Debarkation and Flight Times

[westchestermom]

We are sailing on AMA's April 14, 2016 Tulip Time cruise. I am curious about debarkation times and what would be the earliest flight I could consider booking from AMS-NYC. We will be in Amsterdam pre-cruise, so I'd rather head home as early as possible on the 21st, but I don't want to take a chance on missing the flight. I'll be traveling with my 83y/o mom, so running through the airport is not a viable option!

[Lois R]

I am sailing the week before you:)....it will be my first River Cruise:D

My flight home leaves Amsterdam at noon. Not sure how early you are

looking to leave but the ships don't hold very many people so I am

guessing disembarkation will be easy peasy;)

[Hatchin'APlan]

Someone had to leave our cruise last week at 4:30 am! They seem to plan for 3.5 hours before the flight time.

[Lois R]

Someone had to leave our cruise last week at 4:30 am! They seem to plan for 3.5 hours before the flight time.

 

OMG.....seriously?:eek:

[Hatchin'APlan]

Haha - agreed! They must have had a flight about 8 am to leave that early.

[Lois R]

Oh...I forgot, the ship is docked the day before too.....we are in

Amsterdam the final 2 days so I guess you could book a really early

flight home.......no thanks.....Noon is good;):)

[Hydrokitty]

Oh...I forgot, the ship is docked the day before too.....we are in

Amsterdam the final 2 days so I guess you could book a really early

flight home.......no thanks.....Noon is good;):)

 

Lois are you booking your own air? Did you buy transfers from your cruise company? If you did, they should confirm your flight and will assign you a transfer time and a bags out time. If you did not buy transfers and are booking your own air, they might tell you to make your own arrangements for transfer....like a local taxi....and they should help you make those arrangements. If you purchased air from the cruise company usually a board will be posted in the lobby with all of the departure times listed and what time you should be in the lobby and have your bag out. It's much easier and faster than the ocean ships, mainly because there's less people. Depending on the time of your first outbound flight, we have left the ship as early as 3 a.m. and as late as 9 a.m. they try to get everyone off as early as possible because they have new passengers arriving as early as lunch time.

[purduemom1]

On our AMA cruise many left early for their flights. Breakfast was served very early that day to accommodate those leaving early and continued until about 9 if I remember correctly. The CD helped arrange transportation for those needing it who had not purchased transfers. It was all very orderly. Everyone filled out a form ahead of time with their departure plans.

 

If your cruise overnights in Amsterdan an early morning flight is very doable. The train goes from Central Station to AMS frequently. However, a private transfer might be easier for your mother. Others on this board might have more info on a transfer, we've only used the train.

[Lois R]

Lois are you booking your own air? Did you buy transfers from your cruise company? If you did, they should confirm your flight and will assign you a transfer time and a bags out time. If you did not buy transfers and are booking your own air, they might tell you to make your own arrangements for transfer....like a local taxi....and they should help you make those arrangements. If you purchased air from the cruise company usually a board will be posted in the lobby with all of the departure times listed and what time you should be in the lobby and have your bag out. It's much easier and faster than the ocean ships, mainly because there's less people. Depending on the time of your first outbound flight, we have left the ship as early as 3 a.m. and as late as 9 a.m. they try to get everyone off as early as possible because they have new passengers arriving as early as lunch time.

 

Good morning:)...I purchased my flights through AMA and they have

transfers to the airport included in my price:D.....I am sure I won't

need to be off at 3am;).... 9am sounds much more reasonable.:)

Oh, I did buy insurance....on my own.

[H2Otstr]

AMA will try to get you to the airport about two hours before departure, so they will have you depart from the boat around 2.5 hours. We needed extra time on our last trip so we left with the earlier group and that got us there about 3.5 hours ahead of departure.

 

We have had flights as early as 7:00 and had to leave the boat at 4 or 4:30. We had to leave at 2 AM for our flight home from Russia :eek:

[Roz]

On my recent Uniworld cruise, I had to have my suitcase out at 3:45 am :eek: and my shuttle to the Munich airport left at 4:20 am. Uniworld made the reservations and there were about 6 others on the shuttle, so apparently early departures aren't a problem for them. I would check with the cruise line as to their schedule for getting people to the airport.

 

Roz

[TravelerThom]

Someone had to leave our cruise last week at 4:30 am! They seem to plan for 3.5 hours before the flight time.

OMG.....seriously?:eek:

If you disembark at a location that does not have direct air service to the US (note AMS has considerable direct air service to the US), you will have to fly to a connecting hub in Europe (such as FRA, CDG, LHR), and it would not be unusual for these connecting flights to be between 6 and 7 am. Allowing an hour to get to the airport and 3 hours before flight time at the airport (the river company would rather hear you complain about an early departure than a missed flight) you could easily be leaving the boat between 2 and 3 am. I was a little luckier than this during 2015 and didn't have to leave the boat in Avignon or the boat in Marseilles until about 3:30am. Seriously:(

 

Thom

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I would assume that if you're flying directly home to the US from Amsterdam, you will have to be at the airport 3 hours in advance. I'm not sure of that, but security has been beefed up lately, don't forget. Most security at Schiphol is done at the gate, as I remember.

 

But you should check with the airline that you intend to book. It would be faster to take the train, if you don't have included transfers, but of course that depends on whether your mother is capable of a little walking, with luggage.

[Hydrokitty]

I would assume that if you're flying directly home to the US from Amsterdam, you will have to be at the airport 3 hours in advance. I'm not sure of that, but security has been beefed up lately, don't forget. Most security at Schiphol is done at the gate, as I remember.

 

Came through Schiphol in August and September and most security is done at the gate. Very convenient...but not too private.

 

 

We have had flights as early as 7:00 and had to leave the boat at 4 or 4:30. We had to leave at 2 AM for our flight home from Russia :eek:

 

On our Black Sea cruise we were in the 3 a.m. group to Bucharest Airport. One of the nicest surprises came when we entered the airport and discovered that every shop, cafe and vendor was fully up and running at 3:30 in the morning!!! But it's a killer time to get up. We put our bags out the night before then found them in the reception area and put our pj's and stuff into the outside pocket.

[Barrheadlass]

I flew Prague to Schipol to Boston on November 23. Security was really, really beefed up. I had 2 hours between flights and used every single one just getting on the plane. Btw, I left Prague at 4 am to get to the airport. On an upcoming trip on February, I have a flight coming home that leaves the airport in Delhi at 2:15 a.m.!

[westchestermom]

Thanks for all the tips. The issue is the latest non-stop morning flights are, I think, around 9am, and the next is at 3:20pm or so. I just can't see having mom have to be up at 5am to leave the ship at 6am, but then again, I really don't want to spend another day in Amsterdam. I guess I'll keep looking for better flights.

[TravelerThom]

Thanks for all the tips. The issue is the latest non-stop morning flights are, I think, around 9am, and the next is at 3:20pm or so. I just can't see having mom have to be up at 5am to leave the ship at 6am, but then again, I really don't want to spend another day in Amsterdam. I guess I'll keep looking for better flights.

You don't show a home location, but with your user name I'll guess that you are looking for AMS to JFK. Delta has non-stops at 9:30am and 10:30am, and KLM has non-stops at 1:30pm and 5:20pm (DL and KL codeshare on each others flights). If you allow 4 hours for transfer and check-in you could have breakfast and leave the boat at 9:30am for the 1:30pm flight and be at JFK at 3:30pm. Not sure how you could get a more convenient time than that (other than then facing traffic in NYC).:)

[westchestermom]

Thanks - I figured that out right after making my last post. And you guessed right, by the way!

[Hydrokitty]

You don't show a home locatiobu but with your user name I'll guess that you are looking for AMS to JFK. Delta has non-stops at 9:30am and 10:30am, and KLM has non-stops at 1:30pm and 5:20pm (DL and KL codeshare on each others flights). If you allow 4 hours for transfer and check-in you could have breakfast and leave the boat at 9:30am for the 1:30pm flight and be at JFK at 3:30pm. Not sure how you could get a more convenient time than that (other than then facing traffic in NYC).:)

 

That's the flight I took home from Amsterdam in Sept. Actually we were 3 hours delayed taking off so by the time we got to JFK there was no traffic!!! Have you checked out Newark? Landing 3:30 p.m. at JFK, you're going in the wrong direction to avoid traffic but Newark you might do better. :D

[Hydrokitty]

You don't show a home location, but with your user name I'll guess that you are looking for AMS to JFK. Delta has non-stops at 9:30am and 10:30am, and KLM has non-stops at 1:30pm and 5:20pm (DL and KL codeshare on each others flights). If you allow 4 hours for transfer and check-in you could have breakfast and leave the boat at 9:30am for the 1:30pm flight and be at JFK at 3:30pm. Not sure how you could get a more convenient time than that (other than then facing traffic in NYC).:)

 

Westchester Mom: This is the flight I took home from Amsterdam in Sept. Actually we were 3 hours late taking off so by the time we got to JFK there was no traffic!!! Have you checked out Newark? Landing 3:30 p.m. at JFK, you're going in the wrong direction to avoid serious traffic but Newark you might do better. :D

[westchestermom]

Theoretically, yes, but GW Bridge traffic and the Jersey Turnpike are a crapshoot no matter what time of day. I will usually take my chances on the Van Wyck to the Grand Central to the Whitestone. I'll be on the phone tomorrow with Delta/AmEx to find my best deal on that return at 1:30pm on KLM. I think we're going to head over on the evening of the 12th, arriving on the 13th. That'll give mom 24 hours to adjust before we board. Thanks for all the advice and assistance. This is my first river cruise, though we have done a couple of large ocean cruises and my husband and I are headed out on our second Windstar cruise at the end of January.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Theoretically, yes, but GW Bridge traffic and the Jersey Turnpike are a crapshoot no matter what time of day. I will usually take my chances on the Van Wyck to the Grand Central to the Whitestone. I'll be on the phone tomorrow with Delta/AmEx to find my best deal on that return at 1:30pm on KLM. I think we're going to head over on the evening of the 12th, arriving on the 13th. That'll give mom 24 hours to adjust before we board. Thanks for all the advice and assistance. This is my first river cruise, though we have done a couple of large ocean cruises and my husband and I are headed out on our second Windstar cruise at the end of January.

 

Because of their KLM connection, Delta has very good service to AMS. But that means going to/from JFK. Still, between the Van Wyck and the Belt/Cross Island, you have two choices to avoid the worst traffic to Westchester -- let your phone be your guide!

[Hydrokitty]

Because of their KLM connection, Delta has very good service to AMS. But that means going to/from JFK. Still, between the Van Wyck and the Belt/Cross Island, you have two choices to avoid the worst traffic to Westchester -- let your phone be your guide!

 

Love that app...:D