FreestyleNovice

@Beezo, that's some nice work!

We sure had some good fun with previous builds, I like the idea of NCL executives spitting their morning coffee over their desks when scrolling through their bookmarked CC threads finding out about such things heheh! A big help was the Meyer Werft webcam and social media from their visitor gallery, that helped a lot with puzzling out to be announced areas. Unfortunately Fincantieri is less easy to follow and more and more fellow cruisers and even influencers are learning the tricks of sleuthing! Times are changing..

No problem, that's what CC is for! That sounds like a good insurance! And good to know. Enjoy your day in Amsterdam!

I think they are two separate companies, one wears orange and the other one wears pink shirts on their boats. They seem to be quite identical in what they do.

https://flagshipamsterdam.com/ https://bootuitjes.nl/en/canal-cruise-amsterdam/ https://www.floating-amsterdam.nl/en/ Your plan sounds reasonable, I personally would pre-book the boat giving the time restraint. Your motivation to not pre-book is clear but in general those August days are some of the best days we get and availability might run out with great summer weather. In case of bad weather those open boats will have a canopy up and you might even discuss a cancelation with them (I am not sure of all policies). And even on a rainy day it's still a sight to see Amsterdam from the canals, by foot you will be even more wet. By foot you ca tag on an easy paced 1½-2 hour circle from and to the Centraal Station; Dam, Wallen, Jordaan, etc. Be aware the Vondelpark, Rijks and Van Gogh are not within that time frame, as they are too far south unless you take public transport to cover the distances. The Dutch love their summers, I hope you get to enjoy the canals on a beautiful sunny day and see the locals and youngsters relax on anything that will float whilst taking in the views of our historic city.

The small boat canal cruise with the walks to and from the boat/bus stop combined with the places you listed. Amsterdam is restrictive in coaches/busses in the city center; see https://www.amsterdam.nl/en/traffic-transport/coaches-tour-buses/. In short: tourist busses are no longer allowed inside the canal belt/S100 road perimeter unless they have some rare permit. Your most probable point of drop off will be De Ruijterkade Oost (Centraal Station). Plan from there, use an app like Moovit or take an Uber to move between further away spots or as last resort to be back in time at the bus stop. Amsterdam is compact, very walkable and lots of public transport options to help you get around quickly. Enjoy your stay in Amsterdam!

I wasn't impressed by the Apple reseller on my post Covid Celebrity sailings (2022 & 2023), it used to be better in my experience. Perhaps the market is either moving too fast for their inventory or who knows? Back in the days when duty free airport shopping was a real thing, buying i.e. a discman cheaper than main street prices, perhaps a bit similar?

When getting dropped off at port: Porters: zero. Taxi/car driver: 10%.

Renting a car or train plus local taxi. I would not pay an excessive amount (because it will be and it is) to sit in the discomfort of a regular taxi for nearly three hours. I haven't read anything indicating mobility challenges so I guess the luggage hauling might be a fear but.. Plan your train trip. Book your train tickets. Head to the Amsterdam Centraal Station, use the escalator or elevators, buy a soda/beer and a bag of chips, board one of the high(er) speed trains; the Intercity Direct or Eurostar train, store your luggage in between the seat back to backs or luggage racks and sit back and relax. Your views of the landscape passing by will also be better than other cars/highways. Here's a bit of info on the luggage part onboard the two trains on that route: https://www.nsinternational.com/en/before-you-go/luggage https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/travel-planning/luggage The last leg is on a regional Belgium train in most options, using the balcony and staying with your luggage to avoid logistical challenges.

I would leave the Markt Binnenrotte for what it is, if you go by foot you can plan your route to walk along or over the market towards the Markthal (route: Rotterdam Marriott hotel, Weena/Hofplein fountain, Cool Singel/City Hall) unless you are really looking forward to the street market experience but it's just local hustle. I personally would not sacrifice an easy morning in Paris for it! Your 3:32PM arrival might sound a bit late for your leisurely pace but still doable to me, it still gives you >6 hours for a 10:00PM end. An earlier train might give you some extra time or leverage but it would be a second or one drink at dinner thing in the end I think! On the other hand: perhaps the 1:32PM arrival biggest benefit is that it still gives you enough time even if it runs late for some unforeseen reason.

I missed the Euromast in your list by the way, swap it for the street market timewise (the Euromast will be longer though)? Not wanting to mess up your plans! https://euromast.nl/en/

Forgot to answer the actual question: I would not bother or skip other things prior to your arrival in Rotterdam (if that's the case) to see the street market, it's close by and does not take hours. Wandering around the street market will perhaps take 30 minutes off your Markthal visit if it's not done in 10, the Markthal definitely is the more attractive place.

Oh and you probably already found https://www.rotterdamcentrum.nl/en/plan-your-visit/travel-inspiration/binnenrotte-markt-rotterdam-centre?switchlanguage=true I think?

What @Klinkschakel wrote, I am not a Rotterdammer. Dutch street markets can have their charm but surely are not Barcelona's La Boqueria. Good for a quick stroll and a stroopwafel!

On the other hand, if I re-read your post; why not stay outside the city in a small/smaller town? Like north of Noord, or anything in a 15 min car radius from Schiphol airport? our taxi costs would be higher but with lower B&B (perhaps one with ground floor bedroom?) pricing your lodging would be way less. And restaurants will have more moderate pricing. Just a thought that I had!

A quite random Google on neighborhoods; https://amsterdamguiden.nu/en/neighborhoods/ Noord is across the large IJ canal, with free ferries. Look into https://www.amsterdamsights.com/about/ferries.html The cost of a taxi from Noord is general higher than one from the Centre as your taxi has only three car tunnels to cross the IJ. About the sketchiness, almost any neighborhood has their fair part, some more than others. In general avoid Nieuw West, Oost but you probably won't find any lodging there too. Westpoort is industrial harbors. Oud Zuid is fancy. Your best place would still be anything inside the canal belt with your limited mobility. Public transport in Amsterdam is very efficient, even with a scooter. See https://www.gvb.nl/en/accessible-public-transport If you like, could you share your actual dates so we can really help with finding a deal? Priceline.com might have a deal or use a site like Trivago to compare the different prices.

Schiphol: 6am curbside or wheels down? We’ve always taken morning flights from AMS to BCN departing 9am’ish, arriving approximately 10:30am on embarkation days, taxi, Aerobus or private car to the port et voila.

Sounds perfectly reasonable. I guess you will be having dinner somewhere along that route, I would suggest an easy outdoor dinner on one of the terraces at the Oude Haven (next to the Cube houses): https://www.cityrotterdam.com/en/visit/areas-rotterdam/oude-haven/. There's a pedestrian bridge between Hotel New York and the Fenix hall. I am sure you can drop bags and roam around before coming back. Rotterdam centre is relative safe at night, just like any other big city. You will be fine at 10pm in the centre with maintaining normal to high tourist caution. The city centre's clubs and bars, student associations form the nightlife crowds, also the Centraal Station generates some foot traffic for the night trains to Amsterdam etc., don't worry about them. General rule of thumb but you seem seasoned: After dark keep on the main streets, don't flash anything of value, don't be to obvious a tourist, keep walking, don't interact or respond to potential troublemakers, etc. all the common sense. Enjoy Rotterdam!

Your post is so full of positive energy and good spirit, it's heartwarming to read your post(s) and with your mindset I am sure you will have an unforgettable time! Hats off to you for that, and on a respectable age! Also note how other frequent posters liked your post too, so it's not just me who's touched by it! Norway can be chilly but with spring in the air and some warm and layered clothing you will be good to enjoy the shoulder season. The Keukenhof will be in it's last week of the 2024 season but the gardeners plant the bulbs in layers so there are flowers blooming at any time during the season. On a side note: May 4th is a special day Remembrance of the Dead (in Dutch: Dodenherdenking) is held annually on May 4 in the Netherlands. It commemorates all civilians and members of the armed forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the beginning of the Second World War, at 8pm two minutes of silence is observed throughout the Netherlands. Public transport is stopped as well as all other traffic. Nationwide flags will be half staff that day. On May 5th we celebrate our freedom with a national holiday. Your ship departure is 3pm so besides the flags you might notice no impact on your travels. My email alias is in my signature, please reach out if I can assist you with anything before or during your stay in The Netherlands, I'll personally race you to the ship if you run late or something unforeseen might happen!

My pleasure, enjoy your stay in The Netherlands! When is your cruise?

Yep, you can cross to the path directly when exiting the Centraal Station on the IJ side (names after the IJ waterway, IJzijde), just be aware of bicycles! When facing the water, go right and you will eventually see the Movenpick logo in the far distance on the top of the hotel. Keep following the red bike path on the footpath on a safe distance from the bicycles, it goes a bit uphill across a bridge and you will pass the Muziekgebouw and ramp on your left, keep walking and make a u-turn after the water and head in the opposite direction to the Movenpick.

To get to the PTA/Movenpick you will have to walk around the small water. The ramp to the Muziekgebouw also has a sign (re)directing cruise passengers and hotel guests. The ramp is also a bit steep, if you have to go back it might be a bit tricky with rolling luggage. Here's a older (but clear) Streetview image of the ramp and sign:

You will be able to manage it with a credit card, perhaps you might need to do a cash withdraw once for one or two occasions. Just be aware (and prepared) that you might not be able to use your credit card everywhere. Just inform before ordering/getting to the register. Most of the Dutch are really friendly and helpful! We always get some cash on hand when traveling, always come in handy, for tips, etc. The fees or currency surcharge is something that we just accept I guess. Anything that is left over goes back home, good reason to plan another trip!

No worries!

The posted link is a pretend to be official website, it does has a somewhat official look and feel style for the purpose of traffic/clicks/cookies and ads I guess. Easily to mistake that being from abroad, I can understand! The official Schiphol website for getting to Schiphol is: https://www.schiphol.nl/en/page/transport-yourself-to-schiphol/