In September 2004, the vessel lost power when all four engines failed during Hurricane Karl while doing a transatlantic crossing. Swells reached. Many passengers suffered injuries during this period, the most severe being fractured bones. Rotterdam regained power and continued its journey to Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving on 28 September. During the summer of 2011, Rotterdam conducted Holland America Line's first standalone transatlantic crossing since 1971, making a single trip both eastbound and westbound. Rotterdam sails around Europe during the summer and South America in the winter. Commencing in 2012, the cruise ship was based year-round in Rotterdam. In July 2020 it was announced that the ship had been sold to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines for delivery in September 2020 and is expected to be renamed MS Borealis.
In March 2020, Rotterdam was dispatched to transport medical supplies to sister vessel after four passengers died, and passengers and crew of Zaandam were found to have symptoms associated with the COVID-19 virus. Passengers found not to have COVID-19 symptoms were transferred to Rotterdam to reduce the spread of infection during Zaandams return journey to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. On 27 March, both vessels were briefly denied transit through the Panama Canal after Panamanian authorities claimed Zaandam posed an infection risk to the local community. Transit was later granted by Panamanian authorities on 28 March. Rotterdam followed Zaandam on its way to Florida. An unstated number of asymptomatic passengers from Zaandam were transferred to the second vessel on 28 March 2020. At that time, the crew of Zaandam included four physicians and four nurses while Rotterdams roster included two physicians and four nurses. As of 30 March 2020, Holland America had not received permission to dock either vessel at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale as planned. According to news reports, the city's mayor, Dean Trantalis, "said he didn't want the ship to dock near his city, at least without extensive precautions" and a briefing by the federal government. By 31 March, Rotterdam had taken almost 1,400 people from Zaandam; none had flu-like symptoms. That left 450 passengers and 602 crew members on its sister ship with nearly 200 exhibiting symptoms. News reports on 2 April stated that both ships would be allowed to dock at Port Everglades that afternoon. The cruise line was making arrangements for passengers from other countries to leave via chartered aircraft.
