Post Cruise -Amsterdam

[cayman09]

We're booked on a transatlantic ending in Amterdam next year. It's too early for flights or Pre/Post hotel bookings to be listed on HALs web site but I am planning on at least two days in Amsterdam.

 

Can anyone who has booked a post cruise extension package or has a current HAL package booked please provide some information on which hotel HAL uses? Cost? Are any excursions offered? Transportation to the airport afterwards, etc.?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Alberta Quilter]

My booking (since cancelled) was for a pre-cruise hotel package. The HAL hotel was the Movenpick right by the cruise terminal and the cost for two nights for two people was C$1317.40 (C$658.70 per person), including taxes and transfers.

 

We opted instead to book our own hotel (Banks Mansion) for the two nights for a savings of approx. C$500. We will have to pay for our transfers from the airport to the hotel, and hotel to cruise terminal so our actual savings will be less but we'll still come out ahead of the HAL pricing.

 

Any excursions that are offered (not sure if they are in Amsterdam) will be at an additional cost (based on prior experience with HAL hotel packages in other locations). Yes, any HAL hotel package will include transfers from the hotel to the airport or airport to hotel if pre cruise.

[drowelf]

There are multiple excellent hotels in the downtown area by the Cruise Terminal, or even a bit farther out in the Museum District. For a post cruise stay we always roll our own. If you up for schlepping your own luggage, stay down by the terminal and take the train to the airport. It leaves from the Central Terminal and arrives in a lower level of Schipol.

 

Also, if you like Art check out the Hermitage Amsterdam. Its is branch of the St. Petersburg Hermitage that has rotating exhibits. We almost always hit it up when we pass through for more than a day.

 

As for excursions, check with your Hotel Concierge or one of the many Tour Booking Operators on the Damark. There are many, many things to do both in and around Amsterdam. Canal Cruises, Museums, Anne Frank House, etc.. It really all depends on your interests.

 

Its the city we visit the most on the continent (as a gateway from the US and Cruise Port) and have never had any problem finding things to keep us occupied and entertained.

 

Cheers,

[cayman09]

Thank you both, great info.

[proudsalad]

Hi! I live in Amsterdam and indeed it is easy to plan excursions and things to do. Some of what you might want to do on a particular day can depend on the weather which is quite variable. In other words you might want to wait until last minute to book some things which are not likely to be sold out, but any super special activity or private tours you should book in advance.

 

If you plan to visit the popular museums like Van Gogh and Anne Frank House I recommend that you book your tickets online in advance as they are timed tickets and the earlier you book the more likely you are to have the entrance time you prefer. (when I say early I mean like a month before not a year before :) )You can book them directly via their websites, usually slightly cheaper than going through a booking website like Get Your Guide.

 

If you have any questions I am happy to answer!

[MajMom96]

We're booked on a transatlantic ending in Amterdam next year. It's too early for flights or Pre/Post hotel bookings to be listed on HALs web site but I am planning on at least two days in Amsterdam.

 

 

 

Can anyone who has booked a post cruise extension package or has a current HAL package booked please provide some information on which hotel HAL uses? Cost? Are any excursions offered? Transportation to the airport afterwards, etc.?

 

 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

HAL uses the Movenpick, and it is a great hotel that is right next to the cruise terminal, so you can literally walk off the ship (post cruise) and right into the hotel lobby. This would cut down on the time to make transfers, especially since your time is limited. When we did a pre-cruise stay in Amsterdam we booked the Movenpick separately from HAL because we had enough credit card points to cover the cost, but my sister booked it through HAL and all her transfers and the 25 Euro per person breakfast was part of her package. And even though the hotel is not in the city center, it’s not a bad walk to Central Station or the Movenpick runs a free shuttle.

 

We booked a nice day tour through Viator “Charm of Holland” that took us out to the countryside to see the windmills and some of the quaint villages like Edam and Volendam. The tour took us on a boat to Marken where we had a wonderful traditional Dutch lunch. It was a great tour, and it was nice to see sites outside the city. Although we loved the city too! So much to see and do. But watch out for the bicycles! 🤣🤣

[kazu]

We are at the Amsterdam airport after our cruise ready to fly home and stayed here post cruise.

 

Saw the Movenpick and it would be a longer walk to most sites IMO.

 

We stayed at the Banks Mansion and it was fabulous.

 

Our friends stayed at the Hotel JL No. 76 and they said it was wonderful. Banks is more in the middle and JL is in the museum district if that helps.

 

I will be posting about the Banks later when I get to Amsterdam on my live thread.

[CJcruzer]

We have stayed at theHotel Estherea, a very nice boutique hotel on the Singel Canal. We walked all over Amsterdam, perhaps taking a tram once in 4 days, I did not pay for the breakfast included option as I felt it was pricey, and there was a wonderful small restaurant right at the corner where you could get a full breakfast for much less than the hotel cost. Just a few doors down there was a fabulous bakery, so you could opt to have. pastry and coffee instead of large breakfast.

Options for transferring to airport

1- You could get to Centraal Station, and take the train to Schipol Airport

2- you could just order a taxi to take you to the airport, possible cost of approx 40 Euros or so?

 

 

I think you could do much better pricewise booking on your own. Another nice day trip you can do on your own is a train trip out to Zaans Schanse (spelling?) where you see windmills, cheese making, clog making, etc. Very easy, inexpensive trip. Another nearby town by train is Haarlem, with some interesting places to visit.

[rkacruiser]

kazu's comment about the Movenpick being further from the popular tourist sites is correct. There is a tram available, but the hotel's definition of it being right in front of the hotel differs from my definition of "right in front".

 

Still, it is a pleasant hotel with very friendly and good service. One could not be closer to the Amsterdam Cruise Terminal!

[CdnReadyToSail]

You might want to look at the Doubletree Hotel...very close to the port , and while you could walk to the hotel it would be much easier taking a very short taxi ride with suitcases etc. I stayed there last year pre-cruise and I was very happy with it...just a block over from the train station and a lot of the canal boat tours, restaurants everywhere. Enjoy!

 

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