Rare Sunflower & The Scientist Posted October 17, 2023 #1 Share Posted October 17, 2023 We will be in Amsterdam on a Viking river cruise in May and have a bunch of questions. I'm not finding a good rivers forum to ask questions outside of the roll call. Since Viking ocean also docks there I would appreciate any information others might have. Is the Movenpick hotel a walkable distance from Anne Frank House? Is the canal shuttle (boats) easily usable, and can we get it from the Movenpick hotel? Are there good (and many) restaurants near the Movenpick hotel Are there advantages to staying at the Pulitzer hotel instead of the Movenpick? Are there any safety issues in Amsterdam, anything to watch out for? Are there any health clubs in the city center that give day passes to a swimming pool? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meander Ingwa Posted October 18, 2023 #2 Share Posted October 18, 2023 This is a situation where using Google maps would be very helpful to you The Movenpick is out on the area near the cruise ship dock. Pretty isolated from the heart of A'dam which is really quiet small and intimate. Handy for embarkation but less so for exploring You would need to feel comfortable with the tram and canal system The Anne franks House is about a 45 minute walk. Is it walkable, yes, can you do it, thats or your decision The Pulitzer is about 1 or 2 blocks from AFH and is located in a more established neighborhood and sounds like it would be more to your liking. Many restaurants of world cuisine, whatever you like. It is 5 star all the way they have a Gym, but no pool. They have their own private canal boats for private tours. If you stay there, it is highly likely the concierge can find out about a private gym with pool Amsterdam is no different from any other Urban city. You probably want to stay away from the red light district Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odblnt Posted October 18, 2023 #3 Share Posted October 18, 2023 Suggest you ask your questions in the following forums: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/340-river-cruise-ports/ https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/148-british-isleswestern-europe/ I notice both have threads dealing with Amsterdam. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Other Tom Posted October 18, 2023 #4 Share Posted October 18, 2023 You seem settled on the Movenpick. We stayed at the Double Tree by Hilton near Centraal Station. There's also a Hotel Ibis near there. We walked the dock to our hotel and from our hotel to the Anne Frank house. Like any large city, be aware of pickpockets. You might want to get a Rick Steves book on Amsterdam to check out various areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlerRob Posted October 18, 2023 #5 Share Posted October 18, 2023 Amsterdam is a delightful city. In two visits, we've found it very navigable by foot, with the tram and canal system quite approachable. We'd second the advice offered by the previous posters. I'd only add that, like most North Americans, we were unused to high-volume, high-speed cyclist traffic, which was the most dangerous thing we encountered! (Due to our ignorance of rules and customs, I hasten to add). The Dutch predilection for healthy living nearly put an end to mine a couple of times 🤣. 🍺🥌 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meander Ingwa Posted October 18, 2023 #6 Share Posted October 18, 2023 totally agree about the bikes... and cobblestone, You have to watch your steps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Peregrina651 Posted October 18, 2023 #7 Share Posted October 18, 2023 39 minutes ago, odblnt said: Suggest you ask your questions in the following forums: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/340-river-cruise-ports/ https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/148-british-isleswestern-europe/ I notice both have threads dealing with Amsterdam. Bolded thread is in the Ports of Call forum, which get a lot of traffic and making it a very good sources of answers. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frisky070802 Posted October 18, 2023 #8 Share Posted October 18, 2023 11 hours ago, Meander Ingwa said: …. Amsterdam is no different from any other Urban city. You probably want to stay away from the red light district O/t but this amused me. I lived in Amsterdam for a year, before the days of Starbucks. The best roasted coffee beans in the city were found at a shop in the Red Light District. My wife and I were so chagrined venturing there, but we did so in daylight…. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Sunflower & The Scientist Posted October 18, 2023 Author #9 Share Posted October 18, 2023 Thanks so much for your great answers! They were all very helpful and we appreciate all the input...not to mention a few amusing comments!! Thanks.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CCWineLover Posted October 18, 2023 #10 Share Posted October 18, 2023 17 hours ago, Meander Ingwa said: This is a situation where using Google maps would be very helpful to you The Movenpick is out on the area near the cruise ship dock. Pretty isolated from the heart of A'dam which is really quiet small and intimate. Handy for embarkation but less so for exploring You would need to feel comfortable with the tram and canal system The Anne franks House is about a 45 minute walk. Is it walkable, yes, can you do it, thats or your decision We've been to Amsterdam so many times and know it well. When I read this I was surprised to hear it was 45 minute walk from Movenpick to Anne Frank house. Was hard to believe, so I googled it, and it did indeed say 41 minutes to walk. I guess we walk so much around Amsterdam, and it's such fun to see the sights, people, and dodge the bikes, that we never notice how long it takes to walk somewhere 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler1977 Posted October 18, 2023 #11 Share Posted October 18, 2023 (edited) Amsterdam is a very walkable city. Easy to navigate but as others have said, watch out for bikes. They come from every direction without any warning. I have stayed at the Movenpick hotel and enjoyed it very much. My biggest tip for Amsterdam is to plan ahead what museums (including the Anne Frank House) you want to visit. Make reservations and purchase your tickets well in advance of your trip. You can do this online. They often sell out early or you could wait in long lines just to purchase your entrance tickets. Some of the museums even have discount bundle packages. Enjoy your trip. Edited October 18, 2023 by Traveler1977 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWFLAOK Posted October 19, 2023 #12 Share Posted October 19, 2023 How long do we need to continue a question that was asked on the Viking Ocean forum by a person on a Viking River cruise? My biggest question for a Viking cruise would be which ships will be allowed to dock in Amsterdam in the future. I suspect that the river ships will be, but the Viking Ocean cruise ships will not. But the OP needs to find the correct river cruise, with no more discussion on Viking Ocean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlerRob Posted October 19, 2023 #13 Share Posted October 19, 2023 1 hour ago, SWFLAOK said: How long do we need to continue a question that was asked on the Viking Ocean forum by a person on a Viking River cruise? My biggest question for a Viking cruise would be which ships will be allowed to dock in Amsterdam in the future. I suspect that the river ships will be, but the Viking Ocean cruise ships will not. But the OP needs to find the correct river cruise, with no more discussion on Viking Ocean. An unwarranted and uncivil response. The question asked was about the city of Amsterdam and the OP (who has made other valuable contributions to these boards) clearly indicated her reasons for asking on this forum. You are not the arbiter of what discussions should happen here. 🍺🥌 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavementends Posted October 19, 2023 #14 Share Posted October 19, 2023 On 10/17/2023 at 5:59 PM, Meander Ingwa said: Amsterdam is no different from any other Urban city. You probably want to stay away from the red light district Is the red light district to be avoided because it is dangerous, or because one might see things that would cause one to clutch one's pearls?? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare aungrl Posted October 19, 2023 #15 Share Posted October 19, 2023 3 hours ago, pavementends said: Is the red light district to be avoided because it is dangerous, or because one might see things that would cause one to clutch one's pearls?? In my experience, the latter. But YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haqdeluxe Posted October 20, 2023 #16 Share Posted October 20, 2023 16 hours ago, aungrl said: In my experience, the latter. But YMMV. The Old Amsterdam Red Light district is fairly tame and safe to explore in the daytime. It is after dark that it can get rowdy. There is a history of partying groups of guys/men (bachelor party) coming into the district to party and they tend to get out of hand in many ways. This behavior also tends to attract other unsavory folk too. Again, a daytime visit is reasonably safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now