ROTTERDAM
July 30, 2024 | Day 4 — Molde, Norway
Rotterdam was in Molde, Norway, on July 30, 2024, during Day 4 of our seven-night Norwegian fjords cruise. Sailing roundtrip from Rotterdam in the Netherlands, our itinerary included Nordfjordeid, Molde, Geiranger and Bergen. The Molde call also fell on the third anniversary of the ship’s delivery to Holland America Line.
Rotterdam was photographed in Molde, Norway, on July 30, 2024, during Day 4 of our seven-night Norwegian fjords cruise with Holland America Line. We had boarded in the ship’s namesake city in the Netherlands on July 27, spent the following day at sea and called at Nordfjordeid on July 29. Molde was our second Norwegian port, with Geiranger and Bergen still ahead before the cruise returned to the Netherlands on August 3.
The date carried an additional connection to the ship’s history. Fincantieri delivered Rotterdam to Holland America Line on July 30, 2021, making our day in Molde the third anniversary of that handover. As the third Pinnacle-class ship and the seventh Holland America vessel to carry the name, she combined the company’s modern cruise-ship design with one of its oldest naming traditions. That history reached back to the first Rotterdam, whose maiden voyage began in 1872.
Molde placed our cruise beside the Romsdalsfjord, in a town known for its rose gardens and the mountains across the water. Celebrity Silhouette was also in port that day, providing another ship to photograph during our cruise. These photographs focus on Rotterdam, our ship for the week, at a point midway through the itinerary when the Norwegian ports followed one another on consecutive days.
Information List
Ship: Rotterdam
Operator: Holland America Line
Class: Pinnacle class — third ship of the class
Builder: Fincantieri, Italy
Launched: October 1, 2020
Delivered: July 30, 2021
Entered Passenger Service: October 2021
Naming Ceremony: May 30, 2022
Godmother: Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
Gross Tonnage: About 99,900 GT
Length Overall: 984 feet / 299.79 meters
Beam: 115 feet / 35 meters
Guest Capacity: 2,668
Naming Tradition: Seventh Holland America Line ship named Rotterdam
Our Cruise: Seven-night Norway / Norse Legends cruise
Cruise Dates: July 27–August 3, 2024
Cruise Day: Day 4
Date Photographed: July 30, 2024
Location: Molde, Norway
Historical Connection: Third anniversary of delivery to Holland America Line
History and Features
Construction and Delivery:
Rotterdam was built by Fincantieri in Italy, continuing a long shipbuilding relationship with Holland America Line.
Her launch took place on October 1, 2020, followed by fitting out and preparation for service.
Sea trials were completed in the Adriatic before the final stages of construction.
Delivery on July 30, 2021, marked the formal handover from the shipbuilder to Holland America Line, ahead of passenger operations later that year.
The Third Pinnacle-Class Ship:
Rotterdam followed Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam as the third ship in the Pinnacle class.
The three vessels were built at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard and share a closely related design.
At nearly 300 meters long, the ship brought together extensive passenger accommodation, public rooms and open decks.
Her published guest capacity of 2,668 placed her among Holland America Line’s largest ships, while retaining the company’s emphasis on traditional shipboard spaces.
Seven Ships Named Rotterdam:
The name Rotterdam has been associated with Holland America’s history since the nineteenth century.
The first ship bearing the name began her maiden voyage from Rotterdam to New York on October 15, 1872.
Successive vessels carried the name through changing eras of transatlantic travel and cruising.
The present ship is the seventh in that sequence, linking a contemporary cruise vessel with the company’s earliest ocean voyages.
The 2022 Naming Ceremony:
The ship’s naming ceremony took place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on May 30, 2022.
Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet served as godmother, continuing Holland America Line’s connection with the Dutch royal family.
The ceremony occurred after the ship had entered service, making it a separate milestone from her launch and delivery.
Naming the ship in her namesake city emphasized the relationship between the vessel, the port and Holland America Line’s Dutch heritage.
Design and Public Spaces:
Music helped inspire the architecture of several public areas, an approach shared with the other Pinnacle-class ships.
The design combined contemporary interiors with familiar Holland America features, including a substantial main dining room and a range of lounges.
World Stage introduced a theater setting using a wraparound LED screen for visual presentations and performances.
Balcony accommodation, outdoor deck areas and varied interior gathering spaces supported both time at sea and destination-focused cruising.
Our July 2024 Norway Cruise:
We boarded Rotterdam on July 27 for a seven-night roundtrip cruise from the Netherlands.
A sea day preceded Nordfjordeid, the first of four Norwegian port calls.
Molde was followed by Geiranger on July 31 and Bergen on August 1.
The final full day was spent at sea before our return to Rotterdam on August 3.
Molde and the Romsdalsfjord:
Molde lies beside the Romsdalsfjord in western Norway, with a broad mountain panorama across the water.
Its reputation as the town of roses reflects gardens that have featured in local tourism promotion for more than a century.
The harbor’s proximity to the town center connects cruise arrivals with Molde’s streets, shops and cultural attractions.
The setting offered a different coastal perspective from Nordfjordeid, before the itinerary continued into the narrower fjord landscape around Geiranger.
July 30, 2024 — Day 4 in Molde:
These photographs form part of our cruise aboard Rotterdam, rather than an encounter with a ship we were observing from another vessel.
The archived itinerary scheduled Molde from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Celebrity Silhouette was also in Molde that day, and photographs of that ship appear in a separate gallery.
Our call coincided with the third anniversary of Rotterdam’s delivery, adding a shipbuilding milestone to this day of our Norway cruise.
OLP Social: Molde was Day 4 of our seven night Norway cruise, between Nordfjordeid and Geiranger, with Bergen still ahead before our return to the Netherlands.
OLP Social 2: Built by Fincantieri in Italy, she was delivered on July 30, 2021, making our day in Molde the third anniversary of her handover to Holland America Line.
OLP Social 3: At nearly 300 meters long and close to 100,000 gross tons, this Pinnacle class ship carries 2,668 guests, combining modern design with Holland America heritage.
OLP Social 4: The seventh ship to carry this name for Holland America Line continues a tradition dating to 1872, linking today’s flagship with the company’s earliest voyages.
