Review Amsterdam 07/25-08/01

[kwpatel]

Here is a link to my review

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=45568


Please let me know if you have any further questions about this ship or current ports...

[wdw1972]

Thank you for the excellent review. My son & I sailed the Amsterdam from Seattle in June of 2003 and it was wonderful then, too!

Sue/WDW1972
Westerdam 1/11/09

[kryos]

Here is a link to my review

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=45568


Please let me know if you have any further questions about this ship or current ports...
Just as a point of information ... I don't believe any special occasions are "recognized" publicly in the Pinnacle. I think that restaurant has a certain ambience and they may feel that birthday celebrations are best done in the dining room with the singing and whatnot. I'm surprised they didn't bring your son a special dessert, though.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[arzz]

Wonderful review -- thank you for sharing -- really whets my appetite for when we will board the Amsterdam on September 19.

[kwpatel]

Just as a point of information ... I don't believe any special occasions are "recognized" publicly in the Pinnacle. I think that restaurant has a certain ambience and they may feel that birthday celebrations are best done in the dining room with the singing and whatnot. I'm surprised they didn't bring your son a special dessert, though.

Blue skies ...

--rita

Yeah I figured that much about the singing, which is fine. However we though we would get a cake or something.... kind of a bummer

[Pam in CA]

Thank you for the review. I'm looking forward to being on the Amsterdam in January. Have already paid to lock in all of the flights for our pre-cruise.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Thank you for the review of the Amsterdam. We board her a week from today for the Alaska cruise.

You mentioned there was no As You Wish Dining on this cruise. Do you know if this is standard for this ship and this sailing?

I noticed you boarded late but do you or anyone else who has been on the Amsterdam Alaska sailing this season know if luncheon is served in the dining room as well as the Lido.

Thanks.

Barbara

[trvldog]

Thanks for the review very nice!
2 weeks from today I will be sailing away on her. I am glad to hear about room size I am in an FF catagory (in the back) but there will be 3 of us so was hoping for enough closest space for all of us! :)

I sure hope it does not rock to bad in the back the week we go, my sis in law actually has vertigo everyone says she is crazy for crusing but she wants to try just once and has major pills, patches and other things her "dizzy doctor" gave her :):)

[Terre]

Thank you for the review. We will be sailing the Amsterdam to Alaska in May of next year. Did you use the program where they take your luggage to the airport for you and you don't have to go through check-in? We did this in Hawaii and it worked great since we wanted to see Pearl Harbor. We're planning to do this in Seattle, too. If you used it, was it easy?

One more question: how is the dress on this ship? I've always sailed Caribbean and wear capris and sun dresses, but somehow they don't seem to fit an Alaskan cruise. Also, are most people dressed appropriately for formal nights?

[darleen1421]

Thanks KWPATEL for the great review. You hit most of the things I was wondering about. Three weeks from today I will be on board and I can hardly wait.:) :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for your wonderful review.

We have celebrated several birthdays and anniversaries while on ships. And we do go to the Pinnacle. On all but 2 times we did receive a birthday / anniverary cake in the Pinnacle. We knew that there wouldn't be any signing.

Did your TA notify HAL about your son's birthday?

[Himself]

I was on that ship from June 20-27th. I think it is the best of the Dam ships and I like them all. Perhaps it would be apropos to say it is the best DAM ship in the Holland America Fleet. Thanks for a wonderful review

[dforeigner]

Thank you for taking time to write a review.

[thomas Cruise]

.

You mentioned there was no As You Wish Dining on this cruise. Do you know if this is standard for this ship and this sailing?

I noticed you boarded late but do you or anyone else who has been on the Amsterdam Alaska sailing this season know if luncheon is served in the dining room as well as the Lido.

Thanks.

Barbara

Barbara: We had fixed dining, but AYWD was available on our cruise, beginning 8/8, and my in-laws have AYWD on their Amsterdam cruise, leaving 8/22. We didn't meet anyone who had any issues with their AYWD.

When we boarded, we were only directed to the Lido and they didn't say anything about the dining room, but we also boarded what might be considered "late" at 1 p.m. We had a bit to eat on Lido, and our cabin was ready within a few minutes of making our way to a table.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Appreciate your response. We are looking forward to this voyage.

Barbara

[kwpatel]

Thank you for the review. We will be sailing the Amsterdam to Alaska in May of next year. Did you use the program where they take your luggage to the airport for you and you don't have to go through check-in? We did this in Hawaii and it worked great since we wanted to see Pearl Harbor. We're planning to do this in Seattle, too. If you used it, was it easy?

One more question: how is the dress on this ship? I've always sailed Caribbean and wear capris and sun dresses, but somehow they don't seem to fit an Alaskan cruise. Also, are most people dressed appropriately for formal nights?

I didn't use the express luggage service to the airport. I had an 8pm flight after the cruise, so I was trying to get on different flight and of course missed the deadline to sign-up. One thing that was strange that some people were denied this service. I was at the pursers desk and people that were in groups and some of them were denied. According to the pursers they can't do anything, since the airlines approve this service.

As far as dress people were more formal on this cruise. On the first formal night the seas were rough, so I decided to go to dinner with just my dark suit on, but no tie.... I was the only one without a tie and I felt out of place, but I just didn't what that thing on my neck while I was feeling a little queasy. During the day the DW wore jeans and nice looking sweats ( i a sure they are called something else, since they are not gym sweats). And the rest of us dressed in layers since it did rain in most of the ports that week.

Hope this helps.

[kwpatel]

Thank you for your wonderful review.

We have celebrated several birthdays and anniversaries while on ships. And we do go to the Pinnacle. On all but 2 times we did receive a birthday / anniverary cake in the Pinnacle. We knew that there wouldn't be any signing.

Did your TA notify HAL about your son's birthday?

I am my own TA I sailed this cruise on a TA rate and it was offered to me the day B4 sailing...(so no real time to set things up) But I did mentioned to the gentleman taking my reservation, on biggie really the only issue of the cuis.

[kwpatel]

Thank you for the review of the Amsterdam. We board her a week from today for the Alaska cruise.

You mentioned there was no As You Wish Dining on this cruise. Do you know if this is standard for this ship and this sailing?

I noticed you boarded late but do you or anyone else who has been on the Amsterdam Alaska sailing this season know if luncheon is served in the dining room as well as the Lido.

Thanks.

Barbara

As a matter of fact we boarded so late that just had 15 minutes to eat on the LIDO, then the LIfeboat Drill started.