Back from the Amsterdam 10-17-06

[anley]

This was such a great trip that since no one has written a review yet , I will try.

Embarkation was the best of any trip we have been on. Coming fro New York we only had 700 pax, the other 700 boarding in Ft. Lauderdale. After a short wait at the pier we went upstairs in less than 20 minutes. The Lido was the old fashioned line buffet which is tedious to say the least. The newer ships have stations so if you know what you want you don't have to wait for people to agonize over what they are choosing. The cabins were ready at 1:30 and we walked around familiarizing ourselves with the ship until the lifeboat drill . We checked and were told there would be another one in FLL for all pax. One drill is enough but 2 is torture, but no choice . Then there was a meeting our CC group in the Crow's Nest topside. Sailaway was uneventful as it was dark and early dinner started before we passed the Statue of Liberty

and Verrrazano Bridge. Fortunately our table was at the back of the ship and we could could see very well.Because of the 700 pax coming from NY

we had our assigned dinner seating, we had 7 of the 8 at our table plus 1 coming on at FLL. The show was good and other activities were available on the ship, which is a beautiful vessel with much to see in the way of decor.

Day one at sea was a little cold and rough so no pools,but plenty of activities , starting with a 1 mile walk around the promenade deck. Then we did a kitchen tour ,culinary demo and trivia . Most meals we ate in the dining room because a vacation means not walking around with a tray and having to find a place to sit.The second day was at sea and got warmer .still lots of activities , 3 served meals . I forget the bowl of fruit and bathrobes in the cabin. The ship was immaculate someone was always cleaning . The shows every night were reasonably good for the most part and Amsterdam singers and dancers had just started new shows so they looked like a work in progress. There were a modest number shore excursions in FLL what with the rest of the Pax boarding. We were able to

get off and visit with a friend who I hadn,t seen in 3 years so that was bonus for us. That night off to Half Moon Cay which was wonderful even though we had to share with Westerdam. The weather was magnificent .

The next day was a sea day to Curacao a beautful stop with interesting

things to see and do Ditti fior Aruba , the a day at sea and my reason for

my taking this trip the PANAMA CANAL. We were up at 5:30 for the tranist

of the Gatun Locks into Gatun Lake. After breakfast tenders took us to a bus to the Panama Railway, where we boarded the observation train which we were then told could only accomodate 50 pax. A 45 minute ride took us

to the other side of the isthmus and a bus to the Pacific Ocean where we could see Panama City with it skyscrapers. Since there were no other ships

in port that day we were afforded the luxury of taking the train back and boarding the ship at the Cristobal dock.

The next day was the unexpected highlight of the trip. In Port Limon.Costa Rica we took the Tortuguero Canals Boat trip which went through the rainforest wit its lush greenery and wildlife. On the way back we stopped at a Bananna Plantation (Del Monte) and got to them growing and processed which was really interesting.The other shore excursions we

heard about from other pax were interesting as well.

Being a man I forgot to mention that shopping was good in Curacao and Aruba. In Port Limon at the dock or nearby they had handmade items that were worthwhile buying. The fresh Pineapple in Costa Rica was the best.

Hard to believe but we were 2 sea days away from FLL and the flight home . One of the features of this trip for me was getting on board in NY so we only had 1 flight to take.

Sat. at 8 A.M. was the Susan B. Komen walk for a cure on the promenade deck. For a donation to the charity we got T shirts and Pink wrist bands and a feeling of satisfaction after walking 11 times around a deck that did not want to stay stilll. They served pink Lemonade , which is

traditional since the color for this charity is pink. What was not traditional was the water which was NOT FREE, something HAL may want to think about,for future walks.

Fun activities continued and the poos were open so plenty to do.

Sunday was the last day and the activity sheet listed a Cruise Critics

meeting at 11:30 Sun. A.M ( Better late than never?) The C.D. Jill Tasker

was there with Paul who was on her staff. She apparently set up the meet

and she spent more time talking and answering questions than any staff member at previous CC gatherings I've attended.

The food was great , the entertainment was good, everyone was friendly

and accomodating both crew and passengers. The few children on board were cute ( we were told 6) .

We booked an airboat tour and bus the airport which , unfortunately was cancelled due to lack of interest but luckily I had a relative who wanted to see us and then take us to the airport.

They have an option for 10 dollars a person when you get off the ship , after you retrieve your bags outside they take 2 bags per person at the BAGS counter and you don,t see them until baggage claim at home .

They also print out your boarding passes , so you are set to go.

This was a marvelous trip and I'm sure there will be more detailed reviews

from more talented writers , but I wanted to get the ball rolling

 

Stan :cool::cool:

[happy cruzer]

Thank you for the great review. I have two friends onboard the Amsterdam right now. And the fellow agrees with you about caring a tray and finding a table. I ate lunch with him once a week for about 8 years and we always went to a sitdown full service restaurent, hee hee. I'm not complaining. Glad to know that they will be well taken care of.

 

Thanks.

[Charliesmom]

Thanks for the review and the tip on the Tortugueros Canal Boat Trip. I have been thinking about a Panama Canal Cruise for December 2007, so this is a real find. I'll have to see if the Amsterdam does this trip from New York to Fort Lauderdale again next year in late October. Barring hurricanes, it is a great time of year to travel.

 

Roberta

[kryos]

We checked and were told there would be another one in FLL for all pax. One drill is enough but 2 is torture, but no choice.

Oh, no! You got stuck doing two? My cabinmate and I went down to the front desk on the morning of the FLL drill and specifically asked about that. The officer told us that as long as we were checked off as having done the drill in New York, there was no reason for us to bother with the second one in Fort Lauderdale.

 

I'm sorry you got stuck doing the second one. We just hung out in the Lido for the second one. :(

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita