Amsterdam - (proposed) closing cruise ship terminal

[phoenix_dream]

12 hours ago, Silkroad said:

Some ports brought this on themselves by building new, larger cruise ports to attract cruise lines. The “cruise industry” does not sail “too many” ships into ports without receiving permission from the respective port authorities. The ports offer a service for which they expect to be paid. It is up to them to limit the number of ships/passengers per day if that is their wish.

I only partially agree with this.  Yes, ports have to give permission to have ships dock and perhaps went overboard due to greed.  But it's the cruise lines themselves which are sailing towards their own demise in my opinion.  They keep building larger and larger and larger ships to the point of insanity.  Floating Disney Worlds.   And there seems to be no end in sight!   To me that is incredibly short sighted.  We are beginning to see more and more ports refusing to allow ships or significantly decreasing the number and/or size.  I am not very familiar with non-US ports, but here we have had prohibitions in Key West, Bar Harbor, and now Monterey.  What's next?!?!  Ports themselves are no longer as pleasant to visit when you are surrounded by wall to wall passengers (and that's just from our perspective - I can only imagine how the locals feel).  How long before even more ports ban ships??  Pretty soon in order to survive the cruise lines will have to limit their sailings to cruises to nowhere, except perhaps one stop at a private island.  One has to wonder what will happen to their ability to fill berths at that point.  Right now we are still seeing the post-Covid travel surge, but that can't last forever.  I can only wonder how the lines can survive long-term with the direction they are heading.

[kazu]

If ships don’t dock there, there’s  Ijmuiden & Rotterdam.  Rotterdam itself is well worth some time and for those that want to go to Amsterdam, 45 minutes away by train.  So a person can stay in Amsterdam pre or post cruise and easily get to or from Rotterdam.

 

For me, Amsterdam is like Paris.  You can’t see it all in one day and it’s worthy of a few days‘ stay.

[AKJonesy]

A few places are making noise including Juneau and Key West.  Of course those in Juneau making the noise are those with secure govt jobs and not those depending on tourism.  

[cruisemom42]

5 minutes ago, AKJonesy said:

A few places are making noise including Juneau and Key West.  Of course those in Juneau making the noise are those with secure govt jobs and not those depending on tourism.  

 

And let's not forget Bar Harbor, Monterey and Venice....

[horseymike]

I have never been to Amsterdam . I have enjoyed a decent bit of travel and am looking forward to some more. If cruise ships ( my preferred type of travel ) are banned from Amsterdam I guess I will just need to live without it. I am finding out that many places really don't want you there but they like your $$$$.

[puppycanducruise]

Amsterdam is a wonderful place to visit.  We've been a few times before and after cruises.  Two cruises we were on left from Rotterdam, it's easy to get to by train from Amsterdam.

[Dismomx5]

We did the Rotterdam TA last fall. It was scheduled to leave from Amsterdam, but because of water levels, it left from Rotterdam. DH and I spent three days in Amsterdam before the cruise , and then 5 of us on the roll call shared a vehicle to Rotterdam. (The train is too much for us at this point in our lives). It was fine. Rotterdam is a wonderful port, and should the opportunity arise for me again, I'd like to spend a couple of days there as well.

[HappyInVan]

More info here

 

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/amsterdam-ban-cruise-ships-city-091936330.html

 

Its unlikely that Holland will build a new cruise terminal elsewhere. IMHO, Amsterdam doesn't need to ban ships. Just raise docks fees until only the smaller premium ships are left. This can be implemented immediately for 2024.

 

As others have pointed out, Rotterdam is a good place with plenty of space. Easy travel to Amsterdam.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Rotterdam

 

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by HappyInVan

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, AKJonesy said:

A few places are making noise including Juneau and Key West.  Of course those in Juneau making the noise are those with secure govt jobs and not those depending on tourism.  

Juneau is wanting to limit the number of ships to 4, not the 5 or 6 they are getting.

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

And let's not forget Bar Harbor, Monterey and Venice....

and Bora Bora

[ChinaShrek]

It seems that Europe and the United States are trying to limit cruise ships. What about Asia or South America? I am worried that we will be only able to cruise in the Caribbean/Mexico in 10 years!

[3rdGenCunarder]

28 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Juneau is wanting to limit the number of ships to 4, not the 5 or 6 they are getting.

 

Four is reasonable for Juneau, especially in these days of mega ships. Last year, there were four ships docked, plus Queen Elizabeth tendering.  Almost 12,00 passengers if ships were full at double occupancy. 

 

Maybe ports should consider passenger count. There were five ships when we were in ketchikan, too, but two were small (200 pax and 700 pax). 

[OlsSalt]

Santa Barbara just got dropped off the October Noordam Coastal cruise, with no local nor official  explanation.  Monterey was also dropped from the original itinerary but that had a local official explanation.  

 

Did local authorities drop Santa Barbara (crickets here) or did HAL make a management decision. Signing up for Monterey and Santa Barbara and getting Catalina and San Pedro instead is a disappointment for all concerned, but this can happen.  

 

Roll call is having a heck of time trying to figure out what to do now with the new port stop of San Pedro (Los Angeles). A few shore excursions were finally posted but mainly long bus rides as drive-by surveys of known landmarks.

 

However, getting stuck in traffic on LA freeways is a signature local experience, going down in depth among the natives. 

[mcrcruiser]

As populations & incomes increase there will be more & more cruise ships .It seems to me that there will be ports that  will feel that cruise ship pax will over run their cities ,so either they will limit the   number of port visits per week    or like Monterey Ca exclude cruise ships all together . Many cities feel that they get sufficient  income from   visitors by planes ,trains & cars . 

 This  will be a big loss  for those ports that indeed are most  memorable . 

[SDARCH]

We ended a TA in Rotterdam in May.  Spent the day walking around, eating and enjoying the sights.  It was a fantastic day.  At this point, I prefer Rotterdam over Amsterdam.

[OlsSalt]

The Central Rotterdam train station can easily take you anywhere in the country.

 

We did a fantastic two day jaunt during an overnight turnaround day on the Voyage of the Vikings from Rotterdam - Gouda,  out to Zutphen, down to Maastricht for an overnight,  and still time to take in Delft before we got back on board in Rotterdam. 

[DaveOKC]

27 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Santa Barbara just got dropped off the October Noordam Coastal cruise, with no local nor official  explanation.  Monterey was also dropped from the original itinerary but that had a local official explanation.  

 

Did local authorities drop Santa Barbara (crickets here) or did HAL make a management decision. Signing up for Monterey and Santa Barbara and getting Catalina and San Pedro instead is a disappointment for all concerned, but this can happen.  

 

Roll call is having a heck of time trying to figure out what to do now with the new port stop of San Pedro (Los Angeles). A few shore excursions were finally posted but mainly long bus rides as drive-by surveys of known landmarks.

 

However, getting stuck in traffic on LA freeways is a signature local experience, going down in depth among the natives. 

I would not be happy with subbing in San Perdro!

 

[BermudaBound2014]

Just another city in a ever growing list of ports banning or limiting cruise ships. Cruise lines would do  well to start building smaller ships. Many of the places which have banned ships have done so to cruises holding more than 1,000 passengers. Bringing back the 900 passenger cruise ships would be a sustainable work-around. 

 

In addition to sustainability issues, cruise ship passengers have a bad reputation in many places.  We have a stereo-type of being over-weight and under spent. This article makes it sound like we like to party a bit too much also, but this is the first I've heard that complaint:

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2023/07/21/war-on-cruise-ships-amsterdam-latest-port-to-limit-or-ban-cruise-liners/?sh=3d4d8be4391a

 

[Infi]

For those who have embarked at Ijmuiden, how are the terminal facilities here? For all the money put into the terminal in Amsterdam, I was not impressed with the general disorganization I've experienced there and the rude staff. It seems like their crowd management abilities fall apart when multiple ships are in port. 

[OlsSalt]

6 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

I would not be happy with subbing in San Perdro!

 

 

Touring the WWII ship Iowa and getting one of their onboard famous hot dogs is about as much as we have come up with so far. Plus a churro food truck across the street.   Along with the close by Maritime Museum.  Or staying on board for  a pedicure in the Greenhouse Spa.

 

There is the Silver Line "J Line"  LA transit into downtown LA leaving from the San Pedro cruise port area - but riding LA public transit may be a little more of a dicey tourist experience than can readily be recommended.  

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Just another city in a ever growing list of ports banning or limiting cruise ships. Cruise lines would do  well to start building smaller ships. Many of the places which have banned ships have done so to cruises holding more than 1,000 passengers. Bringing back the 900 passenger cruise ships would be a sustainable work-around. 

 

In addition to sustainability issues, cruise ship passengers have a bad reputation in many places.  We have a stereo-type of being over-weight and under spent. This article makes it sound like we like to party a bit too much also, but this is the first I've heard that complaint:

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2023/07/21/war-on-cruise-ships-amsterdam-latest-port-to-limit-or-ban-cruise-liners/?sh=3d4d8be4391a

 

That was the issue is Key West. Cruise ships brought in 50% of the tourists, but only 15% of tourist revenue.

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 minutes ago, ldtr said:

That was the issue is Key West. Cruise ships brought in 50% of the tourists, but only 15% of tourist revenue.

 

Not surprising, although I'd like to know if that data includes port fees and taxes.

 

Cruisers don't say in local hotels, and a lot go back to the ship for lunch instead of eating in local restaurants. So maybe paying for a tour or a few souvenirs? That doesn't help the local economy. And ports that get a reputation for being overwhelmed with tourists may lose land-based travelers during peak cruise season. 

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Not surprising, although I'd like to know if that data includes port fees and taxes.

 

Cruisers don't say in local hotels, and a lot go back to the ship for lunch instead of eating in local restaurants. So maybe paying for a tour or a few souvenirs? That doesn't help the local economy. And ports that get a reputation for being overwhelmed with tourists may lose land-based travelers during peak cruise season. 

It basically overwhelmed down town when ships were in. Also resulted in a lot of retail space getting taken over by cruise ship following companies. How many t shirt shops, key lime pie stands and diamonds international like stores does a small town need.

[OlsSalt]

Cruise ships don't create demands for low-wage, low-skill tourist industry jobs, that over-night land travel tourism creates. This is both a plus and a minus,depending on local low skill unemployment needs;  or lack of available low income housing to house those land-based tourism employee needs.

 

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, OlsSalt said:

Roll call is having a heck of time trying to figure out what to do now with the new port stop of San Pedro (Los Angeles).

If you don’t want to deal with the traffic, you can stay in San Pedro and walk from the cruise terminal to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum as well as the Battleship USS Iowa. Fascinating to tour that ship.