Anyone back from Amsterdam South America?

[toots]

Would appreciate your comments from Amsterdam South America cruise. Special likes/dislikes about the ship itself, as well as shore excursions or private tours. Did you pack the right kind of clothes?

We're going 2/26 and are getting very excited.

[localady]

I posted a review of the ship and itinerary here on Cruise critic after our Dec. 2003 cruise:

http://cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=2491 .

It was a cruise of a life time and we would gladly sail it again! I would recommend you bring a bit of both cool and warm weather gear and purchase the laundry package! It is a difficult cruise to pack for, but one pair of warm pants, a pair of silkies and a warm hat jacket and glove and you are set for the colder regions.:cool:

Have a great time!:)

[lipoppop]

We were also on the December 2003 cruise and it was the greatest. I should warn you about some of the shore excursions. We booked the overflight of the Antarctic for $1000 per person and since the weather was bad we flew around the places we had been to in South America and got a $100 refund per person. There was no way to back out. We also did the Alerce Mountain Lodge Tour and since there was a NCL ship in before us we did not get to the lodge until late in the afternoon. Wandered around a national park all morning until the NCL people left. We conplained and HAL gave us half our money back.

Food was excellent and so was the service. This was albeit before the fixed tipping rule went into effect. The Amsterdam is our favorite HAL vessel. Booked her for Singapore to San Diego in Nov 2005.

If I had it to do again I would have booked the longer cruise that touches Antartica.

Enjoy

:cool:

[christy744]

My family and I will be on the 11/28/04 sailing from Valpariso to Rio. We're counting the minutes! Will post a review when we return.


Christy