Help please re transfer to Schiphol on ocean cruise disembarkation day in Amsterdam (airline just changed our flight)

[Turtles06]

I'd appreciate some help with the questions below that have just arisen because our airline just cancelled our return flight from Amsterdam to the U.S. this July, and rebooked us for the day we disembark from our ship.   Here's what's going on: 

 

My wife and I will be arriving back in Amsterdam on a Saturday in late July after a Norway and fjords cruise aboard the HAL Rotterdam.  Scheduled time to dock is 7am (prior day is a sea day, and the day before that we are scheduled to be in Nordfjordeid from 7am-2pm).  We'll be flying back nonstop to the U.S.  Those flights typically leave Schiphol around noon-1pm.  When we booked our flights many months ago, we considered last summer's problems at Schiphol and decided to avoid any hassles this July by staying over in Amsterdam and flying out the next day, Sunday.

 

Unfortunately, our airline just cancelled our return flight (the Sunday 1pm flight), and re-booked us on the same flight on Saturday (1pm), the day we disembark.   There really aren't great alternatives to this, so we are considering it.  Here are my questions.

 

1. We will walk off the ship with our own luggage, as early as we can.  Since our last port will have been in Norway, another Schengen country, will we have to go through any immigration or customs controls in the ocean cruise terminal?  Is there anything else that might delay us in the cruise terminal itself?  

 

2. For the quickest (non-rail) transfer to Schiphol, should we book a private car service, take pot lock that there will be plenty of taxis, or wait for Uber?    (Please keep in mind this will be a Saturday morning.)

 

3.  Can folks recommend a private car service, in case we do that?

 

4. Any other tips, strategies, or advice for getting to Schiphol as quickly as we can after we disembark?   (Assuming working WiFi on board the ship, we'll check in for our flight the day before.)

 

Thanks for any and all help here.  Very disappointing development re our flight, but it's air travel in the summer; we are doing our best to roll with the punches and be prepared.

 

[Globaliser]

4 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

There really aren't great alternatives to this, so we are considering it.

 

Does that mean that flying on Monday is out of the question?

 

You don't say where you're heading, so it's difficult to know whether there truly are no decent alternative routings on Sunday.

[CCJack]

Did you ask Airline about refund or rebook....since they cancelled the flight?   Rebook for Sunday or Monday ?

 

My thought is you would likely be OK making a 1 pm flight on Saturday.   With a sea day on Friday, the ship has lots of time to make up any delays and likely will be on time.    (Note for our departure from Amsterdam, our ship was delayed 3+ hours by the traffic control through the lock.   My understanding is they re-order smaller ships, bigger ships, etc. for traffic control.   However for an am arrival, the cruiseline has to get the ship ready for the next passengers, so I would think they will be docked well before 7 am. )

 

If you walk off with luggage at 7 am, that gives you lots of time to make it to the airport by 10 am, which would be 3 hours prior to departure.  Either by train or taxi..

 

 

  

[Ashland]

We easily flew home the day we disembarked. We did self assist about 7:00 -7:30am. Taxi's were lined up and we were at the airport in plenty of time for our 1:00pm flight (DL). Our arrival pre-cruise was a night mare but our experience home was so much better. 

 

I'll note that our ship actually returned the night prior to our scheduled day due to the tides...many got off then but because our flight was originally booked for day of we enjoyed the early arrival into Amsterdam. That could easily happen to you too as we sailed late July last year....so you never know. I would keep your flight.

[MAVIP]

And in addition to the earlier answers: please download the Schiphol App. It answers most of your questions.  F.e. You checked in during the sea day before embarkation and the app shows how you can check your own luggage (depends upon the airline, name airlines and which terminals in the App) and how you can reserve a slot for Security at Schiphol.   Works fine!

[FreestyleNovice]

19 hours ago, CCJack said:

 

 

If you walk off with luggage at 7 am, that gives you lots of time to make it to the airport by 10 am, which would be 3 hours prior to departure.  Either by train or taxi..

 

 

  

 

This @Turtles06, you will be fine.  Schiphol's performance is back to normal these days (up till now, fingers crossed ). As @MAVIP posted, reserve a free time slot for security for the convenience of it. Through the app or at https://www.schiphol.nl/en/page/timeslots/

 

There's not a car company to recommend, it's basically all the same with the taxis in Amsterdam, it would only be a pre booked taxi with the average Joe as a driver. Sufficient enough for the 15 minutes to the airport if you ask me. Not worth spending more to have a luxury black car service.

 

The train is really easy, the down side is the tram (if, that early?) for the few stops to the Centraal Station or the early morning stroll along the cruise terminal and water side, which can be nice for what it's worth.  The train station at Schiphol is directly underneath the airport Plaza and the indoor walk up to the check in/security at the terminal might even be less stressful than the curb side taxi drop and squeeze into the same terminal building. But it's all the same in the end, no big differences.

 

Walk off with the first groups at 7am-8am, you will find yourself checking in and at Schiphol security before 9am and at 10am you will be at your gate with plenty of time to kill.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[VMax1700]

3 hours ago, FreestyleNovice said:

reserve a free time slot for security

Currently the time slots are only for intra Schengen flights. 

[Turtles06]

6 hours ago, MAVIP said:

And in addition to the earlier answers: please download the Schiphol App. It answers most of your questions. 

 

3 hours ago, FreestyleNovice said:

This @Turtles06, you will be fine.  Schiphol's performance is back to normal these days (up till now, fingers crossed ). As @MAVIP posted, reserve a free time slot for security for the convenience of it. Through the app or at https://www.schiphol.nl/en/page/timeslots/

 

Thank you both for all the helpful advice.  Thanks to advice in other threads in this forum, I already have the Schiphol app on my phone. 🙂  I had no idea you could reserve a security time slot, though.  However, when I followed the timeslots link above, the web site says:

 

"Before you book a security time slot, it is good to know the following:

• Only valid for European flights (Schengen)."

 

So I assume this would not work for a flight to the US then.  🙂   But it seems very handy for others whose flights qualify!

[Turtles06]

2 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Currently the time slots are only for intra Schengen flights. 

 

Thank you.  I was posting that just as you posted.   But it seems like a pretty good thing for folks on those flights.  🙂 

[VMax1700]

10 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Thank you.  I was posting that just as you posted.   But it seems like a pretty good thing for folks on those flights.  🙂 

It does state that they intend to roll it out to other flights so do keep watching!  If not this trip, then maybe next time.

Enjoy your cruise.

[MAVIP]

17 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

"Before you book a security time slot, it is good to know the following:

• Only valid for European flights (Schengen)."

 

So I assume this would not work for a flight to the US then.  🙂   But it seems very handy for others whose flights qualify!

My mistake and thank you very much for this correction! And now I see that VMax did the same! I am thankfull.

Edited June 2, 2023 by MAVIP
VMax