hogwildcruzers
June 8th, 2008, 10:33 PM
We just ended our Amsterdam Alaska cruise....5/29 to 6/6....and it could not have been better...except the weather.
We arrived at pier 30 11am and walk straight to the embarkment process...we were then told we had to wait about 15 min. and we were then told we could start boarding....we were having lunch in the Lido by 11:30...very easy.
We explored the ship after lunch and found the Amsterdam to be more elegant than we had excepted....would have to say she is the most beautiful and elegant ship we have sailed on.....an announcement was made around 1pm that the rooms were ready to be occupied and we soon went to our room and our luggage arrived about 10 min. later.....our cabin stewart Jaya was the best as he personnally gathered our luggage for us....he also did a wonderful job for us all week.
Sherri's parents went on this trip with us and they wanted to give us this trip because of some things that we had to do for them over the past year...so we ended up in an inside cabin...allbeit we enjoyed it and loved the darkness when sleeping....the room was a really nice size room 185 sq. ft. and the bed was great....the personal products are very good and the shower was the best water pressure we have ever had....like to have that at home.....Jaya really kept our room spotless and everything fresh.
The ship was very clean and impressive...really loved the layout and the use of curves and the way all the shops and lounges were designed....the dark and light woods with all the brass is very elegant and pleasent on the eyes.....the carpet coloring and the large amount of fresh floral arrangements all around the ship make the Amsterdam one beautiful ship.
The first formal dinner was on Sat. night and the food was excellent...portions a little on the small side, but you could get seconds if you wished....the service was pretty good, but not great, they are still having a little confusion with the dine as you wish or anytime dining, don't really know what they call it.....but it did get better as the week progressed....the Mariner's luncheon was really good, with all you want champagne and steak or salmon..the Captain was there and we all received HAL tiles...it was also fun to visit with the other past HAL cruisers.
The Lido food was not bad...best of any ship we have been on thus far...the Terrace grill had great hamburgers and hotdogs and the pizza was the best......as far as drinking, all the lounges made some really good drinks and the DOD's were always good and $5.25 and in the evenings the free hors d'oeuvres were great, personnally I don't like pate'...the Ocean Bar was our favorite place to hang out at night, the band there was great and played the music that you like to hear.....at Explorations Cafe, Sherri said the coffees were very good....and the Pinnacle Grill was excellent, my porterhouse was one of the best I have ever eaten....and the service was just as good.
With Juneau, Glacier Bay, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria as the ports of call, we did a lot of hiking and just exploring the towns with a little shopping and some local dining.....the weather was never that great, not too much rain but always overcast and windy and terrible for good photography, gray skies make for harsh images.....I did get a lot of shots and hope you take a look in the webshots link in our signature....there are a lot of interior photos.
This being our third cruise to Alaska, we may not cruise there again for a few years, but we would cruise the Amsterdam over and over.....but if you have never been to Alaska, you must do it!
We arrived at pier 30 11am and walk straight to the embarkment process...we were then told we had to wait about 15 min. and we were then told we could start boarding....we were having lunch in the Lido by 11:30...very easy.
We explored the ship after lunch and found the Amsterdam to be more elegant than we had excepted....would have to say she is the most beautiful and elegant ship we have sailed on.....an announcement was made around 1pm that the rooms were ready to be occupied and we soon went to our room and our luggage arrived about 10 min. later.....our cabin stewart Jaya was the best as he personnally gathered our luggage for us....he also did a wonderful job for us all week.
Sherri's parents went on this trip with us and they wanted to give us this trip because of some things that we had to do for them over the past year...so we ended up in an inside cabin...allbeit we enjoyed it and loved the darkness when sleeping....the room was a really nice size room 185 sq. ft. and the bed was great....the personal products are very good and the shower was the best water pressure we have ever had....like to have that at home.....Jaya really kept our room spotless and everything fresh.
The ship was very clean and impressive...really loved the layout and the use of curves and the way all the shops and lounges were designed....the dark and light woods with all the brass is very elegant and pleasent on the eyes.....the carpet coloring and the large amount of fresh floral arrangements all around the ship make the Amsterdam one beautiful ship.
The first formal dinner was on Sat. night and the food was excellent...portions a little on the small side, but you could get seconds if you wished....the service was pretty good, but not great, they are still having a little confusion with the dine as you wish or anytime dining, don't really know what they call it.....but it did get better as the week progressed....the Mariner's luncheon was really good, with all you want champagne and steak or salmon..the Captain was there and we all received HAL tiles...it was also fun to visit with the other past HAL cruisers.
The Lido food was not bad...best of any ship we have been on thus far...the Terrace grill had great hamburgers and hotdogs and the pizza was the best......as far as drinking, all the lounges made some really good drinks and the DOD's were always good and $5.25 and in the evenings the free hors d'oeuvres were great, personnally I don't like pate'...the Ocean Bar was our favorite place to hang out at night, the band there was great and played the music that you like to hear.....at Explorations Cafe, Sherri said the coffees were very good....and the Pinnacle Grill was excellent, my porterhouse was one of the best I have ever eaten....and the service was just as good.
With Juneau, Glacier Bay, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria as the ports of call, we did a lot of hiking and just exploring the towns with a little shopping and some local dining.....the weather was never that great, not too much rain but always overcast and windy and terrible for good photography, gray skies make for harsh images.....I did get a lot of shots and hope you take a look in the webshots link in our signature....there are a lot of interior photos.
This being our third cruise to Alaska, we may not cruise there again for a few years, but we would cruise the Amsterdam over and over.....but if you have never been to Alaska, you must do it!