This morning we head to Amsterdam to board the ms Prinsendam for the
18-Day Top of the World Cruise. We are looking forward to being back on board the elegant explorer.
Since we have previously enjoyed Amsterdam main sites, we spent the past three days exploring Rotterdam. It is an easy 45 minute and 10 euro train ride from the Amsterdam airport. We stayed at the Rotterdam Hilton, a few blocks from the train station.
For 2007, Rotterdam is celebrating the “City of Architecture” with many different programs are available to spotlight the diverse architecture of this city, most of which has been built post WW II as the city was heavily bombed in 1940.
We enjoyed the Spido Architecture Harbour Cruise www.spido.nl which departs daily through September and costs 9 euros/person. During the 75-minute sail, commentary in both Dutch and English highlights Rotterdam’s unique architecture, starting by sailing under the Erasmus Bridge, built in 1996 and nicknamed “The Swan.”
While we were here, Holland America Line’s ms Rotterdam was docked in the cruise pier just across the River Maas. Other highlights of this city include:
The Hotel New York, formerly the headquarters of Holland America Line and now a 4-star hotel with a terrific café and seafood restaurant near the cruise ship pier www.hotelnewyork.nl
The Maritiem Museum www.maritiemmuseum.nl, includes a large exhibit on Holland America Line, tracing the company’s history dating back to 1873, when the company was founded in Rotterdam. The exhibit is in Dutch and English. We found the models and written materials such as menus interesting. The museum also houses many model ships and an interactive exhibit of The “˜Berlin’ Tragedy – Shipwreck at Hook of Holland in the early 1900s.
Delfshaven, a metro or tram ride from downtown is an interesting area with high-end shops, cafes and restaurants. The Pilgrims originally set sail to America from this area in 1620