Rotterdam - Western Caribbean: Belize, Roatan & Mexico
A ten-night Western Caribbean sweep from Fort Lauderdale that goes well beyond the usual week: after a beach day at Half Moon Cay and a Falmouth, Jamaica call, the ship strings together four straight port days along the Central American coast — Roatan, Belize City, Costa Maya and a twelve-hour Cozumel finale. Only three sea days in ten nights makes this unusually port-intensive for the route.
Price Range
$
Budget
*Prices vary by cabin type, sailing date, and availability. Confirm rates with Holland America Line before booking.
Ship Details — Rotterdam
View full Rotterdam details
Year Built
2021
Tonnage
99,500 GT
Passengers
2,668
Crew
1,036
Decks
14
Class
Pinnacle
Itinerary & Route Map
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Where this cruise calls, day by day
8 ports and 3 sea days over 10 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
Falmouth
JamaicaPortRoyal Caribbean built this pier in 2011 beside a genuine Georgian town - Falmouth has some of the best-preserved 18th-century architecture in the Caribbean, most of it derelict. The port itself is a gated shopping village designed to imitate the town next to it. Outside the gate the vendor pressure is immediate and heavy, and most passengers leave on an excursion rather than explore.
- Luminous Lagoon bioluminescence, on evening calls
- Bamboo rafting on the Martha Brae
- Dunn's River Falls, about 90 minutes east
- Good Hope Estate for zip lines and ATVs
- Getting ashore
- Ships dock; the port village is at the gangway and old Falmouth is just outside the gate, but expect persistent hustling from the moment you step through.
- Best months
- Dec-Apr is driest; May and October are the two rain peaks, and Aug-Oct is hurricane season
Day 5 · At sea
- Day 6Roatán port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
Roatán
HondurasPort - Day 7
Belize City
BelizePortThe barrier reef keeps ships several miles offshore, so everyone tenders - a 20 to 30 minute ride each way that eats an hour of the day and gets cancelled outright in a stiff easterly. Tenders land at Fort Street Tourism Village, a fenced shopping compound; Belize City beyond it has a serious crime problem and is not a place to wander. The day is really about what is inland.
- Cave tubing through the Caves Branch river system
- Altun Ha or Xunantunich Maya ruins
- Snorkelling Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley
- The Belize Zoo, which keeps only rescued native animals
- Getting ashore
- Tender port - ships anchor several miles out and the run to Fort Street Tourism Village takes 20-30 minutes each way.
- Best months
- Dec-Apr is dry and the tender ride is calmest; Jun-Nov is wet with hurricane risk peaking Aug-Oct
- Day 8Costa Maya port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
Costa Maya
MexicoPort - Day 9Cozumel port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
Cozumel
MexicoPort Day 10 · At sea
- Day 11Fort 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, Cruise Critic member 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