hotel recommendations would be appreciated also. 

[CruiserBruce]

What time is your flight? If its before 9:30 or so, I would be staying at the airport.

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

We are departing the Silhouette next June in Rotterdam and can’t make the only non stop flight back to Toronto so will prob stay overnight and book the non stop for the next day. Question, are there some decent reasonably priced hotels in Rotterdam or would be be better heading from the ship to Amsterdam and staying close by there? We’ll have spent 6 days in Amsterdam and surrounds prior to the cruise. Thanks! And any hotel recommendations would be appreciated also. 

Can I presume that you are looking only at the Air Canada flights? Presumably an Aeroplan member. On Google flights I find 3 or 4 non-stops most days from Schiphol to Toronto, generally 2 KLM, and the Air Canada, and Air Transat flies on some days. Through most of August this year (can't really look at next June yet) KLM has a 5:50 pm flight you would have no problems getting to from Rotterdam. (But I understand wanting Star Alliance; I too am a member of Aeroplan.)

[Barwick Cruiser]

We disembark on a Thursday in June. The only nonstop AC flight is at 12:15pm…I’m thinking that would be too tight? Other option is same flight next day and we stay either in Rotterdam or closer to Schipol. Of course that adds to the expense of the trip. KLM has 2 non stop flights at 10:50am (never make that) or 5:50pm. If we took that later one we’d have plenty of time to get to Schipol and could maybe store our bags in a locker until we can checkin?  Thanks for the suggestions!

[gnome12]

25 minutes ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

We disembark on a Thursday in June. The only nonstop AC flight is at 12:15pm…I’m thinking that would be too tight? Other option is same flight next day and we stay either in Rotterdam or closer to Schipol. Of course that adds to the expense of the trip. KLM has 2 non stop flights at 10:50am (never make that) or 5:50pm. If we took that later one we’d have plenty of time to get to Schipol and could maybe store our bags in a locker until we can checkin?  Thanks for the suggestions!

I don’t think the 12:15 is impossible. An 8:40 train would get you to Schiphol at 9:06 and this screenshot shows 3 earlier trains all leaving after 8 am. 

[puppycanducruise]

1 hour ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

We disembark on a Thursday in June. The only nonstop AC flight is at 12:15pm…I’m thinking that would be too tight? Other option is same flight next day and we stay either in Rotterdam or closer to Schipol. Of course that adds to the expense of the trip. KLM has 2 non stop flights at 10:50am (never make that) or 5:50pm. If we took that later one we’d have plenty of time to get to Schipol and could maybe store our bags in a locker until we can checkin?  Thanks for the suggestions!

In June, we disembarked in Rotterdam and made the 12:15 Air Canada flight no problem.  It's quick off the ship in the morning (early breakfast) but it's doable.

[Barwick Cruiser]

Thank you both! Very reassuring.

 @puppycanducruise how did you get to the train station? Any issues with luggage on the train? We’re four adults with one spinner each and carryons. Did you prepurchase your train tickets?

Thanks! 

[puppycanducruise]

After the flight from Toronto to Amsterdam we took the train to Rotterdam.  The train station is at the airport.  We purchased the tickets before boarding the train, the people at the train station are very helpful.  No problem with luggage but it was just the 2 of us, 1 checked bag and 2 carry-ons.  The train was not full and there was lots of room.  When we got to Rotterdam we took a cab to our hotel (Hotel Nhow, just a few hundred metres from the port).  We spent a day in Rotterdam before the cruise. 

At the end of the cruise we used the HAL transfer from ship to airport.  It would have been easy to just repeat the steps (in reverse) to get to the airport but we opted for the ease of the HAL transfer.

[Barwick Cruiser]

Thank you for this helpful explanation. We are leaving from Amsterdam but returning to Rotterdam. Getting to our Airbnb prior and then to the port seems straightforward it’s getting from R to Schipol at the end, in a timely yet cheaper fashion that we’re trying to sort. Seems like we can walk to a tram station near the disembarkation and take that to the train station. From there it’s direct ride to Schipol. 🤞

Did you purchase a transit chip card or just use your credit card? 

[puppycanducruise]

We used our credit card (every where).  I took Euros with us, and put must of them back in the bank when we returned.  If you don't want to walk to the tram, you could grab a taxi and take it to the train station.

[*Miss G*]

We’ve just booked a last minute sailing disembarking at Rotterdam so am now beginning the research process.  (Which is why I have resurrected this thread.)  My kids have booked the HAL transfer to AMS for that same 12:15pm flight on AC.  What option did you choose, @Barwick Cruiser?

 

The rest of us will be making our way to the train station to pick up the P&O shuttle to catch an overnight ferry to the UK.  @puppycanducruise, did you notice if there was a taxi stand at the terminal with cars waiting?  Also interested in any insights you have for the area around the train station.  The coach doesn’t leave until 5:00pm so we’ll have a bit of time in the area.  Was thinking maybe a HOHO but it’s King’s Day and… you know.  Thank you!

[Barwick Cruiser]

We don’t travel until May but at this point we are still planning to walk off the ship with our luggage and take the tram to Centraal station and then the train to Schipol. We disembark on a weekday so the thought of gettting stuck in traffic in an Uber or taxi isn’t appealing, thus the plan for the train option. 
 

Since you’ll be travelling before us, maybe you could come on here when you get back and let us know how you all made out? Enjoy your holiday!

Edited March 3 by Barwick Cruiser

[*Miss G*]

On 3/3/2024 at 4:08 PM, Barwick Cruiser said:

Since you’ll be travelling before us, maybe you could come on here when you get back and let us know how you all made out? Enjoy your holiday!

 

Absolutely I can do that!  And thank you.  You too! 🙂

[VMax1700]

On 3/1/2024 at 6:29 PM, *Miss G* said:

taxi stand at the terminal with cars waiting?

Presuming that you mean Rotterdam Cruise Terminal, then having disembarked twice in the past couple of years, I did not notice any free waiting taxis in the immediate vicinity.  It can be quite chaotic with disembarking pax mixing with early arrivals for the next cruise.

We pre book a car with staxi.nl  They send you the registration plate number of the vehicle a few hours before pick up.  Drivers normally use WhatsApp for calls/messages.  You can get a firm price online at booking.

Looks like there is a big uplift for King's Day 🙄

[*Miss G*]

8 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Presuming that you mean Rotterdam Cruise Terminal, then having disembarked twice in the past couple of years, I did not notice any free waiting taxis in the immediate vicinity.  It can be quite chaotic with disembarking pax mixing with early arrivals for the next cruise.

We pre book a car with staxi.nl  They send you the registration plate number of the vehicle a few hours before pick up.  Drivers normally use WhatsApp for calls/messages.  You can get a firm price online at booking.

Looks like there is a big uplift for King's Day 🙄

 

Thank you, @VMax1700!  Yes, the Rotterdam Cruise Terminal.  I REALLY did not want to disembark on King’s Day but it was like herding cats trying to get six of us from three different countries, all with jobs and obligations, to get on the same cruise.  😂

 

I figured there’d be surge pricing for the taxi.  😠  Not happy that we have to reserve because that’s one more thing to coordinate.  (And mess up.)  What time did you reserve yours for?  Not sure what time to tell them with trying to get us all off the ship and grab our luggage.  Maybe the taxis dropping people off want to pick people up!  (There’s always hope.)

[VMax1700]

9 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Thank you, @VMax1700!  Yes, the Rotterdam Cruise Terminal.  I REALLY did not want to disembark on King’s Day but it was like herding cats trying to get six of us from three different countries, all with jobs and obligations, to get on the same cruise.  😂

 

I figured there’d be surge pricing for the taxi.  😠  Not happy that we have to reserve because that’s one more thing to coordinate.  (And mess up.)  What time did you reserve yours for?  Not sure what time to tell them with trying to get us all off the ship and grab our luggage.  Maybe the taxis dropping people off want to pick people up!  (There’s always hope.)

I wanted to miss the rush and also had a late afternoon flight from Schiphol so we booked for 9.45 am.  He arrived slightly before then.  

p.s. your comment about 'herding cats' reminded me of my thoughts on exiting the terminal that morning.......like a cattle drive!

[*Miss G*]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

I wanted to miss the rush and also had a late afternoon flight from Schiphol so we booked for 9.45 am.  He arrived slightly before then.  

p.s. your comment about 'herding cats' reminded me of my thoughts on exiting the terminal that morning.......like a cattle drive!

 

Yikes!  Thanks for the heads up!  😂

 

That’s great info and very helpful, @VMax1700.  Thank you.  I will book for 10:00am and if they’re early, that will work too.  👍

[*Miss G*]

6 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

I wanted to miss the rush and also had a late afternoon flight from Schiphol so we booked for 9.45 am.  He arrived slightly before then.  

p.s. your comment about 'herding cats' reminded me of my thoughts on exiting the terminal that morning.......like a cattle drive!

 

Sorry.  Another question for you, @VMax1700.  Do you know how they handle immigration at Rotterdam?  Our last port stop, coming from a TA, will be Dover, England, so a non-Schengen country.

[VMax1700]

57 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Sorry.  Another question for you, @VMax1700.  Do you know how they handle immigration at Rotterdam?  Our last port stop, coming from a TA, will be Dover, England, so a non-Schengen country.

Not only is UK non Schengen, it is non EU!  The immigration at Rotterdam will be a breeze compared with the immigration procedures for Dover 🙄.  UK Boder Force insists on face to face interviews with all pax onboard, whether disembarking in port or not.  It can take hours. The procedure will probably be carried out onboard and after arrival to the port. 

Our only experience with Rotterdam was not related to a TA so I don't know if it would be handled differently.  We did not show passports and there were no formalities.  Perhaps a TA would be different but there are many on the HAL board who do Eastbound TA's regularily.  Maybe a note in the 'daily' to Ann (Vict0riann) or Tony (Sailingdutchy) could give you their past experiences. 

[*Miss G*]

21 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Not only is UK non Schengen, it is non EU!  The immigration at Rotterdam will be a breeze compared with the immigration procedures for Dover 🙄.  UK Boder Force insists on face to face interviews with all pax onboard, whether disembarking in port or not.  It can take hours. The procedure will probably be carried out onboard and after arrival to the port. 

Our only experience with Rotterdam was not related to a TA so I don't know if it would be handled differently.  We did not show passports and there were no formalities.  Perhaps a TA would be different but there are many on the HAL board who do Eastbound TA's regularily.  Maybe a note in the 'daily' to Ann (Vict0riann) or Tony (Sailingdutchy) could give you their past experiences. 

 

Well, this should be fun.  We’re doing France, England, France, England first.  🙄

 

We did an eastbound TA a couple of years ago, but disembarked in Southampton; last port Lisbon.  I don’t recall an immigration procedure but, then, we’re all British so maybe they weren’t interested in us.  I won’t make big plans!  lol

 

Edited to add:  ^^That’s not to say that the immigration procedure did not happen!  It’s just that I don’t recall.  😂

 

Edited March 7 by *Miss G*

[VMax1700]

11 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

We’re doing France, England, France, England first

That will make a difference as you will do the initial UK 'immigration' at Portland and your initial EU 'immigration' procedures at Brest.  I doubt (hope 🤞)that you will have to go through duplicate procedures at Le Havre and Dover!

[VMax1700]

15 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

we’re all British

A couple of years ago and UK was probably still in EU at that time, so the procedures would have been different.

[*Miss G*]

6 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

A couple of years ago and UK was probably still in EU at that time, so the procedures would have been different.

 

No, it had definitely Brexited.  lol 

[Cubs Fan]

Following this thread.  We just booked a cruise for June and we are looking for a hotel in Rotterdam,  we have Marriott Points and are considering that location.  We are taking the train from Schipol to Rotterdam.  Any and all advice is welcome.

[FreestyleNovice]

On 3/7/2024 at 2:05 AM, *Miss G* said:

 

..

 

I figured there’d be surge pricing for the taxi.  😠  Not happy that we have to reserve because that’s one more thing to coordinate.  (And mess up.)  

 

..

 

Good good choice on the taxi, pre Covid the trains were packed on Kingsday. It's the number one method of transport for the youth and young ones, dressed in orange, drinking their beers on their way to city festivals.