Our review of the ms Amsterdam 7-Day Alaskan Explorer August 12 - 19, 2018

[Click.Write.Post.]

Background: My husband (42) and I (38) sailed with Holland America Line round-trip Seattle, Washington exploring ports in Alaska and Canada. This is our fourth cruise to Alaska together, and our sixth cruise overall together. All but one of these cruises have been with Holland America Line, and we have not repeated a ship yet.

 

Travel To Port: We flew non-stop with Delta Airlines from Salt Lake City, UT to Seattle, WA the day before our cruise departed Seattle.

 

We took the Sound Transit Light Rail from SEA-TAC airport to Westlake Station, the stop closest to our hotel, about three blocks away and mostly flat sidewalks the entire way except for the last half block or so. The cost for two adults was $6.00 USD one-way and took between 45 minutes and 1 hour.

 

Hotel, pre-cruise: We stayed downtown Seattle at The Warwick. We booked a summer discount rate and signed up for their hotel loyalty program which waved the Seattle Urban Retreat fee of $15.00 plus tax USD for an overall cost of $243.72 USD.

Upon checking in at the hotel we received a card for 2 complimentary welcome drinks, one per person, along with a voucher for $5.00 USD off food with a minimum purchase amount both redeemable at the hotel restaurant, Margaux. We were not able to use either voucher due to schedule restraints.

Seattle, pre cruise:The night before the cruise we walked around downtown Seattle, stopping for various treats and sites along the way.

 

On the morning of embarkation we arranged a food tour with Savor Seattle called the “Early Access VIP Food Tour of Pike Place Market.” We highly recommend booking a food tour with Savor Seattle.

Embarkation:The ms Amsterdam was berthed at Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91 next to the Emerald Princess. We took a taxi from our hotel to the cruise terminal for $13.90 USD and took 11 minutes. We arrived at Pier 91 at 12:00 PM. We completed embarkation procedures in 20 minutes.

Ship Information:The ms Amsterdam, an R-class ship built in 2000, recently came out of dry dock in May 2018. We were very happy with the overall condition of the ship and would gladly sail with her again.

 

Crew:

• Captain: Jonathan Mercer
  
• Cruise Director: Hamish Davis
  
• Hotel Director: Norbert Kovacs
  
• Room Stewards: Sapto and Asep
  

Stateroom: When we booked our cruise, only 19 days out from departure, we decided to roll the dice and book and ocean view guarantee category HH. We were assigned a category D stateroom, 1867 located on the starboard side of Deck 1. It appears that the stateroom did not receive any upgrades during the most recent dry dock; however, it was in great shape with ample storage.

Service: The service was fantastic. We can see why this ship is designated for World Voyages.

Dining: We were assigned to As You Wish dining, which worked out well for us because we enjoyed spending time in port without having to rush back to an assigned dining time.

Casual Dining:

• Lido Market: Meals were hit and miss. The biggest hit, for me at least, was the fantail rolls offered in the Lido Market only during lunch located by the salad bar.
  
• Dive-In: We had a hotdog, a burger, and fries-all hits. Additionally, we sampled chicken fajitas and guacamole from the taco bar located next to Dive-In, also a hit when we remember it is there.
  
• 24-hour In-Room Dining: We ordered In-Room dining on our first sea day and when in Ketchikan. Everything arrived as requested and allowed us either a leisurely morning to sleep in or a quick bite to eat while we got ready for an early morning excursion.
  
• Explorations Café: We ordered mint hot chocolate and Americanos. We did not request any of the available complimentary treats located at the café.
  

Fine Dining:

• Dining Room: We had a few breakfasts and dinners in the Dining Room. Again the meals were hit and miss. The biggest hit for us was the Thai Crispy Spring Roll starter offered at dinner the night we called on Victoria.
  
• Pinnacle Grill: We had lunch at the Pinnacle Grill, which had to be one of our most favorite meals of this cruise. We had Spinach Arugula Salad, Pinnacle Burger, and Warm Fudge Brownie-all were very good, with another standout being the Beukenhorst coffee served only in the Pinnacle Grill.
  

Activities: We enjoyed the activities offered and didn’t find that we had “hmmmm, what to do now” moments.

 

Entertainment: We attended a few of the evening shows, but found that we preferred enjoying the interactive live music in the Piano Bar each night when offered.

Ports of Call:

• Sea Day: Sailing west of Vancouver Island means sea conditions can, and will vary. Be prepared for lots of motion and take the necessary precautions to avoid seasickness. One guest we met relayed that they received a medicinal shot from the onboard medical staff sometime during the second night to ease their seasickness symptoms.
  
• Juneau: Overcast with rain in the Valley, but not in Port until later in the evening. We purchased tickets to Mount Roberts Tramway at the tram station for $68.00 USD for 2 adults.
  
• Hubbard Glacier: The sail to Yakutat Bay was quite foggy as was the bay. Visibility was quite reduced until we were within three-quarters mile from the glacier. We viewed the glacier from one-half mile away.
  
• Sitka: The sun was out with some clouds. After taking the complimentary shuttle into town, we walked to Sitka National Historic Park and to the Alaska Raptor Center. We purchased tickets at the Alaska Raptor Center for $28.00 USD for 2 adults.
  
• Ketchikan: There was a light to medium rain with no sun peeking through.We purchased a ship excursion called “Wildlife Safari & Beach Bonfire” presented by Allen Marine, and had a wonderful time. The price for 2 adults was $399.90 USD.
  
• Victoria, BC: We walked from the cruise terminal to Ogden Point Breakwater and back to the ship stopping to purchase a souvenir from a local artist with a booth set up just outside the security check point.
  

Disembarkation: We selected Port Valet without an airport transfer and self-disembarkation. We were assigned Group B and were off the ship just prior to 7:45 AM.

Seattle, post cruise: We took a taxi from Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91 for $16.00 USD and within 12 minutes were at Seattle’s Public Market. We spent about an hour at the market before walking to the Westlake Station and taking the Sound Transit Light Rail to the airport. The cost for two adults was $6.00 USD one-way and took between 45 minutes and 1 hour.

Cruise Statistics:

• Officers & Crew: 604
  
• Nationalities of Crew: 32
  
• Average Speed: 16.8 knots
  
• Miles Traveled: 2,345 miles
  
• Fuel Used: 184,920 gallons
  
• Eggs Consumed: 20,000
  

Wrap-up: It was a wonderful 7-days onboard the ms Amsterdam. We will provide more detailed posts with pictures regarding our experience on this cruise as time allows over the next few weeks.

We are happy to answer any questions. Thank you for reading!

Edited August 20, 2018 by Click.Write.Post.
Updated to add ticket pricing

[Skipper's Mom]

Thanks for your review. Glad that you had a good experience.

 

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[Andi Land]

Sounds great! I’ll be onboard this weekend.

[cruises42]

Thanks so much for the review! Looking forward to pictures. We will be on her next year and have been thinking about the

Wildlife Safari & Beach Bonfire” excursion. Would you recommend it?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.

Glad you had a wonderful cruise and enjoyed the Amsterdam.

Looking forward to your pictures.

[erewhon]

Thank you for reviewing your cruise.

 

You mentioned fantail rolls, are they a type of bread roll?

[Click.Write.Post.]

Thank you for reviewing your cruise.

 

You mentioned fantail rolls, are they a type of bread roll?

 

 

 

Yes, they are! Rosemary, oregano, red chili flake, olive oil all mixed in the dough.

 

 

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[Click.Write.Post.]

Thanks so much for the review! Looking forward to pictures. We will be on her next year and have been thinking about the

Wildlife Safari & Beach Bonfire” excursion. Would you recommend it?

 

 

 

Yes, we recommend it. We will do a more in depth review soon.

 

This is a picture from the beach at Annette Island where we were dropped off for our bonfire.

 

 

 

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[erewhon]

Yes, they are! Rosemary, oregano, red chili flake, olive oil all mixed in the dough.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Thank you for your reply and the photo.

[Click.Write.Post.]

Thank you for your reply and the photo.

 

 

 

I didn’t try one until the halfway point of the cruise. You can bet that I made up for missing out on them.

 

 

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[kftw]

Thank you for your review. I confess I'm a fan of the rolls too!

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review!

[Click.Write.Post.]

Thank you for your review. I confess I'm a fan of the rolls too!

 

 

 

This was by far my favorite bread item and maybe even my favorite food item. I missed not having one today. Lol.

 

 

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[wetcoastmom]

Are the fantail rolls spicy?

 

How cold was it? I'm assuming Seattle and Victoria were pretty warm since our weather is pretty much the same.

Was it warm enough for shorts or capris in places other than Seattle and Victoria?

 

The seas might be rougher on the outside of Vancouver Island, but at the moment the air is probably clear since there are a ton of fires and from looking at the fire map, the inside passage might be quite smoky.

Edited August 21, 2018 by wetcoastmom

[VermeulT]

Great review.

Thanks for sharing.

[teamjess]

Are the fantail rolls spicy?

 

How cold was it? I'm assuming Seattle and Victoria were pretty warm since our weather is pretty much the same.

Was it warm enough for shorts or capris in places other than Seattle and Victoria?

 

The seas might be rougher on the outside of Vancouver Island, but at the moment the air is probably clear since there are a ton of fires and from looking at the fire map, the inside passage might be quite smoky.

I was freezing!! Granted I am from Southern California but I had read that Alaska was not all that cold in August. My iphone App said the highs in the port cities were supposed be low 60s but I think on the actual days we were there the highs were in the high 50s. The only day I was warm enough for shorts was the day we left Seattle. My boys however wore shorts almost everyday except the day we were in Sitka. On the ship you can pretty much wear whatever because you are mostly indoors. Walking the deck though was pretty cool.

[Click.Write.Post.]

Are the fantail rolls spicy?

 

How cold was it? I'm assuming Seattle and Victoria were pretty warm since our weather is pretty much the same.

Was it warm enough for shorts or capris in places other than Seattle and Victoria?

 

The seas might be rougher on the outside of Vancouver Island, but at the moment the air is probably clear since there are a ton of fires and from looking at the fire map, the inside passage might be quite smoky.

 

 

 

The fantail rolls are not spicy; they reminded me of Carrabba’s oil dipping sauce if you have ever had that but 100x better.

 

The weather changes so quickly up there. The only day for us that would have allowed for capris was Sitka, in the sun we shed a few layers, in the forest or when the sun went behind a cloud we put a layer back on.

 

Sitka with almost clear skies and sunny.

 

The other ports were overcast, some rain, and colder.

 

Victoria was actually a little smoky.

 

There was so much fog during the sea days that I could tell if you could see the smoky haze while out to sea.

 

 

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[Old As Dirt Mom]

Thank you so much, Click/Write/Post -You are one of the most truly helpful individuals here on Cruise Critic. Thank you so much for all your detailed photos and information on this and other threads you have posted after your Amsterdam Alaska cruise. You organize the format of your threads beautifully. They are easy to read, and a pleasure to peruse. Thanks again for your thoughtful and helpful reporting!

[Click.Write.Post.]

Thank you so much, Click/Write/Post -You are one of the most truly helpful individuals here on Cruise Critic. Thank you so much for all your detailed photos and information on this and other threads you have posted after your Amsterdam Alaska cruise. You organize the format of your threads beautifully. They are easy to read, and a pleasure to peruse. Thanks again for your thoughtful and helpful reporting!

 

 

Thank you for the kind words. We enjoy sharing our experiences and learning from others as well so Cruise Critic has been super helpful with that. We have a few more posts in the works, mainly port and food related. :) Maybe at a later date we will compare and contrast the different Alaskan itineraries we have done.

 

 

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[cruises42]

Yes, we recommend it. We will do a more in depth review soon.

 

This is a picture from the beach at Annette Island where we were dropped off for our bonfire.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks! Looking forward to hearing more about it.

[cruises42]

Please come back and tell/show us more.

[puppycanducruise]

Thank you for taking the time to post your detailed review.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.