The Netherlands - IJmuiden vs. Amsterdam ?

[sail7seas]

I have been getting mailings from HAL advertising various European cruises and have noticed HAL is bringing ships to IJmuiden rather than Amsterdam? Is this new or has that always been the port for Amsterdam? Sorry if this is stupid question but all our visits to Amsterdam were by air/land and when we sailed into the Netherlands, it was to Rotterdam.

[Alphen]

I have been getting mailings from HAL advertising various European cruises and have noticed HAL is bringing ships to IJmuiden rather than Amsterdam? Is this new or has that always been the port for Amsterdam? Sorry if this is stupid question but all our visits to Amsterdam were by air/land and when we sailed into the Netherlands, it was to Rotterdam.

 

It is not a stupid question. Until recently, I think only Prinsendam sailed most of the times out of Ijmuiden, for instance Eurodam departed from Amsterdam. Most probably it is more cost efective to depart from IJmuiden, saving time and costs going through the “Noord-Zeekanaal”, to sail into the center of Amsterdam.

This and next season, only Veendam visits Amsterdam, Prinsendam does IJmuiden

[rochelle_s]

On my upcoming cruise on the Prinsedam the final port is Ijmuiden so I have been doing a little research on it. From what I have found stopping in Ijmuiden saves time and perhaps money. It apparently takes 2-3 hours to sail through the locks to Amsterdam. From this port drive time to Amsterdam is approximately one hour. There is also good bus and rail transportation already in place. I believe that this is all quite new as the Felison Cruise Terminal in Ijmuiden started receiving larger ships in 2012.

 

Like you I am used to docking in Rotterdam. Why the change from there I do not know. Perhaps I will get a chance to ask next week.

 

 

Rochelle

[sail7seas]

Thnaks both of you.

Very helpful answers. :)

 

Have a great cruise, Rochelle.

[Alphen]

On my upcoming cruise on the Prinsedam the final port is Ijmuiden so I have been doing a little research on it. From what I have found stopping in Ijmuiden saves time and perhaps money. It apparently takes 2-3 hours to sail through the locks to Amsterdam. From this port drive time to Amsterdam is approximately one hour. There is also good bus and rail transportation already in place. I believe that this is all quite new as the Felison Cruise Terminal in Ijmuiden started receiving larger ships in 2012.

 

Like you I am used to docking in Rotterdam. Why the change from there I do not know. Perhaps I will get a chance to ask next week.

 

 

Rochelle

 

Sorry to have to correct you; there is no change in Rotterdam. The homeport of the Rotterdam stil is Rotterdam and this has not changed. Last couple of years this has been the only ship of the fleet to sail from Rotterdam.

 

2012 was the last year that a larger ship (Eurodam) sailed out of Amsterdam, as far as I know, Prinsendam shifted to IJmuiden from Amsterdam since last year. Veendam sails to and from Amsterdam this and next season on its Viking cruise.

[3ssn]

Docking in IJmuiden saves you the trip throug the canal from IJmuiden to Amsterdam. But beware that IJmuiden does not have it's own train station. They closed the station a couple of years ago. You can go to Amsterdam by bus (and change to train close to Amsterdam). Not very comfortable and quite expensive by taxi.

 

When you dock in Amsterdam you are a nice 15 minute stroll (or 5 minute tram ride) away from the historic centre.

 

IJmuiden is nice for cruisers from The Netherlands that can drive and park there. MSC cruiseline uses the terminal for this reason.

 

For people flying to our great country (and arrive at Schiphol Airport) the transfer will be way less easy then Amsterdam.

[Ine]

The change from Amsterdam to IJmuiden might be better for HAL. No passing through the locks (too bad passengers will miss that), saves time and fuel and probably the harborcosts are lower.

 

For the passengers it isnot that nice, no good public transport. No trainconnection, just a regular public busservice to Amsterdam Marnixstraat (not Centraal Station) , which isnot really suitable for people with much luggage. Nothing really to see or do there.

I assume HAL will offer shuttles service to the airport and maybe to Amsterdam. Cabs will be expensive.

[Ine]

It is not a stupid question. Until recently, I think only Prinsendam sailed most of the times out of Ijmuiden, for instance Eurodam departed from Amsterdam.

 

It is the 1st year Prinsendam will sail from IJmuiden, it used to be Amsterdam too.

[POA1]

It is not a stupid question. Until recently, I think only Prinsendam sailed most of the times out of Ijmuiden, for instance Eurodam departed from Amsterdam. Most probably it is more cost efective to depart from IJmuiden, saving time and costs going through the “Noord-Zeekanaal”, to sail into the center of Amsterdam.

This and next season, only Veendam visits Amsterdam, Prinsendam does IJmuiden

 

Thank you!

[rkacruiser]

The reasons given for not sailing into Amsteram are valid, I think. But, it is too bad that guests will miss the sailaway (or into) Amsterdam via the North Sea Canal. It is scenic and it was fun watching the locks, which operate differently than the locks on the Panama Canal.

[gsrunyan]

Docked in Amsterdam last May off of Celebrity Constellation. IT WAS A DISASTER!!:mad: For 2500 people there was fewer than 15 porters.:eek: The line for a taxi was several hundred long. My wife was recovering from a surgically repaired broken leg was in a wheel chair and couldn't get help.

 

Any other port has to be better.:eek:

 

Glenn:cool:

[rochelle_s]

Sorry to have to correct you; there is no change in Rotterdam. The homeport of the Rotterdam stil is Rotterdam and this has not changed. Last couple of years this has been the only ship of the fleet to sail from Rotterdam.

 

2012 was the last year that a larger ship (Eurodam) sailed out of Amsterdam, as far as I know, Prinsendam shifted to IJmuiden from Amsterdam since last year. Veendam sails to and from Amsterdam this and next season on its Viking cruise.

 

Thanks for clearing that up. The last I was in the Netherlands I was on the Rotterdam out of Rotterdam. :o

 

Rochelle

[sail7seas]

Thanks for clearing that up. The last I was in the Netherlands I was on the Rotterdam out of Rotterdam. :o

 

Rochelle

 

 

First time we sailed into The Netherlands, we were on Rotterdam VI sailing into Rotterdam for the first time a HAL ship had sailed into Rotterdam for a great many years. That was the founding city for HAL. That was very exciting and I woke early in the morning to watch us sail in.

 

[Ine]

Docked in Amsterdam last May off of Celebrity Constellation. IT WAS A DISASTER!!:mad: For 2500 people there was fewer than 15 porters.:eek: The line for a taxi was several hundred long. My wife was recovering from a surgically repaired broken leg was in a wheel chair and couldn't get help.

 

Any other port has to be better.:eek:

 

Glenn:cool:

 

Sorry to read this. Couldnot you book a cab/driver oneline before? In The Netherlands you will not find many porters anymore, seems a thing of the past.

I think the situation in IJmuiden will not be better.

[LindaM]

It is not a stupid question. Until recently, I think only Prinsendam sailed most of the times out of Ijmuiden, for instance Eurodam departed from Amsterdam. Most probably it is more cost efective to depart from IJmuiden, saving time and costs going through the “Noord-Zeekanaal”, to sail into the center of Amsterdam.

This and next season, only Veendam visits Amsterdam, Prinsendam does IJmuiden

 

I don't think that is true about Prinsendam sailing out of Ijmuiden. We sailed out of Amsterdam both times. Ijmuiden is new, for the reasons you mentioned.

[sammiedawg]

We have not sailed out of the Netherlands and did not catch the information on the new port. We had booked a wonderful hotel in central Amsterdam for before and after the trip, it seemed to be so convenient based on many trip reports I had read.

It is too late for us to cancel the cruise but now we have to rethink our plans and figure out how to get to and from the port without breaking the bank or dragging luggage around.

Apparently a ferry service from central Amsterdam to the port will not operate this summer.

I'm not at all happy about the change.

[shrimp56]

We have not sailed out of the Netherlands and did not catch the information on the new port. We had booked a wonderful hotel in central Amsterdam for before and after the trip, it seemed to be so convenient based on many trip reports I had read.

It is too late for us to cancel the cruise but now we have to rethink our plans and figure out how to get to and from the port without breaking the bank or dragging luggage around.

Apparently a ferry service from central Amsterdam to the port will not operate this summer.

I'm not at all happy about the change.

Nor would I be. Call HAL and ask for details on a transfer.

And enjoy Amsterdam:)

[rochelle_s]

We have not sailed out of the Netherlands and did not catch the information on the new port. We had booked a wonderful hotel in central Amsterdam for before and after the trip, it seemed to be so convenient based on many trip reports I had read.

It is too late for us to cancel the cruise but now we have to rethink our plans and figure out how to get to and from the port without breaking the bank or dragging luggage around.

Apparently a ferry service from central Amsterdam to the port will not operate this summer.

I'm not at all happy about the change.

 

I have found reasonable rates through Taxi Haarlem Service;

 

http://www.taxihaarlemservice.nl/taxibedrijfhaarlem

 

Hope this helps.

 

Rochelle

Edited May 3, 2014 by rochelle_s

[sail7seas]

We have not sailed out of the Netherlands and did not catch the information on the new port. We had booked a wonderful hotel in central Amsterdam for before and after the trip, it seemed to be so convenient based on many trip reports I had read.

It is too late for us to cancel the cruise but now we have to rethink our plans and figure out how to get to and from the port without breaking the bank or dragging luggage around.

Apparently a ferry service from central Amsterdam to the port will not operate this summer.

I'm not at all happy about the change.

 

 

I'm happy I happened to start this thread so at least you have foreknowledge and won't have an unpleasant, unplanned for surprise.

 

[sammiedawg]

Rochelle, thanks so much for the tip. I will get quotes.

[sammiedawg]

Sail, I learned about the port change a month or so ago but your post reminded me to get working on a better option. We are pretty independent travelers and have made quite a few trips to Europe but not Amsterdam. I did not use my full service agent to book this trip! she would have caught the port change. Thanks everyone.

[sail7seas]

We had some great land trips to Amsterdam. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. :)

 

[madera1]

We too will sail out of Ijumuiden in Sept. Some on our roll call have contacted Hal and arranged for a transfer from a hotel in central Amsterdam to the port. I believe the charge is $35 pp. There are 6 of us and we are staying in a different hotel in the city so need to determine if we should go with the Hal shuttle or try to find an independent van to take us. At least we still have 4 months to try to make arrangements. Thanks for the information.

[rochelle_s]

Rochelle, thanks so much for the tip. I will get quotes.

 

You're welcome. Just note that their website indicates a certain price but when you contact them make sure you let them know you want the Felison Cruise Terminal. From Ijmuiden to Schiphol airport is 50 euros for 1-4 people. 5-8 is 65 euros. If you can find someone to share from your roll call it brings the cost way down.

 

Rochelle

[sunsetbeachgal]

We have not sailed out of the Netherlands and did not catch the information on the new port. We had booked a wonderful hotel in central Amsterdam for before and after the trip, it seemed to be so convenient based on many trip reports I had read.

It is too late for us to cancel the cruise but now we have to rethink our plans and figure out how to get to and from the port without breaking the bank or dragging luggage around.

Apparently a ferry service from central Amsterdam to the port will not operate this summer.

I'm not at all happy about the change.

 

We are on the Prinsendam this September and found out via our roll call that Holland America is providing a shuttle service from the Renaissance Hotel in central Amsterdam to Ijmuiden on the day of the cruise. The cost is $32 per person and your TA needs to call HAL to have it added to your booking, which we had ours do. We are not staying at the Renaissance..it's not in the budget!...I found a smaller, less expensive hotel right around the corner.

Edited May 3, 2014 by sunsetbeachgal