From Kitchen to Table: How Rotterdam Turned Me Into a Cruise Foodie

I'll be honest—I almost didn't book this cruise. A ten-day Mediterranean journey on Holland America's Rotterdam seemed like the kind of thing my retired parents would do, not me. But when my best friend backed out of our planned Italy trip and I needed to salvage my vacation days, there it was: an affordable sailing from Barcelona. I figured I'd eat, see some sights, and come home. What actually happened was something I never expected. I've always loved food, but I'm not one of those people who plans trips around restaurants or spends months researching menus. I eat when I'm hungry, I appreciate good flavors, and I move on. So when I boarded the Rotterdam in Barcelona on a sticky July evening, hungry and slightly jetlagged, I had no idea that the next ten days would fundamentally change how I experience travel. The Rotterdam is a mid-sized ship—not one of those floating mega-cities, thank God. It felt manageable, intimate even, with about 2,100 passengers and a crew that actually seemed to remember your name by day three. I found my cabin (a modest inside room, nothing fancy) and immediately headed to the dining room for the late seating. This is where everything started. Main din…