Ramping Up to Rotterdam: May Edition

Did you tune in to Holland America Line Brand Ambassador Seth Wayne’s “Ramping Up to Rotterdam” update this week on our Facebook page? Once again he spoke with Stan Kuppens, new builds projects, hotel, who offered insight into where the ship is at in the building process. Here are some photos shared by Stan and Seth, plus a few more to show you the progress of the ship in several areas.

Following a very successful sea trials, the ship is back in Marghera. There are only two months left in the building process, and it looks promising for an on-time delivery. At the moment, crew cabins are being delivered. Most of the items like carpets and ceilings are all done. Now, outfitters come in to the various spaces and finish them off. Most of the items are prepared in the factories ashore, and they are shipped to the yard and installed.

Once every area is inspected, it’s recovered. About three to four days before delivery, all coverings are removed and from one day to the next it turns from a construction site to a ship ready to welcome guests!

DINING ROOM:
This is the entrance to the Dining Room. After we inspect and accept the space from Fincantieri, they cover the carpet so it doesn’t get damaged and dirty. Here we are on Deck 2 looking aft, and you can see the maitre d’ podium to the right. The light fixtures are in, the tables and flooring are protected, steward stations are in and we already did a preliminary inspection.

RODM dining room

dining room

CLUB ORANGE:
For Rotterdam, the space was purpose-built to be Club Orange, conceptualized by architectural designer Adam Tihany. It has a buffet that will be accessible to guests, yet there also will be sit-down service. Another difference is that the entrance is in the middle, not the forward area.

Club Orange

HALF MOON BAR:
A new feature on Rotterdam, Half Moon Bar is outside of Club Orange. It primarily will be used as a service bar for Club Orange, but Half Moon Bar will have stools for guests to enjoy a cocktail, or they can sit along the windows and enjoy the view. Things are moving fast, and we already had a preliminary inspection of this space.

Half Moon Bar

QUEEN’S LOUNGE:
The Queen’s Lounge is similar to its sisterships, but some lighting corrections were made. Like other areas of the ship, things are covered and protected so they don’t get damaged.

QUeens Lounge

WORLD STAGE:
For World Stage, we received the LED panels in the last month and they are being installed. The wall will be up and tested by the end of June. All seats, carpet, steps, lighting, railings … everything is installed but covered for protection.

World Stage

GRAND DUTCH CAFÉ:
Our beautiful Grand Dutch Cafe is pretty much done, but covered up. Heineken is scheduled to come for their installation, the company that makes the delft blue houses also will be here soon. We are adding the final touches, then it will be complete.

Grand Dutch Cafe

Grand Dutch Cafe.

LIDO POOL:
With any ship, we start building from the bottom up, so the higher decks are further behind than lower decks. But they will be complete for delivery! All of the deck furniture, loose tables, sun loungers, etc. are arriving in the next couple of weeks. Instillation will take place up to delivery.

lido pool

OTHER AREAS:

sports deck.

Sports Deck.

Pinnacle Grill

Pinnacle Grill.

atrium

The Atrium.

Lido Market

Lido Market.

Dive-In.

Dive-In.

Notes

Notes.

Billboard Onboard

Billboard Onboard.

What’s next? On July 10, crew members move on board! Stay tuned to see the final stages of the shipbuilding process in June and July, just before delivery!

Comments

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23 Comments

  1. Charles O'Neill June 5, 2021 at 1:56 am - Reply

    Thanks so much for the photographs. It’s great to see the progress towards completion and it makes you appreciate how much planning goes into such a complicated construction. We look forward to being onboard in the Caribbean in November. Let’s hope!

  2. Lisa June 5, 2021 at 7:39 am - Reply

    Really GREAT behind the scenes photos..everything is just waiting to be revealed! Can’t wait to come
    on board to see it all for ourselves!

  3. Harriet Bess Mazer June 5, 2021 at 1:53 pm - Reply

    What are the conditions in Norway and Netherlands for the Rotterdam to sail north?

  4. Melvin J Jacobs June 6, 2021 at 7:51 am - Reply

    Ship looks fantastic

  5. Dan June 6, 2021 at 12:03 pm - Reply

    Looks terrific! Looking to work our way to 4 star starting September 19th!

  6. John June 8, 2021 at 9:20 am - Reply

    Cannot wait until the 12th September, hope we can sail to Norway, beautiful ship to be on.
    John

  7. John S June 9, 2021 at 1:34 pm - Reply

    Seeing all the familiar areas being finalized is very exciting. Our next cruise will be on the Rotterdam and we are looking forward to seeing all of this in person very much!

  8. Janice Wege June 9, 2021 at 2:10 pm - Reply

    So looking forward to sailing on her October 10th….can’t wait!!

  9. Betty Waldheim June 9, 2021 at 2:50 pm - Reply

    Is this a new ship? Or, did they refurbish the old one? It looks great. Where will it be cruising in the next year or so?

  10. Julia B June 9, 2021 at 2:51 pm - Reply

    Looks beautiful. Hoping to sail to Iceland &Norway in the fall! Thanks to all the workers, crew and staff working so hard to get her ready for sailing.

  11. Cees June 11, 2021 at 9:06 am - Reply

    Hopefully we will see the super beautiful clock from the former Rotterdam standing in the atrium, back again evenso the peaces of art. We loved the second? Rotterdam.

  12. Dennis Rainwater June 12, 2021 at 11:56 am - Reply

    I find this so encouraging! :D Thanks for doing this!

    I have been fascinated with the Pinnacle Class ships since the Koningsdam debuted. We were so excited to be booked aboard the Nieuw Statendam for an amazing itinerary last December, but alas… :'(

    We are now booked on a shorter cruise for this coming January aboard the Rotterdam, and I have been so hopeful that she would carry through with the many design features we’ve fallen in love with on her two older sisters. These photos and descriptions are reassuring to us. We are growing so excited about January! :D

  13. Alice Dettwyler June 12, 2021 at 12:55 pm - Reply

    Love all the wonderful photos. Looking forward to my cruise July 2022 on this wonderful ship. Thank you to HA for all their hard working getting us back cruising.

  14. Nanda June 13, 2021 at 5:47 am - Reply

    So beautiful and so pitty our trip iceland is cancelled. We have to wait snotter year

  15. Kim June 13, 2021 at 1:56 pm - Reply

    Looks beautiful! Love the pictures of the progress…have enjoyed watching…the behind the scenes photos are so very interesting. We’re excited for her arrival!

  16. Richard McGinty June 19, 2021 at 11:56 am - Reply

    Looking forward to our Neptune aft wrap on deck 4 for the Christmas/New Years 2021 cruise on Rotterdam

  17. Ina Schakel June 21, 2021 at 8:56 am - Reply

    Please can you tell me about the wall painting at the Sel de Mer on the Rotterdam. Is this also by the hand of Magnus Sodamin ?

  18. Robert Sloots June 21, 2021 at 4:02 pm - Reply

    I think there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Will the Ms Rotterdam still sail to Rotterdam/Amsterdam this year?

  19. KAREN ELLEN KALLIO June 29, 2021 at 5:56 am - Reply

    SOOO EXCITED… What a fantastic process. Can’t wait to see the continued progress & definitely looking forward to 21days in November…Epic way to celebrate my 50th!

  20. Fred July 14, 2021 at 1:49 pm - Reply

    Great to see her soon

  21. Don Lewis August 20, 2021 at 11:39 am - Reply

    Looking forward to my Christmas/New Years cruise it will likely be our last, great to take it on a new ship

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