Half Moon Cay, one of the most beautiful of the Bahamans Islands is about 100 miles southeast of Nassau.  Formerly it was Little San Salvador Island. It is a now private island leased to Holland America by the Bahamian government.


All the facilities and activities one would expect are here on Half Moon Cay.  There is a wide variety of watersports, bar service, massage, tram transport, nature walks. and cabanas.

 
Puerto Limon is Costa Rica's main port,
sending bananas and other agricultural
products to the rest of the world.

A brilliant green lizard suns himself along the Touruguero Canals, a jungle waterway a few miles from Puerto Limon.

The Tortuguero is a bird watchers
paradise.  Spider monkeys, iguanas,
crocodiles and sloths also inhabit
the jungle around the canals.

A typical business/residence/boat landing on the canal.

Look hard enough and you will see the
face of a three-toed sloth.

One of the Del Monte Banana Plantations near Puerto Limon.  The cables are for hauling the ripened banana bunches to the washing and sorting sheds.

Rotterdam's Explorer Lounge is a large
comfortable room with conversational
seating arrangements, live music and a bar.

The Rotterdam's Ocean Bar is another popular after-dinner lounge.

There's a live orchid plant on each
and every table in the Lido Restaurant.

In the Crows' Nest Bar you will find this 17th Century Dutch bow canon.

Times Square is located in the Atrium
on the Lower Promenade Deck.

These are some of the life-size replicas of the famous Chinese Terra Cota statues which Holland America has aboard the Rotterdam.

Joel, is one of the most personable and popular member of the Rotterdam's service staff.  He is in charge of the Java Cafe, where you can get great cappuccino and good conversation throughout the whole day.




Java Cafe


The shows were spectacular on the Rotterdam. The resident performers and musicians were the best of any cruise we've been on.



Our waiter brings the flaming desert.
Actually it's just sparklers.



The top of the Atrium statuary viewed from the Upper Promenade Deck.


Entering the Panama Canal at
the Gatun Locks just after dawn.


One of the "mule" locomotives which help keep the ship centered in the canal.




In the San Blas Islands the colorful Cuna Indian women gather about the boat landing to sell their molas which are panels of hand stitched reverse applique using several layers of cloth. The origin of the mola is uncertain.