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Rudesheim was fun. I went to the Music Museum with fairly low expectations but it was OK and only went for 30 minutes anyway. The only issue we had was that it was a hot day and the place is not air conditioned. After the museum we wandered around the town and came across a summer wine festival in the town square which sated the thirst nicely. The included tours are, by their nature, only a brief introduction to the town or city. Ideally, if time allowed, we went on the tour in the morning and in the afternoon went out by ourselves and explored a bit further and at a gentler pace that allowed for a wine or beer along the way as well as some shopping. The brevity of the tour is obviously more of an issue in cities where you only see a fraction of what the city has to offer and we came away from places like Vienna, Amsterdam and Budapest wishing we had had more time.

Today is Fan Dance Day, Find A Rainbow Day, and National Film Score Day I never said most of the things I said. - Yogi Berra Meal Suggestion for today - Lemon-Garlic Steak & Green Beans Drink of the Day - Salted Caramel Martini Wine of the Day - Bota Box Nighthawk Rich Red Wine Blend Destination of the Day - Quepos, Costa Rica Today in History: 1973 1st mobile phone call is made in downtown Manhattan, NYC by Motorola employee Martin Cooper to the Bell Labs headquarters in New Jersey Ship Locations Eurodam Oranjestad Aruba, Netherlands Antilles 07:00 - 16:00 Koningsdam At Sea Destination Santa Barbara CA, California eta 04-04 Nieuw Amsterdam Puerto Plata-Amber Cove, Dominicana 08:00 - 16:00 Nieuw Statendam San Juan, Puerto Rico 13:00 - 22:00 Oosterdam At Sea Destination Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida eta 04-05 Rotterdam Kralendijk Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles 07:00 - 18:00 Volendam At Sea Destination San Diego, California eta 04-06 Zaandam Manzanillo, Mexico -10:00 - 18:00 Eastern Hemisphere Noordam Melbourne, Victoria Australia 08:00 - 18:00 Westerdam Busan, Korea 10:00 - 18:00 Zuiderdam Victoria, Seychelles 08:00 -

Wondering if anyone knows when the next dry dock/refurbishment might be for the Nieuw Amsterdam? I can’t seem to find any information online….

One set of flights I am looking at for next year have Air Canada returning from Amsterdam. I have avoided travelling with them, but unfortunately, unless we wish to go Amsterdam-Zurich-Montreal, we are stuck with them. We usually fly KLM, but wanted to avoid Amsterdam this year after the fun we had last year with a slightly delayed delayed flight as it took us over an hour to get through Passport Control and then major run to get to our connecting flight in time. I am looking at Swiss Air for next year, hope they are OK. Glad to hear you made it through quickly.

We've made a reservation with Captain Jack Amsterdam and can cancel up to one hour before, if necessary. Thanks to all for the suggestions though. (Cotswold Eagle, you live in a beautiful part of the world. Have been there twice and loved it!)

From Namur ,Huy and Liége river cruise ships have those two main options of diverting into the Albert Canal or staying on the Meuse and sailing into the Netherlands. Sailing via Maastricht and Venlo you can head to Nijmegen via the Maas-Waal Canal (see post above) or - again - stay on the Meuse. That is what Uniworld appear to do. The company offers this intriguing, somewhat unusual itinerary: https://www.uniworld.com/uk/river-cruise/central-europe/rhine/holland-and-belgium-at-tulip-time/2024-brussels-to-amsterdam Brussels to Amsterdam would be a normal route but this one after a more standard sail through the Albert Canal arrives in Maastricht and the following day stops in Cuijk! This is the port from which you can take a tour to Nuenen where the painter Vincent van Gogh lived. Here is some info:https://www.vangoghbrabant.com/en/home/nuenen/exhibitions/vincents-life-in-nuenen The afternoon takes the ship to Heusden a place I only know in connection with a shipyard. What a fascinating small town, I mean, look at this: https://www.visitbrabant.com/en/locations/248755060/the-fortified-town-of-heusden The next stop is the more conventional Kinderdijk excursion. Nice of Uniworld to combine something new with the familiar stops. notamermaid

Today’s Care List: Dfish’s grandniece River sick with a respiratory illness JazzyV with R leg pain, numbness 2 crew members killed due to steam line bursting on Nieuw Amsterdam Victims in Moscow concert shooting Texas schoolbus struck by concrete truck, 1 child and 1 adult killed. Citizens of Ukraine, Israel and Gaza; Haiti unrest All Dailyites going through worries and stress, whether mentioned or not From the Rotation: Tana with chronic pulmonary issues Atexsix’s DD now in hospice care RMLincoln’s DH with glaucoma issues, medication allergy Celebrations and Shoutouts: Welcome to the Daily Sterling2 Cat shepherd’s DSis released to home USN59-79 in Taipei Vict0riann’s DD not requiring surgery for her fractured humerus Kazu stepping up to keep the FR/Daily going while Rich is cruising The Daily Gardening Club posting wonderful flower pictures All the contributors to the Fleet Report/Daily Upcoming Cruises or At Sea: 4 days for Smmessineo (Rotterdam Mar 29 to Apr 7) 9d S. Caribbean Wayfarer 4 days for POA1 & Huskerchick (Rotterdam Mar 29 to Apr 7) 9d S. Caribbean Wayfarer 5 days for Ocean sounds (Zaandam Mar 30 to Apr 13) 14d Solar Eclipse & Mexican Riviera 6 days for Sailingdutchy (Nieuw Statendam Mar 31 to April 7) B2B 7d E. Caribbean + (Nieuw Statendam Apr 7 to May 5) 28d Bermuda, Brittany & Canary Island Allure Crazy For Cats (Eurodam to Mar 27) 11d E. Caribbean Wayfarer, Scrapnana (Rotterdam to Mar 29) 12d E. Caribbean Wayfarer, Suslor (Zaandam to Mar 30) 14d Panama Canal, Lazey1 (Koningsdam to Mar 30) 7d Mexico, RedneckBob (Nieuw Statendam to March 31) 7d E. Caribbean, GTVCRUISER (Koningsdam to Apr 6) B2B 7d Mexico + 7d Pacific Coastal, Cruising-along (Volendam to April 6) 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage, Durangoscots (Volendam to April 6, 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage), cruising sister (Volendam to April 6, 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage), Cruisercl (Volendam to April 6, 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage), Richwmn (Volendam to May 4, Jan 3 94d Grand Australia & NZ Voyage + Apr 6 15d PC Cruise + Apr 21 The Atlantic Coast), Cat in my lap (Zuiderdam to May 11, 128d Grand World Voyage), Gail & Marty sailing away (Zuiderdam to May 11, 128d Grand World Voyage) and Aliaschief (Azamara Onward WC to June 9, 156d World Voyage)

Hi, We are going on our first river cruise with our 2 daughters and their spouses. (We are 64 and they are 35 and 25). When I purchased the cruises, I was told one excursion per port was complimentary. That was misleading as it's a specific excursion (mostly walking tours) as the rest cost. But oh well. So my question is what excursions are really not to miss and what ports can be done "on our own?" We are paying for everything, so the excursions for 6 people will be a lot. Here is the itinerary. I read a little on an old thread - perhaps Dine in Rudesheim and Mediaeval Village of Colmar are great. We do like wine tasting - so perhaps do that in Strasbourg, France. We're in good shape - but the girls don't like bikes. Everyone likes hiking. I would appreciate any thoughts. Cheers, Ellen

Hello! Please bear with me as this is my first live thread. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading other lives and thought it’d be nice to do my own. :) It will also be a good way for us to document our trip. This will be our first sailing since the pandemic. I am traveling with my mom and sister and we have had this girls trip planned since 2020… we all know how that went. It’s also our first Celebrity cruise and first time visiting each of these ports. Our original itinerary included an overnight in St. Petersburg which has since been replaced with Visby, Sweden. We are very excited to experience the Apex and all it has to offer. We are big foodies, so feel free to chime in with any snacks or food we need to try. Expect lots of food photos! At the moment, we’re finishing up all our packing. We have a few days pre-cruise in Amsterdam as well as a few more days post-cruise. We plan to explore the nearby cities as well and have an exciting itinerary planned. Looking forward to sharing our trip with you all and thanks for following along! 🙂

Two additional comments on the Rotterdam's Club Orange dining room - the layout and furniture are better than the Nieuw Statendam's room. The Nieuw Statendam's & Koningsdam's rooms started as America's Test Kitchen. Their furniture is more bistro, and less restaurant. I feel like the room's origin as a demo kitchen is still somewhat apparent. You enter the Rotterdam's CO room from the center as opposed to the end of the room on the two other ships. The symmetrical layout and improved seating tilt things in favor of the Rotterdam.

Have been playing with the 36 day Grand Fjords & Iconic Viking Shores from NY to Amsterdam which can also be booked as B2B2B (NY - Iceland, Iceland - Bergen & Bergen - Amsterdam). Price difference between 36 night booking vs 3 smaller ones is only about $1k. If I book it as b2b2b do you think they will give me booking discount + past guest for each leg?

HOLLAND AMERICA BOARD'S FUTURE CRUISE LISTING Updated March 8th, 2024 We all love to hear what cruises you are booked on. I post the Bon Voyage threads 7 days before sailing so, to be included in this: Post 3 weeks in advance so you aren’t missed. 1st cruise, anniversary, special celebration? Let us know. Details needed are in the 2nd post of this thread. Please use REPLY and not QUOTE when posting to this thread. Using 'Quote' makes a very long thread and cumbersome to read. Don’t mistake this for a Roll Call. Go to the Roll Call Section here on Cruise Critic to find your cruise & sign up. This week’s additions and changes are in BOLD and highlighted in aqua (sea colours) MARCH 2024 Rotterdam - 08-Mar-24 - 9 night Southern Caribbean wdw1972 Doone - and friends N Amsterdam - 09-Mar-24 - 7 day Caribbean JoCo2024 Charter Shalandara Zaandam - 16-Mar-24 -28 day Panama Canal & Mexican Solar Eclipse RetiredNow1 Zaandam - 16-Mar-24 - 14 day Panama Canal Suslor YMMBug Eurodam - 16-Mar-24 - 11 day Eastern Caribbean Wayfarer JustDreamingofVacation Crazy For Cats kb4683 - B2B following Mar. 6th N Statendam - 17-Mar-24 - 7 day Western Caribbean Lucie73821 Rotterdam - 17-Mar-24 - 12 day Southern Caribbean Scrapnana Koningsdam - 23-Mar-24 - 7 day Mexico GTVCRUISER - BwB with Mar. 30th N Amsterdam -23-Mar-24 - 7 day Western Caribbean Hdtravlr1 N Statendam - 24-Mar-24 - 7 day Eastern Caribean RedneckBob Rotterdam - 29-Mar-24 - 9 day Southern Caribbean POA1 & Huskerchick Koningsdam - 30-Mar-24 - 7 day Pacific Coastal GTVCRUISER - B2B following Mar. 23rd Westerdam - 30-Mar-24 - 14 day Japan Explorer bizeesheri Zaandam - 30-Mar-24 - 14 day Solar Eclipse & Mexican Riviera Loreto ocean sounds NanaJPB N Statendam - 31-Mar-24 - 7 day Eastern Caribbean auggiemom sailingdutchy - B2B with April 7th APRIL 2024 Koningsdam - o5-Apr-24 - 22 day Solar Eclipse, Mexican Riviera & Hawaii lobsternight Brewgirl1 brnowl - celebrating birthday on board Oosterdam - 05-Apr-24 - 14 day Passage to Spain Rockit Oosterdam - 06-Apr-24 - Transatlantic FLL - Athens FlCruiser97 - celebrating DH’s 78th birthday on board Volendam - 06-Apr-24 - Transcanal richwmn - B2B2B2B following Dec. 22nd & Jan. 3rd & with Apr. 21st N Statendam - 07-Apr-24 - 28 day Bermuda, Brittany & Canary Island Allure Overhead Fred sailingdutchy - B2B following Mar. 31st N Statendam - 07-Apr-24 - 14 day Transatlantic 1robinwood Vict0riann Westerdam - 13-Apr-24 - 30 day Japan & North Pacific Crossing Collector Jacquee Gran2011 - celebrating birthday on board Norwegian Joy - 14-Apr-24 - 7 day Bermuda from New York LAFFNVEGAS Zaandam 20-Apr-24 - 7 day Wine Country & Pacific Northwest Jananza -with neighbours & friends Volendam - 21-Apr-24 - 13 day the Atlantic Coast kazu richwmn - B2B2B - following Dec. 22nd, Jan. 3rd & Apr. 6th N Statendam - 21-Apr-24 - 14 day Canary Island Allure VMax1700 Westerdam - 27-Apr-24 - 16 day North Pacific Crossing Halj01935 - B2B with May 12th Taters MAY 2024 N Statendam - 05-May-24 - 13 day Jewels of the Baltic doone - girls cruise YourWorldWithBill Zuiderdam - 11-May-24 - 28 day Azores, Normandy & Baltic Jewels Harboursiders StLouisCruisers - B2B wih June 8th StartrainDD Rotterdam - 11-May-24 - 14 day Britain, Scotland & Ireland Navybikermom madera1 - celebrating DH’s upcoming 75th birthday on board Eurodam - 11-May-24 - 7 day Alaska Murray’s Pop Westerdam - 12-May-24 - 7 day Alaska Haljo1935 - celebrating birthday on board - B2B following Apr. 27th N Statendam - 18-May-24 - 14 day North Cape & Midnight Sun rwmiller - celebrating DW’s birthday on board Westerdam - 19-May-24 -7 day Alaska Explorer TravelE - 1st HAL cruise Volendam -25-May-24 - 7 day New England/Canada mailmama - celebration cruise with DGG & family, B2B with June 1st, 1st HAL cruise, B2B with June 1st JUNE 2024 Volendam - 01-Jun-24 - 7 day Canada/New England Mr. Boston mailmama - B2B following May 25th Koningsdam - 01-Jun-24 - 7 day Alaska Inside Passage bundtkate - 1st HAL cruise & Alaska N Statendam - 01-Jun-24 - 14 day Norwegian Fjords & islands of Iceland & Scotland Gibble42 Zuiderdam - 08-Jun-24 - 42 day Ultimate Viking Explorer & Passage StLouisCruisers - B2B2B following May 11th Rotterdam - 08-June-24 - 21 day Midnight Sun & Taste of Scotland Suslor Westerdam - 09-Jun-24 -28 day Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice woodworker&knitter RetiredNow Cailey53 cruzn single Traveling Dot jljcruise Oosterdam - 12-Jun-24 - 23 day Med Tapestry & Empires Lucie73821 Oosterdam - 24-Jun-24 - 21 day Med Adriatic & Italian Splendour mr. godfredo Zuiderdam - 29-Jun-24 - 21 day Viking Passage Harboursiders Koningsdam - 29-Jun-24 - 7 day Alaska Inside Passage leerathje - with dad, celebrating his 84th birthday on board, 1st time Alaska JULY2024 Westerdam - 07-Jul-24 - 7 day Alaska luvteaching - with friend for her first cruise & Alaska Zuiderdam - 20-Jul-24 - 35 day Voyage of the Vikings crystalspin BetsyS cunnorl Toad cruising Katie Rotterdam - 20-Jul-24 - 14 day Best of Norway wandb Volendam - 27-Jul-24 - 24 day Canada, New England & Iceland Cruizer Bill & Cruizer Diana AUGUST 2024 Koningsdam - 03-Aug-24 - 7 day Alaska doone - family & friends’ road trip to Vancouver Westerdam - 04-Aug-24 - 7 day Alaskan Explorer Brewgirl1 - surprise birthday gift for DS Rotterdam - 17-Aug-24 - 14 day Best of Norway 0106 Zuiderdam - 24-Aug-24 - 7 day Canada & New England Crazy for Cats - B2B with Aug. 31st Westerdam - 25-Aug-24 - 7 day Alaska Explorer LAFFNVEGAS dobiemom Volendam - 20-Aug-24 - 1 day Newfoundland & New England Cruise RetiredNow1 - B2B with Aug. 31st Zuiderdam -31-Aug-24 7 day Canada/New England Crazy For Cats - B2B following Aug. 24th Volendam - 31-Aug-24 - 10 day Newfoundland & New England RetiredNow1 - B2B following Aug. 20th SEPTEMBER 2024 Westerdam - 01-Sep-24 - 53 day Majestic Japan Cruise lindaler Mickie MikeD4134 - celebrating both birthdays on board Eurodam - 07-Sep-24 - 7 day Alaska luvteaching Rotterdam - 14-Sep-24 - 14 day Best of Norway Cruizer Bill & Cruizer Diana Zuiderdam - 14-Sep-24- 7 day Canada/New England schooinmy Noordam - 15-Sep-24 - 14 day Great Alaskan Explorer vms - 1st time to Alaska & 50th state visited Eurodam - 28-Sep-24 - 7 day Alaskan Explorer Halj01935 - celebrating 34th anniversary Rotterdam - 28-Sep-24 - 15 day Jewels of the Baltic krittycat OCTOBER 2024 N Amsterdam - 04-Oct-24- 23 day Panama Canal & Bahamas Shih Tzu Momma - celebrating 50th anniversary on board Volendam - 05-Oct-24 - 14 Night Atlantic Coast Taters Koningsdam - 05-Oct-24 - 17 day Circle Hawaii Vict0riann N Statendam - 05-Oct-24 - 14 daylands of Legends & Eternal Cities SCabs111 - celebrating 20th anniversary on board Oosterdam - 10-Oct-24 - 10 day Adriatic Antiquities crystalspin - B2B2B with Oct. 20th & Oct. 31st Rotterdam - 12-Oct-24 - 15 day Atlantic Sojourn NextOne Zuiderdam - 19-Oct-24 - 21 day Perfect Caribbean Escape R/T Boston cate54 - mother & daughter birthday voyage Oosterdam - 20-Oct-24 - 11 day Mediterranean Romance crystalspin - B2B2B following Oct. 10th & with Oct. 31st Oosterdam - 20-Oct-24 - 25 day Meditteranean Romance & Spanish Farewell kazu P&PNH HELENPSL Live4cruises - celebrating 25th anniversary on board Westerdam - 22-Oct-24 - 22 day Pacific Crossing - Seattle to Sydney Hows the Serenity Rotterdam -27-Oct-24 - 12 day Panama Canal Sunfarer Himself Oosterdam - 31-Oct-24 - 14 day Spanish Farewell Nickelpenny - B2B with November 14th crystalspin - B2B2B following Oct. 10th & 20th NOVEMBER 2024 N Statendam - 02-Nov-24 - 14 day Atlantic Dream SusieKIslandGirl Eurodam - 02-Nov-24 - 15 day Bahamas Caribbean / Eastern Wayfarer Euby Cailey53 N Amsterdam - 03-Nov-24 - 7 day Tropical Caribbean Gsel - 1st solo cruise Volendam - 09-Nov-24 - 42 day Ultimate Mediterranean & Atlantic Passage Loreto PRPLE StLouisCruisers Cruising-along Norwegian Bliss - 10-Nov-24 - 7 day Mexican Riviera LAFFNVEGAS dobiemom Oosterdam - 14-Nov-24 - 17 day Panama & Inca Discovery Nickelpenny - B2B following Oct. 31st N Amsterdam - 17-Nov-24 - 7 day Western Caribbean NCTribeFan - celebrating birthday on board Zaandam - 21-Nov-24 - 28 day Circle of Hawaii & Sea OV Cortez RetireNow1 uiderdam - 23-Nov-24 - 11 day Eastern Caribbean Wayfarer seagarsmoker wdw1972 Eurodam - 27-Nov-24 - 11 day southern Caribbean Wayfarer Cruise Suzy N Statendam - 30-Nov-24 - 14 day Caribbean Collector saturn93 Koningsdam - 30-Nov-24 - 10 day Mexican Riviera & Sea of Cortez Jacqueet DECEMBER 2024 Noordam - 08-Dec-24 - 14 day Indonesia Discovery LouCoop Koningsdam - 10-Dec-24 - 11 day Mexican Riviera 57redbird N Statendam - 28-Dec-24 - 7 day Tropical Caribbean Lucie73821 Koningsdam - 28-Dec-24 - 7 night Mexico Holiday madera1 JANUARY 2025 Zuiderdam - 04-Jan-25 - World Grand Voyage cunnorl MikeD4134 Noordam - 04-Jan-25 - 28 day Coral Triangle, Volcanoes & Great Barrier Reef SusieKIslandGirl Roz Andy&Louise BlackJack2 Koningsdam - 04-Jan-25 - 7 day Baja Peninsula gknep Koningsdam -04-Jan-25 - 24 day Baja Peninsula & Circle Hawaii NCTribeFan 0106 Oosterdam - 06-Jan-25 - 22 day South America & Antarctica dfish & Sue Rotterdam - 17-Jan-25 - 9 day Eastern Caribbean doone - with friends Eurodam - 18-Jan-25 -11 day Eastern Caribbean Wayfarer summer slope Koningsdam - 28-Jan-25 - 18 day Circle Hawaii Kc52 - B2B2B with Feb. 15th & Mar. 22nd Cailey53 Cruizer Bill & Cruizer Diana luvtwotrvl & trvlcrzy Oosterdam - 28-Jan-25 - 22 day South America & Antarctica Jacqueet FEBRUARY 2025 Zaandam - 08-Feb-25 - 27 day Amazon Explorer Traveling Dot Brewgirl1 N Statendam - 08-Feb-25 - 7 day Tropical Caribbean auggiemom Koningsdam - 15-Feb-25 - 35 day Hawaii South Pacific (Hawaii, Tahiti & Marquesas) fox02554 Overhead Fred canadianbear Kc52 - B2B2B following Jan. 28th & with Mar. 22nd crystalspin Norseh2o rollie cate54 Eurodam - 19-Feb-25 - 10 day Southern Caribbean Seafarer wdw1972 N Amsterdam - 23-Feb-25 - 7 day Irish All Stars Charter (FLL-HMC-St Thomas- Grand Turk-FLL0 Shalandara - celebrating DH’s birthday & 30th anniversary on board - B2B with Mar. 2nd MARCH 2025 N Statendam - 01-Mar-25 - 7 day Tropical Caribbean doone - celebrating sister & friend’s birthday on board N Amsterdam - 02-Mar-25 - 7 day Joc02025 Charter (FLL- HMC- San Juan - St Maarten - FLL) Shalandara - B2B following Feb. 23rd Rotterdam - 07-Mar-25 - 9 day Southern Caribbean RedneckBob N Amsterdam - 16-Mar-25 - 7 day Eastern Caribbean seagarsmoker Kc52 - B2B2B following Jan. 28th & Feb. 15th Westerdam - 16-Mar-25 - 43 days South Pacific - Auckland -Vancouver kplady APRIL 2025 Eurodam - 02-Apr-25 - 10 day Western Caribbean Explorer Cruise Suzy - with DS & DDIL Oosterdam - 19-Apr-25 - 25 day Western Crossing: Madeira, Morocco & Côte D’azur kazu MAY 2025 Eurodam - 03-May-25 - 7 Day Alaska Explorer Denise T dobiemom N Amsterdam - 04-May-25 - 14 day Great Alaskan Explorer Vict0riann Oosterdam - 14-May-25- 10 day Western Mediterranean Medley with Malta overnight VMax1700 - celebrating 50th wedding anniversary on board N Amsterdam - 18-May-25 - 7 night Northbound Alaska wdw1972 - with DS and DIL - celebrating their 10th anniversary JUNE 2025 Eurodam - 07-Jun-25 - 7 day Alaska Explorer jaycie622 Westerdam - 08-Jun-25 - 28 day Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice FlorenceItaly NextOne StLouisCruisers N Statendam - 29-Jun-25 - 28 day Arctic Circle Crossing - Greenland & Iceland StartrainDD - B2B with July 27th JULY 2025 Volendam - 12-Jul-25- 25 day Canada, New England, Greenland & Iceland Loreto - celebrating birthday on board Zuiderdam - 19-Jul-25 - 35 day Voyage of the Vikings Jacqueet N Statendam - 27-Jul-25 - 14 day Wild British Isles StartrainDD - B2B following Jun 29th - achieving 5* AUGUST 2025 Eurodam - 23-Aug-25 - 7 day Alaska Explorer: auggiemom SEPTEMBER 2025 Noordam - 14-Sep-25 - 14 day Great Alaska Explorer Gsel Lazirus65 OCTOBER 2025 Rotterdam - 04-Oct-25-22 day Norwegian Fjord crossing Mr. Boston Vict0riann Volendam - 07-Oct-25 - 45 day Mediterranean & Atlantic Passage Harboursiders APRIL 2026 Westerdam - 12-Apr-26- 29 day Japan & North Pacific Collector StartrainDD HAPPY CRUISING EVERYONE! Jacqui

Rüdesheim may be more enjoyable in the Amsterdam to Basel direction than the other way. Early in the cruise, before you have been exposed to very much authentic German culture, it seems fun. And that mechanical music machine museum is indeed a lot of fun.

Are you doing the transatlantic sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Amsterdam on the Silhouette?

Looks like a full house in Port Everglades!! ms Nieuw Statendam will be at pier 26 from 5:30 am to 3:45 pm, and she is on a 7 Night Western Caribbean. Also in port is Disney Dream at pier 4 (4:45 am – 5:00 pm), Symphony of the Seas at pier 18 (5:00 am – 4:30 pm), Ruby Princess at pier 21 (5:15 am – 3:00 pm), Caribbean Princess at pier 2 (5:45 am – 3:00 pm) and Celebrity Ascent at pier 25 (6:00 am – 3:30 pm). The PTZtv webcam can be found at https://www.portevergladeswebcam.com/. Next up: Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam on February 24, 2024 Leanne

We have been being going to France every year since 2006 and have never been asked for financial evidence or where we were staying. Three times we have flown, the rest we have driven, mostly going via Eurotunnel, once by ferry Dover To Calais and once Portsmouth to Saint Malo. We also made a substitute port stop at Cherbourg in 2018 on a cruise after Amsterdam, no checking do then either. All this course was pre leaving EU in 2020, maybe different on our next trip though.

ms Nieuw Amsterdam will be at pier 26 from 5:30 am to 5:00 pm, and she is on a 7 Night Country Music Cruise charter Also in port is Sky Princess at pier 2 (4:15 am – 3:00 pm), Celebrity Reflection at pier 29 (4:30 am – 3:30 pm), Odyssey of the Seas at pier 18 (5:15 am – 5:00 pm) Viking Mars at pier 19 (5:45 am – 5:00 pm) and Celebrity Apex at pier 25 (6:00 am – 3:30 pm). The PTZtv webcam can be found at https://www.portevergladeswebcam.com/. Next up: Nieuw Statendam on January 21, 2024 Leanne

Unfortunately I think you're mistaken. Relatively few schools are out over President's Day - mainly the Northeast. When my son was growing up in FL, the spring break was not tied to Easter, since the date for Easter varies so widely. My awful Nieuw Statendam experience that was overrun with hundreds of kids was 3/11/23 for 7 nights. Easter was 4/9/23. Agree between Club Orange and the Retreat you'll miss the worst of it. Walking through the Lido Pool area was something we avoided. We didn't have any issues in specialty dining, which is what we mostly do - other than one night in Canaletto when these absolute horrors (with parents who let them literally RUN wild and stomp like elephants (twins approx 8-10 years old) were running screeching through the Lido Marketplace while mom & dad ignored the behavior. One of my travel companions ran into them a few different times and finally spoke up when they nearly knocked over some of the more traditional elderly HAL passengers, telling the kids to STOP that. It was sad that the parents were so ignorant. From that point we've sworn off the 7-night Caribbean cruises since HAL seems intent on running this kids sail free crap and we've shifted our March cruising to February since March seems to be the peak month for spring breaks. Oh, another lovely experience was waiting for a show in the World Stage. Multi-family group a few rows ahead of us let the kids slam the seat bottoms up & down, hard enough to make noise. The parents just sat there playing on their phones, letting their little darlings behave inappropriately. Good luck! Sue/WDW1972

Today’s Care List: Haljo1935’s DD DB’s Heavenly Birthday Princess Catherine and King Charles undergoing cancer treatment 2 crew members killed due to steam line bursting on Nieuw Amsterdam Victims in Moscow concert shooting Texas schoolbus struck by concrete truck, 1 child and 1 adult killed. Numerous others injured. Citizens of Ukraine, Israel and Gaza; Haiti unrest All Dailyites going through worries and stress, whether mentioned or not From the Rotation: Tana with chronic pulmonary issues RMLincoln’s SIL in Rehab hospital, getting radiation treatments StLouisCruisers’ DB with pulmonary fibrosis Celebrations and Shoutouts: Bon Voyage RedneckBob! Cat shepherd’s DSis released to home yesterday USN59-79 debarks Sojourn in Taipei, to spend 17 days there Vict0riann’s DD not requiring surgery for her fractured humerus Kazu stepping up to keep the FR/Daily going while Rich is cruising The Daily Gardening Club posting wonderful flower pictures All the contributors to the Fleet Report/Daily Upcoming Cruises or At Sea: 5 days for Smmessineo (Rotterdam Mar 29 to Apr 7) 9d S. Caribbean Wayfarer 5 days for POA1 & Huskerchick (Rotterdam Mar 29 to Apr 7) 9d S. Caribbean Wayfarer 6 days for Ocean sounds (Zaandam Mar 30 to Apr 13) 14d Solar Eclipse & Mexican Riviera 7 days for Sailingdutchy (Nieuw Statendam Mar 31 to April 7) B2B 7d E. Caribbean + (Nieuw Statendam Apr 7 to May 5) 28d Bermuda, Brittany & Canary Island Allure Crazy For Cats (Eurodam to Mar 27) 11d E. Caribbean Wayfarer, Scrapnana (Rotterdam to Mar 29) 12d E. Caribbean Wayfarer, Suslor (Zaandam to Mar 30) 14d Panama Canal, Lazey1 (Koningsdam to Mar 30) 7d Mexico, RedneckBob (Nieuw Statendam to March 31) 7d E. Caribbean, GTVCRUISER (Koningsdam to Apr 6) B2B 7d Mexico + 7d Pacific Coastal, Cruising-along (Volendam to April 6) 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage, Durangoscots (Volendam to April 6, 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage), cruising sister (Volendam to April 6, 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage), Cruisercl (Volendam to April 6, 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage), Richwmn (Volendam to May 4, Jan 3 94d Grand Australia & NZ Voyage + Apr 6 15d PC Cruise + Apr 21 The Atlantic Coast), Cat in my lap (Zuiderdam to May 11, 128d Grand World Voyage), Gail & Marty sailing away (Zuiderdam to May 11, 128d Grand World Voyage) and Aliaschief (Azamara Onward WC to June 9, 156d World Voyage)

Today is National Ferret Day, National Love Your Produce Manager Day, and National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day Give the world the best you have anyway.--Kent M. Keith, The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council Meal Suggestion for today - Healthy French Toast Casserole Drink of the Day - Purple Butterfly Wine of the Day - Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon Destination of the Day - Townsville, Australia Today in History: 1513 Explorer Juan Ponce de León claims Florida for Spain as the first known European to reach Florida Ship Locations Eurodam Kralendijk Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles 08:00 - 18:00 Koningsdam San Francisco, California 07:00 - 17:00 Nieuw Amsterdam Grand Turk Island, Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos 08:00 - 17:00 Nieuw Statendam Grand Turk Island, Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos 07:00 - 15:00 Oosterdam Oranjestad Aruba, Netherlands Antilles 08:00 - 17:00 Rotterdam At Sea Destination Kralendijk Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles eta 04-03 Volendam At Sea Destination San Diego, California eta 04-06 Zaandam At Sea Destination San Diego, California eta 04-13 Eastern Hemisphere Noordam At Sea Destination Melbourne, Victoria Australia eta 04-04 Westerdam Hiroshima City, Japan Hiroshima 08:00 - 17:00 Zuiderdam At Sea Destination Victoria, Seychelles eta 4/4

love2crews. Have a question about your tour that you booked with Steve in Amsterdam. Did you have to specifically request him or the only one guide through this sight?

Have a question about your tour that you booked with Steve in Amsterdam. Did you have to specifically request him or the only one guide through this sight?

Indeed. The abysmal year of 2018 seems to have brought in more awareness with companies that people prefer to be informed prior to sailing and from what I have gathered there have been more notifications and e-mails sent to passengers. Also, passengers are generally more aware of what may be in store. However, it is not a given that you will be informed or that the company can inform you. Say you leave on 10 August to a cruise starting in Amsterdam and all river levels are fine. You sail the Rhine and by the time you are on the Main river the weather is really dry and the level in the Danube drops. A hydrologist may have been able to tell you of the risk on 9 August but neither he nor the company can tell you for sure on 11 August that you cannot sail on 14 August. It really depends on what level the river is at when you leave on 10 August and then you can still not be certain either way. Likewise it is the same coming from Budapest and then finding the Rhine is too low. We have had passengers report that the captain announced in the morning that they would not be able to sail the Danube (at Pfelling) the same evening. Lots of scenarios... It is not an exact science but usually both rivers are low in a similar time frame as we share weather patterns overall. However, the "cut-off point" for sailing or not sailing on the German Danube is often reached before the corresponding level on the German Rhine (in the Rhine Gorge that is). An important difference between the two rivers is that on the Rhine the shallow area just extends in length as the river level drops whereas on the Danube you get two shallow sections, first one in Germany and then one in Hungary around Budapest (scenarios further down from Hungary I am not familiar with, low water happens there as well though). Major ways of avoiding both Rhine and Danube shallows: 1. Choose a route that does not include Pfelling (mentioned before and explained in the Danube thread). 2. Do not choose a "Grand European" itinerary. 3. Choose a route that does not include the Rhine Gorge (which you may prefer to keep in the itinerary because it is the most scenic part (tough luck!)). 4. Choose a 110m ship over a 135m ship. As a rule of thumb that gives you a tiny advantage of lower draft and could be the difference between sailing and not sailing. Finally, my "disclaimer". I cannot and will not give figures of when ships cannot sail. That is a range of figures depending on each individual ship and its captain and may even vary going upstream or downstream. However, from past years' experiences and authorities commenting in the news I will give hints and tips about it when the rivers get low. Flooding is different so there are figures declared by authorities to be the maximum when ships are allowed to sail. Just before that level for a specific section of river is reached captains know a river traffic ban will be issued. Another problem if you want to call it that is, by the way, the fact that as the river level drops on the Rhine, so do the landing stages and the available water for the ship hull at the embankments. You may have to dock away from the prime spots. @euro. I am taking the liberty of using your question to put a bit more statistics in the Danube thread. notamermaid

HAL fangirl here. I thought I'd settled on the Vista class (Zuiderdam) as my favorite, even over the Signature ships (Nieuw Amsterdam), but then we sailed on the Koningsdam and now the Pinnacle class is our fav. But I want to have a mid-ship cabin! Whereas on the Zuidy, we were very happy right up front by the Crows Nest. However, answering your later question, we are itinerary-driven and two of our next three bookings are on Vista class ships, only one on the K'dam.

We lucked out with that, while wandering around Amsterdam on the day we landed for our first cruise, we saw a group of guys carrying a sofa down the street...followed them to watch them drag it up to the window by the hoist. They asked if we wished to help, but we told them it looked like they had it sorted, but thanks for the experience. 🙂 Does Viking only have the sit down meals now at lunch?