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 ce@cruise.rotterdam.nl 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 ce@cruise.rotterdam.nl

Website: www.cruiseportrotterdam.com

Mrs. Mai Elmar, director

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ASHCROFT & ASSOCIATES

PO Box 57940, London W4 5RD

+44 (0) 20 8994 4123

www.ashcroftandassociates.com