ms Rotterdam accidents and incidents

12 April 2024Crew / Passenger Deaths

(overboard) On April 12, 2024, a 33-year-old male crew jumped/intentionally went overboard ~9:45 PM Florida time (~01:45 UTC). The man went overboard while the ship was off South Florida, navigating between Cuba and Key West, and approx 20 mi/30 km south of Marathon (Florida Keys).

The overboard was discovered the next day (April 13th), after docking back in Port Everglades in the morning. After reviewing security footage from a CCTV camera, Holland America Line officially confirmed that the crew purposefully went overboard the previous night.

The USCG/Coast Guard conducted a search and rescue operation was conducted but the body was not found. The operation was suspended on April 15th, after the USCG vessels covered ~540 NM2 (~720 mi2/1850 km2) of sea area.

The incident occurred at the end of the 6-day "Western Caribbean Cruise" (itinerary Apr 7-13, roundtrip from Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale Florida USA) visiting ports in Belize (Belize City/Apr 9) and Mexico (Costa Maya/Apr 10, and Cozumel/Apr 11).

09 November 2022Boat Rescue

On November 9, 2022, at ~6 pm Florida time (~23:00 UTC), while navigating between Cuba and USA (Florida), cruise ship passengers spotted a floating object and alerted the crew. Later was found that this was a sinking styrofoam raft carrying 14 people (13 men and 1 woman). The Cuban migrants were all rescued despite the bad weather.

The Captain contacted the USCG and launched a rescue operation as parts of the raft were rapidly falling off and it was completely falling apart. The rescued boarded the cruise ship and were provided with medical care, food, and drinks, and on November 10th disembarked at Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale.

MS Rotterdam’s 11-night Caribbean itinerary was extended due to Hurricane Nicole (Category 1 storm developed in the Atlantic) and on Nov 9th the vessel was at sea instead of docking back in Port Everglades.

The incident occurred during the 21-day "Southern Caribbean Seafarer Wayfarer Cruise" (B2B/back-to-back itinerary Oct 30 - Nov 20, roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale) visiting Half Moon Cay Bahamas, Puerto Plata Dominicana, Oranjestad Aruba, Kralendijk Bonaire, Willemstad Curacao, Grand Turk, Fort Lauderdale (Nov 10-11 instead of Nov 9-10), Philipsburg St Maarten, Castries St Lucia, Bridgetown Barbados, Fort-de-France Martinique, Basseterre St Kitts, Charlotte Amalie St Thomas USVI, and Half Moon Cay.

15 October 2022Other Incidents

On October 15, 2022, started the 15-day Transatlantic crossing cruise that recreated Holland America Line's ever-first voyage (Rotterdam to New York City) in 1872 (October 15th/exactly 150 years earlier). The company's ever-first cruise was on the steamship SS Rotterdam (aka "MS Rotterdam I"/1872-built by Henderson, Coulborn & Company) - HAL's first vessel.

Next table shows the historic voyage as ports and times (UTC). Prices started from USD 900 per person with double occupancy.

Prior to the departure, HAL's fans were invited to come to Cruise Port Rotterdam and Wilhelminapier (in the city's Kop van Zuid neighborhood) for a festive sail away party. The dockside event recreated the ocean liners' departures in the late-19th-early-20th-centuries when the passenger steamers were sent off with fanfares.

Fireboats spraying water and a flotilla from the Royal Maas Yacht Club came to see off the 2021-built MS Rotterdam VII. The themed onboard enrichment programming during the special sailing was themed on the company's history, including dishes served during the original voyage in October 1872.

June 2021Other Incidents

Despite the vessel's on-schedule delivery (on July 30th), in mid-June Holland America Line canceled the new ship's schedule between August 1 and September 19, making Sept 26th the new Inaugural Cruise date (14-day "Jewels Of The Baltic" itinerary roundtrip from Amsterdam).

A total of 13 itineraries were canceled, including:

• Aug 1 (7-day) Trieste to Civitavecchia-Rome ($1200 pp)
• Aug 1 (21-day repositioning) Trieste to Amsterdam ($3230)
• Aug 8 (12-day repositioning) Rome to Rotterdam ($1990)
• Aug 8 (14-day repositioning) Rome to Amsterdam ($2200)
• Aug 8 (21-day repositioning) Rome to Amsterdam ($3140)
• roundtrips from Amsterdam:
• Aug 22 (7-day) "Viking Sagas" ($1000)
• Aug 22 (21-day B2B) "Viking Sagas and Northern Isles" ($3420)
• Aug 29 (14-day) "Northern Isles" ($2600)
• Aug 29 (21-day B2B) "Northern Isles and Norse Legends" ($3420)
• Sept 12 (7-day) "Norse Legends" ($1000)
• Sept 12 (14-day B2B) "Norse Legends and Viking Sagas" ($1900)
• Sept 19 (7-day) "Viking Sagas" ($1000)
• Sept 19 (21-day B2B) "Viking Sagas and Jewels Of The Baltic" ($3250)

In late-June were canceled the remaining 5 departures from Amsterdam, and the Maiden Voyage rescheduled for November 3 (4-day Florida and Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale). The latest cancellations were for:

• Sept 26 (14-day) "Jewels Of The Baltic" ($2400)
• Sept 26 (24-day B2B) "Jewels Of The Baltic and European Capitals" ($3900)
• Oct 10 (10-day) "European Capitals" ($1700)
• Oct 10 (24-day B2B) Transatlantic crossing from Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale ($3040)
• Oct 20 (14-day) Transatlantic crossing from Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale ($1500)

All customers affected by the canceled bookings were provided with two options - rebooking an equivalent itinerary in 2022 (at the same fares paid), receiving 110% FCC (future cruise credit) of any cash paid, including for packages, services and excursions or receiving a 100% monetary refund.