Holland America’s Rotterdam Arrives in Fort Lauderdale for Winter Season

Holland America Line’s ship, the Rotterdam, has returned to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale to start its winter cruise season in the Caribbean.

After spending the summer cruising around Europe, the ship docked in Port Everglades on October 27, 2024.

To kick off its Caribbean season, the Rotterdam is offering a 12-night cruise that takes passengers to the Southern Caribbean and Panama Canal. This itinerary, called the “Panama Canal Sunfarer,” includes stops at six different destinations and a partial journey through the Panama Canal.

Once it left Fort Lauderdale, the Rotterdam’s first stop was Holland America’s private island in the Bahamas, Half Moon Cay. After that, it visited Willemstad in Curaçao and Cartagena in Colombia before making its way to the Panama Canal.

Before it heads back to South Florida, the ship is also set to visit Colón in Panama, Puerto Limón in Costa Rica, and George Town in the Cayman Islands.

Rotterdam will keep offering various 7 to 12-night cruises to the Caribbean through mid-April. These cruises also cover parts of the Eastern Caribbean, including destinations like Grand Turk in Turks and Caicos, San Juan in Puerto Rico, Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

When the winter season ends, the Rotterdam will return to Europe for a summer schedule, cruising out of the Netherlands. These European itineraries will include departures from Rotterdam and Amsterdam, with stops in places like Scandinavia, Iceland, the British Isles, the Baltic, and more.

The Rotterdam, built in 2021 by Fincantieri in Italy, is currently the newest ship in the Holland America fleet. It’s a sister ship to the Koningsdam, built in 2016, and the Nieuw Statendam, built-in 2018. With room for 2,650 guests, it’s the seventh ship in the company’s history to carry the name Rotterdam.

As part of Holland America’s Pinnacle Class, this vessel offers guests 11 different dining experiences, along with several entertainment venues and other facilities to enjoy during their trip.