Amsterdam bans cruise ships

[Bruin Steve]

48 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Hopefully just because other cruiseline's have moved I'm still hopeful RCI will not change the last two cruises in July 2024 to sail from Amsterdam as this is as far out as the schedule goes.

Nope.  Not exactly.  We are booked on yhe Serenade of the Seas "World Cruise" for a couple of segments...and we are scheduled to leave the ship IN AMSTERDAM on AUGUST 19, 2024.

 

For us, it's not a matter of simply flying into Amsterdam and getting a taxi or train to Rotterdam or vice versa.  We will have been traveling over a month and will have a lot of luggage.  The plan is to stay a couple of nights and enjoy Amsterdam...after a quick Uber or taxi from the ship, then a quick Uber or taxi to the airport.  Keep it simple.  Back in 2019, we did B2B on Reflection in and out of Amsterdam...and we loved the ease of doing it--rather than ports like Southmpton, Dover, Civitavecchia, etc.  where you fly in to an airport a considerable distance away.  Last time, pre- and post-cruise, we stayed at the Kimpton DeWitt Amsterdam--and it was so convenient.

Edited July 21, 2023 by Bruin Steve

[pstone1]

2 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

Nope.  Not exactly.  We are booked on yhe Serenade of the Seas "World Cruise" for a couple of segments...and we are scheduled to leave the ship IN AMSTERDAM on AUGUST 19, 2024.

 

For us, it's not a matter of simply flying into Amsterdam and getting a taxi or train to Rotterdam or vice versa.  We will have been traveling over a month and will have a lot of luggage.  The plan is to stay a couple of nights and enjoy Amsterdam...after a quick Uber or taxi from the ship, then a quick Uber or taxi to the airport.

We’re with you on that cruise, and also plan to get off in Amsterdam and fly to the UK to visit friends.  It would be very tempting to spend a couple of nights in Amsterdam first as well, as we love the City.  Would also like to know the plan before I buy the airfare!

[steveru621]

11 minutes ago, pstone1 said:

Yes, I am so grateful Royal did not move cruises to Rotterdam last year like other lines did.  We did a B3B on Jewel out of Amsterdam last summer, and we absolutely loved the daytime sail-in and sail-out of Amsterdam for each of those cruises!

We also did July-August!

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

Our cruise is just before you in June 2024, We are going to fly into Amsterdam, no matter where the cruise sails from.

Wonder when RCI will start notifying of any change?

We sailed out of Amsterdam July 2022 (Arctic Circle) and loved sailing from there.

We also will still fly into Amsterdam...I just booked our pre-cruise hotel and next up will be flights. Something to consider now will be transportation and where we fly home from.

Oh this was going to be so easy...now ??

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, Bruin Steve said:

Nope.  Not exactly.  We are booked on yhe Serenade of the Seas "World Cruise" for a couple of segments...and we are scheduled to leave the ship IN AMSTERDAM on AUGUST 19, 2024.

 

For us, it's not a matter of simply flying into Amsterdam and getting a taxi or train to Rotterdam or vice versa.  We will have been traveling over a month and will have a lot of luggage.  The plan is to stay a couple of nights and enjoy Amsterdam...after a quick Uber or taxi from the ship, then a quick Uber or taxi to the airport.  Keep it simple.  Back in 2019, we did B2B on Reflection in and out of Amsterdam...and we loved the ease of doing it--rather than ports like Southmpton, Dover, Civitavecchia, etc.  where you fly in to an airport a considerable distance away.  Last time, pre- and post-cruise, we stayed at the Kimpton DeWitt Amsterdam--and it was so convenient.

Sorry...I always forget about the World Cruise.

Amsterdam was also simple for us last July 2022. I was hoping it would be the same for 2024.

Best of luck.

[pstone1]

1 hour ago, steveru621 said:

We also did July-August!

I looked at your signature and we were on the 7/26 and 8/7 Jewel cruises with you!  Those were fantastic cruises and some of our favorites!  Booked them again for 2024, but then the SA World Cruise mini-segments were released and I moved them to those!

[pstone1]

7 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Wonder when RCI will start notifying of any change?

We sailed out of Amsterdam July 2022 (Arctic Circle) and loved sailing from there.

We also will still fly into Amsterdam...I just booked our pre-cruise hotel and next up will be flights. Something to consider now will be transportation and where we fly home from.

Oh this was going to be so easy...now ??

I don’t know if you remember, but in July-August, 2022, Royal moved up the Jewel’s departure time from Amsterdam so the ship could get through the locks before they closed at 6pm.  I think only a day’s notice was given that the 7/26 cruise would be leaving at 3:30pm!  Didn’t matter to us as we were in Amsterdam, but I’m sure that move messed up a lot of people’s plans!  I know at least several missed the ship!  Another cruise line (can’t remember which) moved their departure to Rotterdam with only a day’s notice. I felt really bad for those cruisers as the cruise line did not offer any transportation.  

[Ashland]

29 minutes ago, pstone1 said:

I don’t know if you remember, but in July-August, 2022, Royal moved up the Jewel’s departure time from Amsterdam so the ship could get through the locks before they closed at 6pm.  I think only a day’s notice was given that the 7/26 cruise would be leaving at 3:30pm!  Didn’t matter to us as we were in Amsterdam, but I’m sure that move messed up a lot of people’s plans!  I know at least several missed the ship!  Another cruise line (can’t remember which) moved their departure to Rotterdam with only a day’s notice. I felt really bad for those cruisers as the cruise line did not offer any transportation.  

I do remember the change but we also were already in Amsterdam...

 

Also were we supposed to dock the night before disembarkment I thought that was a change also to our original itinerary and why I booked our flights at 2:00pm. I believe they said it was because of the tide? We were happy to stay onboard that last night but saw several people leaving.

[Bruin Steve]

1 hour ago, pstone1 said:

...Royal moved up the Jewel’s departure time ... I think only a day’s notice was given that the 7/26 cruise would be leaving at 3:30pm!  

I love last minute schedule changes...Many years ago, before we ever brought cell phones anywhere and had no email to check, we had a Princess cruise out of Copenhagen on the OLD Crown Princess (the one they aquired in the Sitmar merger)...We had flown into Copenhagen 4 nights early and, on embarkation day, we checked out of our hotel and headed to the ship thinking we had plenty of time.  We barely made it.  Princess had changed departure time, moving it something like 4 or 5 hours early for some inane reason.  We DID make it, but many didn't.  We "asked" about it...and they said "We notified you".  I asked "How?" and "When?  And they told us BY TELEPHONE (in those days, that meant our home land line)...and when?  "Yesterday".  Now you also need to realize that, "yesterday" in Los Angeles, even had we not flown early to Copenhagen, would have been a day taken up by an hour drive to LAX, a couple of hours for check-in, etc., 12+ hours of flight time plus at least a couple of hours changing planes at Heathrow or elsewhere...compounded by a 9-hour time zone change.  IOW, even had we flown in just in time for the cruise, we still would not have had a "yesterday".  We were just LUCKY that we always plan on getting to the ship early.  Princess, of course, was unapologetic...

[pstone1]

36 minutes ago, Ashland said:

I do remember the change but we also were already in Amsterdam...

 

Also were we supposed to dock the night before disembarkment I thought that was a change also to our original itinerary and why I booked our flights at 2:00pm. I believe they said it was because of the tide? We were happy to stay onboard that last night but saw several people leaving.

Yes!  We missed a Port and had to sail in during the day, in order to get to the locks and go through by 6pm.  We really enjoyed that beautiful sail-in!  As I understood it, the locks were closed 12 hours each day to help prevent salt water intrusion of the drinking water, due to the drought.

[Jimbo]

1 hour ago, Ashland said:

Wonder when RCI will start notifying of any change?

We sailed out of Amsterdam July 2022 (Arctic Circle) and loved sailing from there.

We also will still fly into Amsterdam...I just booked our pre-cruise hotel and next up will be flights. Something to consider now will be transportation and where we fly home from.

Oh this was going to be so easy...now ??

Our cruise ends in Civitavecchia Cruise Port so we will probably be flying home from Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (Rome) after a couple days post cruise in Rome.

[pstone1]

9 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

I love last minute schedule changes...Many years ago, before we ever brought cell phones anywhere and had no email to check, we had a Princess cruise out of Copenhagen on the OLD Crown Princess (the one they aquired in the Sitmar merger)...We had flown into Copenhagen 4 nights early and, on embarkation day, we checked out of our hotel and headed to the ship thinking we had plenty of time.  We barely made it.  Princess had changed departure time, moving it something like 4 or 5 hours early for some inane reason.  We DID make it, but many didn't.  We "asked" about it...and they said "We notified you".  I asked "How?" and "When?  And they told us BY TELEPHONE (in those days, that meant our home land line)...and when?  "Yesterday".  Now you also need to realize that, "yesterday" in Los Angeles, even had we not flown early to Copenhagen, would have been a day taken up by an hour drive to LAX, a couple of hours for check-in, etc., 12+ hours of flight time plus at least a couple of hours changing planes at Heathrow or elsewhere...compounded by a 9-hour time zone change.  IOW, even had we flown in just in time for the cruise, we still would not have had a "yesterday".  We were just LUCKY that we always plan on getting to the ship early.  Princess, of course, was unapologetic...

Hopefully, we’ll be given plenty of notice if they decide on a Port change for SR next August.  Airfare won’t be on sale for another couple of months so maybe we will know something by then.

[pstone1]

1 hour ago, Ashland said:

I do remember the change but we also were already in Amsterdam...

 

Also were we supposed to dock the night before disembarkment I thought that was a change also to our original itinerary and why I booked our flights at 2:00pm. I believe they said it was because of the tide? We were happy to stay onboard that last night but saw several people leaving.

Are you going back to Banks Mansion?  We loved that hotel and the location.  For what we got, the cost was reasonable last year, but I checked a few months ago in anticipation for next year, and it looks like the prices have gone way up!

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, pstone1 said:

Are you going back to Banks Mansion?  We loved that hotel and the location.  For what we got, the cost was reasonable last year, but I checked a few months ago in anticipation for next year, and it looks like the prices have gone way up!

Yes...back to Banks Mansion. We also just love that hotel and location. I've been watching for dates to open and they did the other day. Price isn't that bad compared to our last stay...well worth it to us. They sent a nice email welcoming us back.

[SPacificbound]

19 hours ago, balletgemma17 said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66264226

 

I think the title of this post is a little extreme. 

 

Amsterdam is banning cruises from docking in the city center. Have you been to the Netherlands, the distance is tiny, this is not a huge inconvenience.

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by SPacificbound
spelling

[pstone1]

1 hour ago, Ashland said:

Yes...back to Banks Mansion. We also just love that hotel and location. I've been watching for dates to open and they did the other day. Price isn't that bad compared to our last stay...well worth it to us. They sent a nice email welcoming us back.

I just checked again, and our dates next year are not open yet!  I will keep checking though!  Definitely a great hotel!

[Jimbo]

8 hours ago, pstone1 said:

I just checked again, and our dates next year are not open yet!  I will keep checking though!  Definitely a great hotel!

Just checked dates for us at that hotel check in , May 28 and check out May 30 and says date May 29 is check out only, no idea what that means?

[gumshoe958]

22 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Just checked dates for us at that hotel check in , May 28 and check out May 30 and says date May 29 is check out only, no idea what that means?

I guess it means it’s full on the night of the 29th.

[pstone1]

35 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Just checked dates for us at that hotel check in , May 28 and check out May 30 and says date May 29 is check out only, no idea what that means?

At Banks Mansion?  I just checked and those dates pulled up for me without issue!  Try again on the hotel’s website - banksmansion.nl  It’s a bit pricey, but daily HH, access to a full bar 24/7, and a fantastic breakfast are all included.  

[Goodtime Cruizin]

On 7/21/2023 at 5:17 AM, Billy Baltic said:

Let’s hope they have a better solution than Ravenna is for Venice. 

We're about to experience this in a couple of weeks. But we decided to visit Venice pre-cruise anyway.

[ATG]

48 minutes ago, pstone1 said:

At Banks Mansion?  I just checked and those dates pulled up for me without issue!  Try again on the hotel’s website - banksmansion.nl  It’s a bit pricey, but daily HH, access to a full bar 24/7, and a fantastic breakfast are all included.  

We’ve stayed there and it was fabulous!  I think the staff are the nicest people we’ve encountered.  The breakfast was great.

[mac_tlc]

13 hours ago, Ashland said:

I do remember the change but we also were already in Amsterdam...

 

Also were we supposed to dock the night before disembarkment I thought that was a change also to our original itinerary and why I booked our flights at 2:00pm. I believe they said it was because of the tide? We were happy to stay onboard that last night but saw several people leaving.

We had a port call at Molde cancelled last month on the Jewel so they could get back to Amsterdam early, do to the salt levels in the river beyond the locks. The locks were only going to be operational from 6am to 7pm, and our original itinerary would have had us at the locks about 1am. 
 

Docked at 6pm, and overnighted in Amsterdam. A bunch of people left early, I think there were 8 people at Giovanni’s on the last night and 4 of those were our party.

 

 

mac_tlc

[Jimbo]

1 hour ago, pstone1 said:

At Banks Mansion?  I just checked and those dates pulled up for me without issue!  Try again on the hotel’s website - banksmansion.nl  It’s a bit pricey, but daily HH, access to a full bar 24/7, and a fantastic breakfast are all included.  

Maybe the issue is trying to book with 3 persons, bringing our Son along on this trip. Trying to book us all in the same room to save some $$$

 

Maybe they don't have 3 person rooms in this hotel?

 

Any other good hotels in a great area anyone else would recommend?

Edited July 22, 2023 by Jimbo

[Jimbo]

Is the Dam Square location a good area to be near when finding a hotel in Amsterdam?

Edited July 23, 2023 by Jimbo

[Ashland]

17 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Maybe the issue is trying to book with 3 persons, bringing our Son along on this trip. Trying to book us all in the same room to save some $$$

 

Maybe they don't have 3 person rooms in this hotel?

 

Any other good hotels in a great area anyone else would recommend?

It might be the room for 3 that's the problem. You can always email Banks Mansion they are great about responding.

 

A couple of the hotels that you might consider are the Ambassade or the Movenpick.

Some from our roll call July 2022 used these hotels.