Positive review of the Amsterdam

[hogwildcruzers]

We just ended our Amsterdam Alaska cruise....5/29 to 6/6....and it could not have been better...except the weather.

 

We arrived at pier 30 11am and walk straight to the embarkment process...we were then told we had to wait about 15 min. and we were then told we could start boarding....we were having lunch in the Lido by 11:30...very easy.

 

We explored the ship after lunch and found the Amsterdam to be more elegant than we had excepted....would have to say she is the most beautiful and elegant ship we have sailed on.....an announcement was made around 1pm that the rooms were ready to be occupied and we soon went to our room and our luggage arrived about 10 min. later.....our cabin stewart Jaya was the best as he personnally gathered our luggage for us....he also did a wonderful job for us all week.

 

Sherri's parents went on this trip with us and they wanted to give us this trip because of some things that we had to do for them over the past year...so we ended up in an inside cabin...allbeit we enjoyed it and loved the darkness when sleeping....the room was a really nice size room 185 sq. ft. and the bed was great....the personal products are very good and the shower was the best water pressure we have ever had....like to have that at home.....Jaya really kept our room spotless and everything fresh.

 

The ship was very clean and impressive...really loved the layout and the use of curves and the way all the shops and lounges were designed....the dark and light woods with all the brass is very elegant and pleasent on the eyes.....the carpet coloring and the large amount of fresh floral arrangements all around the ship make the Amsterdam one beautiful ship.

 

The first formal dinner was on Sat. night and the food was excellent...portions a little on the small side, but you could get seconds if you wished....the service was pretty good, but not great, they are still having a little confusion with the dine as you wish or anytime dining, don't really know what they call it.....but it did get better as the week progressed....the Mariner's luncheon was really good, with all you want champagne and steak or salmon..the Captain was there and we all received HAL tiles...it was also fun to visit with the other past HAL cruisers.

The Lido food was not bad...best of any ship we have been on thus far...the Terrace grill had great hamburgers and hotdogs and the pizza was the best......as far as drinking, all the lounges made some really good drinks and the DOD's were always good and $5.25 and in the evenings the free hors d'oeuvres were great, personnally I don't like pate'...the Ocean Bar was our favorite place to hang out at night, the band there was great and played the music that you like to hear.....at Explorations Cafe, Sherri said the coffees were very good....and the Pinnacle Grill was excellent, my porterhouse was one of the best I have ever eaten....and the service was just as good.

 

With Juneau, Glacier Bay, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria as the ports of call, we did a lot of hiking and just exploring the towns with a little shopping and some local dining.....the weather was never that great, not too much rain but always overcast and windy and terrible for good photography, gray skies make for harsh images.....I did get a lot of shots and hope you take a look in the webshots link in our signature....there are a lot of interior photos.

 

This being our third cruise to Alaska, we may not cruise there again for a few years, but we would cruise the Amsterdam over and over.....but if you have never been to Alaska, you must do it!

[trvldog]

Thanks so much for the review! We are looking forward to our cruise on the Amsterdam 9/5

I can't believe how early you all got on board. I was not even thinking of leaving our house till 1130A as I did not want to get in the middle of a huge crowed but it sounds like it was very smooth.

[Eremita]

hogwildcruizers,

 

Thanks for the great review.

 

I spoke with a friend at church this morning who was just back from your same cruise and also had great things to say about the Amsterdam. Her only complaints were that it was too cold for her to stay much on deck and becoming seasick the last day out but those things are just the luck of the draw.

 

Eremita

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome home -- glad you enjoyed the Amsterdam and had a great Alaskan cruise.

[sail-a-bration]

Thank you for your positive review. Did you do any excursions? Did you eat at a restaurant in Sitka, how was the food and restaurant?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Welcome Home:) Oh I so loved viewing you photos, just the perfect way to get me extra excited for this Friday:D I loved the fact you had so many great pictures of the interior of the ship and public areas, Thanks.

Can you tell me what night they did the Dessert Extravaganza? I am guessing it was Wednesday night you last Formal night. Did they hold the Mariner's Brunch on Thursday at about 11 am?

Looks like you had a wonderful time and I am not starting to count the hours:)

[scapilot]

My wife and I got off about two weeks ago and we had a great time. Food... Great.... Staff.... Great ... Ship .... Great. Alaska ... Priceless :D

[MrsMuir]

Trvldog, Most Fridays, on my lunch hour, I walk to the terminal to say hey to the Amsterdam and just breathe the same air she does. I missed last week, but the week before I noticed that the lines for the Rhapsody of the Seas was really long, and there seemed to be a bottleneck at the ship's entryway. However, on the HAL side of the terminal, all was calm, with a few passengers going up the gangway to the Amsterdam, and there were no lines that I could see from the outside of the terminal. I felt so proud of our HAL folks.

 

We lived in Duvall from 1978 - 1987, on Ring Street and Beadonhall Street. We remember when the town was so small, the fire trucks went around twice for the Duvall Days Parade. It's still a charming place, and we have dear friends on Ring Street.

 

Enjoy your Alaska cruise!

[trvldog]

MrsMuir- To funny Duvall Days was just this last weekend!- I wish Duvall was still that small it has grown so much since we have been here for the last 14 years.

 

I am glad to hear the lines are nice and calm. Last 2 trips I have gone from the other pier with RCCL & NCL and it was a complete mad house people pushing and shoving no lines on where to drop luggage and were to go. So that is why this year I made appointments for pedicures here for all of us first at 9a and than afterwards we would head to the ship after rush hour at 1030/11a :)..

[hogwildcruzers]

Thanks all for the welcome home and the good things to sat about our photos....to answer a few questions.....

 

sail-a-bration....being our 3rd cruise to Alaska, we only did one excursion and that was the Guides choice hike, and that was in Juneau, and we are really glad we did that.....Sherri's parents went with us and they did the

" Garden and Mendenhall glacier tour and loved it, in Sitka they did the Raptor center and said that was really good, and in Ketchikan they did the lumberjack show and said it was a lot of fun.....we did eat at the Hanger in Juneau and enjoyed the view and the food...in Sitka we ate at a Mexican place and it was pretty good, did not eat in Ketchikan because having to be back on board by 12;30 didn't leave much time.

 

Lisa...the Mariner luncheon was on Thursday at 11:30 in the lower deck of the La Fontaine and the Dessart Extravaganza was on Weds. night with being allowed to take photos beginning at 10:30....thanks for looking at the photos and the nice comments.....the ship is beautifully done on the interior.

 

Hope y'all enjoy the Amsterdam and Alaska....but now I'm jealous because somebody will be sleeping in our bed and sitting in our chairs at dinner and dancing to the little band we liked so much in the Ocean Bar.....but anyway again have a great time!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I am looking at your pictures again because I am getting very excited for Friday but I must ask...What kind of animal is this??:confused:

[darleen1421]

Steve, thanks for the great photos. Loved them all. Getting excited about our cruise 9/12. Neighbor and I are going and from the looks of your photos we are in for some beautiful sights. It is my first time on HAL having been on Carnival three times on three different ships. I have no problems with Carnival, but this ship does really look beautiful. Neighbor has been on HAL before thru Panama Canal. Hope we can do the past guest things.

[hogwildcruzers]

Lisa...I could not see which animal you were talking about, but I presume it is the animal in a tree...which is a porcupine.....was told there are no raccoons in Alaska, but a lot of porcupines.

 

darleen...you will love the Dam Ship....it is the most elegant we have ever sailed...and thanks for the nice comments on the photos.

[rebeljohn]

Steve & Sherrie..............nice review, and VERY nice photos...........

Thanks for posting them...............

[themerle]

Thanks for sharing your photos! Enjoyed reading your review. We some the the totem photos taken in back of the cape fox lodge?

[hogwildcruzers]

Thanks for sharing your photos! Enjoyed reading your review. We some the the totem photos taken in back of the cape fox lodge?

 

They were....nice view of Ketchikan from there.