Today, we are booked to catch an taxi from our hotel to our ship at 11am. Not enough time to do anything meaningful. I was awake early so went for a walk outside along the canal next to our hotel. Not too far, but saw some interesting sights including an old lighthouse ship which now looks like it is somebody's floating home.
Being Saturday, there are markets in Rotterdam. Helen had a lie in, so I ventured out to see what they’re all about. They opened at 8:00am and after a short walk along the canal in the opposite direction to before, I arrived about 8:30am.
Rotterdam people clearly aren’t early starters, the markets were generally quiet and still gearing up. It was a selection of fresh produce, baking, flea markets, clothing, a great variety! I had expected to find something for breakfast but nothing appealed to me much.
Walking back to our hotel, the main road was closed, and loads of trucks lining up. Also loads of performers in amazing costumes gathering. Turns out, today is annual carnival day. It looked to me like it would be one big street party. It was due to start at midday, but didn't fit with our plans, so we would not get to see the carnival unfortunately.
Our taxi arrived on time, but he had fun navigating the various closed roads to get to us. Thankfully the cruise terminal was in the opposite direction and was only a 10 minute drive.
Boarding the ship was incredibly quick and painless compared to our previous cruises. We had no waiting at all, we went straight through ticketing, passport check and security. Within 30 minutes, we were on the ship.
Our ship, the Nieuw Statendam, is a sister ship to the Koningsdam we sailed back in 2017. So it felt familiar in layout and how to get around.
Initially, our cabins weren’t ready, so not much option but head to the Lido Deck to find some lunch. We didn’t have too much to eat, but enough to keep us going. By now our cabins were ready, and our luggage had been delivered, so we could unpack and settle in.
Sailing time was 4pm. Helen wanted a snooze, so I ventured down the stern where a sailing party was booked. I was looking forward to seeing the sights, as the ship would be heading out through waterways for at least an hour, and there is always plenty to see.
Sadly, no sooner did I reach the stern, which was rather crowded, but I started vomiting and that quickly lead to crew calling medical staff and assisting me. Something I ate at lunch did not agree with me. Due to risks of illness spreading, I was isolated to our cabin for the next 36 hours. The first 8 hours were very rough and I’d rather forget, but once I’d ejected every ounce of impurity I was able to sleep and felt much better afterwards. But I didn’t have much appetite for the next day or so!
These were the only pictures I took, which were taken before the ship even sailed.
The following say, we had our first full day at sea, giving me time to recover. Luckily I was cleared to leave the cabin just hours before our first shore excursion. Let’s hope that’s all the bed news for this trip.
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