bobalink

The new website is a real PITA.

 

Right now I am still using the old website to plan a cruise thanks to CJCruser and this thread https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2623899

 

The link works most of the time.

 

The next adventure is all set :). April 12 - May 6th (2 segments April 12- 24 and April 24 - May 6th).

 

South America is fabulous - we loved it. I am sure you will enjoy that itinerary in 2020 no matter what ship you are on, Bobbie :)

Lucky you! How exciting for you and Jose for your next adventure!

I showed the itinerary to Jimmy and he said, "do you want to do that one or South America?" My response... Why must I choose only one? LOL ;p

Thanks for the link to the old website - what a difference, so much easier.

You might want to take a look at her itineraries on April 12 and April 24th next year ;). Some very different ports and intriguing itineraries.

Wow! What an interesting itinerary. We would love to do that one. We have visited some of Portugal and Spain when we did the Douro River cruise. It would be great to see more of Portugal and Spain, and especially those unique ports in Italy and France.

The HAL website is wonky! OMG, it is so frustrating and not user friendly. It's painful to try and get all the details for a cruise.

I've been looking at the 22-day S. America & Antartica on the Zaandam for 2020. I'm also looking at Tauck for that itinerary. Lots to consider.

Keep us posted on your next adventure! :cool:

I agree with kazu regarding the staff, crew and Captain. Absolutely the best, most attentive service I’ve ever experienced.

We would sail on the Prinsendam again as long as the itineraries are as amazing as this cruise.

Big bonus for us was the wonderful people we met from our CC Roll Call.

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I'm sorry Bobbie, but that looks nothing like you ;)

 

You are much slimmer and trimmer even after 14 days. Think of poor me after 28 days ;).

 

and thanks for the correction on the pics. I had the Van Gogh in my head and not enough coffee when I started to post. (That's my line and I'm sticking to it).

Jacqui, you are a gem! The effort you go to on this "live" thread and all of the work you put into making the spreadsheet and answering all of my questions... you deserve another cruise! :halo:

We purchased a Future Cruise credit, and we are going to take a serious look at the 22 day Antarctic on the Zaandam in 2020.

BTW, the next time I go to Amsterdam, I am going to stay at the Banks Mansion! Wow! It sounds amazing and looks great in your photos. I thought Hotel JL No. 76 was good, especially since it's located so close to the museums. Last time we were in Amsterdam, we stayed at Hotel Estherea, which was also very nice!

Perhaps our paths will cross again in the future. Maybe on the Prinsendam, your favorite dam ship. You were right, it's a pretty special ship. By far, the crew is the best we have ever had on any cruise. So attentive and polite. I don't know how they all remembered our names. Everywhere we went, we were greeted! And, Captain Dag was so personable. It cracked me up when he would make announcements and say, "this is your driver." :')

Bobbie

Jacqui -

Thanks for all the commentary and great photos!

FYI - We took a gazillion photos in the Rijksmuseum, as did everyone else I saw. No flash, but photos and videos were allowed. No selfie sticks!

In fact, the Rijksmuseum even had a portrait of me after eating for 14 days on the Prinsendam. LOL

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I was on our balcony when I spotted Captain Dag as we were pulling into Antwerp. Here he is, waving to me.

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Thanks, Jacqui, for all you did in organizing the Meet and Greet, tours, Cabin Crawl and all the fun activities. It was a wonderful cruise!

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Glad to hear that you like her!

I can't wait to board the Prinsendam in 9 days! :D

the inside scoop on the schedule change. The decision has NOT been made yet.

The issue with Bristol is the tides and timing.

I’ll report back once the decision is made and we know.

Thanks, Jacqui!

I am enjoying this Live thread with your detailed posts and photos.

Today is the last day of a 3-day conference for work, then I can finish packing.

We're leaving Sunday for our pre-cruise visit to Liverpool and North Wales.

Can't wait to get on the Elegant Explorer. Sea you soon in Dover.

Bobbie

I still haven't received any notification from HAL and there has been no activity on the roll call. I can see that congestion could make us late or have to leave earlier than 11 PM because ships have to lock in and out of the port due to the tidal changes.

I have not received anything from HAL, either.

However, on our Roll Call, post # 2084 - edgeman61 reported that he received an email from HAL with the change from Bristol to Cobh.

You may want to contact the hotel that you are staying at and ask them for suggestions. I found the concierge at our Amsterdam hotel very helpful with questions related to restaurants. They even made reservations for us.

Great photos of the Sel de Mer dishes!

Thanks for sharing, now I'm hungry.;)

Bobbie

Very insightful, cruisemom42.

You are always the voice of reason. Not only that, but you are tremendously helpful to fellow travelers. Many times you have pointed me in the right direction, suggested routes for train travel and recommended great hotels.

I always enjoy reading your comments.

Bobbie

What beautiful photos and a great review, Ann! Reading your comments and seeing the photos brought back happy memories.

I like the food porn photos, too! I have so many photos of food taken on that ship. :')

We loved the Koningsdam and would sail on the King again in a heart beat. The dining venues were outstanding. We ate several times at the Dutch Cafe. The Split Pea Soup was so good after a long (cold) day of touring the fjords. DH was able to order his favorite beer there, too.

We also loved the stunning and creative floral arrangements.

I look forward to meeting you in May on the Prinsendam!

Bobbie

I have a question for experienced UK train travelers about train travel on Saturday, May 19.

We'll be traveling from North Wales, Llandudno Junction to Dover Priory on the day of Prince Harry's wedding. We will board our ship in Dover in the afternoon to begin our cruise. So, we can't be late.

Of course, we did not know the date of the royal wedding when we planned our pre-cruise visit to North Wales.

I am wondering if the train schedules could be significantly impacted or delayed because of the royal wedding.

From Llandudno we would change trains in London, then on to Dover.

Any suggestions for a different route?

Thanks!

Thanks for taking the time and effort to post your beautiful photos!

We will be on the Prinsendam for the first time in May 2018.

I think I am going to love this ship!

Looking for a small, interesting, boutique hotel looking over the canals for a one night stay in May. Any suggestions? We will need to get to the airport in the morning. Thanks so much!

Last summer we stayed 2 nights at the Hotel Estherea, a small boutique hotel overlooking Singel Canal. It's lovely and the breakfast was incredible. Highly recommend it.

If you are still looking at airfares...

I booked our flights tonight. I check prices daily, and there was a HUGE drop in airline prices today.

When researching our air travel, the first thing I check is duration, because I am willing to pay a little extra for a shorter flight. Fortunately, for this trip, the shortest duration is also the best price! Winner!

Doing the happy dance! :cool:

If you are travelling May 2018, you won't be able to book train tickets until 12 weeks prior (about Feb or March), so your best bet is to come back here and remind us of your plans ('cos we are all getting on a bit and our memories aren't what they were;)) and we'll help you iron out the details.

 

Simon

Okay, thanks, Simon. As the date gets closer, I will post again.

It is a reasonably pleasant 15 minute walk between the two stations, with wide and flat pavements (sidewalks).

Thanks, Bob. Sounds like a good plan!

Re the walk between Euston and St Pancras - by the time you have negotiated stairs/escalators/lifts and the long walks underground you will almost certainly be better off walking (few if any steps etc.)

 

The weather is always an unknown factor of course, but if you are coming from Wales you should be acclimatised to rain by then...:)

Thanks, Steve. I will be sure and pack an umbrella and rain jacket!

Thank you, very much, Simon and John Bull. Your responses are exactly what I need to help me figure out the details.

I didn't realize how close together Euston and St Pancras are, so avoiding the Tube may be a good idea.

Also, I was not aware of split-ticketing. I'm a California girl who never takes a train unless I'm in Europe.

Your suggestions are very helpful!

Thank you,

Bobbie

I looked at the Virgin Trains website and I think I have it somewhat figured out. I put in some dates (not actual dates because it's too far out) and this is the route they suggested:

07:38 Depart Llandudno Junction (Virgin Trains)

10:36 Arrive London Euston

10:36 London Euston (Tube)

11:37 Arrive London St Pancras International

11:37 Depart London St Pancras International (Southeastern Train)

12:41 Arrive Dover Priory

Does this look correct? Is this the best route?

Thanks

Hello!

We plan to visit North Wales for a few days prior to boarding our cruise ship at Dover in May 2018.

We're staying in Llandudno and want to take the train to Dover. We would need to arrive in Dover by 2pm on a Saturday.

Then, from the Dover train station, I think we would need a taxi to get to the port, is that correct?

I am hoping some of you who have experience with trains can help me figure out the best route.

Thanks, in advance, for your help.

Thank you so much..........I am leaning towards AMA so this really helped

do you think if I don't add an extra day I would have time to see the Prado, for sure I would arrive in Lisbon a day early

any advise?

I think you will be very happy with AMA.

If you are going to take the post extension offered with AmaWaterways, you will definitely have time to see the Prado. They give you plenty of time for seeing sights on your own, after a scheduled tour. The Westin Palace in Madrid (what AmaWaterways uses) is located across the street from the Prado.

We chose to stay an extra day just to have a more leisurely time. We spent about 4 hours in the Prado, but we took our time.

The beautiful Westin Palace in Madrid at night:

IMG_1281 by BobalinkToo, on Flickr

Westin Palace located across from the Prado:

IMG_1671 by BobalinkToo, on Flickr

The Prado - ticket line. We purchased our tickets the day before:

IMG_1675 by BobalinkToo, on Flickr

Gorgeous scenery along the Douro River

IMG_0571 by BobalinkToo, on Flickr

IMG_0562 by BobalinkToo, on Flickr