Advice on Amsterdam for pre-cruise stay

[Droste]

Hi everyone! We have booked a B2B fjord cruise on HAL this summer and would also like to spend some time in Amsterdam before the cruise. Does anyone have any specific things we should or shouldn't miss? Any great hotel recommendations? And finally, what would you suggest for getting to Rotterdam for embarkation? I thought about getting the HAL transfer from the airport to reduce a cab fare to something reasonable...

[dogs4fun]

Hi everyone! We have booked a B2B fjord cruise on HAL this summer and would also like to spend some time in Amsterdam before the cruise. Does anyone have any specific things we should or shouldn't miss? Any great hotel recommendations? And finally, what would you suggest for getting to Rotterdam for embarkation? I thought about getting the HAL transfer from the airport to reduce a cab fare to something reasonable...

 

Amsterdam is magical & there is much to see. Depending on time available, some of my favorites are:

Canal Cruise (I love the night wine & cheese cruise when all the bridges are lighted)

Anne Frank House, Westerkerk

Dam Square (Royal Palace, Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam History Museum)

Red Light District (Oude Kerk, Museum Amstelkring)

Rijksmuseum

Rembrandt House Museum

Van Gogh Museum

Floating Flower Market

Jordaan

9 little streets (shopping)

Albert Cuyp Market

Hermitage Amsterdam

Zaanse Schans (lovely daytrip from Amsterdam - about 1 hour by bus)

 

Can't help with transportation to Rotterdam. Someone with experience will chime in.

[bohaiboy]

I lived in teh Netherlands for about a year. So no hotel comments. However, train to Rotterdam and then taxi. Trains are very efficient in the Netherlands. Must do in Amsterdam:

 

Canal Boat Tour - VFery informative; easy to arrange in fromnt of train station

 

Anne Frank House - ADVANCE RESERVATIONS ARE A MUST

 

van Goh Museum - Most tourists head str8 for Rijks Museum

 

Rijks Museum - Purchase the hand held audio tour - Sit in front of the night watchman and enjoy

 

Diamond Cutting Shops - Simply amazing to watch a raw diamond and the skilled craftsmen turning an ugly stone to brilliance

 

If you like beer, the Heineken Factory - Nice but not a must see

 

Red Light District - Not for the faint of heart or overtly religious

 

Torture Museum - Very interesting near train station; maybe we should bring some of that back

 

Chocolate Covered Waffles - Everywhere

 

Indonesian Food - Not my favorite but it is supposed to be the best as it was a former Dutch Colony

 

Kukehnhof Gardens - Very Limited time window in March/April when tulips are blooming but very extraordinary

 

Delft Factory - Very interesting for a train trip from AMS; boy are they proud of the real stuff, so if its cheap, it ain't Delft

 

Tour to a windmill - Very touristy but OK

 

Hope this helps

[Danish viking]

Maybe you will get more replys in the Western Europe forum where subjects on Amsterdam is handled.

 

Else I got nothing to add besides that is s awesome city :D

[Kryssa]

The options for Airbnb in Amsterdam are positively overwhelming! This is a city full of great independent rentals if you are open to the option. Once we started, we didn't look back and rarely stay in hotels now :)

[Ine]

All as mentioned by others and more here: http://www.iamsterdam.com/en

In case you want to visit Anne Frankhuis absolutely make reservations online. Lines can be very long, while for people holding reservations there is a special entrance door.

Re transportation: there are frequent trains between Amsterdam Centraal and Rotterdam Centraal. Be aware you have to put your luggage into/from the train yourself. Space for luggage is limited. Trains sometimes can be crowded and be alert to all your belongings at all times. Pickpockers love the train too.

http://www.ns.nl/en/travellers/home

Other options:train or cab back to the airport and take the shuttle which your cruiseline offers.

Private transport: other cruisers have used this driver, who can make stops en route, e.g. a brief visit to Delft or other places. http://dagtoertaxi.nl/services.html

[PBJ63]

We spent a few days in Amsterdam last summer before our Viking River cruise. We stayed in the Radisson Blu and it was very nice and convenient to walk to most of the tourist sights. If you have time and want windmills, take a trip out to Kinderdyjk.

[TeaBag]

Definitely Ann Franks house, Canal cruise and Rijk's museum. I agree Keukenhof gardens is spectacular but they are not open in summer unless this has changed recently.

 

We stayed in the Marriott and we still dream of the Strawberry pancakes they served for breakfast.

[Ine]

The doubletree hotel close to Centraal station is also very nice and a convenient location.

[mskaufman]

Does anyone know if the Amsterdam cruise port has a place to check luggage if we have an afternoon flight after the cruise?

[jpres]

Hi Ine

 

I am hoping that you can help me. We will be coming to Amsterdam in May 2016. I would like to do some family tree research on my maternal grandfather's side. Can you tell me where I would start looking for records there?

 

Thank you

Sandra

[Ine]

Hi Ine

 

I am hoping that you can help me. We will be coming to Amsterdam in May 2016. I would like to do some family tree research on my maternal grandfather's side. Can you tell me where I would start looking for records there?

 

Thank you

Sandra

 

Every person in The Netherlands needs to be registered in the town/village where he/she had lived. Often churches have (had?) books re baptism, marriage and dead. Some bigger towns have special sections (gemeente archief) libraries for this. However there are strict laws re privacy, so it will not always be easy to get this unformation.

Nowadays Internet is often a big help, populair are genealogie groups. One of them here is: http://www.seniorennet.be/Pages/Mailgroepen/mailgroepen.ph

Maybe they can give your more information.

[Ine]

Does anyone know if the Amsterdam cruise port has a place to check luggage if we have an afternoon flight after the cruise?

There are lockers, but I donot know what size. http://www.ptamsterdam.nl/index_en.php?site=cruises&hc=passenger-information&sc=facilities

Why not send an e-mail to PTA with your question: http://www.ptamsterdam.nl/index_en.php?site=cruises&hc=contact

[jpres]

Every person in The Netherlands needs to be registered in the town/village where he/she had lived. Often churches have (had?) books re baptism, marriage and dead. Some bigger towns have special sections (gemeente archief) libraries for this. However there are strict laws re privacy, so it will not always be easy to get this unformation.

Nowadays Internet is often a big help, populair are genealogie groups. One of them here is: http://www.seniorennet.be/Pages/Mailgroepen/mailgroepen.ph

Maybe they can give your more information.

 

Thank you for the information. It is a start.

 

Sandra

[Droste]

The options for Airbnb in Amsterdam are positively overwhelming! This is a city full of great independent rentals if you are open to the option. Once we started, we didn't look back and rarely stay in hotels now :)

 

Thanks! Had forgotten that Airbnb might be available there. Will definitely check it out.

[Droste]

Thanks for the recommendations everyone! These will come in very handy. We're trying to decide between 2 and 3 full days in Amsterdam. We both figure the day we arrive will not be useful for much except maybe the canal tour.

 

We will see the windmills on a tour from Rotterdam on turnaround day.

[Northern Aurora]

Thanks for the recommendations everyone! These will come in very handy. We're trying to decide between 2 and 3 full days in Amsterdam. We both figure the day we arrive will not be useful for much except maybe the canal tour.

 

We will see the windmills on a tour from Rotterdam on turnaround day.

 

Even though we have been to Amsterdam before we spent six days there last spring following a TA, and still had additional items on our "to do" list. In addition to some of the ideas already posted consider the Resistance Museum, which pairs well with the Ann Frank House but does create a somber day (I find the Anne Frank House very thought provoking). Also, the Maritime Museum is great.

[Droste]

We decided on 3 full days, so should be enough time to get a sampling of Amsterdam life. Flights are booked! Next up is making reservations for lodging.

 

Does anyone have any experience with the Holland America transfers? We'll definitely use the transfer post-cruise to the airport, but we haven't decided how to get down to Rotterdam for the cruise. Not sure I want to have to deal with my luggage on a train. HAL has 2 different transfers listed - one is from the airport and the other is listed as an "interim" transfer. Is this perhaps from somewhere in Amsterdam proper? Might be worthwhile...

[Ine]

I cannot help you re HAL transfers, but maybe this private driver is an option:

http://dagtoertaxi.nl/services.html

[sunsetbeachgal]

Contact HAL about transfer spot. We used their transfer last fall to Ijmuiden, and the transfer departed from the Doubletree Hotel, which is the hotel they used for pre cruise stays. We did not stay there, but simply went over there in the morning to catch the transfer. Very easy and was much less than a taxi.

Edited February 16, 2015 by sunsetbeachgal

[sunsetbeachgal]

Contact HAL about transfer spot. We used their transfer last fall to Ijmuiden, and the transfer departed from the Doubletree Hotel, which is the hotel they used for pre cruise stays. We did not stay there, but simply went over there in the morning to catch the transfer. Very easy and was much less than a taxi.

 

Thr HAL hotel in Amsterdam was the Renaissance, not the Doubletree.

[Ine]

Contact HAL about transfer spot. We used their transfer last fall to Ijmuiden, and the transfer departed from the Doubletree Hotel, which is the hotel they used for pre cruise stays. We did not stay there, but simply went over there in the morning to catch the transfer. Very easy and was much less than a taxi.

 

Droste is asking about a transfer to Rotterdam not IJmuiden.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Droste is asking about a transfer to Rotterdam not IJmuiden.

 

Yes, agreed but if HAL is offering a transfer from Amsterdam central, that was the hotel they put guests in for pre cruise stays so might be the same point.

[softail]

We decided on 3 full days, so should be enough time to get a sampling of Amsterdam life. Flights are booked! Next up is making reservations for lodging.

 

Does anyone have any experience with the Holland America transfers? We'll definitely use the transfer post-cruise to the airport, but we haven't decided how to get down to Rotterdam for the cruise. Not sure I want to have to deal with my luggage on a train. HAL has 2 different transfers listed - one is from the airport and the other is listed as an "interim" transfer. Is this perhaps from somewhere in Amsterdam proper? Might be worthwhile...

 

You may want to look at apartments and houseboats also. We have an Apartment rented for 4 nights the end of August for pre-cruise. And a few others on our Roll Call have rented houseboats.

[Ine]

Yes, agreed but if HAL is offering a transfer from Amsterdam central, that was the hotel they put guests in for pre cruise stays so might be the same point.

 

If HAL offers transfers to Rotterdam from Amsterdam then this is new, they didnot in the past. Only to and from the airport as far as I know.