Traversing the Sea of Cortez Aboard the Amsterdam: Our Experiences

[ironin]

[I started to write this as a post to another thread (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1322169), but thought it might appear to be a case of thread hijacking, so am creating another instead]

We had a marvelous cruise!

So much so, that I found myself reluctant to say all that much about just how great everything was, given that some had such different experiences than we did.

For example, while a couple of people on another thread singled her out for criticism, we found Jayne, the Future Cruise Consultant, tremendously helpful and efficient, going so far as to take it upon herself to contact Seattle and locate some missing future cruise credits I'd purchased months earlier on the Eurodam despite my telling her it was no big deal and I could take care of it when I got home. (As it turns out, they'd been mistakenly applied to my mom's account.)

While it is true that some of the top staff were on well-earned vacations, we didn't feel we were the least bit short-changed by their replacements. Aelita Holovcsák did an outstanding job managing the Pinnacle Grill as well as overseeing the Amsterdam's first-ever presentation of the Le Cirque dinner. I doubt anyone who didn't know could tell she arrived aboard ship the same day we did. We dined in the PG six times including both special evenings and the first and last nights, and almost everything about every meal met or exceeded our expectations. The Volendam will be lucky to get her back when she returns in January. (BTW, that's the correct spelling of Aelita's name - cribbed from her personal card sitting in front of me.)

Another example would be the acting chief wine steward, Ron. While it is true that we don't have much experience in this regard, we are hard pressed to imagine a better, or more engaging, chief wine steward. We attended both wine tastings and the excellent wine pairing dinners. As we ordered the wine package and didn't use all the bottles we were entitled to, on the last sea day, we selected two to be delivered to our cabin. Imagine our surprise when we opened the door to find Ron himself carrying two bottles. After apologizing for not having one of the bottles we selected available at that point, he graciously offered a personal favorite instead (that is not normally available through the package we purchased, I should add).

There was a massive change-over in kitchen staff (30% according to one officer) in San Diego that did quite apparently affect service quality in the Main Dining Room early on, but that seemed to us to be quickly resolved. We only noticed it the first morning, when we went to the MDR at 9AM the first morning for breakfast and what turned into brunch was finally served to us at 10AM. This leads me to our biggest disappointment of the trip: having ended up in a suite, the much-anticipated breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill turned out not to be an option aboard the Amsterdam - it is served in the upper level of the MDR. Yes, it is quieter there than down below. Yes, the servers (from the PG) were excellent, but the coffee was the bordering-on-abysmal MDR coffee and not the more tasty PG individually-made servings. Judging by our experience, they definitely didn't show any preferential treatment for orders from the upper level, not that we expected any. *LOL* We quickly gave up the idea of freshly cooked-to-order breakfast as a lost cause and happily joined almost everyone else in the Lido for the rest of the cruise. Having breakfast in the PG would have been nice, but not having it wasn't a "deal breaker" for us. As it turned out, half the time, one or the other of us was too disorganized to get to breakfast anywhere except the Lido before they closed. We did, however, take full advantage of the marvelous cappuccino maker in the Neptune Lounge every morning. A cappuccino (or three ;-) on the verandah suited us just fine!

---To be continued as time permits---

[arzz]

Thank you ironin for posting this review! As you can tell from posts I have made elsewhere we also had a great cruise -- and we have been on the Amsterdam for a whole 65 day Grand Cruise as well as several shorter cruises. As I said on the other thread, we did not trip over any mediocre staff, and we were treated very well -- to say nothing about that incredible itinerary -- making the normal ten day into twelve is inspired and we would do it again in a minute.

Anxious to follow this thread. Thanks for taking the time to post.

[rafinmd]

You mentioned "ending up in a suite". Was this an upgrade, an upsell, or did you intend to book one?

Roy

[ironin]

You mentioned "ending up in a suite". Was this an upgrade, an upsell, or did you intend to book one?

Roy

Roy, via our roll call thread, I learned that an unusually large number of suites were unsold (38 by my count) the day before they closed bookings. After hearing that upsell offers were going out, and not expecting an offer given the category we were originally booked in, I contacted our big box retailer internet agency and asked them to contact HAL about the possibility, and in almost no time at all, we all agreed to an extremely satisfactory price. :) This was quite possibly the only time we'll ever occupy an SA cabin, unless one of us wins the lottery. (And that requires buying a ticket, which neither of us ever seems to get around to doing. ;))

[rafinmd]

Roy, via our roll call thread, I learned that an unusually large number of suites were unsold (38 by my count) the day before they closed bookings. After hearing that upsell offers were going out, and not expecting an offer given the category we were originally booked in, I contacted our big box retailer internet agency and asked them to contact HAL about the possibility, and in almost no time at all, we all agreed to an extremely satisfactory price. :) This was quite possibly the only time we'll ever occupy an SA cabin, unless one of us wins the lottery. (And that requires buying a ticket, which neither of us ever seems to get around to doing. ;))

That sounds awesome. Good work.

[SilvertoGold]

Thanks for your review, ironin.We spent 32 days with Aelita as the assistant manager for our section in the Dining Room on the Volendam last year. She was absolutely superb, a hard worker, professional, yet a lot of fun, with a very energetic, sincere attitude and definitely on her way up. She set a phenomenal example to everyone of how good HAL officers can be.

[ironin]

Embarkation:

Fast & friendly. We arrived a little after 11AM, were quickly aboard and (as usual, according to what I've read here on CC) misdirected to the Lido for lunch. We ignored that and happily settled into seats at a friendly table in the MDR. Lunch was fine (although the Reuben sandwich one of us ordered lacked Russian dressing/mustard and was quite dry as a result)

Re-Anne:

We first met Re-Anne, goddess of superlative service with a smile (and Neptune Lounge hostess extraordinaire) by being somewhere we shouldn't have been at the wrong time. We'd read on CC that we could leave things in the Neptune Lounge until our rooms were ready, like the service available in the Lido. That was news to her! *LOL* As she did with every surprise, Re-Anne handled it with aplomb. Fortunately, we weren't the only ones making that mistake. We declined her offer to hurry our cabin attendants along, and set about exploring the ship. (Our carry-ons weren't THAT heavy or awkward, and we could easily go down to the Lido and deposit them there if they were.)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you are writing a review. Looking forward to the next segments.

One thing -- when we sailed on the Amsterdam we never had breakfast in the Pinnacle -- it was always in the King's Room for the Deluxe Suite guests.

[ironin]

arzz:

Before I forget, your comments are what motivated me to start writing this review. As it will probably end up taking me longer to write than Scheherazade took to tell her tales, the blame is all on you! ;) Thus, feel free to add anything you wish, especially if and when you did/saw something we missed out on. (Same holds true for anyone else, for that matter.)

SilvertoGold:

Re: [Aelita is] definitely on her way up. She set a phenomenal example to everyone of how good HAL officers can be.

We agree!

KK:

We learned that after boarding the ship, although the venue for our voyage was the starboard side of the upper dining room. (Actually, someone mentioned breakfast being in the upper dining room just before we left, and I wrote to another "I hope they were wrong." They weren't. We adapted. Life went on and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves anyway!)

[ironin]

Let me see, where was I? Got as far as meeting Re-Anne, I see. Boy, are we in trouble. Ah well, perseverance pays, or so they say:

Stateroom:

We were in a suite! It seemed gargantuan. There were drawers everywhere we looked and closets hiding in places we hadn't thought of, or so it seemed. Despite valiant efforts, we never succeeded in using them all. Anyone who has visited or stayed in an SA or SB suite knows what it looked like. Save for the carpet (due to be replaced during the upcoming drydock), ours was immaculate. #7023 is just about perfectly mid-ship right next to the elevator and just a couple of doors down from the Neptune Lounge. The location suited us to a T and we never heard any noise despite the central location.

Stewards:

Contrary to popular belief, our room stewards were not named Stewart and Stuart. :D Supardi and Deden were both very personable, obviously hard-working, and quite good at their jobs. We never had to ask twice for something, the room was kept spotless, and the veranda was always clean as well (something definitely not true while we were aboard the Mercury earlier in the year). As someone who, prior to this year, last cruised well over a decade ago, I admit to missing the more relaxed working conditions for stewards that once prevailed. Although not one interesting in in-depth discussions of their private lives (or mine, for that matter), the easy-going exchange of random thoughts and observations was once a treasured part of the total cruise experience for me. IMO, what was once an integral part of the voyage now borders on the same faceless service of a land-based hotel. As it was, Supardi & Deden were great guys and did a marvelous job with enthusiasm.

[jbhcw]

Thank you for your review...very readable:) We are hoping a Sea of Cortez cruise is in our future in 2012.

I also remember the days when you were able to visit a bit with your cabin stewards...I feel bad now as they are always so busy and rushed...wish the cruise industry could find another way to cut costs:eek:

[ironin]

[Don't you just "love" reviews that take forever to get around to the point, if there ever is one? Odds are, gentle reader, you've stumbled across another one]

Itinerary:

We jokingly referred to this as our "cruise to nowhere" because none of the ports ranked high on our respective "must do" lists. Going to Copper Canyon sounded like a fine idea, but mustering at 4AM for a 2-3 hour bus ride and then a 4-5 hour train trip to the ultimate destination and then reversing the process and arriving back aboard ship at 10PM didn't sound like all that much fun to us. (In fairness, friends we met aboard ship who did it all reported having having a good time.)

We originally planned to just get off the ship and wander around whenever and wherever we wished. Ultimately, we did that about half the time.

December 2-14 Round-trip San Diego

Dec 02: San Diego
Dec 03: At Sea
Dec 04: At Sea (Great fun at Iceman93's PH suite wine tasting party)
Dec 05: La Paz (Definitely pulled out all the stops to makes us feel welcome)
Dec 06: Loreto (Quaint. The local specialty, Almejas Chocolates [clams not candy], were stupendous!)
Dec 07: Topolobampo (We disagree with the many maligning this stop if not going to Copper Canyon)
Dec 08: At Sea
Dec 09: Mazatlan (Where we discovered 3 treasures of the Sierra Madre)
Dec 10: Puerto Vallarta (3 Tours-in-one: harbor boat cruise; Ixtapa; & zip-lining!)
Dec 11: Puerto Vallarta (A taxi cab driver from Klamath Falls, OR and Mass & church bells @ Noon)
Dec 12: Cabo San Lucas (Our amateur crew soundly defeats Carnival in America's Cup contender race)
Dec 13: At Sea (Cloud banks and foghorns - what better way to end a voyage?)
Dec 14: San Diego

Weather & Seas:

Magnificent. Smooth sailing was the order of the day (and the evening).

The Ship:

While wandering about the ship, we didn't note anything seriously amiss in maintenance or up-keep. Naturally, there were the occasional signs of normal wear (almost added "-and-tear" there, but we didn't see any tears :D). As the ship was going into dry-dock right after we got off, it wasn't a big surprise that some of the furnishings (such as the finish on the MDR chairs) reflected heavy use. All things considered, it was impressive how good so much of the heavily-used furnishings/areas did look.

The first couple of days, the Explorations Cafe & Explorer's Lounge were significantly warmer than other public areas. Then they were a tad cooler, and then back to being much warmer. Not unbearably warm, but warmer than I tend to like, but then I admit I probably like things a tad cooler than others. Didn't seem to affect their usage, which appeared to be consistently heavy in the case of the Explorations Cafe.

That reminds me that, while we were boarding the ship for the first time, someone saw some rust and started grumbling to his wife about the declining standards of HAL, etc. (The ship looked pretty normal for one not fresh out of dry-dock to me, but I held my tongue.) The first afternoon, we found ourselves lamentably within range of someone who'd corralled the food & beverage manager and was earnestly reciting a litany of complaints about "this ship not being up to the Holland America Line standards of yore." We were more than happy gave her a wide berth, as in the HAL days of yore, thereafter.

Although we may qualify as neatnik extremists at home, we don't pack white gloves or conduct extensive comparison tests while traveling. (Whether or not the interiors conform to our personal tastes is largely unimportant to us, as we aren't in the habit of getting personal interior decorating tips from public places.) Clean, comfortable, and well-maintained are our standards. Meet or exceed in those areas and we're "happy campers." With that in mind, the Amsterdam exceeded. We were quite pleased.

[Aussiemick]

Happy others didn't experience the twice or three time daily little irritations that made our cruise less than we expected. despite that we did have a great cruise and loved the itinerary. The overnight at PV just added something extra.
How did you determine how many cabins were still available before they started upgrades?

[ironin]

Aussiemick:

As you know, no matter how many staterooms are unreserved, HAL displays a maximum of 6 on their site at one time, but does allow for a manual search by stateroom number. I just kept entering suite numbers until I had a list of all available cabins. It didn't take me more than a few minutes, and allowed me to have a specific cabin & alternatives at hand when I called.

I was sorry to read about your annoyances because I recalled how much you were looking forward to this cruise. Glad to know that you still think of it as a great cruise despite the annoyances. Agree about the itinerary (more later on that subject when I have time).

[ironin]

A Bit More About the Ship:

Given that the Amsterdam went to dry-dock promptly after our cruise, major (and/or minor) inconveniences could have been the "order-of-the-day," but we encountered neither variety ourselves and appreciated the consideration given to the convenience and comfort of the passengers aboard rather than focusing on what was supposed to begin after we departed. We've read (heard) more than a few stories about last-cruise-before-dry-dock problems to feel fortunate in this regard, and are thankful to the officers aboard ship.

Until we returned home from our cruise, we hadn't even thought about the fact that the ship was not decked out for Christmas, perhaps because the cruise departed San Diego on the 2nd, and we have rarely begun our own Christmas decorating by then. (My uninformed guess would be that the upcoming dry-dock explains the lack of decorations.) There was a Hanukkah menorah on display, with the appropriate candles lit each night, as our cruise departed on the 2nd, which also happened to be the second night of Hanukkah.

The Crew:

The crew were fabulous! We felt there was a genuine esprit de corps aboard this ship. Almost everyone we met or observed was cheerful and seemed happy to help each other (and passengers) whenever or wherever needed.

We witnessed just how well-trained and professional these crew members are while embarking on what was supposed to be one of the last tenders back to the ship while in Cabo San Lucas. A passenger began screaming in pain and the tender and dock crew quickly took control of the situation. Emergency medical assistance was summoned, arrived promptly, the passenger placed in a wheelchair, escorted to the gurney on the dock, his almost-too-terrified-to-walk wife ably assisted by the crew to the same point, whereupon they thoughtfully placed her in the now-vacant chair. A third related party, also extremely shaken-up, was then tenderly escorted back to where we were and comforted on the trip back to the ship by both crew and fellow passengers. (We were told that the problem was a pacemaker that had gone haywire and began shocking the man, but don't know for sure if that was true.)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you -- we have enjoyed our cruises on the Amsterdam -- and if all goes well -- we will be on her again this June.

[ironin]

Beverages, Bartenders and Waiters:

We think Holland America drink prices are quite reasonable, on average about the same as one would pay in a bar ashore, and significantly less (25-30%) than we were charged during our voyage aboard brand =x= earlier this year. We found no difference in quality or quantity provided. Rex, the Sea View bartender, is an excellent master of mixology, and great fun to talk with and an all-around great guy (with a beautiful 2-year-old daughter who had just begun going to sleep each night clutching a picture of her far-away daddy). We're not quite sure exactly what his job was, but Rico of Bar Services was another who always went out of his way to say "Hi" and whose stories of his home, Cebu, were enchanting. (So engaging was he, and colorful were his descriptions, that we were about ready to book a flight there by the end of the cruise. Definitely added it to our "bucket list.")

While aboard the Amsterdam, we genuinely appreciated not being pursued to either end of the ship by aggressive waiters hawking over-priced and underwhelming drinks-of-the-day, as we were while aboard brand =x=. (OK, that's a slight exaggeration, but the emphasis is on slight.;)) The waiters were all friendly, made themselves available as needed, but remained otherwise unobtrusive.

Beverage Cards:

We purchased beverage cards through the HAL website prior to our cruise. The cards were waiting for us in our stateroom. (Beverage cards can be purchased at any time on-board as well.) The cards provide a 10% discount off the regular price of a drink, including the 15% tip. In other words, $90 buys a pre-paid card worth $100, provided you exhaust the value available before the end of the cruise. If there is a balance at the end of the cruise, it is automatically credited to the shipboard account in the wee hours of the last morning. There's no need to take the card back to anyone or any place for the credit. NOTE: The credit will take into account actual amount paid for the card, not value left on the card. Thus, my card showed $11.20 in spending power available when I ceased using it, but my final account reflected a cash credit of $1.20.

While pre-ordered cards arrive in the stateroom with a printed name on them (as designated at time of ordering), cards purchased aboard ship do not. As long as it doesn't matter to the person who purchases the card, it doesn't matter to the staff who uses a card or who the drink is intended for. It is merely a discount card for purchases. (Beverage cards aren't good for either the already discounted drink-of-the-day or during the various happy hours for drinks discounted to 2 for 1.)

We liked the convenience, and we thought the few restrictions and refund policy fair and easy to understand. We couldn't help contrasting our experience on this sailing with our brand =x= experience earlier in the year. Whether or not you purchase a beverage card, aboard a HAL ship, there is no chit to sign. The gratuity is automatically calculated and applied. Whether or not you purchased a beverage package while sailing with the other line, even though the standard 15% gratuity was also automatically calculated, there was always a chit to sign (with a line for an additional gratuity requiring attention). The beverage packages aboard brand =x= were excessively expensive, about $49 per day per person, and confined to the personal consumption of the person who ordered one. Neither of us qualified as a heavy-enough drinker to make that worthwhile.

[ironin]

HAL's BYOB Policy, Wines, Wine Package and Wine Stewards:

BYOB Policy: Holland America allows passengers to bring aboard as much wine, soda, and bottled water as they wish, not just at embarkation, but at any port as well. There is an $18 corkage fee for wine bottles brought aboard and used in the dining venues, about the same as most restaurants ashore charge customers who bring their own bottle of wine. As we were joining other Cruise Critic members for a wine-tasting party in Iceman93's penthouse suite early in the cruise, we brought a couple of bottles on-board.

Wine: While neither of us qualifies as a genuine wine aficionado, we thought the selections available were amply varied, and all things considered, reasonably priced. Yes, the prices aboard ship are higher than on land, but after factoring in the corkage fee, for the average bottle of wine, the difference wasn't worth bothering about. If we were drinking Dom Perignon, OTOH, we'd probably feel differently. ;)

Wine Package: At almost the last minute, we decided to purchase the Cellar Master package, as my brother and sister-in-law reported really enjoying the convenience and benefits while cruising aboard the Statendam in November.

According to the HAL website:

A premium wine tasting experience is available throughout the length of your cruise with the Cellar Master Package. Two wine tasting events conducted by our Cellar Master, two evenings of fine dining in the Pinnacle Grill, five vintage bottles based on the wine navigators' preference, a Holland America Line commemorative bottle and wine gift are included for on board enjoyment. Pricing based on double occupancy, 11+ day voyages. A 15% service charge is included in the price of the item.

Someone needs to tell the bean-counters aboard HAL's ships about the section I highlighted. Aboard the Statendam, my brother and sister-in-law were told only one dinner in the PG was included during their 14-day Panama Canal cruise. As their package was a silver wedding anniversary gift, they didn't have the paperwork on hand to dispute that novel interpretation. With that in mind, I thought we came prepared, but only brought the confirmation which doesn't include the verbiage quoted above. With Re-Anne's (see first post) able assistance, we thought we had this straightened out. We did, in fact, until the final bill, when we were charged for our last evening at PG, which we had separately prepaid prior to boarding. Re-Anne went to bat again, but only secured a $20 credit before our departure. We suggest anyone purchasing this package for an 11+ day cruise copy the page (not the order confirmation but the description) and bring it along, just in case.

The two wine-tasting events were great fun. The first was held in the MDR, cost those without the wine package $15, and attracted 50-60 participants. Acting Chief Wine Steward Ron did a fine job. It was obvious he was enjoying the opportunity. The only sour note here was a boorish guest at a nearby table who thought it an appropriate time to engage in an extended conversation with a hard-of-hearing passenger seated at the opposite side of his large round table.

The second wine tasting, held in the Pinnacle Grill, was much more intimate. It seemed to us that Ron was really in his element here, being a bit more relaxed given the smaller audience of about 20. (IIRC, this wine tasting costs $35 if not included in the wine package.) We both had a great time and learned a lot (although I wouldn't want to be tested today on what I learned then :D).

Wine Stewards: All the wine stewards we met on this voyage were friendly and helpful, unlike some we recall encountering in the distant past. Because we ended up dining there so often, we relied a lot on the multi-talented Rommel in the Pinnacle Grill. (I say "multi-talented" because Rommel was also something of the "star" of the late-night crew show, appearing in no less than four of the numbers that evening.) We also appreciated the ever-friendly Digz, who we'd met at the first wine-tasting and ran into at various locales during the cruise, and who ended up being our steward the few times we dined in the MDR.

[GoldenLover]

Thanks, Ironin, for a great review - no nonsense - just the facts. I'm learning a lot about that itinerary and the Amsterdam. All of that is safely stored in my memory bank for when we have the opportunity. Really appreciate the glimmer of hope that you supplied re: the suite life. Maybe good things do really come to those who wait . . . and wait . . .

[ironin]

...gang aft agley

Entertainment:

Despite the best of intentions, we never quite got around to seeing any of the shows offered nightly in their entirety. We stood at the back towards the end of a couple of them, however, and what we saw seemed fine for shipboard productions. I'm sorry I don't remember their names, but two of the guest performers were considered very good to outstanding by other passengers whose opinions we valued: a woman who had the starring role in "Phantom of the Opera" for 1300+ performances in London, and a male Olympic gymnast whose acrobatic performance was characterized by all as exceptional.

As it was often SRO every evening, we definitely weren't the only ones who enjoyed the fine performances by Stryker in the piano bar. Stryker was as friendly and gracious off-stage as when he was performing.

The band in the Ocean Bar also did a fine job, including credible renditions of a few Spanish-language numbers. The dance floor was usually full every evening we stopped in.

Our only criticism is the same one we've come away with after other voyages: the performers are seriously over-amplified for their venues. We don't understand the need to inundate guests with excessive vibration and think it detracts from their performances. (Obviously, this is our personal taste and YMMV :))

It seemed to me that the Adagio Strings aboard the Amsterdam lacked the verve and panache of the group aboard the Eurodam, but in fairness to them, we were never in the Explorations Lounge at the right time to sit through an entire performance.

[ironin]

GoldenLover:

Thanks for the compliment! When I started this, I was afraid that I'd end up writing on and on (...and on) and it looks like I was right! :D It's nice to know that some of it might be helpful to others, and your comment came just at the right time to encourage me to continue despite it taking so long to record everything I originally planned to write about.

[RuthC]

...gang aft agley
As it was often SRO every evening, we definitely weren't the only ones who enjoyed the fine performances by Stryker in the piano bar. Stryker was as friendly and gracious off-stage as when he was performing.
Thank you for mentioning Stryker! I've wondered if he was still around, and where. Isn't he good! :)

Tell me, did he do his Sunday night "Old Fashioned Gospel Hour" earlier in the evening, before the Piano Lounge opens up for business?
On the cruise where I met him, it had to be moved to larger (and larger!) venues. First he was moved to the Ocean Bar, then to the showroom stage. The crowds were that large.

[ironin]

RuthC:

Once again, we agree! (Why am I not surprised and once again find myself wishing I was still going on that dam ship with you in February. *LOL*) Truth be known, I actually did think of you when were there, as in "I bet Ruth would enjoy this." Have you by any chance mentioned Stryker by name in a post about piano bar performers? When I saw his name in the program, it looked familiar for some reason.

I'm sorry to say that we missed out on the Gospel Hour if he did! I think he may still be doing it, as I dimly recall mention of some special performance. Perhaps someone who was also on the cruise will chime in here, if any are reading this review now approaching the length of War & Peace.

[ROZO'SBEAU]

"a woman who had the starring role in "Phantom of the Opera" for 1300+ performances in London"
That woman was Dale Christian whose performances were in Los Angeles as a spectacular Christine in Phantom.

[IRL_Joanie]

ironin, I am thouroughly enjoying the tome:)

More please:D

Joanie

[ironin]

Activities

While we did hear of one or two complaints about the lack of activities, the daily program looked busy and chock-full of options to us. Although one of us did attend and enjoy Future Cruise Consultant Jayne's presentation focusing on the Prinsendam, we didn't get involved in any of the scheduled activities, so we don't have much to add. I don't recall specifics, but fellow passengers who mentioned attending various functions (computer classes and trivia games come to mind at the moment) told us that they enjoyed themselves.

Internet Access

Being aboard a ship, the speed of the internet service was variable, as expected. Unlike my September trip aboard the Eurodam, I had no real reason to purchase a package for this cruise, but I did wander into the Explorations Cafe area to peruse the free sites at various times on different days. If connections were proving to be painfully slow at that particular moment, the Internet Manager(?)/Librarian(?) was very good about coming over and warning anyone about to sit down at a terminal.

The best advice I've had is that passed along by BruceMuzz: plan on using the internet when almost everyone else is busy doing something else. Being alternatively an early riser or late sleeper, this worked very well for me aboard both the Eurodam and the Amsterdam. (In fact, as BruceMuzz suggests, doing the opposite of what the vast majority are doing at any given time usually works out to a passenger's benefit and contributes greatly to an overall sense of enjoyment, whether it be dining in the Lido, using the computer terminal, or visiting the front desk.)

Front Desk and Account Statements:

As the delightful front desk clerk named Bong reminded me our second evening, there really was no need for us to visit the front desk, as we were in a suite and had the services of the Neptune Lounge staff. Ingrained habits die hard (or at least mine seem to) and I'm used to dropping by the front desk every other day (at times when the staff aren't busy with other passengers), and asking for a copy of the shipboard account. It only takes a minute and, in my experience, goes a long way towards avoiding problems only discovered on the final day. As was true aboard the Eurodam, we found everyone we met at the front desk friendly, helpful, and professional. (For some reason, I'm reminded here of a scathing and exceedingly personal criticism of a woman working on the Eurodam who we thought marvelously well-informed, as well as imaginative in her suggestions.)

[ironin]

"a woman who had the starring role in "Phantom of the Opera" for 1300+ performances in London"
That woman was Dale Christian whose performances were in Los Angeles as a spectacular Christine in Phantom.

That's who it was! Thanks, too, for the performance locale correction . BTW, others told us that, unlike some guest performers aboard ships, Ms. Christian was out-and-about, approachable and friendly when not performing.

IRLJOANIE:
Thanks so much for dropping by, Joanie! We took pictures of the stateroom for your site and will forward them later.

[arzz]

Thank you Ironin for mentioning the front desk and accounts. The front desk staff were great when it became clear that I would have to leave the ship in Cabo San Lucas. They listed everything I had to do (including when and where to go to clear Mexican customs and immigration -- even warning me about the fee), and they let me know how long it would take to get to the airport at Cabo San Lucas. Kudos to the front office staff.

Only issue we had was one that we did not expect. DH and I were both using the same credit card, and essentially had a joint account on board. When I left the ship the account was closed. A new account (using the same credit card -- they did not even ask DH for permission to use it) was opened in DH's name only for the balance of the cruise. No issue with that at all.

What I do have issue with was that they did not deliver a copy of my closed account to us and when DH asked they could not do it. It never occurred to me that since I left DH on board that the account would be closed. And, we cannot account for about $150 dollars of on board expenses. Not a big deal but we honestly do not know if there was an error on our account or if we lost some receipts and forgot everything that we spent.

Moral of the story -- if you have to leave the ship early be sure to get a copy of the on board account before you go. The last time I had seen the account it was correct. This was something that was not even on my radar at that time -- I did, however, make sure that DH had the tip envelopes filled before I left.

[ironin]

What I do have issue with was that they did not deliver a copy of my closed account to us and when DH asked they could not do it. It never occurred to me that since I left DH on board that the account would be closed. And, we cannot account for about $150 dollars of on board expenses. Not a big deal but we honestly do not know if there was an error on our account or if we lost some receipts and forgot everything that we spent.

Moral of the story -- if you have to leave the ship early be sure to get a copy of the on board account before you go. The last time I had seen the account it was correct. This was something that was not even on my radar at that time -- I did, however, make sure that DH had the tip envelopes filled before I left.

Wow, arzz, I am sorry to read that. It would never occur to me that a final statement wouldn't be generated if/when they close an account in such a situation. At the very least, if you have time, I urge you to write Stein Kruse's office about your experience, including the good and the bad.

[RuthC]

Truth be known, I actually did think of you when were there, as in "I bet Ruth would enjoy this." Have you by any chance mentioned Stryker by name in a post about piano bar performers? When I saw his name in the program, it looked familiar for some reason.
I may have mentioned Stryker, but probably not many times. I know I asked about him when he was mentioned in the World Cruise thread last year, as I knew he had the gig.

Stryker was playing the Piano Lounge on my 32-day Rotterdam cruise last year from Athens to Rome to Ft. Lauderdale. He has a joy in him that comes out through his fingers, and makes the piano sing!
During my cruise we had an 8-day Code Red. Stryker did double duty covering the continental breakfast line. He was as upbeat and cheerful there as he had been late the night before in the Lounge.

Do you know how long he'll be on the Amsterdam? Or if he's doing the World Cruise again this year?

[ironin]

This was actually our second time leading the "life of Riley" in a suite. For some reason, we managed to select two sailings last year when suites were not in high demand and prices dropped within our range. In the first instance, continuing bad press for the Mercury probably caused the dramatic fare reductions we saw in our mid-May repositioning-to-Alaska cruise. We don't know why we were able to get such a reasonable upsell for a suite on this last cruise (perhaps because it departed on a Thursday and returned on a Tuesday). Whatever the reason(s), we're glad we did.

While we had a great time on our Alaska cruise aboard the Mercury, our Sky Suite and associated amenities were nowhere near as impressive or appreciated as what we discovered aboard the Amsterdam. For example, aboard the Mercury, the nightly hors d'oeuvres were perfunctory at best, not particularly fresh, and some downright inedible. We asked the butler not to leave them after the second night. The in-suite afternoon tea items weren't much better, nor was the tea, so we stopped that as well. The freshly-made cappuccinos were great, but had to be ordered in advance through the butler, who obviously couldn't be on hand to answer every call while he was busy responding to other calls. We didn't have much luck trying to ordering a cappuccino if the butler didn't personally answer the phone, so we confined ourselves to a regular morning order. Celebrity's butler service sounds great in theory, and our butler was nice enough in practice, but the reality was he did best at scheduled distribution and not much else.

But this review is supposed to be about our experiences aboard the Amsterdam, so I ought get back to the subject at hand: the suite amenities (the suite itself being covered in a post above).

Neptune Lounge:

As mentioned once or twice earlier, being within a few steps of the Neptune Lounge made it easy to pop in and make our own cappuccino, cafe au lait, mocha, espresso or coffee whenever we wanted to, and we did.

As I said at the beginning, Re-Anne in the Neptune was our "goddess of superlative service with a smile." Re-Anne took care of everything with such grace and efficiency that anything I write singing her praises seems inadequate. While didn't see the other concierge, Hanz, as often, as he alternated between in the lounge or at the front desk during the voyage, we were equally impressed with his work and his genuine friendliness.

I regret not writing down the name of the Pinnacle Grill employee who was invariably in the lounge, offering to help make coffee or whatever when not busy rotating the fresh and tasty temptations on display at the food bar throughout the day. He (Sopardo is how I remember his name, but I'm sure I am wrong) was always very nice and accommodating. We rarely took advantage of the offerings, however, save to sample a couple of unusual items that we couldn't help wondering what they were. It may sound strange to some, but one of the nicest things for me to discover in the Neptune Lounge was a toaster, as I've never adapted to the English custom of room temperature toast.

Hors d'oeuvres

As we invited some friends to cocktails, we ordered hors d'oeuvres twice. They turned out to be a nice selection of both hot and cold appetizers and sauces and were magnificent in both taste and appearance. They arrived precisely when promised, too. We would have ordered them more often, but didn't want to spoil our dinner. The first night out, we discovered that a few laps around the promenade deck to "walk" some of it off was a necessity. (If there's only one thing to love about a HAL ship, it has to be a promenade deck that lives up to its name.)

Priority Boarding for Tenders

We brought our note, as directed therein, along with us once. There wasn't a line when we got there, but they were checking for permission slips.

Laundry, Pressing & Dry-Cleaning

After unpacking the suitcases, we sent what didn't travel well to be pressed or laundered. We soon discovered that, unlike when I was aboard the Eurodam in September, 48-hour return means 48-return for laundry on the Amsterdam (or did most of the time). Our tuxes came back pressed before dinner time the next evening (the first formal night) but the shirts were still AWOL at 7PM. Re-Anne made some calls, one shirt eventually arrived, albeit a bit damp. (The handy hair dryer helped solve that problem.) Thanks to Re-Anne, they kindly sent along a rental shirt as the other was still in the wash.

When one of my dress shirts was later returned damaged, Re-Anne took care of the claim. As I'd purchased the shirt just 2 months before, and only worn it once, I thought the compensation offered (80% of cost) was at the low end of reasonable but accepted it. We didn't need anything dry-cleaned while aboard.

Afternoon Tea & Other Benefits:

We never got around to ordering high teas service in the suite. Based on our experience with hors d'oeuvres, we imagine that really missed out on something special.

I'm sure that I've forgotten many other benefits of the suite life. We thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity and all of the special members of the crew who made it so unique.

[Nancyquilts]

Our only criticism is the same one we've come away with after other voyages: the performers are seriously over-amplified for their venues. We don't understand the need to inundate guests with excessive vibration and think it detracts from their performances. (Obviously, this is our personal taste and YMMV :))

My mileage doesn't vary at all. The over-amplification is a problem on all ships that we have taken. :eek: We have finally resorted to wearing ear covers that are used at a gun range. They knock 23 decibels right off the top and make the programs enjoyable.;)

On another subject, thank you very much for your report. As we will be going to those ports later this month, it comes at a great time for me.

[ironin]

From the IMRU Department:

Most people figure us as a gay couple. We aren't the one but we are the other. One of us was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Thus, Spanish is his native language, which was quite handy given our destination ;). The other was born and raised in California, speaks a couple of dialects of Chinese, and mangles the Japanese language with some regularity.

We have been the best of friends for over 25 years, although we have lived at opposite ends of the state for some time now. We are, respectively, in our late 40's and end of early 50's (Alas!).

[ironin]

We have finally resorted to wearing ear covers that are used at a gun range. They knock 23 decibels right off the top and make the programs enjoyable.;)

On another subject, thank you very much for your report. As we will be going to those ports later this month, it comes at a great time for me.

Thanks for the tip, Nancy! I'm going to check those out. Here's hoping you have as great a time as we did on our trip.

[ironin]

... or...Tuxedo Junction:

Formal Nights and Formal Wear:

There were three formal nights on our 12-day sailing. As far as we could tell (we didn't go out of our way to notice), people were appropriately dressed during those evenings. Probably 80% or more of the men wore a coat and tie. Cocktail dresses seemed to be the norm for women.

As mentioned above, we brought our tuxes. We both own a tux because, 14 years ago, we planned to go on a long Panama Canal repositioning cruise. At that time, given the cruise duration, it cost less to buy a tux than it cost to rent one. After we each bought one, we ended up not being able to go. Rescheduling the cruise became something of a long-running joke. Once our schedules and pocketbooks finally meshed, neither of us could imagine not getting some use out of them after seeing them hanging in our respective closets all that time. :D

[ironin]

Addendum to Formal Wear entry above:

In case I wasn't clear, those men not wearing suits and ties during dinner at formal nights were, like us, wearing tuxes. We didn't personally see anyone who was not appropriately attired for the evening. We don't know how the MDR handled things, but we do know that the Pinnacle Grill enforced their standards by quietly, politely, but firmly, declining service to a very few passengers who appeared in inappropriate clothing.

[CowPrincess]

Congrats on still fitting into your respective tuxes :)

[iceman93]

Ironin, I'm enjoying your review too. So much so, in fact, that I've abandoned my previous thread. You're hitting most of the same high points that I would have hit anyway, and I'm waiting to see if you hit any of the same complaints.

It strikes me that you were clearly comparing your experience on our cruise to a less-than-perfect one on Celebrity earlier this year. In contrast, my most recent cruise was on the Westerdam earlier this year and that voyage is in contention with one other for my favorite cruise ever. So perhaps my disappointment with several things on the Amsterdam is in comparison to an outstanding Westerdam voyage, while your general enjoyment of the Amsterdam is in comparison to a poor vacation on a Celebrity ship...

[ironin]

Iceman93:

RE: Abandoning your thread: "Say it ain't so!" or at least say it here! I've been looking forward to your further thoughts because I know you had some experiences that were quite different than ours. For example, what you encountered at embarkation was inexcusable, while our embarkation was swift and friendly. Please, feel free to share your observations. I mean it.

FWIW, we really did have a great time cruising to Alaska aboard the Mercury. I didn't mean to give the impression that it was otherwise. That said, HAL's alcohol prices and policies seem much more reasonable to me than Celebrity's prices and policies, and I thought a comparison based on personal experience might be useful. We also enjoyed our suite on the Mercury, but the service and amenities provided pale in comparison to what we enjoyed while aboard the Amsterdam. A few pushy waiters aboard the Mercury were a minor irritation at the time, but we adapted by avoiding being anywhere near them whenever possible, and now joke about having to hide from them. (Gustavo in the Mercury's Cova Cafe, however, was wonderful.) Having now sailed aboard both the Eurodam and the Amsterdam, I'm comfortable saying I appreciate the much more subtle HAL approach to drink service.

[sail7seas]

Ironin, What a great review. I am so enjoying it.
We have not sailed Amsterdam in many years so it's great to read how wonderful the crew and the good condition of the ship.

I hope you'll be adding more here as I hate to see it end. :)

[Aussiemick]

Ironin, I'm enjoying your review too. So much so, in fact, that I've abandoned my previous thread. You're hitting most of the same high points that I would have hit anyway, and I'm waiting to see if you hit any of the same complaints.

It strikes me that you were clearly comparing your experience on our cruise to a less-than-perfect one on Celebrity earlier this year. In contrast, my most recent cruise was on the Westerdam earlier this year and that voyage is in contention with one other for my favorite cruise ever. So perhaps my disappointment with several things on the Amsterdam is in comparison to an outstanding Westerdam voyage, while your general enjoyment of the Amsterdam is in comparison to a poor vacation on a Celebrity ship...

Damn, If we could have got Re-Anne down near the Dolphin deck many of my daily irritations would have gone away. Guess I'll just have to save up for an upstair room.

[ironin]

RuthC:
He has a joy in him that comes out through his fingers, and makes the piano sing!
During my cruise we had an 8-day Code Red. Stryker did double duty covering the continental breakfast line. He was as upbeat and cheerful there as he had been late the night before in the Lounge.

Do you know how long he'll be on the Amsterdam? Or if he's doing the World Cruise again this year?

I must apologize, Ruth, as I overlooked your last response until just now. Yours is such an apt description of Stryker - he should use it in his PR pieces!:D I can well believe he'd help out without complaint when the chips were down, too. Have no idea how long he was planning to be aboard the Amsterdam, or if he's doing the world cruise. (As it looks like Bill & Mary Ann are doing another day-by-day account of their adventures, we should soon find out.)

Sail7Seas:

Thanks for the compliment (and the sage advice and support beforehand ;))!

Aussiemick:

Life would be wonderful indeed if everyone had a Re-Anne, aboard ship and at home. At the same time, one shouldn't need a Re-Anne to resolve a series of problems.

[RuthC]

RuthC:


I must apologize, Ruth, as I overlooked your last response until just now.
Understandable, as I believe we were typing at the same time. I am glad that you noticed, and do not think I ignored your comments.

[ironin]

... is another man's poison.

WARNING: We are entering the FOOD ZONE. "Highly subjective" understates the reality of any attempt at discussing food . Keep your salt cellar handy as multiple grains may be necessary. Those on low-sodium diets should feel free to substitute Mrs. Dash as needed.

La Fontaine Dining Room:

As we originally planned to dine in different venues almost half the time we were aboard ship, we elected flexible dining. As it turned out, we only dined twice in the MDR. We didn't make any advance reservations, didn't request a specific table size when we got there, and were promptly seated both times. Our dinner companions the first evening were obviously a tad apprehensive upon our arrival as one of them spoke a limited amount of English, but we all quickly developed a rapport and enjoyed what turned out to be leisurely, and talkative, meal. We were seated at a table for two the other night.

Our meals in the MDR were fine, prepared as ordered, and by-and-large, each course arrived in timely fashion. HAL is noted for their cold soups, and the raspberry soup lived up to expectations. The seafood Cobb salad was well-done. Service was fine, if a bit harried one evening. Daud, who happened to be our waiter the first afternoon, was our amiable and able server the night we shared a table.

We don't expect our regular dining experiences to be particularly memorable, so it is no surprise to me that I can't recall many of the details at the moment. Suffice to say that we were happy with the choices offered. Our selections arrived as ordered. They were well-presented. Without exception, from appetizer to dessert, we enjoyed eating what was set before us.

It would have been nice to try lunch in the MDR, but the La Fontaine Dining Room was always closed on the days it was convenient for us. Their normal single operating hour for both breakfast and lunch (when open) seemed very short to us.

SIDE NOTE: Just because someone is in a suite doesn't mean they automatically receive special treatment for reservations. For one of the evenings we invited friends for cocktails, we all thought it might be fun to go dinner together afterward. As all of us were enrolled in flexible dining, we thought that would be easy considering we would be a party of 8 and were asking for a table a day in advance. It wasn't. Despite Re-Anne's best efforts, it was "No dice" at the hour requested or any time that worked for some of the others. As three of our guests had a change in plans, not securing a table turned out to be a good thing. (Anyway, as we later realized, had we all met as planned and then walked down to the dining room at the same time, we'd more than likely have been placed at a table for eight automatically.)

[ironin]

Canaletto:

Our first evening at Canaletto was a great success. Cribbing from a copy of the menu Krazy Kruisers has thoughtfully posted as needed on various threads from time to time, I can reliably report what we ordered:

ANTIPASTI e ZUPE:
Insalata Canaletto – Seasonal greens and tomato, cucumber and olives
Minestrone – A flavorful tomato broth consisting of white beans, pasta shells, fresh vegetables and thyme

PASTA, CARNE, PESCE e POLLO:
Baked Meat Lasagna Pomodoro – Baked with meat and tomato sauce and gratinated with four cheese sauce.
Veal Milanese – Breaded veal scaloppini with porcini mushrooms, spaghetti and vegetables

DOLCI:
Gelato – A refreshing and full-flavored selection: strawberry, mango, vanilla and lemon
Mille-Feuille of Madagascar Chocolate – With walnut praline and ice-cream

Canaletto's waiters are an enthusiastic bunch. Unfortunately, I only remember one's name, Gellato. Other than the fact he always had a smile when we saw him in the Lido, the reason I do remember his name is obvious given where we first met him ;).

The meal itself was delicious from beginning to end. I'd dined in the Canaletto on the Eurodam in September. While the food then was just as good as this evening, IMO, the Amsterdam-prepared Mille-Feuille was better. The two experiences were otherwise similar and enjoyable.

After dinner, we promptly booked a second evening later in the cruise. Much to our surprise, our second evening fell far short of the first.

We both ordered salad for our first course. The salads were fine.

As the other's lasagna was so good the first evening, one of us ordered the lasagna. It was far from fine. It was excessively salty, rubbery, and had the appearance of having sat in a buffet warming tray somewhere for a good long time before being served. (No, I wasn't the one who ordered it, but I did sample it ;).) Our waiter was pretty distressed once he was aware that it wasn't going to be eaten, and offered to get another entree. An order for the minestrone soup followed.

I ordered:
Linguini Frutti Di Mare – Linguini pasta and clams, mussels, shrimps and scallops tossed in garlic, onions and cherry tomatoes

This was delicious when I had it aboard the Eurodam. Somehow, it fell short on the Amsterdam - the constituent pieces were all there, nothing was over- or under-cooked, but it just didn't gel for me this time.

Ah well, at least the desserts were delicious:
Limoncello Crème – Refreshing crème topped with Tuscan lemon liqueur
Trio of Tiramisu – Italy’s most famous dessert: presented in three flavored variations, espresso, lemon and Amaretto

What we really appreciated after this largely unsuccessful meal was the genuine concern expressed by both our waiter and the maitre d'. (In fact, based on his comments, we were inclined to think the waiter sampled a bit of the largely uneaten lasagna serving.) Tipped off, the maitre d' approached us as we were leaving, and didn't just provide a perfunctory apology, but asked questions and wrote the replies down to bring to someone's attention later. I wish I could remember his name, because he was another one of those people who always seemed to go out of his way to exchange greetings when we saw him in the Lido.

Finally, we attended one of the wine-tastings the afternoon before our first evening at Canaletto. While we chatted after his presentation, chief wine steward Ron passed along a wine suggestion. We ordered a bottle and were pleased. As we were returning in a few days, we left the bottle there. When we returned for the second evening, Canaletto wine steward Rudy said he could not find our bottle. I guess it was mislabeled as belonging to some other stateroom.

(Later that evening, one of us discovered what joy can be provided by a HAL room service club sandwich.:D)

[ironin]

Lido Restaurant:

It could be said that one of us suffers from such a serious aversion to buffets as to require medical attention. (As I'm that one, it is OK for me to say it ;)). In other words, I hardly qualify as an impartial observer, nor am I necessarily a reliable reporter.

After spending our first morning waiting for Godot to bring our breakfast in the MDR, we thereafter settled for breakfast in the Lido. The made-to-order omelets were excellent. The pancakes and waffles were good if one of happened to be at the station when either was just made. Like any other buffet, that doesn't happen every time unless planned, and, like any other buffet, pancakes and waffles from the warming trays were just OK. The breakfast meats were fine.

The breakfast breads were fine. If ever there were proof that food is a highly subjective subject, mention chocolate croissants. People come out of the word-work to rave about their favorites. We both like chocolate croissants, but we weren't so impressed as consider them a must have, and I wouldn't even comment on them except to reinforce a point: It stands to reason that so many people who feel otherwise can't be all wrong, right? It just means our tastes are slightly different.

One thing we really did look forward to every morning was the fresh-squeezed orange juice!

We never had a problem finding a clean table or a seat when we ate breakfast. While there were occasional minor hits-and-misses, breakfast in the Lido was filling and ultimately satisfying.

At lunch, one or the other of us might sample the Asian offering of the day. The curries were very good. The cashew chicken was fine, but would have been better had it contained at least one cashew. The separate Indonesian/Filipino table on the last sea day was a treat. We appreciated the variety of offerings on display every day.

The coffee, like most shipboard coffee, was lamentable.

As the Canaletto staff is drawn from there for the evening, it is no coincidence that it seemed the Lido staff were universally cheerful and attentive whether we were there early morning, at noon or or towards closing at night.

Terrace Grill:

Fuddrucker's hamburgers these may not be, but ours were grilled-to-order and really hit the spot for us the one time he ate here. The Mexican buffet really did look tempting, but we never got around to sampling it.

[Mary Ellen]

Thank you for letting us know.

[jaspersmycat]

Thank you for your review. It is the best review I have read in the last 5 years. I like that format as well as your way with words.

[ironin]

jaspersmycat:

Wow! Thanks for reading this far and thank you so much for the tremendously kind compliments! (They're equally tremendously undeserved yet greatly appreciated all the same.;))

[ROZO'SBEAU]

"Terrace Grill:

Fuddrucker's hamburgers these may not be, but ours were grilled-to-order"

Grilled to order??? What Terrace Grille did you go to? They do them all medium well (or more). That's their stated policy. The only way I cope is to ask for "a juicy hamburger" That way, if I'm timely, I'll get a freshly made one that hasn't been sitting there for a while and reheated on the grille for me. I know why they do it. That doesn't mean I like it.

[RuthC]

If ever there were proof that food is a highly subjective subject, mention chocolate croissants. People come out of the word-work to rave about their favorites. We both like chocolate croissants, but we weren't so impressed as consider them a must have,
The reigning chocolate goddess agrees with your evaluation. ;)

[sail7seas]

This is a great review and so enjoyable to read.
Thank you for all the effort you have put into it for our benefit. :)

[ironin]

Grilled to order??? What Terrace Grille did you go to? They do them all medium well (or more). That's their stated policy. The only way I cope is to ask for "a juicy hamburger" That way, if I'm timely, I'll get a freshly made one that hasn't been sitting there for a while and reheated on the grille for me. I know why they do it. That doesn't mean I like it.

I see what you mean and am sorry they won't cook a burger the way you prefer. The options offered met our desires at the time, though. We ordered the hamburgers, one of us asked for his to be well-done, both of us were asked if we wanted cheese, and then the burgers were cooked on the grill behind the chef.

RuthC:

And the reigning chocolate goddess of our family (a.k.a. "Mom") agrees with you! :D

Sail7Seas:

Thanks again!

[ironin]

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSEyftweAII/AAAAAAAAABA/JJrp_uzSlRo/s800/eating_crow.jpg

Service for One, Please!

As the average member of Congress says while back-tracking on earlier public statements from the floor, "I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks" with regard to:

Le Cirque at the Pinnacle Grill:

As I commented on Le Cirque a few days after we returned, I thought this section would be relatively easy to write. Then I reviewed that comment (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=27208406&postcount=70).

My first thought was, "I wrote that?"

The tone bothers me much more than the substance. I'll stand by that: it was a delicious meal, there were a few shortcomings, and we didn't particularly care for the wine. We had a marvelous time.The enthusiasm of the staff that evening was infectious. Still, our choices were more limited than we expected, and the tariff a bit high.

On further reflection, as a change of pace from the ordinary (or the extraordinary, in the case of Pinnacle Grill while we were aboard the Amsterdam), it was fine and my uncharitable comments about the price and not bothering to go back were undeserved. The truth is, we probably will give it another go on our next sailing.

Please excuse me, but my dessert has arrived:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSE-7SfUnQI/AAAAAAAAABQ/A9gk5cnD7pY/s144/Humble%20Pie.jpg

[mikjr]

via our roll call thread, I learned that an unusually large number of suites were unsold (38 by my count) the day before they closed bookings.

I'm just curious how one learns the number of unsold rooms in a certain category??

[ironin]

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSFDKKxBQ-I/AAAAAAAAABc/LC9qgrFSYUc/s400/IMG_3044.JPG http://lh4.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSFFFIdu3bI/AAAAAAAAADI/m0PBzdsSzME/s400/IMG_3047.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSFDzt_DUmI/AAAAAAAAACA/7iaZJaljAfg/s400/IMG_3049.JPG http://lh3.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSFDzu7btcI/AAAAAAAAACI/iFEI_aE1HQE/s400/IMG_3048.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSFDzxIdSzI/AAAAAAAAACQ/4QC-OyvN7DI/s400/IMG_3051.JPG http://lh6.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSFD0MzkfJI/AAAAAAAAACc/rt6fqQZUGU8/s400/IMG_3052.JPG

That's Dian preparing our corn-flower soup.

[ironin]

I'm just curious how one learns the number of unsold rooms in a certain category??

As I mentioned to aussiemick earlier (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=27307002&postcount=14): "no matter how many staterooms are unreserved, HAL displays a maximum of 6 on their site at one time, but does allow for a manual search by stateroom number. I just kept entering suite numbers until I had a list of all available cabins."

Thanks for looking in, mikjr!

[Roadqueen]

Ironin,
I was on the same cruise, and we bumped into each other several times, most notably on the ship in Puerto Vallarta, when the ship was docked overnight. The fireworks over the city were spectacular, and the view from the aft pool deck was enchanting.
Your review brought back so many memories (how quickly I forget). Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I am sooooo ready to cruise again and leave this 0 degree weather!

Dynaglyde:)

[erewhon]

ironin,

Thank you for such a wonderful, well written review.
Am truly enjoying reading your reports.

Yes, Stryker is great, we enjoyed his music on the Volendam 2008 Trans Pacific crossing to Auckland.

[ironin]

After the rave review my brother and sister-in-law gave their wine-pairing dinner aboard the Statendam, how could we resist making reservations almost as soon as we got on-board?

Everything and everyone associated with this evening was stupendous. We'd do it again in a heartbeat. While were told that the evening's wine selections and matching courses were unique, we'd certainly have no objection to a repeat performance.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSIZvLUs5wI/AAAAAAAAAHE/JnClmiHRSHs/s400/IMG_2958.JPG http://lh4.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSIgCq1fUeI/AAAAAAAAAGo/hiJaWW1lokU/s400/IMG_2962.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSIgDPhAfbI/AAAAAAAAAG4/BfjbV8rmh5s/s400/IMG_2964.JPG http://lh4.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSIZPyemoyI/AAAAAAAAAFk/0KFyuVW-Gh4/s400/IMG_2965.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSIZbWQma3I/AAAAAAAAAF0/BUTkwDpcLqQ/s400/IMG_2968.JPG http://lh6.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSIZbWVK8DI/AAAAAAAAAF8/mMM-sFb8C5Y/s400/IMG_2969.JPG

[ironin]

Mary Ellen:

Thanks for dropping by. I don't need to hope you have as good a time on the Volendam as we did on the Amsterdam, given who (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/member.php?u=62624) will be aboard at the same time, I know you will! ;)

Roadqueen:

I do remember us running in to each other here, there, and everywhere, Dynaglyde! As you say, The fireworks over the city were spectacular, and the view from the aft pool deck was enchanting watching the fireworks. It was a magical moment, wasn't it?

erewhon:

Many thanks for the kind words. As it seems Stryker has quite a fan club, we count ourselves indeed fortunate to have had the opportunity to hear him perform.

[ironin]

At the moment, there is an ongoing debate elsewhere on this site as to whether or not the Pinnacle Grill is on it's last legs. As a result, I am reminded of what Lyndon Baines Johnson said when informed early in his administration that Robert F. Kennedy was not pleased with him, "I'm not responsible for his happiness." With that mind, this is a review of our four regular dining experiences at the Pinnacle Grill, and our personal levels of happiness with our meals. As always, particularly with food: YMMV! :)

The Pinnacle Staff:

All that we met (and I think we met them all) were truly exceptional. No one ever looked or acted like they were on auto-pilot, or worse, just "going through the motions." All were genuinely welcoming and friendly, interested in ensuring that our meals were a success, solicitous of both our wants and our feedback.

Dian and Aurora were our servers for most of the six meals (4 regular and the 2 special menu evenings mentioned above). Thanks to Dian's expert description of what to expect if ordering a steak cooked a certain way, when we did order steaks, it was cooked to perfection each time. Hendro and Chinteia (misspelled, I'm sure) were just as able and attentive. While we never had the pleasure of dining at one of Tina's tables, she always took a moment some time during the evening to visit a bit. Sopardo (again, misspelled, I regret) was invariably at the other end of the room while we were dining, but as we met him almost every morning in the Neptune Lounge, we know how personable and hard-working he is.

When we arrived at the PG one evening and ran into friends who planned to dine there, the PG staff graciously and quickly adapted to our last minute request to all dine together. Time flew by and before we knew it, almost three hours had passed, and we all missed the acrobatic show that turned out to be one of the highlights of the cruise for many. We may have missed an outstanding performance but I think we'll treasure the delightful company and conversation far longer than we'd have remembered the show.

Our relationship with Rommel, the wine steward, began inauspiciously as he ended up having to be the one to explain exactly how our wine package worked. (Tip: When purchasing a wine package and dining in the PG on the first night, be sure to go down to the MDR in advance and select a bottle to be delivered to the PG for that evening.) Based on our prior experience on another line, we weren't anticipating all that much in the way of genuinely personal service or interaction. Were we wrong about that! Rommel was a magnificent wine steward and really changed our understanding of what a wine steward does, should do and how do it exceedingly well. He's going to be a tough act to follow, I think.

Aelita, the acting PG Dining Room Manager, has to be one of HAL's rising stars. What I wrote in my first post bears repeating:

Aelita Holovcsák did an outstanding job managing the Pinnacle Grill as well as overseeing the Amsterdam's first-ever presentation of the Le Cirque dinner. I doubt anyone who didn't know could tell she arrived aboard ship the same day we did. We dined in the PG six times including both special evenings and the first and last nights, and almost everything about every meal met or exceeded our expectations. The Volendam will be lucky to get her back when she returns in January.

[ironin]

It might be easier to list what we didn't order, as we did manage to wander through all of the sections.

This is what we ordered from the Pinnacle Menu:

The Beginning:
French Onion Soup King Louis XV - beef broth with aged cognac & caramelized onions, baked with gruyere croutons
Spicy Chicken Coconut Soup - fragrant coconut milk & lemon grass
Lobster Bisque - crème fraiche & aged sherry
Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail - brandy horseradish cocktail sauce
Vine Ripened Beefsteak Tomato Salad - sliced purple onion, balsamic vinaigrette or blue cheese dressing
Baby Arugula Salad - tossed with sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and a warm bacon dressing topped with smoked bacon & chopped egg
Dungeness Crab Cakes - spiral shaved cucumber & sweet chili-mustard sauce

One of us fell in love with the crab cakes the first night and ordered them more than once. I, OTOH, exercised a tad more restraint, going with the arugala salad on alternate visits. Although they faced tough competition, the crab cakes received our two votes for "Best of Category" here with the shrimp cocktail pulling up the rear. The shrimp cocktail was fine but the other entrants were more compelling.

The Grill:
Filet Mignon - served with our own hand crafted maitre d' garlic butter
Filet Mignon Burger - a half-pound of freshly ground beef, fin herbs & truffle-infused
Broiled King Salmon - troll caught (for sustainability) in Alaskan waters, quick seared & broiled, served with lemon garlic herb splash
Cedar Planked Black Cod with Shrimp Scampi - roasted garlic & cilantro butter

Pinnacle Signature Skewers:
Delectable Seafood - shrimps & swordfish, seasoned with lemon, paprika, garlic, mustard, cayenne & dill

The Intrigue:
Land and Sea - filet mignon & jumbo prawns on whipped potatoes with garlic rosemary beurre blanc
Lobster Macaroni and Cheese - a delicate, gratineed combination of mascarpone-enriched pasta & creamy lobster broth with chunks of lobster

We didn't even try voting in the main course category. We blame the chef for steaks cooked to perfection as we define it; flaky, flavorful salmon; and succulent shrimp and jumbo prawns. The table-side show provided with the skewer was entertaining. While the cod was fine, neither of us would place it in the first rank of favorites. We'd order it again depending on our mood, however.

When my mom heard we'd ordered a filet mignon hamburger, she "What a waste of good meat!" To which I replied, "What a great hamburger!" After reading people wax eloquent about the lobster mac, we couldn't resist trying that the same evening we ordered the burger. We now understand the widespread enthusiasm for this dish. We probably won't ever again order both these items as main courses. We're glad we did and enjoyed every morsel.

Side Dishes:
Creamed Spinach, Sautéed Button Mushrooms, Asparagus, Scalloped, Whipped, Jumbo Baked or Shoestring Potatoes and/or Basmati Rice

All of the above were nice but nothing rose above the background to be remarkable. Being side dishes, we didn't expect them to. At the same time, none fell short of our expectations.

The Finale:
Not-So-Classic Baked Alaska
Warm Grand Marnier Chocolate Volcano Cake
Velvet Soufflé – Chocolate and Vanilla
Creamy Homemade Raspberry Cheesecake
Chocolate And Raisin Bread Pudding
Pinnacle Crème Brulee

The Cherry Garcia baked Alaska was cute and tasted great. (As I've used them as a counterpoint in previous entries, I'll note that best regular baked Alaska I've ever eaten was served to us on the Mercury last May.)

Both the chocolate and the vanilla soufflé were well done. We liked the vanilla better, perhaps because the chocolate flavor was very delicate. The Le Cirque soufflé had a more pronounced chocolate flavor that we preferred.

Both the bread pudding and the crème brulee might have been real stand-outs had we only dined once or twice in the PG. As it was, the volcano cake and the cheesecakes overshadowed an otherwise excellent field. We've both had variations of volcano cake before, and I had a very good rendition of HAL's unique presentation aboard the Eurodam in September, but the one we were served on the Amsterdam was outstanding.

As one of us is extremely picky about cheesecake because he's been making his own velvety-smooth version cribbed from an out-date cookbook 30 years ago, those who know us are genuinely surprised that we both rave about the raspberry cheesecake. It was smooth. It was moist. While the raspberries didn't overwhelm the cake, neither was their flavor lost within the cake itself. We were so impressed that, between the two of us, we ordered it three times. Other than side dishes, it was the only item on the menu we repeated.

[ROZO'SBEAU]

I disembarked from AMSTERDAM the day you got on. Your descriotions of your experience are very thorough. On this Grand Voyage my PG experiences matched yours (and you were dealing without the regular room manager and staff). I have commented on that other PG thread that my experiences have been inconsistent. That was not the case on AMSTERDAM where they obviously take care to do it right.!
Bob

[ironin]

Under normal circumstances, only family and close friends are subjected to my amateur photography. As the Evening at Le Cirque is new, I thought anyone considering it and looking in here might like seeing what was in store for them.

Pictures from the wine-pairing meal were posted as we genuinely hope someone who has done that dinner recently on other ships will chime in and let us know if it was the same or not.

Bad pictures of great food in a good cause are one thing, inartistic photos of picturesque ports are another. Rest assured that, once this review finally gets around to the ports (at long last), further bandwidth will not be wasted on our feeble efforts.

As we depart the Pinnacle Grill, this final set of photos highlights the magnificent staff:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSMpJD9x21I/AAAAAAAAAII/QTegAqxtJ8c/s400/IMG_2786.JPG http://lh5.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSIZvvu4Q6I/AAAAAAAAAHc/i2vzh747ijY/s400/IMG_3072.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSIZv6hISnI/AAAAAAAAAHo/Ux3Nn0CuIME/s400/IMG_3073.JPG http://lh5.ggpht.com/_L-A9YGIHM8E/TSIcpAOWQ0I/AAAAAAAAAHw/HHcSjOHij18/s400/IMG_3054.JPG

Top left: Aelita
Top right: From left to right, that's Tina, Aurora and Chinteia
Bottom left: Dian and Rommel
Bottom right: Rare photo including camera-shy reviewer, whose tie, as per usual, needed some attention.

[ironin]

ROZO'SBEAU:

I appreciate what you're saying, Bob. (And your other comments here, too!) As we were obviously thrilled by our meals and the service at the Amsterdam Pinnacle Grill, it's nice to know that your experiences were similar. As you say, "they obviously take care to do it right.!"

[ironin]

Fellow Passengers:

Anyone familiar with the Cruise Critic boards has heard the litany before: HAL ships are full of ancient passengers with one foot in the grave, rollators and walkers (zimmer frames) crowd the hallways and elevators, and crossing guards and traffic wardens are needed to monitor the large number of deranged scooter drivers. :eek:

We aren't experts on the subject, but we thought the mix of passengers on this cruise was about the same as our Celebrity voyage to Alaska earlier in the year. We were never the least bit inconvenienced by "slow moving traffic" or inconsiderate scooter operators. Frankly, we're often left speechless by those insensitive enough to whine about such so-called "problems," lest we say something equally rude in response.

All kidding aside, our fellow passengers were a great bunch of people of different ages, nationalities, life experiences and countries-of-residence. The hardest part of meeting so many people in such a short amount of time was remembering names. We weren't always good at that. Everyone we met seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as we were, making our own experience that much more delightful.

There were a couple of very special people we met while aboard that we hope to see again some time soon, perhaps aboard a ship, schedules permitting.

[Nancyquilts]

Thanks for the pictures. I always like to see who the poster is - and dh usually has his tie at an angle too.;)

[ironin]

Nancyquilts:

LOL! I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one!

[ironin]

Ports:

As I said earlier, before departure we were referring to this as our "cruise to nowhere." Not harboring great expectations, were pleasantly surprised just how enjoyable every one of the ports turned out to be. Our first three ports (La Paz, Loreto, and Topolobampo) attract fewer cruise ships than the others and went to great lengths to insure that passengers felt welcome and our visit memorable.

Despite the international press attention given to Mexico's serious ongoing problems with drug gangs, we never once felt uncomfortable much less unsafe. As a reassurance measure, every port we visited had an ample, very visible, and beefed-up police presence in tourist areas.

Contrary to the popular misconceptions propagated by those whose sole foray in Mexican territory usually amounted to a drunken evening of bar-hopping in Tijuana, everywhere we went was also remarkably clean. Sidewalks may occasionally have been as uneven as they were in many places in Great Britain, but there weren't masses of cigarette butts crammed between tree limbs (much less in the gutters) as the were all over Paris.

Tours:

We were admittedly lazy about researching our tour options for this voyage, and ended up booking our four tours through HAL because it was easy and convenient. We were extremely pleased with all of them. The prices were reasonable. As it turns out, one of our tours cost $5 less than the best-known independent alternative going to the same places. While another cost $10 more, we saved almost that much by not having to first take a taxi ride to the independent tour meeting place.

WARNING: After our return, I ran across reviews (based on previous sailings) that were far less enthusiastic than ours will be. Who the guide is that day can make a big difference in any tour. Ours were great. YMMV.

We did check out the top-rated attractions/things-to-do at TripAdvisor.com (http://www.tripadvisor.com/), a good source of reasonably reliable information. Booking agents Puerto Vallarta Tours (http://www.puertovallartatours.net/) provide a good overview of various independent tours and the numerous zip line options available in PV. Mazatlan Frank (http://www.mazatlan-frank.com/) has an excellent reputation, and operates a tour virtually identical to the one we went on while in Mazatlan.

[ironin]

La Paz:

The port itself, about 15 minutes from town, won't win any awards for scenic beauty but it did have a very nice passenger facility. There were a number of venders set up on the pier, selling items of both high and low quality, with prices to match. The tourist bureau brochure featuring a suggested self-guided walking tour was well-done and quite handy.

Someone (OK, I confess, it was me ;)) didn't pay close attention to what was written or visible to the naked, reasonably attentive eye. Thus, once we finished lollygagging around the pier and found ourselves in what seemed to be a very long line inside the terminal for the free shuttle in to town, we hopped in a taxi instead. As it turns out, those in line didn't wait more than a few minutes as were at least a half-dozen buses lined up just outside the pier area, waiting for the one bus at the pier at a time to quickly fill and depart.

Taxis cost $5 per person if six go together, or $30 per car. Our driver was friendly and informative. Thanks to his recommendation, we had an amazing lunch at Bismarck, at the fringe of the prime tourist area. As it turns out, Bismarck is very well-known, but we'd probably never considered it (or heard of it) on our own, so we don't regret someone's impatience with lines (OK, me again) causing the otherwise unnecessary travel expense. We did take the free shuttle back to the ship, though. The bus station was centrally located, well-maintained and buses appeared to be going back and forth with convenient frequency.

Starting out at the historic church near downtown, we wandered through the local market and various back streets until we reached the tourist zone along the waterfront. As it was a Sunday, the church and surrounding area were busy. The market, rambling down this street and that, was especially delightful as almost none of it was tourist-oriented. This was a local market filled with locals and items of interest to locals. As such, it was entertaining and enlightening. As were the various stores on the back streets.

After a few hours of window-shopping, people-watching and directionless ambling, we went in search of the recommended restaurant. Bismarck's is an open-air affair facing the water, although across the road from it. What we ordered turned out to be expensive, but was it worth every penny! A huge platter including a whole fresh-caught Pacific lobster, shrimp, clams and fish. The lobster and clams arrived split in half. All of it was tender and delicious. We tried hard, but we couldn't finish it all. Before leaving, we asked the waiter about specialties or restaurants in Loreto, our next port. Following his advice was one of the smarter things we did do on our cruise.

We returned to the ship's pier just in time to catch a couple of the many dance presentations held there throughout the day. We thought the enthusiastic members of the dance clubs, some in beautiful traditional costumes, did a fine job.

[ironin]

Loreto:

Tendering to and from Loreto was simple, swift and smooth. As Californians, it was neat to see the beginning of El Camino Real, which connected all the Missions as far north as Sonoma, CA. The Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto, finished in 1752, still stands and, although simple in both construction and interior, was definitely worth a look-see.

We consider the Jesuit Missions Museum next door to the Mission an under-rated gem. It, too, is simple and understated. The Museum collections of 17th and 18th century tools, art, weaponry and religious relics were well-presented. As we were entering, a couple ahead of us decided not to buy ticket because they thought $32 was too high an entry fee. The entry fee was actually 32 pesos (about $2.60 USD). (Traveler's trip/reminder: the "$" sign isn't just for US Dollars. Other countries use it for their currency.)

While El Camino Real had its fair share of tourist stores, it lacked the polished look and feel of major destinations, although there are signs of encroaching modernization and redevelopment. It was a quaint mixture of old, not-so-old, and even older, a few simple private residences. In other words, a hodge-podge with picturesque viewpoints. The hedged archways were a nice touch.

Following up the La Paz waiter's lunch tip, we wandered around a bit until we discovered the recommended restaurant on a nearby street. It was closed, but after inquiring within for a new recommendation, we ended up at Tio Lupe's. The plates of Almejas Chocolates (locally-caught cocoa-colored clams sprinkled with cheese and salsa and baked) were huge, delicious and surprisingly inexpensive, too.

As we were dining late, there were few people in the open-air restaurant. Two women who walked in about the same time (with their cute Scottie trailing behind them) started a conversation. As it turns out, they were a mother and daughter, the mother had just turned 90, and both were natives of France, but now alternated between living in San Diego and Loreto.

Earlier that afternoon, we sat down at an otherwise nondescript place, ordering a cappuccino and mocha to enjoy at some tables out front. Given the locale and the set-up, we didn't have high hopes, but the drinks really were excellent. We couldn't find a name on the building, just a Thrifty Ice Cream sign. Some say that just this kind of place often serves the best food in Mexico. (http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2010/12/how-to-eat-well-anywhere-in-mexico.html)

Almost forgot to add that there were brown pelicans everywhere. Little boats were their favorite resting spot (we counted 17 sharing one tiny dinghy) but there were dozens upon dozens floating off shore as well.

[ironin]

Topolobampo:

Topolobampo is best known as being the port from which many people take the 16-18 hour excursion to Copper Canyon. We didn't. Topolobampo itself is a poor working class town with virtually nothing of interest to the traveler. By all accounts, it appears to be a good place to be from. The much larger nearby city of Los Mochis, however, is a different story (see below).

There were a number of interesting alternative tours offered and we chose HAL's "Zorro & Native Cultures" tour while in Topolobampo. Our bus was only half-full. Our guide, a native of the Indian village we visited, was outstanding: informative and interesting but not a non-stop chatterer. The up-close-and-personal rendition of the native dance, attended by the village elders en masse as well, was very well-done. After the performance, we walked through the village to and through a charming little two-room house. In the back yard, we enjoyed freshly-made tortillas by our guide's "grandmother" and "aunt," who prepared them in front of us while our guide talked about the process and other things.

As the one of us who is a native Spanish-speaker chatted with the two women, we know they are actually his aunt and cousin, although they appear to be far older than he, which is probably why he refers to them as grandma and auntie when leading tours.

After the Indian village, it was on to a delicious buffet lunch in a picturesque hotel that rambles up a hillside in El Fuerte. We had enough time look around the pleasant little main square, the church and the municipal building (which was probably, like most, a former hacienda).

The Zorro part of the tour comes into play in El Fuerte, as the hotel claims to be the boyhood home of the inspiration for the Zorro character. There was a nice presentation of folkloric dancing ultimately involving an actor, who was decidedly a real character himself, in the guise of Zorro. As they were for a time short one male dancer (car trouble), seeing how they handled the situation added to the intrigue. We were disappointed not to have enough time to visit the old Spanish fortress and museum just a 2-3 minute walk away from the hotel. As they say, "You can't do everything!"

While I've tried to confine my comments to what we personally experienced, I'm going to bend to that rule here. We knew of at least a dozen couples who reported having a great time exploring the rambling marketplace of Los Mochis, the large city inland from Topolobampo. There is a free (or very cheap) shuttle from the pier. The market is not tourist-oriented. This is the real thing for locals. Apparently, you can wander through any number of streets and get "lost." "Like being in a souq, but much friendlier and far safer" is how one well-traveled Brit summed up her experience. Another couple were completely enchanted by the seafood market. Given their respective Dutch and German heritages, we considered their comments about standards and cleanliness high praise indeed.

This is as good a place as any to say that, other than hand in tickets at the bus, etc., we had no interaction with the Shore Excursions staff. We didn't need to. We reserved an paid for our tours before departure and our tickets were waiting for us in our stateroom upon arrival.

[schoolinmy3]

Ports:


We were admittedly lazy about researching our tour options for this voyage, and ended up booking our four tours through HAL because it was easy and convenient. We were extremely pleased with all of them.


On our upcoming cruise to the Mediterranean my son and I also opted to book only HAL tours. We researched the tour offerings and chose what we were most interested in. He is turning 20 and loves history but neither of us really wanted to strike out on our own. We were just in the Mediterranean (different ports) in May and as a family of 5 did mostly independent tours but with just the two of us this time we felt it was easier to stick with HAL for tours. I hope ours are as enjoyable as yours were ;)
Diane

[Aussiemick]

[quote=ironin;27374622]Ports:

Despite the international press attention given to Mexico's serious ongoing problems with drug gangs, we never once felt uncomfortable much less unsafe. As a reassurance measure, every port we visited had an ample, very visible, and beefed-up police presence in tourist areas.

Contrary to the popular misconceptions propagated by those whose sole foray in Mexican territory usually amounted to a drunken evening of bar-hopping in Tijuana, everywhere we went was also remarkably clean. Sidewalks may occasionally have been as uneven as they were in many places in Great Britain, but there weren't masses of cigarette butts crammed between tree limbs (much less in the gutters) as the were all over Paris.


Thanks for the great review. We were on the same cruise and I still enjoy your very detailed descriptions of the ports we visited. I especially appreciate your words about personal safety. As a resident of Mexico, I am saddened by the large number of Americans who believe all of the media hype and are afraid to visit here. My little village is experiencing a slow death as tourists don't come, spring break tours are moved elsewhere and fishing groups cancel. And the only drug incident we have ever had was a cartel boss being arrested in his race vehicle on the Baja 250 route.

[ironin]

schoolinmy3:

Diane, here's hoping your tours turn out to be as fun and interesting as ours were. A good guide really can make a difference. Or at least can for me: a guide who knows when to occasionally shut up and let us enjoy the passing scenery is worth his or her weight in gold to me. ;) Thanks for commenting. (BTW, history has been a life-long interest for me as well.)

Aussiemick:

Thanks again for the compliment. I'm surprised anyone is still reading as this is taking much longer (both in time and verbiage) than even I thought it would, and I thought it would be too long when I started! I'm sorry to hear about the impact on your small village. It's a shame that even people likely to go to such out-of-the-way places aren't differentiating between what's been happening recently in the major drug cartel-infested cities (largely along the Texas border) and other areas.

[ironin]

From the Always-Forget-to-Mention-Something Dept::o

Some time ago, I mentioned that the three ports that infrequently host cruise ships rolled out the red carpet to welcome us. While the Topolobampo port facilities may have been the most rudimentary of our trip, they didn't just roll out the red carpet, they draped the dock and then some.

In the morning, we were serenaded by a mariachi band as we disembarked down the gangway. In the afternoon, amateur and professional dance troupes of different ages provided entertaining performances. A dance band followed in the evening. We weren't there during the day, but know that there was non-stop entertainment of one sort or another scheduled from morning until our departure at 11PM that night.

We just happened to be looking down that evening when someone finally succeeded in smashing open the giant colorful piñata that had been on display most of the day, and candy and small prizes flew in all directions. While it may be true that the day-long entertainment and activities didn't achieve Disneyesque production standards, the down-home/ straightforward/ honest simplicity of what we saw and heard was ultimately much more enjoyable and memorable than any highly-polished professional presentations would be.

[Ine]

[quote=ironin;27374622]Ports:

Despite the international press attention given to Mexico's serious ongoing problems with drug gangs, we never once felt uncomfortable much less unsafe. As a reassurance measure, every port we visited had an ample, very visible, and beefed-up police presence in tourist areas.

Contrary to the popular misconceptions propagated by those whose sole foray in Mexican territory usually amounted to a drunken evening of bar-hopping in Tijuana, everywhere we went was also remarkably clean. Sidewalks may occasionally have been as uneven as they were in many places in Great Britain, but there weren't masses of cigarette butts crammed between tree limbs (much less in the gutters) as the were all over Paris.


Thanks for the great review. We were on the same cruise and I still enjoy your very detailed descriptions of the ports we visited. I especially appreciate your words about personal safety. As a resident of Mexico, I am saddened by the large number of Americans who believe all of the media hype and are afraid to visit here. My little village is experiencing a slow death as tourists don't come, spring break tours are moved elsewhere and fishing groups cancel. And the only drug incident we have ever had was a cartel boss being arrested in his race vehicle on the Baja 250 route.

Thanks for that great report. We did this cruise 2 years ago and loved it. I can only second your and Aussiemick's opinion re Mexico. We are back in PVR since 1 month and will stay a few months more. (Just like we did last winter and the year before that).
We feel very much at home here, shop, eat and drive around, never had any problems. Anybody is friendly.
It is so sad that due to bad press and TV people get the idea that all of Mexico is unsafe and many tourists stay away or donot even leave the cruiseships. That is a shame for many mexicans who are having problems making an income.

[ironin]

Mazatlan is the only port that one of us had previously visited. As the plane began its final approach to General Rafael Buelna International Airport, the pilot came on the PA system and asked that I raise my hand. I did. Side-long glances ensued. A stewardess approached and asked that I remain onboard until all of the other passengers had deplaned. More side-long glances, accompanied by raised eyebrows, ensued. Once everyone else was off the plane, the pilot came back to my seat and asked me to follow him.

The pilot personally escorted me through the airport until we reached someone waiting for me at the entry to a dark, windowless room. My new escort accompanied me through that room and then led me up a long flight of stairs at the top of which was waiting the friend who I was visiting. I had arrived at the top of the airport control tower. My friend was the controller responsible for providing visual guidance to arriving and departing flights. Once his shift was finally over a few hours later, we went back down to the darkened room, where I was given an unforgettable tour of the international air traffic control operations inside, before heading for town. That was in 1984, when the Golden Zone wasn't terribly golden, about one flight an hour arrived or departed, and the port itself was far more basic. (Can you imagine being able to do that today? I can't)

[CowPrincess]

Ironin, thanks for the port reports. We are really looking forward to getting back to Topolobampo! Glad to hear the dancers were there :)

[MACPC]

Ironin, I enjoyed your thorough review and, like you, I'm amazed at the time and effort it actually takes to put one together. Well done!

[ironin]

MACPC:

Thanks for reading thus far, and for the compliment as well! After I finally finish this one, I'm not at all sure that I'll ever want to try this again.;) If I do, I'll be sure to write in Word beforehand. (Or hire an editor/copyreader :D) The many typos and grammatical errors caused by incomplete editing-on-the-fly are a mild source of embarrassment.

Although there are still three ports to go, I do hope to finish the review when I return later today. CowPrincess may be interested in the Mazatlan review, as (IIRC) we took the same tour as she did on an earlier voyage. Our experience and hers were almost polar opposites. (Aside to CP: Like you, we'd be happy to go back to Topolobampo anytime. Thanks, also, for continuing to follow my long, but not too tall, tale.)

Ine:

As you spend so much time there every year, your comments about Puerto Vallarta are much appreciated. Whatever I ultimately write about our port call won't begin to match your expertise. Feel free to chime in!

As Douglas MacArthur said when evacuated from the Philippines during World War II, "I shall return!" Unlike MacArthur, however, I shall not be accompanied by countless marine divisions and half the US Navy when I do so, nor shall it be years before I do. At least I hope not.

[ironin]

Mazatlán:

Having booked a tour up to the nearby Sierra Madre mountains, we spent little time in Mazatlán itself. Although the road to our ultimate destination was largely a two-lane highway, it did take some time to get out of the city and then travel over 30 miles east while climbing 2000 feet to Copala. IMO, the guide can make or break a tour like this one. Our guide, Maria, nearing retirement from her full-time job of 25 years at the district attorney's office, was outstanding. Maria was enthusiastic without being a cheerleader, informative without being a bore, and assisted passengers with vendors along the way without overstepping the boundary between helpmate and tout. Best of all, while Maria was a joy to listen to, unlike many guides on similar tours, she allowed ample time for silent appreciation of the passing scenery.

Our first stop on our HAL tour ("Sierra Madre, Concordia & Copala") was a field on the outskirts of Mazatlán where a family was making adobe bricks in basically the same way as they have been made for centuries. Every step of the process, from the dirt itself to the forms to the formed bricks baking in the sun to the kiln built with the formed bricks and about ready for firing, was on display. Maria did an outstanding job explaining the process, answering questions and interpreting for those who had questions or comments for the family members. The time alloted for this stop seemed ample to us.

Further down the road, our next stop was a potter's home and store with small wood-carving and furniture-making business attached. The emphasis here was on the craftsmen going about their work, not just the results on display and available for purchase. Maria deftly balanced her job explaining or interpreting the on-going work with helpful advice and pricing assistance for those who did wish to make purchases. (There was absolutely no pressure to buy anything on display.) Once again, we thought the time allowed for this stop was about right.

After climbing up into the Sierra Madre, we reached Concordia, a small city dating from colonial times. San Sebastian Church (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2651173520100865512HvCIch), built in the late 1500's was alone worth the stop. The Municipal Palace (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2378685540100865512CuFdXI) (a former hacienda), the town square and the surrounding buildings and side streets were charming. Although tourists do visit Concordia with some degree of regularity, the numbers must not be large as there were virtually no stores specializing in tourist items.

Our final destination was Copala, a four-centuries old silver mining town hugging a mountainside near its peak, thus commanding some lovely views. A century or more ago, Copala was a thriving mining town of 10,000. Today, it is a quiet village of about 600. Nature has effectively reclaimed much of the area, rendering the remaining cobblestone streets and surviving buildings built in both more, and less, prosperous all the more picturesque. A small amount of silver mining still goes on nearby, but tourism is said to be the major source of income. That comes as some surprise, because most of the stores (and there weren't that many as it is a small village) were not specifically tourist-oriented.

Next to the town square was a gallery of unusual masks made from fish and animal skins. Although Maria was enthusiastic about the artist and the gallery as we approached Copala, I didn't expect to be impressed, or frankly, more than mildly interested. I was wrong. The masks were outstanding. Alex, the artist, was as engaging as his work. We were shocked to discover just how reasonable the prices were as well.

As the streets were too narrow for our bus to enter, someone from the restaurant we eventually dined at kindly offered rides to and from the main square those with mobility issues. The restaurant was a rambling affair with some nice views. I thought the food was OK but not anything worth writing home about.

The return trip was quiet and uneventful. As all these particular tours apparently do, once back in Mazatlán, we stopped at Diamonds International in the heart of Mazatlán Golden Zone. We personally had zero interest in this particular destination. In fairness, passengers were not required to enter the store. Restrooms and free drinks were available to those who did. We wandered in, had our refreshment and then out and about the area. We neither observed nor heard anyone else complain about high pressure sales tactics. It was all relatively low-key. A few people did purchase silver jewelry and seemed quite pleased with their experience and their purchases.

Once back at the port, we took time to check out the stores both inside the fine modern cruise terminal, around the courtyard next to it and in the nearby marketplace before catching the little shuttle back to the ship (It might have been our mood at the time, but we thought the outdoor cafe in the courtyard made the best margaritas we had on the trip.)

NOTE: As I mentioned in an earlier post, others have had a very different experience (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=27301546&postcount=6) than we did on this tour. IOW, Caveat Emptor & YMMV. I hope not, though.

[Aussiemick]

Aussiemick:

Thanks again for the compliment. I'm surprised anyone is still reading as this is taking much longer (both in time and verbiage) than even I thought it would, and I thought it would be too long when I started!

Wow, what great detail. HAL should hire you as shore excursion director. I don't know how you remember all this stuff, at my age a week ago is a long, ong time ago. Thanks again.

[ROZO'SBEAU]

We took that same ship's tour back in 2004 and your description mirrors our experience exactly. We did not feel pressured to buy (or not to buy) just as you described.
However, there was cranky curmudgeonly man in the front of the bus who loudly complained about the stops where goods were for sale and he said he was going to demand his money back. Different strokes, I suppose. You can't please everyone. What is it about seniors?? The world owes them, I guess. I was 64 back then and didn't feel that way.

[CowPrincess]

ironin, so glad you enjoyed the Concordia/Copala tour :) I don't know how to link a single post -- could you post a link on the thread where I had my comments to your comments? Or copy your post? It would certainly more than balance our experience :)

Am enjoying your reports!

[ironin]

Aussiemick:

LOL! I know what your mean. I do seem to be enjoying a temporary respite from the CRS syndrome (http://emerginggrace.blogspot.com/2005/08/crs-syndrome.html) which has been, in my case, rapidly progressing in recent years. :D

ROZO'SBEAU:

Nice to know someone else had a similar experience. I just noticed that the HAL website now has shore excursion reviews. The two reviews posted there described this one as boring. Oh well, as you say, "You can't please everyone." The last part of your comment, What is it about seniors?? The world owes them, I guess. I was 64 back then and didn't feel that way., gave me a good chuckle and brought back a fond memory:

Years ago, after my then-82-year-old grandfather went on at some length about "these old old folks" being dangerous drivers who ought to have their licenses taken away, my dad couldn't resist asking, "How old is old, Dad?" "Well, older than me!" was his reply. :D

CowPrincess:

I'll be happy to. In case you were wondering how to do it yourself in the future:

Every post to a thread has a # in the upper right-hand corner. (For example, your most recent post is #86 on this thread)

Click on that number. Depending on how your browser is set up, that post alone should pop up in a new tab or a new window.

After that, follow the same procedure you use to link any other web page.

[ironin]

Puerto Vallarta - Day 1:

As might be guessed by the post title, we went zip-lining our first day in Puerto Vallarta. HAL-sponsored zip-line tours end up at the Canopy Adventure Park, (http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/tours/canopy-adventure-park) coincidentally also the current #1-rated PV attraction on TripAdvisor.

Our group of 15 was the first to depart, and ranged in age from early 20's to one couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. After hopping aboard a skiff conveniently tied up a short walk from the ship, a leisurely ride to the Vallarta Adventures office at the other side of the harbor took us past yachts of varying sizes and value, condos and private residences, and a couple of floating bars as well. Once there, we piled into a 4x4 for the trek to the park. Our route took us through Ixtapa! (OK, it wasn't the scenic Ixtapa on the coast, but an otherwise nondescript suburb of Puerto Vallarta.:D)

Neither of us had gone zip-lining before. I won't bore you with details. Suffice to say that both of us had a blast and we'd do it again in a heartbeat. All of the employees at the park were outgoing, encouraging and helpful as needed, while never once forgetting the mantra, "Safety first!"

As I recall, there were 4-5 zip-lining groups scheduled that day and one or two the second day in port. Each group was limited to 15 people, so the ship-sponsored zip-line tours apparently sold out quickly. There are quite a few independent operators to choose from, however (see a previous post above). Were we to do it again, we'd go zip-lining on the second, shorter, day in port, leaving more time to ramble around Puerto Vallarta itself.

After the skiff dropped us off next to the ship, we explored the port area shops. We never made it to the giant mall or the Wal-Mart just across the street, although almost every crew member we met that day did. We did sample the margaritas at one of the temporary stalls set up right next to the ship. After giving us so many tips about what to see and do the next day that we began losing track, our friendly waiter took it upon himself to go looking for someone who had a local map, found one, and then marked it up with his suggestions.

During the first twelve days of December, Puerto Vallarta celebrates the Festival of the Virgin of Guadaloupe. We missed out on the colorful processions but, as Dynaglyde/Roadqueen mentioned earlier in a response here, watching the fireworks that evening was a magical moment and a marvelous way to end an outstanding day in port.

[ironin]

Puerto Vallarta - Day 2:

While we were still port-side deciding on our options, a cab-driver, Carlos Inda, who was standing nearby, offered some few suggestions. After a few minutes of conversation, I complimented Carlos on his impeccable English spoken without a trace of accent. That's when we learned that Carlos grew up in Klamath Falls, Oregon, having moved there at age 3. Twelve years ago, at age 18, he returned to Puerto Vallarta, where he met his wife and elected to remain.

After we hopped in the cab, Carlos gave us some background on the areas we were passing through, the road system, and "must-sees" near our destination and beyond. Not content to just drop us off at the municipal market (our selected destination), Carlos accompanied us inside to point out which shops he thought provided good-quality merchandise. As virtually every one of them wasn't open yet, there definitely wasn't a hidden financial incentive in his unexpected but greatly appreciated service-above-the-ordinary!. We returned later and found his recommendations reliable.

While we were in the cab, we asked Carlos if his cab was available for hire by the hour or day. He said yes, that he did tours to Gringo Gulch, the locale where Predator was filmed, Chico's Paradise, and other places off the beaten track or at the direction of the customer. IIRC, his quoted rate starts at $20/hr. Saying he wasn't pushy is an understatement: when many might be shoving a stack of business cards in our face given our conversation, we had to ask Carlos for one as he was leaving. (FWIW, anyone interested can email Carlos at: Carlosalexxis_420(at)hotmail.com (Carlosalexxis_420@hotmail.com))

On Carlos's recommendation, we made our way across a couple of more-difficult-to-cross-than-they-looked rope bridges strung across the river before ambling around the Zona Romantica, where we ran across a neat little shop on a small street where they silk-screened their own t-shirt designs on-site. (The equipment took up most of the store.) The designs were imaginative and we picked up a couple to give to friends at home. Walking up one street, we saw a sign for a fund-raiser for the local SPCA, figured "Why not?" and joined in the fun with the people and the dogs for a while.

Once back on the other side of the river, our wanderings this way and that eventually brought us to the doors of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Puerto_Vallarta_cathedral_1.jpg) while mass was being said. As luck would have it, we arrived just moments before noon and were treated to as complete a ringing of the church bells as one could ask for. The crown atop the bell tower was unique. Considered a symbol of the city, the crown was virtually destroyed by an earthquake in 1995. Materials used during the repair work done then caused some controversy and are apparently not standing the test of time. A fund-raising campaign for a proper restoration is underway.

Walking along the malecon was a very pleasant way to end our time in Puerto Vallarta, the numerous works of art by world-renowned sculptors gracing the area adding just that much more to our enjoyment.

[ironin]

Cabo San Lucas:

Due to our unusual departure day (a Thursday) and our 12-day itinerary, Cabo San Lucas was not only our final port but also the only one visited by another cruise ship at about the same time. A Carnival ship arrived about an hour after we set anchor.

We scheduled a three hour tour for the day, but our boat looked nothing like the S.S. Minnow.;) After tendering to shore, we were led a short way to the Cabo Adventures building, where our "America's Cup Challenge (http://www.cabo-adventures.com/tours/americas-cup)" sailing tour began. After the welcome and preliminary instructions, we set out for our yacht-for-the-day, the New Zealand defender of the America's Cup Challenge in 2003, where we were given our final instructions.

As our competitors who were to sail an Australian entry in a previous America's Cup race were still aboard the Carnival ship, we ended up with about an hour of care-free sailing more than usual, giving us plenty of time to admire landmarks such as Lover's Arch and beaches accessible only by boat. Once the other team finally arrived, the race started. Our yacht held the advantage throughout and crossed the finish line well before the other vessel. Yay, team! :D Our captain and crew leader were top-notch. While this was our most expensive tour, the odds of either of us ever again having the chance to set sail in an America's Cup competitor are slim-to-none, and we enjoyed every minute of it.

After a victory celebration back at headquarters, we walked around the port area and looked into some shops before catching one of the last tenders back to the ship.

(Final comments later)

[Ine]

Thanks again for thie great report, it must taken you quite some time to write it.
I am glad you liked your trips in Mexico, of course especially in Puerto vallarta since we are here during winter...
The Sea of Cortez sailing is one of the nicest itinaries, a mix of bigger and smaller Mexican places. We did it 2 years ago and loved it.
I was so sorry to see that HAL will not offer this again coming winter, hopefully they will do it again in the near future.
Also glad that you made excursions as on the Mexico Riviera board some people state to stay on the ship because they think all of Mexico is dangerous.

Of course I pointed out that those killings take place among drugsdealers and is not against tourists. Referring at the same time to killings that took place in Canada and the USA, also not against tourists, but nobody is afraid to go to those places. ...Much to my surprise my postings (no bad words in it) and also from another positive poster about this are deleted, without any explanation or without any possibility to ask why. Very disappointing...

[ironin]

Just a few things I forgot to mention earlier, or that others may find helpful:

ATM Machines:

Whenever possible, use a bank ATM. Unless traveling in a country with significant black market foreign exchange activity, Visa/Mastercard exchange rates will almost always be the best. There were independent U.S. Dollar ATM machines at almost every port we visited. While they were very convenient, they were far from cheap to use. Although they do dispense U.S. Dollars, the transaction is actually conducted in Mexican Pesos using a a conversion rate about 10% higher than the going bank rate. Add in the on-site ATM usage fees plus any usage and conversion fees for converting the transaction back to U.S. $ by one's own bank or card issuer, and those convenient U.S. dollars cost upwards of 15% more than stopping at a bank.

Insect Repellent:

As recommended, we brought some along for use on the zip-lining tour. It didn't occur to us to bring it on the "Zorro & Native Cultures" tour, however. Anyone who didn't who also sat in the shade under the trees while watching the native dance in the Indian village sure wished they'd had. We lucked out by accident, as we chose to stand in the sun for a better view and had few bugs pestering us. After seeing the results for some who did, we were glad we elected not to wear shorts that day and decided not to wear them while zip-lining either.

Cruise Critic Meet & Greet:

As Iceman93 had already graciously invited everyone to a wine tasting party in his penthouse suite on our second sea day, Shannon (furluvcats) organized the Cruise Critic members' "Meet & Greet" for the next sea day, the 8th. There weren't any formal invitations or RSVP's required. The wine tasting party probably served the purpose of a "meet and greet" for most people, as about 70 people attended the wine tasting and about 15 made the official party. We planned to go but got so involved with something else that afternoon that we forgot about it until it was too late. Those who did attend the latter did tell us it was great fun, especially as drinks were "on the house." Many thanks to Shannon for agreeing to be the organizer.

Luggage:

Having read so much about the onerous luggage restrictions imposed by airlines these days, I decided to keep track of what I put inside mine and how much it ended up weighing. My bag itself, an older version of the Eagle Creek Tarmac 28 (http://www.ebags.com/product/eagle-creek/tarmac-28-28-rolling-upright/108081?productid=1284454&sourceID=GOOGFEED&couponid=40959822&CAWELAID=143664387), weighed 11 pounds.

Contents of bag: 1 tux, 1 suit, 6 short-sleeve shirts, 2 long-sleeve shirts, 3 dress shirts, 2 t-shirts, 1 sweater, 1 sweatshirt, 2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of Dockers, 2 pairs of shorts, 1 swimsuit, 1 pair of dress shoes, 1 pair of tennis shoes, 6-8 pairs of socks, 8 pairs of underwear, 3 ties, cumberbund, toiletries and other miscellaneous items.

Weight: A tad shy of 40 pounds! Imagine that! And I over-packed this time, just because I had a bigger bag. The bag I normally use, Costco's 22" model, can handle either a tux or a suit and only one pair of shoes.

[ironin]

LGBT Passengers:

While writing this overly-long review, a thread debating whether or not HAL crew members and passengers are "gay friendly" was brought to my attention. Like so many "debates," it seems to me this one revolves around a few singular incidents and hearsay extrapolated by the easily outraged into rampant undeserved stereotyping of the kind that those engaging in it are among the first to decry when others do the same.

With that in mind, our own experience while aboard the Amsterdam was 100% positive, as we expected. While we aren't ones to worry about such things as "What will the neighbors say?," we aren't oblivious to the odd remark, although neither of our egos is sufficiently fragile to be either temporarily or permanently damaged by one. The closest thing to an "odd remark" we heard during the cruise was odd only because, given our respective ages, we rarely get compliments on our looks. Two very sweet people actually came up to us and said, "You are such a cute couple!" *LOL*

Regularly scheduled LGBT get-togethers were announced in the official daily program delivered to all cabins. Although we planned to attend at least one, we invariably had something else already scheduled, or just plain forgot about it. As things turned out, an organized meeting wasn't needed for us to meet many of the fine gay men and women who also happened to be aboard ship. As far as we know, those we met were having a marvelous as time as well.

[ironin]

Disembarkation:

Oops! I Completely forgot about disembarkation when composing the Odds & Ends post, probably because it was so easy and everything went as planned. As one of us had a car still sitting in the Hilton Airport parking lot, we didn't sign up for connections through HAL. Luggage Direct wasn't an option, as the other was flying home via Southwest, which doesn't participate in that program at this port.

We selected the first of three disembarkation time periods offered for those with independent arrangements. Our bags weren't big or bulky, but we didn't feel like lugging them off-ship, so we left them out as directed the night before.

After a nice breakfast on the upper level of the dining room, we returned to our cabin just in time to hear our color & number being called, walked down to the gangway, and were off the ship in less than 5 minutes. After easily finding our bags inside the port building, we handed our customs declarations cards to the officer on our way out the door. With plenty of taxis available, we were on our way away from the port about 15 minutes after our number was first called.