How long does it take for a ship sailing from Amsterdam to reach the North Sea?

One of the things I am looking forward to when I am aboard the Eurodam this Summer is the sailaway from Amsterdam. I am anticipating a very scenic sailaway! From what maps I have been able to find, I am 99.9% sure we will be sailing through the North Sea Canal once the ship leaves Amsterdam's harbor. I am wondering how long it will take for the Eurodam to reach the entrance to the North Sea.

I am also thinking that returning to Amsterdam on August 27th being on deck early in the morning would also be a worthwhile sightseeing experience.

Any comments from those who have sailed from or into Amsterdam would be appreciated. Thank you!

I sailed out of Amsterdam the past two summers. If memory serves me correctly, it took about 3 hours or so to get to the locks to the North Sea. It was nice to sit in the lounge with a drink in hand and watch the sights go by. All of the river traffic in Amsterdam was interesting - ferries, barges, etc. As you get further from Amsterdam it gets more industrial, but definitely something different to see including lots of large wind turbines. It gets more rural as you approach the North Sea and although the ship enters the locks there, the difference in water levels between the canal and the North Sea is pretty small. I never was ambitious enough to be up for the return to Amsterdam.

It'll take you a couple of hours.

You can alter that 99.9% to 100%. The only other way for a nautic departure from Amsterdam onto the Eurodams itinerary would be to go through the IJsselmeer to the Waddenzee and then onto the North Sea. Not only would it take longer, the Waddenzee would be more problematic for such a large ship with the combination of tides, protected nature area etc. But much more important; the Stevin-locks in the Afsluitdijk (seperating IJsselmeer from the Waddenzee) can not handle a ship the size of the Eurodam.

Would've been nice if they did, given how those locks literally are almost my backyard (that area of the Waddenzee was playground growing up), but no such luck.

To find out timing like you're asking - we use marine traffic dot com which works like Google Earth and has real time ship tracking. By following various cruise ships in the path you're interested in you can determine where you'll be within minutes.

For example - We used it to determine where we'd be at specific times sailing down the bay from Baltimore to the Atlantic.:)

From Amsterdam tol the locks in IJmuiden lasts about 2 - 21/2 hours. Depending the trafic in the canal and the speed of the ship.

The most scenic side in Amsterdam is the port/left side of the ship, but once outside Amsterdam this changes into the starboard/right side of the ship.

If you want to see some photos I took sailing on the North Sea Canal on the Maasdam a few years ago, use this link - http://www.flickr.com/photos/lj77346/

I truly appreciate those who took the time to reply to my question! I did not realize that there was a lock system through which the ship had to travel in order to get into/from the North Sea. (That is something that I should have thought of because I do know something about geography. My geography teachers would be most displeased!) I am really looking forward to this part of our cruise. And, being on the Viking Passage repositioning to New York as well, I will get to experience it twice!

Thanks!