HONEST Holland America Rotterdam Food Review | CruiseReport

In this video I will tell you what we liked, and what we did not like about our food and dining experiences aboard Holland America Rotterdam.

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[mikeb]

We sailed on the Rotterdam last month and the food was the best of any cruise ship we have been on. My wife ordered a lobster tail (main dining room) and it was both HUGE and delicious. Folks at our table took pictures of it :) The buffet was a real surprise. Again food quality was well above par. I love focaccia bread and they had it fresh almost every day. We ate at Tamarind and Pinnacle and both were excellent, though we favored Pinnaccle. Great memories=future plans!

[bmurphy]

Just got off this ship. Agree with your love of Tamarind menu. Also enjoyed Indonesian food offerings.

[johnnolan]

i so agree with you about Canaletto! Our favourite specialty restaurant on Holland America and one we go to several times on every cruise.

[monkeyb]

we just got off rotterdam and we were very pleased with the food. We dined in mdr for the 3 'dressy' nights, and did the rest in lido. I had a couple of really good tenderloin meals, also got the lamb chops on one of those nights. And on Christmas, I had goose with some cranberry/cabbage type hot slaw. I really liked all of it. On the lido I had excellent prime rib and other really good meats. I can't fathom how a person would consider this awful. We did not do any upgraded dining, but still found plenty of great food to eat.

[bonniemandly]

Always love the food on HAL
Had a terrific filet in the Pinnacle grill. Enjoyed CALLALETO AS well.

[chadofthefuture]

Fun to hear your take on Rotterdam's food. We were on Nieuw Statendam last month, and had some really excellent meals. Very sorry to hear about your experience at Pinnacle Grill. We had lunch and dinner there on NS, and it was wonderful. My filet there was truly the best I've ever had. Hoping for a better experience for you when you return to HAL!

[dianalustick]

I was on that same ship on January 14th this year. My favorite ship

[dave]

Great reviewing! Leaving on the Koningsdam in about three weeks for a long 25 day cruise. It's been about 25 years since we cruised on HAL. Hoping for a nice time.

[NYnative]

I concur with your review of Tamarind in general. But I especially agree with your assessment of the Panang Curry. Fabulous. We eat there 2-3 times while onboard, our favorite dining experience on HAL. Several but not all of their ships now offer Tamarind. Rudi's- Best bread on the ship- bar none! My first time here, thank you.

[chuckmeadows]

I just got off the msRotterdam on 1 December (Southern Caribbean), and I must say that your video is spot on. I was slightly disappointed with the Pinnacle Grill for the reasons you outlined. On all previous HAL cruises I've been on the cuisine at the Pinnacle Grill was exceptional. Unfortunately, I think HAL changed the vendor for the menus. I hope they go back to the previous vendor! Everything else you discussed really matches my dining experience as well. HAL is truly a first-class operation, and the Rotterdam is a magnificent ship. Thanks for your video.

[ccdoe]

Thank you for making thorough, good quality videos. They're very helpful with meal planning before going on a cruise (personal preferences aside).

[rickinnes]

You do a great job . I am a avid cruiser. This food report is enticing me to get back on another Holland American ship. I 100% agree with being served at buffet . Just got off 14 days on a ship with free for all at buffet . We would serve our selfs than sit and put hand sanitizer on before eating . Thank you 🙏

[dougwagner]

Went on Rotterdam in January. In Pinnacle, my mother loved her lobster bisque and scallops. My lamb chops were the best I've ever had. In Tamarind, she loved her Panang red curry coconut chicken and I loved my Thai basil Szechuan shrimp. No regrets on anything. I wish we could have done the sushi bar.

[rebeccalewis]

We were pleased with the food at the buffet on a recent cruise on the Konigsdam.

We, like you, ate at Tamarind twice. The Tom Kha Kai soup was more delicately flavored than what I make. It was to be slowly savored!

We also ate at Rudy's twice. The smoked salmon appetizer was to die for! 😋 It would be my "one thing". The Duck a l'Orange was for two, but it was a large whole duck. There was easily enough for four people.

The mashed potatoes, which I had at Rudy's twice and at the buffet twice, were so very, very good! I looked up their recipe when I got home 😋 😋

The salmon at the buffet was perfectly cooked. Moist and succulent. The curry dish - wow.

We will be back for the same cruise next October (Rhythm and Blues #39) and I am looking forward to the food!

This is all in contrast to our Alaska trip on NCL. The food was so meh that I lost 8 lbs with the activities in just one week! If you're going to Alaska, take one of the older, smaller Princess ships. Excellent food and smaller ships get into nicer bays.

[jefflimp]

Thx for a great review. Heading out on Rotterdam in a few weeks - our first HAL cruise - and excited to try all of these food options. Fingers crossed for a better experience at Pinnacle Grill.

[bradh]

We sailed on Rotterdam mid-October. Pinnacle served the best ribeye I’ve ever had, and the crab cakes are to die for.
I was disappointed by Dive-In. The hot dogs were no better or worse than any average land-based joint (originally from Chicago, hot dog snob). The burgers? Dry meat circles that at least had lettuce and tomatoes on it.
At Tamarind I had the best shrimp tempura in my entire life. And the service was impeccable.
Rudi’s was a lovely experience from atmosphere, service (Jun and Genesis) were like old friends by the end of the evening, and presentation (chef a true artist. Plates were amazingly decorated with a “seafood face” designed by Chef) to the multiple courses.
NY pizza was ok. Light and chewy crust. Mediocre toppings. Breakfast was the bomb: I got a toasted Berry Bagel and ordered sides of scrambled eggs and bacon. Constructed my own sandwich. Perfection.
This was our first Holland America cruise, and can’t wait to book with them again.

[leahlockettharris]

Thank you for your review! I'm booked on the Rotterdam for next spring. To avoid paying a la carte for several items you mentioned, I purchased the 'I want it all' upgrade.

[marthn]

My recent trip on Holland America-- the food was excellent--at all the venues.

[pronk]

New subscriber here,

I love your review. this year we go on a cruise to Norway, Iceland, Scotland on the Rotterdam. We shure take some of your advice.

[shannonferguson]

Your dining reviews are excellent; please keep posting food reviews!