21st century cruise destination
Executive Summary
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FROM FISHING VILLAGE TO WORLD
PORT TO WORLD CITY IN 800 YEARS
Rotterdam will be exhibiting at the
World Expo 2010 (held in its sister
city Shanghai) to demonstrate how a
world-class city and port can grow and
prosper within an environmentally-
friendly development structure. This is
a measure of its growing international
status and the latest step on the 800-
year journey this former fi shing village
has taken en route to becoming a
World City. Some 400 years of trading
has created a World Port – the largest
in Europe.
Now a vibrant, contemporary centre,
Rotterdam is at the heart of Europe
with a skyline that refl ects its present-
day outlook: young, dynamic,
creative, exciting, open minded and
international. Rotterdam has always
been well connected internationally
due to its favourable geographical
location on the banks of the river
Nieuwe Maas that connects directly to
the deep waters of the North Sea.
CATCHMENT AREA OF 65 MILLION
POTENTIAL PASSENGERS
Rotterdam remains ambitious for
growth, which it measures in more
than simple economic value.
The port remains a major part of – and
contributor to – that growth and those
ambitions, with cruising playing a
part through its turnaround traffi c for
which the growth potential remains
huge: as one of the most vibrant port
cities in the world surrounded by
history and with modern attractions
from shopping to wining and dining,
Rotterdam is the perfect start, or
end, for a European cruise. There
is a catchment area of 65 million
prospective passengers in the near
vicinity. Already many world-class
ocean and river cruise ships choose
Rotterdam as their turnaround point.
A new addition this year is Norwegian
Cruise Line – using Rotterdam as a
homeport with two fi ve-day Baltic
cruises scheduled.
DIVERSITY OF ATTRACTIONS AND
TOURS
The port and the city are inextricably
linked for cruise visitors and other
tourists, too. Those who arrive or embark
on cruise ships want to see the rest of the
city either during their day ashore or, by
adding days before or after the cruise,
being able to stay in the city and explore
it more fully.
There are a variety of organised
tours both to see the city sites and to
experience the best of the rest of The
Netherlands. But, equally, it is a city
that has an impressively broad-based
transportation system, and an ever-
welcoming population makes it easy to
tour independently.
A former European City of Culture,
Rotterdam is rich in the arts and – in
particular – architecture within which
there is a heady mixture of historic and
modern design. Equally intriguing is
the culinary mix, with the more than
100 cuisines represented among its
cafes, bars and restaurants, refl ecting
the city’s cosmopolitan style and
atmosphere – its multicultural, trendy
and energetic power base makes
visitors quickly feel at home.
DOCK IN THE HEART OF THE CITY
Mai Elmar, director of Cruise Port
Rotterdam, is confi dent for the future.
She says: “Cruise ships are becoming
larger all the time but Rotterdam is able
to welcome these vessels into its harbour
right in the city centre.
“The quay has been reinforced and
deepened and our maritime and nautical
services are fully geared to handling the
largest ships. These fl oating palaces
can be mooring at our quay and newly-
refurbished terminal within two hours of
being out at sea.”
DYNAMIC CITY
Rotterdam is not just the Gateway to
Europe but also to one of Europe’s
most dynamic cities. A melting pot of
rich cultural diversity, the city offers
a unique blend of exciting, trend-
setting entertainments within an ever-
evolving cityscape.
ARCHITECTURAL CITY
The city’s dramatic skyline has
prompted impressive comparisons
to be made. For what Cannes is
to fi lm and Milan is to fashion,
Rotterdam surely is to architecture.
Great architects and great vision have
combined to create a rich heritage
of ground-breaking design in the
city’s post-war development. The
combination of historical and post-war
buildings makes for fascinating vistas
across the city.
The most evocative modern examples
include the Euromast tower, Erasmus
Bridge, KPN Tower, New Luxor Theatre
and the Cube Houses, all of which were
celebrated as part of the Rotterdam
2007 – City of Architecture event. And
the city is determined to remain at the
cutting edge, setting up the Design
Platform Rotterdam in 2008 to bring
the various players from the industry
together, to raise awareness of the value
of design and of Rotterdam’s leading
role in this sector.
COSMOPOLITAN CITY
It already looks and feels like the most
modern city in The Netherlands. This is
thanks in no small measure to the port,
which helps ensure a constant infl ux
of new people and new ideas. With
400 years of trading experience, it has
become the largest port in Europe.
Throughout its history, Rotterdam has
welcomed international visitors and, as
a result, about half of the city’s 600,000
population has international roots. More
than 170 nationalities and countries
are represented in the city, including
Suriname, Turkey and Morocco as well as
the USA, UK, Spain, Poland, Scandinavia
and China and this means that, although
Dutch is the offi cial language, English
and many other languages are spoken.
Rotterdam World City
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The city has built upon its cosmopolitan
heritage by becoming a full and active
member of Eurocities – a network of
major European cities, which encourages
the constant exchange of cultural,
educational, environmental and social
ideas, experiences and best practices.
Rotterdam also has close links with
cities outside Europe, including Jakarta,
Shanghai and Sao Paulo.
CONNECTED CITY
Rotterdam is a major travel hub for all
forms of transportation, with extensive
road, rail and air links, too. Rotterdam
Airport is the most important regional
airport in The Netherlands. Well connected
to the major European hubs, it also has
business jet fl ights 24/7 and a high-speed
train link (just 19 minutes) to Amsterdam
Schiphol. By road, Schiphol is 45 minutes
away, while Brussels International Airport
Zaventem and Eindhoven Airport are each
only 90-minute drives.
Alternatively, the European High Speed
Railway network is a comfortable and quick
way to reach major European cities including
Paris (two hours), Brussels and Frankfurt.
Rotterdam’s strategic location at the heart
of a European market with 500m potential
consumers has obvious benefi ts for the
business community, which has only been
enhanced by the investment in high-speed
telecommunications and the availability of
a multi-lingual and highly-skilled workforce.
BUSINESS CITY
This, though, is nothing new, as
Rotterdam’s history and growth
have been based on its strength in
international shipping, trade and
logistics. It is simply ensuring that it
adapts to a changing world by focusing
on emerging industries particularly in the
health care, energy and creative sectors.
GREEN CITY
Always a green city with its 2,000 hectares
of public parks and gardens (including
Euromast Park, Trompenburg Arboretum,
Zuiderpark, Vrosenepark and Kralingse
Bos) and network of cycle routes,
Rotterdam is approaching the issue of
climate-change with its usual dynamism.
The city and port are part of the Rotterdam
Climate Initiative tasked with dramatically
reducing Rotterdam’s CO2 emissions by
50% in the 35 years to 2025. The aim is for
it to become the world capital of CO2-
free energy. This will happen alongside
the port’s own expansion plans. Currently
handling more than 500 sailings a week to
more than 1,000 ports worldwide, it will be
reclaiming almost 2,000 extra hectares of
land for industrial use.
CRUISE CITY
The City’s development began in
the 13th Century when a dam was
built to separate the rivers Rotte and
Nieuwe Maas. Named Rotterdam as
a result, it had become a prosperous
trading town by the 17th Century,
when it was part of the United East
Indies Companies and homeport for
Dutch sea heroes Maarent Tromp
and Piet Heyn.
But its breakthrough into becoming
a genuine international centre of
trade, transport and industry came
with the 1872 construction of de
Nieuwe Waterweg, which linked
it directly with the North Sea. The
following year, Plate, Reuchlin
and Co. became the Netherlands
American Steamship Company,
later turned into Holland America
Line. This – along with other major
shipping companies – plied the
North Atlantic with increasingly
lavish passenger liners during the
fi rst half of the 20th Century.
Holland America Line
headquartered on the site of the
present Hotel New York, and its
ships with recurring names like
Rotterdam, Statendam and Nieuw
Amsterdam, carried hundreds of
thousands of passengers between
Rotterdam and New York.
So, as well as international trade,
Rotterdam’s direct link with the
North Sea now ensures that ocean
and river cruise ships both visit and
also homeport in the city. Their
presence along the eye-catching
waterfront skyline also attracts
many other visitors to the port and
to take harbour tours as well.
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ROTTERDAM WORLD CITY
Rotterdam’s location and colourful, cosmopolitan history have ensured that
many cultures and tastes are represented in the city’s world of food, shopping,
entertainment, attractions, museums, festivals and other events.
There is certainly no shortage of things to see and do for cruise visitors, whether
they are there just for a few hours or for several days on pre- or post-cruise
packages. However long they are there, there is also every chance that their visit
will coincide with a festival, cultural or sporting event.
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CULTURAL CITY
Rotterdam has been recognized as the
best festival city in The Netherlands
three times in the past fi ve years
because it hosts such a variety, ranging
from small, neighbourhood street
parades to mega city festivals like the
Ortell Summer Carnival and the Fit
For Free Dance Parade, which attract
hundreds of thousands of visitors every
year.
Rotterdam is also home to world
class international festivals like the
International Film Festival Rotterdam,
the North Sea Jazz Festival, Bavaria
City Racing, World Harbour Days and
the Gergiev Festival. Sport is another
popular activity. Whether people like
to get involved or just watch, there are
plenty of opportunities to enjoy sport in
Rotterdam.
It is the home town to three professional
football (soccer) clubs: Feyenoord, Sparta
and Excelsior and many other sporting
clubs that compete at the highest
national level.
Rotterdam is also a popular stage for
great sporting events such as the ABN
AMRO (ATP) World Tennis Tournament,
the Fortis Marathon Rotterdam,
Rotterdam Concours Hippique
International Offi ciel (CHIO), Rabobank
Six Days Track Racing and the World Port
Baseball Tournament.
The city has also hosted major
international sporting events like the
EURO 2000 football fi nal (2000), UEFA
Cup fi nal (2002), World Cup Baseball
(2005), Volvo Ocean Race (2006) and the
World Hockey Men’s Champions Trophy
(2008).
The European Union awarded Rotterdam
the status of European capital of Culture
in 2001 but – in addition to such special
events – the city seeks to provide
permanent cultural stimulation for every
artistic taste and background.
It has its own internationally-renowned
orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic
Orchestra led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
It is also home to Codarts University
of the arts, the Willem de Kooning
academy and the World Music and
Dance Centre.
MUSEUM CITY
There are also must-see museums
in Rotterdam covering a range
of subjects and themes. These
include the Boijmans Van
Beuningen Museum, with its
magnifi cent collection of classical
and contemporary art featuring
the works of artists ranging from
Rembrandt, Monet and Van Gogh
to Dali and Picasso.
In the Het Schielandhuis history
museum, the city’s past is brought
to life, from the 18th Century to
the present day, through a series
of rooms authentically designed
to refl ect the different times and
fashions.
Other museums include The
Netherlands Architecture Institute,
Kunsthal Museum (Modern Art) and
the Maritime Museum Rotterdam,
which tells the story of the World
Port through exhibits like the 19th
Century man o’ war (De Buffel)
moored outside.
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VIBRANT CITY
Rotterdam is also a vibrantly contemporary city always looking ahead as well
as celebrating its past. Throughout 2009, Rotterdam will be bustling more than
ever with activities organized for, by and with young people, ranging from
festivals, concerts and conferences to city projects. This is because Rotterdam
is the European Youth Capital 2009 to tie in with EU youth programmes and
initiate the exchange of best practices concerning young people and their
attraction to cities in Europe.
TOURIST CITY
The beauty of Rotterdam is that it is
easy to get around via a wide-ranging
public and private transportation network
which includes light railway, subways,
water taxis and ferries as well as buses
and trams and bicycles for hire to use on
designated cycle paths.
From the top of the 185m Euromast,
there is a breathtaking overview of
the World Port, World City but, for an
illuminating and enjoyable insight into
the city’s world-class highlights, Spido
operates tours from Erasmus Bridge
around its famous waterfront and
harbours and through the city, searching
out surprises as well as the better-known
attractions.
Among tours with a theme, there are
Industrial Tourism’s bespoke trips by bus
or boat that take in the Cube Houses
designed by Piet Blom as “trees within
a forest”. The highlight is the museum
home – Kijkkubus in the Blaakse Bos.
There is more history in Delfshaven,
where the United East Indies Company
used to build its trading ships. It was
here that Dutch seafaring hero Piet Heyn
drank his beer and the Pilgrim Fathers
also spent the night before embarking
their America-bound ships.
There are a couple of fascinating
museums, a corn mill, a historic church
and two theatres, but the area has also
been transformed into a shopper’s
paradise with antique stores and shops
selling glassware, fashion items and
curios.
Also worth a visit are the Royal Rotterdam
Zoo – now expanded into a spectacular
botanical gardens setting – and the 15th
Century Gothic church, Grote of Sint-
Laurenskerk, which is the oldest building
in central Rotterdam and also boasts the
largest, fully-mechanical organ in Europe –
one of three in the church.
But, not only is it easy to reach and see
the many highlights of Rotterdam itself,
the World Port World City is also within
easy touring range of such attractive
destinations as Delft (home of the
famous porcelain), Gouda (cheese),
Schiedam (Dutch gin), Dordrecht
(oldest town in The Netherlands),
Kinderdijk (UNESCO World Heritage-
listed windmills), and The Hague (Peace
Palace).
SHOPPING CITY
To cap it all, there are a huge
number of shopping opportunities
across the city, which are detailed
in the “Shopping in Rotterdam”
brochure. This suggests eight on-
foot shopping routes with different
themes.
World Port Cruise Port Rotterdam
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ONE-STOP SERVICE OFFICE
Cruise Port Rotterdam offers a one-stop
offi ce for all maritime and tourist services.
Prior to each call, all relevant parties
(agent, travel agent, Harbour Master,
Customs, Sea Port Police, Police and
Fire Brigade) are invited for a meeting
to discuss all needs and requests. In
addition to the handling of general calls
and turn-around visits of cruise ships, the
Cruise Port Rotterdam team can assist
with matters such as the organization of
special events, including press assistance.
CRUISE PORT ROTTERDAM B.V.
Wilhelminakade 699, P.O. Box 51005, 3007 GA ROTTERDAM
Tel: +31 – 10 – 486 07 24 Fax: +31 – 10 – 413 50 22
E-mail: offi [email protected] Website: www.cruiseportrotterdam.com
Mrs. Mai Elmar, director
NAUTICAL FACTS AND FIGURES
World Port Rotterdam is a safe and cost-effi cient port with top quality marine
services. Cruise ships move swiftly from the North Sea to the World Port Cruise
Terminal at Holland America quay in the city centre in approximately two hours.
Cruise berth: Holland America QuayLength: 698 metresQuayside depth: 12 metresMaximum air draught: No restrictionsTerminal: Cruise Terminal RotterdamMaximum no. passengers: Capacity to handle the very largest
shipsGangways: Covered boarding bridge from ship to
terminal buildingDistance to city centre: 2kmDriving time to city centre: 5-10 minutesTravel time to airports: 20 minutes’ drive to Rotterdam
Airport; 60 minutes by car or 40 minutes by train to Amsterdam Schiphol; 90 minutes by car or train to Zaventem Airport, Brussels
Facilities in/around terminal: Tourist information centre; currency exchange; telephones; bar/restaurant; toilets; taxi service desk; shuttle service; public transportation
Time from/to North Sea: Approximately two hours Turning circles: 360m (at Waalhaven); 160m (Rijnhaven
terminal)Distances from Rotterdam: Amsterdam (37); Antwerp (121);
Copenhagen (490); Hamburg (307); (nautical miles); Le Havre (245);Oslo (552); Southampton (256)
ROTTERDAM
BELGIUM
NETHERLANDS
GERMANY
FRANCE
UK
DENMARK
CRUISE PORT ROTTERDAM B.V.
Wilhelminakade 699, P.O. Box 51005, 3007 GA ROTTERDAM
Tel: +31 10 486 07 24
Fax: +31 10 413 50 22
E-mail: offi [email protected]
Website: www.cruiseportrotterdam.com
Mrs. Mai Elmar, director
Published by
ASHCROFT & ASSOCIATES
PO Box 57940, London W4 5RD
+44 (0) 20 8994 4123
www.ashcroftandassociates.com