Traversing the Sea of Cortez Aboard the Amsterdam: Our Experiences

[ironin]

[i started to write this as a post to another thread, but thought it might appear to be a case of thread hijacking, so am creating another instead]

 

We had a marvelous cruise!

 

So much so, that I found myself reluctant to say all that much about just how great everything was, given that some had such different experiences than we did.

 

For example, while a couple of people on another thread singled her out for criticism, we found Jayne, the Future Cruise Consultant, tremendously helpful and efficient, going so far as to take it upon herself to contact Seattle and locate some missing future cruise credits I'd purchased months earlier on the Eurodam despite my telling her it was no big deal and I could take care of it when I got home. (As it turns out, they'd been mistakenly applied to my mom's account.)

 

While it is true that some of the top staff were on well-earned vacations, we didn't feel we were the least bit short-changed by their replacements. Aelita Holovcsák did an outstanding job managing the Pinnacle Grill as well as overseeing the Amsterdam's first-ever presentation of the Le Cirque dinner. I doubt anyone who didn't know could tell she arrived aboard ship the same day we did. We dined in the PG six times including both special evenings and the first and last nights, and almost everything about every meal met or exceeded our expectations. The Volendam will be lucky to get her back when she returns in January. (BTW, that's the correct spelling of Aelita's name - cribbed from her personal card sitting in front of me.)

 

Another example would be the acting chief wine steward, Ron. While it is true that we don't have much experience in this regard, we are hard pressed to imagine a better, or more engaging, chief wine steward. We attended both wine tastings and the excellent wine pairing dinners. As we ordered the wine package and didn't use all the bottles we were entitled to, on the last sea day, we selected two to be delivered to our cabin. Imagine our surprise when we opened the door to find Ron himself carrying two bottles. After apologizing for not having one of the bottles we selected available at that point, he graciously offered a personal favorite instead (that is not normally available through the package we purchased, I should add).

 

There was a massive change-over in kitchen staff (30% according to one officer) in San Diego that did quite apparently affect service quality in the Main Dining Room early on, but that seemed to us to be quickly resolved. We only noticed it the first morning, when we went to the MDR at 9AM the first morning for breakfast and what turned into brunch was finally served to us at 10AM. This leads me to our biggest disappointment of the trip: having ended up in a suite, the much-anticipated breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill turned out not to be an option aboard the Amsterdam - it is served in the upper level of the MDR. Yes, it is quieter there than down below. Yes, the servers (from the PG) were excellent, but the coffee was the bordering-on-abysmal MDR coffee and not the more tasty PG individually-made servings. Judging by our experience, they definitely didn't show any preferential treatment for orders from the upper level, not that we expected any. *LOL* We quickly gave up the idea of freshly cooked-to-order breakfast as a lost cause and happily joined almost everyone else in the Lido for the rest of the cruise. Having breakfast in the PG would have been nice, but not having it wasn't a "deal breaker" for us. As it turned out, half the time, one or the other of us was too disorganized to get to breakfast anywhere except the Lido before they closed. We did, however, take full advantage of the marvelous cappuccino maker in the Neptune Lounge every morning. A cappuccino (or three ;-) on the verandah suited us just fine!

 

---To be continued as time permits---

[arzz]

Thank you ironin for posting this review! As you can tell from posts I have made elsewhere we also had a great cruise -- and we have been on the Amsterdam for a whole 65 day Grand Cruise as well as several shorter cruises. As I said on the other thread, we did not trip over any mediocre staff, and we were treated very well -- to say nothing about that incredible itinerary -- making the normal ten day into twelve is inspired and we would do it again in a minute.

 

Anxious to follow this thread. Thanks for taking the time to post.

[rafinmd]

You mentioned "ending up in a suite". Was this an upgrade, an upsell, or did you intend to book one?

 

Roy

[ironin]

You mentioned "ending up in a suite". Was this an upgrade, an upsell, or did you intend to book one?

 

Roy

 

Roy, via our roll call thread, I learned that an unusually large number of suites were unsold (38 by my count) the day before they closed bookings. After hearing that upsell offers were going out, and not expecting an offer given the category we were originally booked in, I contacted our big box retailer internet agency and asked them to contact HAL about the possibility, and in almost no time at all, we all agreed to an extremely satisfactory price. :) This was quite possibly the only time we'll ever occupy an SA cabin, unless one of us wins the lottery. (And that requires buying a ticket, which neither of us ever seems to get around to doing. ;))

[rafinmd]

Roy, via our roll call thread, I learned that an unusually large number of suites were unsold (38 by my count) the day before they closed bookings. After hearing that upsell offers were going out, and not expecting an offer given the category we were originally booked in, I contacted our big box retailer internet agency and asked them to contact HAL about the possibility, and in almost no time at all, we all agreed to an extremely satisfactory price. :) This was quite possibly the only time we'll ever occupy an SA cabin, unless one of us wins the lottery. (And that requires buying a ticket, which neither of us ever seems to get around to doing. ;))

 

That sounds awesome. Good work.

[SilvertoGold]

Thanks for your review, ironin.We spent 32 days with Aelita as the assistant manager for our section in the Dining Room on the Volendam last year. She was absolutely superb, a hard worker, professional, yet a lot of fun, with a very energetic, sincere attitude and definitely on her way up. She set a phenomenal example to everyone of how good HAL officers can be.

[ironin]

Embarkation:

 

Fast & friendly. We arrived a little after 11AM, were quickly aboard and (as usual, according to what I've read here on CC) misdirected to the Lido for lunch. We ignored that and happily settled into seats at a friendly table in the MDR. Lunch was fine (although the Reuben sandwich one of us ordered lacked Russian dressing/mustard and was quite dry as a result)

 

Re-Anne:

 

We first met Re-Anne, goddess of superlative service with a smile (and Neptune Lounge hostess extraordinaire) by being somewhere we shouldn't have been at the wrong time. We'd read on CC that we could leave things in the Neptune Lounge until our rooms were ready, like the service available in the Lido. That was news to her! *LOL* As she did with every surprise, Re-Anne handled it with aplomb. Fortunately, we weren't the only ones making that mistake. We declined her offer to hurry our cabin attendants along, and set about exploring the ship. (Our carry-ons weren't THAT heavy or awkward, and we could easily go down to the Lido and deposit them there if they were.)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you are writing a review. Looking forward to the next segments.

One thing -- when we sailed on the Amsterdam we never had breakfast in the Pinnacle -- it was always in the King's Room for the Deluxe Suite guests.

[ironin]

arzz:

 

Before I forget, your comments are what motivated me to start writing this review. As it will probably end up taking me longer to write than Scheherazade took to tell her tales, the blame is all on you! ;) Thus, feel free to add anything you wish, especially if and when you did/saw something we missed out on. (Same holds true for anyone else, for that matter.)

 

SilvertoGold:

 

Re: [Aelita is] definitely on her way up. She set a phenomenal example to everyone of how good HAL officers can be.

 

We agree!

 

KK:

 

We learned that after boarding the ship, although the venue for our voyage was the starboard side of the upper dining room. (Actually, someone mentioned breakfast being in the upper dining room just before we left, and I wrote to another "I hope they were wrong." They weren't. We adapted. Life went on and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves anyway!)

[ironin]

Let me see, where was I? Got as far as meeting Re-Anne, I see. Boy, are we in trouble. Ah well, perseverance pays, or so they say:

 

Stateroom:

 

We were in a suite! It seemed gargantuan. There were drawers everywhere we looked and closets hiding in places we hadn't thought of, or so it seemed. Despite valiant efforts, we never succeeded in using them all. Anyone who has visited or stayed in an SA or SB suite knows what it looked like. Save for the carpet (due to be replaced during the upcoming drydock), ours was immaculate. #7023 is just about perfectly mid-ship right next to the elevator and just a couple of doors down from the Neptune Lounge. The location suited us to a T and we never heard any noise despite the central location.

 

Stewards:

 

Contrary to popular belief, our room stewards were not named Stewart and Stuart. :D Supardi and Deden were both very personable, obviously hard-working, and quite good at their jobs. We never had to ask twice for something, the room was kept spotless, and the veranda was always clean as well (something definitely not true while we were aboard the Mercury earlier in the year). As someone who, prior to this year, last cruised well over a decade ago, I admit to missing the more relaxed working conditions for stewards that once prevailed. Although not one interesting in in-depth discussions of their private lives (or mine, for that matter), the easy-going exchange of random thoughts and observations was once a treasured part of the total cruise experience for me. IMO, what was once an integral part of the voyage now borders on the same faceless service of a land-based hotel. As it was, Supardi & Deden were great guys and did a marvelous job with enthusiasm.

[jbhcw]

Thank you for your review...very readable:) We are hoping a Sea of Cortez cruise is in our future in 2012.

 

I also remember the days when you were able to visit a bit with your cabin stewards...I feel bad now as they are always so busy and rushed...wish the cruise industry could find another way to cut costs:eek:

[ironin]

[Don't you just "love" reviews that take forever to get around to the point, if there ever is one? Odds are, gentle reader, you've stumbled across another one]

 

Itinerary:

 

We jokingly referred to this as our "cruise to nowhere" because none of the ports ranked high on our respective "must do" lists. Going to Copper Canyon sounded like a fine idea, but mustering at 4AM for a 2-3 hour bus ride and then a 4-5 hour train trip to the ultimate destination and then reversing the process and arriving back aboard ship at 10PM didn't sound like all that much fun to us. (In fairness, friends we met aboard ship who did it all reported having having a good time.)

 

We originally planned to just get off the ship and wander around whenever and wherever we wished. Ultimately, we did that about half the time.

 

December 2-14 Round-trip San Diego

 

Dec 02: San Diego

Dec 03: At Sea

Dec 04: At Sea (Great fun at Iceman93's PH suite wine tasting party)

Dec 05: La Paz (Definitely pulled out all the stops to makes us feel welcome)

Dec 06: Loreto (Quaint. The local specialty, Almejas Chocolates [clams not candy], were stupendous!)

Dec 07: Topolobampo (We disagree with the many maligning this stop if not going to Copper Canyon)

Dec 08: At Sea

Dec 09: Mazatlan (Where we discovered 3 treasures of the Sierra Madre)

Dec 10: Puerto Vallarta (3 Tours-in-one: harbor boat cruise; Ixtapa; & zip-lining!)

Dec 11: Puerto Vallarta (A taxi cab driver from Klamath Falls, OR and Mass & church bells @ Noon)

Dec 12: Cabo San Lucas (Our amateur crew soundly defeats Carnival in America's Cup contender race)

Dec 13: At Sea (Cloud banks and foghorns - what better way to end a voyage?)

Dec 14: San Diego

 

Weather & Seas:

 

Magnificent. Smooth sailing was the order of the day (and the evening).

 

The Ship:

 

While wandering about the ship, we didn't note anything seriously amiss in maintenance or up-keep. Naturally, there were the occasional signs of normal wear (almost added "-and-tear" there, but we didn't see any tears :D). As the ship was going into dry-dock right after we got off, it wasn't a big surprise that some of the furnishings (such as the finish on the MDR chairs) reflected heavy use. All things considered, it was impressive how good so much of the heavily-used furnishings/areas did look.

 

The first couple of days, the Explorations Cafe & Explorer's Lounge were significantly warmer than other public areas. Then they were a tad cooler, and then back to being much warmer. Not unbearably warm, but warmer than I tend to like, but then I admit I probably like things a tad cooler than others. Didn't seem to affect their usage, which appeared to be consistently heavy in the case of the Explorations Cafe.

 

That reminds me that, while we were boarding the ship for the first time, someone saw some rust and started grumbling to his wife about the declining standards of HAL, etc. (The ship looked pretty normal for one not fresh out of dry-dock to me, but I held my tongue.) The first afternoon, we found ourselves lamentably within range of someone who'd corralled the food & beverage manager and was earnestly reciting a litany of complaints about "this ship not being up to the Holland America Line standards of yore." We were more than happy gave her a wide berth, as in the HAL days of yore, thereafter.

 

Although we may qualify as neatnik extremists at home, we don't pack white gloves or conduct extensive comparison tests while traveling. (Whether or not the interiors conform to our personal tastes is largely unimportant to us, as we aren't in the habit of getting personal interior decorating tips from public places.) Clean, comfortable, and well-maintained are our standards. Meet or exceed in those areas and we're "happy campers." With that in mind, the Amsterdam exceeded. We were quite pleased.

[Aussiemick]

Happy others didn't experience the twice or three time daily little irritations that made our cruise less than we expected. despite that we did have a great cruise and loved the itinerary. The overnight at PV just added something extra.

How did you determine how many cabins were still available before they started upgrades?

[ironin]

Aussiemick:

As you know, no matter how many staterooms are unreserved, HAL displays a maximum of 6 on their site at one time, but does allow for a manual search by stateroom number. I just kept entering suite numbers until I had a list of all available cabins. It didn't take me more than a few minutes, and allowed me to have a specific cabin & alternatives at hand when I called.

 

I was sorry to read about your annoyances because I recalled how much you were looking forward to this cruise. Glad to know that you still think of it as a great cruise despite the annoyances. Agree about the itinerary (more later on that subject when I have time).

[ironin]

A Bit More About the Ship:

 

Given that the Amsterdam went to dry-dock promptly after our cruise, major (and/or minor) inconveniences could have been the "order-of-the-day," but we encountered neither variety ourselves and appreciated the consideration given to the convenience and comfort of the passengers aboard rather than focusing on what was supposed to begin after we departed. We've read (heard) more than a few stories about last-cruise-before-dry-dock problems to feel fortunate in this regard, and are thankful to the officers aboard ship.

 

Until we returned home from our cruise, we hadn't even thought about the fact that the ship was not decked out for Christmas, perhaps because the cruise departed San Diego on the 2nd, and we have rarely begun our own Christmas decorating by then. (My uninformed guess would be that the upcoming dry-dock explains the lack of decorations.) There was a Hanukkah menorah on display, with the appropriate candles lit each night, as our cruise departed on the 2nd, which also happened to be the second night of Hanukkah.

 

The Crew:

 

The crew were fabulous! We felt there was a genuine esprit de corps aboard this ship. Almost everyone we met or observed was cheerful and seemed happy to help each other (and passengers) whenever or wherever needed.

 

We witnessed just how well-trained and professional these crew members are while embarking on what was supposed to be one of the last tenders back to the ship while in Cabo San Lucas. A passenger began screaming in pain and the tender and dock crew quickly took control of the situation. Emergency medical assistance was summoned, arrived promptly, the passenger placed in a wheelchair, escorted to the gurney on the dock, his almost-too-terrified-to-walk wife ably assisted by the crew to the same point, whereupon they thoughtfully placed her in the now-vacant chair. A third related party, also extremely shaken-up, was then tenderly escorted back to where we were and comforted on the trip back to the ship by both crew and fellow passengers. (We were told that the problem was a pacemaker that had gone haywire and began shocking the man, but don't know for sure if that was true.)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you -- we have enjoyed our cruises on the Amsterdam -- and if all goes well -- we will be on her again this June.

[ironin]

Beverages, Bartenders and Waiters:

 

We think Holland America drink prices are quite reasonable, on average about the same as one would pay in a bar ashore, and significantly less (25-30%) than we were charged during our voyage aboard brand =x= earlier this year. We found no difference in quality or quantity provided. Rex, the Sea View bartender, is an excellent master of mixology, and great fun to talk with and an all-around great guy (with a beautiful 2-year-old daughter who had just begun going to sleep each night clutching a picture of her far-away daddy). We're not quite sure exactly what his job was, but Rico of Bar Services was another who always went out of his way to say "Hi" and whose stories of his home, Cebu, were enchanting. (So engaging was he, and colorful were his descriptions, that we were about ready to book a flight there by the end of the cruise. Definitely added it to our "bucket list.")

 

While aboard the Amsterdam, we genuinely appreciated not being pursued to either end of the ship by aggressive waiters hawking over-priced and underwhelming drinks-of-the-day, as we were while aboard brand =x=. (OK, that's a slight exaggeration, but the emphasis is on slight.;)) The waiters were all friendly, made themselves available as needed, but remained otherwise unobtrusive.

 

Beverage Cards:

 

We purchased beverage cards through the HAL website prior to our cruise. The cards were waiting for us in our stateroom. (Beverage cards can be purchased at any time on-board as well.) The cards provide a 10% discount off the regular price of a drink, including the 15% tip. In other words, $90 buys a pre-paid card worth $100, provided you exhaust the value available before the end of the cruise. If there is a balance at the end of the cruise, it is automatically credited to the shipboard account in the wee hours of the last morning. There's no need to take the card back to anyone or any place for the credit. NOTE: The credit will take into account actual amount paid for the card, not value left on the card. Thus, my card showed $11.20 in spending power available when I ceased using it, but my final account reflected a cash credit of $1.20.

 

While pre-ordered cards arrive in the stateroom with a printed name on them (as designated at time of ordering), cards purchased aboard ship do not. As long as it doesn't matter to the person who purchases the card, it doesn't matter to the staff who uses a card or who the drink is intended for. It is merely a discount card for purchases. (Beverage cards aren't good for either the already discounted drink-of-the-day or during the various happy hours for drinks discounted to 2 for 1.)

 

We liked the convenience, and we thought the few restrictions and refund policy fair and easy to understand. We couldn't help contrasting our experience on this sailing with our brand =x= experience earlier in the year. Whether or not you purchase a beverage card, aboard a HAL ship, there is no chit to sign. The gratuity is automatically calculated and applied. Whether or not you purchased a beverage package while sailing with the other line, even though the standard 15% gratuity was also automatically calculated, there was always a chit to sign (with a line for an additional gratuity requiring attention). The beverage packages aboard brand =x= were excessively expensive, about $49 per day per person, and confined to the personal consumption of the person who ordered one. Neither of us qualified as a heavy-enough drinker to make that worthwhile.

[ironin]

HAL's BYOB Policy, Wines, Wine Package and Wine Stewards:

 

BYOB Policy: Holland America allows passengers to bring aboard as much wine, soda, and bottled water as they wish, not just at embarkation, but at any port as well. There is an $18 corkage fee for wine bottles brought aboard and used in the dining venues, about the same as most restaurants ashore charge customers who bring their own bottle of wine. As we were joining other Cruise Critic members for a wine-tasting party in Iceman93's penthouse suite early in the cruise, we brought a couple of bottles on-board.

 

Wine: While neither of us qualifies as a genuine wine aficionado, we thought the selections available were amply varied, and all things considered, reasonably priced. Yes, the prices aboard ship are higher than on land, but after factoring in the corkage fee, for the average bottle of wine, the difference wasn't worth bothering about. If we were drinking Dom Perignon, OTOH, we'd probably feel differently. ;)

 

Wine Package: At almost the last minute, we decided to purchase the Cellar Master package, as my brother and sister-in-law reported really enjoying the convenience and benefits while cruising aboard the Statendam in November.

 

According to the HAL website:

 

A premium wine tasting experience is available throughout the length of your cruise with the Cellar Master Package. Two wine tasting events conducted by our Cellar Master, two evenings of fine dining in the Pinnacle Grill, five vintage bottles based on the wine navigators' preference, a Holland America Line commemorative bottle and wine gift are included for on board enjoyment. Pricing based on double occupancy, 11+ day voyages. A 15% service charge is included in the price of the item.

 

Someone needs to tell the bean-counters aboard HAL's ships about the section I highlighted. Aboard the Statendam, my brother and sister-in-law were told only one dinner in the PG was included during their 14-day Panama Canal cruise. As their package was a silver wedding anniversary gift, they didn't have the paperwork on hand to dispute that novel interpretation. With that in mind, I thought we came prepared, but only brought the confirmation which doesn't include the verbiage quoted above. With Re-Anne's (see first post) able assistance, we thought we had this straightened out. We did, in fact, until the final bill, when we were charged for our last evening at PG, which we had separately prepaid prior to boarding. Re-Anne went to bat again, but only secured a $20 credit before our departure. We suggest anyone purchasing this package for an 11+ day cruise copy the page (not the order confirmation but the description) and bring it along, just in case.

 

The two wine-tasting events were great fun. The first was held in the MDR, cost those without the wine package $15, and attracted 50-60 participants. Acting Chief Wine Steward Ron did a fine job. It was obvious he was enjoying the opportunity. The only sour note here was a boorish guest at a nearby table who thought it an appropriate time to engage in an extended conversation with a hard-of-hearing passenger seated at the opposite side of his large round table.

 

The second wine tasting, held in the Pinnacle Grill, was much more intimate. It seemed to us that Ron was really in his element here, being a bit more relaxed given the smaller audience of about 20. (IIRC, this wine tasting costs $35 if not included in the wine package.) We both had a great time and learned a lot (although I wouldn't want to be tested today on what I learned then :D).

Wine Stewards: All the wine stewards we met on this voyage were friendly and helpful, unlike some we recall encountering in the distant past. Because we ended up dining there so often, we relied a lot on the multi-talented Rommel in the Pinnacle Grill. (I say "multi-talented" because Rommel was also something of the "star" of the late-night crew show, appearing in no less than four of the numbers that evening.) We also appreciated the ever-friendly Digz, who we'd met at the first wine-tasting and ran into at various locales during the cruise, and who ended up being our steward the few times we dined in the MDR.

[GoldenLover]

Thanks, Ironin, for a great review - no nonsense - just the facts. I'm learning a lot about that itinerary and the Amsterdam. All of that is safely stored in my memory bank for when we have the opportunity. Really appreciate the glimmer of hope that you supplied re: the suite life. Maybe good things do really come to those who wait . . . and wait . . .

[ironin]

...gang aft agley

 

Entertainment:

 

Despite the best of intentions, we never quite got around to seeing any of the shows offered nightly in their entirety. We stood at the back towards the end of a couple of them, however, and what we saw seemed fine for shipboard productions. I'm sorry I don't remember their names, but two of the guest performers were considered very good to outstanding by other passengers whose opinions we valued: a woman who had the starring role in "Phantom of the Opera" for 1300+ performances in London, and a male Olympic gymnast whose acrobatic performance was characterized by all as exceptional.

 

As it was often SRO every evening, we definitely weren't the only ones who enjoyed the fine performances by Stryker in the piano bar. Stryker was as friendly and gracious off-stage as when he was performing.

 

The band in the Ocean Bar also did a fine job, including credible renditions of a few Spanish-language numbers. The dance floor was usually full every evening we stopped in.

 

Our only criticism is the same one we've come away with after other voyages: the performers are seriously over-amplified for their venues. We don't understand the need to inundate guests with excessive vibration and think it detracts from their performances. (Obviously, this is our personal taste and YMMV :))

 

It seemed to me that the Adagio Strings aboard the Amsterdam lacked the verve and panache of the group aboard the Eurodam, but in fairness to them, we were never in the Explorations Lounge at the right time to sit through an entire performance.

[ironin]

GoldenLover:

 

Thanks for the compliment! When I started this, I was afraid that I'd end up writing on and on (...and on) and it looks like I was right! :D It's nice to know that some of it might be helpful to others, and your comment came just at the right time to encourage me to continue despite it taking so long to record everything I originally planned to write about.

[RuthC]

...gang aft agley

As it was often SRO every evening, we definitely weren't the only ones who enjoyed the fine performances by Stryker in the piano bar. Stryker was as friendly and gracious off-stage as when he was performing.

Thank you for mentioning Stryker! I've wondered if he was still around, and where. Isn't he good! :)

Tell me, did he do his Sunday night "Old Fashioned Gospel Hour" earlier in the evening, before the Piano Lounge opens up for business?

On the cruise where I met him, it had to be moved to larger (and larger!) venues. First he was moved to the Ocean Bar, then to the showroom stage. The crowds were that large.

[ironin]

RuthC:

 

Once again, we agree! (Why am I not surprised and once again find myself wishing I was still going on that dam ship with you in February. *LOL*) Truth be known, I actually did think of you when were there, as in "I bet Ruth would enjoy this." Have you by any chance mentioned Stryker by name in a post about piano bar performers? When I saw his name in the program, it looked familiar for some reason.

 

I'm sorry to say that we missed out on the Gospel Hour if he did! I think he may still be doing it, as I dimly recall mention of some special performance. Perhaps someone who was also on the cruise will chime in here, if any are reading this review now approaching the length of War & Peace.

[ROZO'SBEAU]

"a woman who had the starring role in "Phantom of the Opera" for 1300+ performances in London"

That woman was Dale Christian whose performances were in Los Angeles as a spectacular Christine in Phantom.

[IRL_Joanie]

ironin, I am thouroughly enjoying the tome:)

 

More please:D

 

Joanie