Rotterdam - Panama Canal Sunfarer from Fort Lauderdale
Holland America's Rotterdam loops from Fort Lauderdale on a 12-night Sunfarer that enters the Panama Canal for a Gatun Lake day, bookended by Half Moon Cay, Curacao, Cartagena, Costa Rica and Grand Cayman.
Price Range
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Budget
*Prices vary by cabin type, sailing date, and availability. Confirm rates with Holland America Line before booking.
Ship Details — Rotterdam
View full Rotterdam detailsItinerary & Route Map
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Where this cruise calls, day by day
8 ports and 5 sea days over 12 Nights.
- Day 1Fort Lauderdale, FL port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
Fort Lauderdale, FL
United StatesDepart - Day 2Half Moon Cay port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
Half Moon Cay
BahamasPort Day 3 · At sea
Day 4 · At sea
- Day 5Willemstad port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
Willemstad
CuracaoPort Day 6 · At sea
- Day 7Cartagena port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
Cartagena
ColombiaPort - Day 8Panama Canal (Transit) port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
Panama Canal (Transit)
PanamaPort - Day 9
Puerto Limon
Costa RicaPortLimón is Costa Rica's Caribbean port and a working one - the pier is in town, the town is scruffy and humid, and almost nobody stays. This coast is the country's wettest and its most Afro-Caribbean, with Jamaican-descended Creole culture and rainforest starting right behind the city. Everything worth doing runs inland to the canals, the aerial trams and the whitewater rivers.
- Tortuguero canal boat trips
- The Veragua Rainforest or the Braulio Carrillo aerial tram
- Whitewater rafting the Pacuare or Reventazón
- Cahuita National Park and Puerto Viejo down the coast
- Getting ashore
- Ships dock at the pier in central Limón; you can walk into town in minutes, though there is little reason to linger.
- Best months
- Feb-Mar and Sep-Oct are the driest windows - the Caribbean side reverses the national pattern and rains hardest Nov-Jan
Day 10 · At sea
- Day 11George Town port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
George Town
Cayman IslandsPort Day 12 · At sea
- Day 13Fort Lauderdale, FL port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
Fort Lauderdale, FL
United StatesArrive
Onboard Amenities
Cruise Highlights
About the Ship
What Travelers Say About Rotterdam
Reviews of the ship itself — the same for every Rotterdam sailing. Distilled from 79 traveler threads, passenger reviews and travel blogs.
Rotterdam VII is Holland America's newest flagship and the third and final Pinnacle-class ship, following Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam into service in October 2021. Its signature is Music Walk - a cluster of live-music venues including the Rolling Stone Rock Room, B.B. King's Blues Club, Billboard Onboard and Lincoln Center Stage - which becomes the ship's nightly energy center, paired with the high-tech World Stage wraparound-LED theater. The overall vibe is refined, music-forward and relaxed, and it skews decidedly older.
What People Love
- Newest, best-maintained ship in the Holland America fleet - guests repeatedly praise its spotless, like-new condition throughout
- Music Walk is the ship's energetic heart, with Rolling Stone Rock Room, B.B. King's Blues Club, Billboard Onboard and Lincoln Center Stage drawing crowds well into the night
- Standout specialty dining - Tamarind is called one of the best pan-Asian restaurants at sea, and Pinnacle Grill is both praised and priced below rival lines' steakhouses
Common Complaints
- Pools and hot tubs are undersized for a ~2,700-guest ship and feel crowded; the hot tubs are often called comically small
- With the Lido roof closed the indoor pool area can feel stuffy and greenhouse-like
- No large traditional production shows - evenings lean on singers, comedians, magicians and the music venues, which some find limited
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