NetworkGuy

We switched to T-Mobile before we went. We had international data included for free in every country. And voice calls were only $0.25 a minute.

@AliceS The cruise was fantastic. I created a picture book from the photos we took and the title is "Best Vacation Ever!" There were a number of people on the cruise who has cruised with Avalon before. They ALL said the our cruise director was the best they had ever had on any cruise. Having a great cruise director makes all of the difference. Only 12 couples did the add-on excursion, so we had the cruise director all to ourselves. He did a fantastic job of arranging all of the transfers and tours. In Como, we stayed at the Hotel Barchette Excelsior with a lake front balcony room. One of the best locations in town.

I agree walking is a great way to see PART of the city. The canal cruise lets you see the while city. The HOHO canal boats run every 30-40 minutes up until 6pm. We felt it was a great option.

If you have extra days, you should do the following: Breakfast at the Pancake Bakery https://pancake.nl/en/menu By a day pass hop-on-off for a canal cruise. https://www.citysightseeingamsterdam.nl/

From the airport, I got a Business Taxi. https://schipholbusinesstaxi.nl/en/ (Booked in advance.) They have a private waiting room and come to get you when the cab is there (about 10 minutes.) Super nice and only a few Euro's more than a regular cab. The hotel is about 15 minutes from the port. Make sure that you lookup where your ship is docked. (There are a number of spots.) I just had the concierge call us a cab. You can board the ship in the morning, your room just will not be ready. We got there at 1:30 and our room was ready. Have fun.

We ended up staying at the Renaissance. Even thought it was under renovations, they did everything to accommodate your stay. Even to the extent of creating a temporary lounge area. I like the close proximity to the cruise ship terminal and other areas we wanted to see.

@Dutch_Travelgirl OK, but which hotel do you prefer to stay at?

We are going to be staying in Amsterdam for a couple of nights before a river cruise. We plan on staying at a Marriot property since I have points. It looks like there are 3 choices: W Amsterdam Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel Amsterdam Marriott Hotel I am thinking one of the first two since the last is outside the U. What have been people's experiences at these hotels?

Interestingly we just switch to T-Mobile. I was thinking of getting their International Pass for voice calls.

We are doing our first River Cruise in May. We have done other cruises, but this is the first time on a river cruise. If anyone has done this tours, we would appreciate any recommendations on the excursions, which would you recommend and which to avoid. We are also staying in Amsterdam for a few days before the cruise. Any suggestions for there would also be appreciated. Now for a new first time river cruise questions: On most cruise ships, you need to put your cell phone in airplane mode to avoid charges. Is that also true for river boats? What time will your cabin be ready? We were told that we can board at 8am, but will the cabin be ready? (It looks like the ship arrives a few days before, but the previous tour debarks that morning.) Do they do laundry on the ship? Or can you even do it yourself? Is the mini-bar included or extra? How good (or bad) is the WiFi? Thanks for the help and suggestions.

Rain every day and night. They are doing a good job keeping her centered in storm. 😬

Very slow. Do not even think about streaming anything.

We are currently on Whisper and the TV has multiple active HDMI ports. I was able to connect my laptop with ease. Also, they block all streaming services.

We arrive on that ship on the 21st. Thanks for the info.