Amsterdam Port

[wombat_5606]

@RedSox68 I'm making an assumption that you don't have children with you since you're cruising with HAL, so I will advise you to look up a boutique hotel called the Banks Mansion. We had a fantastic time there and they provide a lot for your money, breakfast, snacks, happy hour and booze in your room.

I've heard of the Movenpick and it is very accessible(walking distance)to the port, but I've never stayed there. I think if you go over to Cruise Critic and read through their port descriptions, you will find a lot of people stay there, because it is so easy to get to the port and Central Station, but I would suggest you make a list of the other places you are going to visit and try to find a central hotel.

We stayed at the Banks Mansion and here are just some of the things we did:

Stubbe's Herring
Anne Frank - edit to add, you must get tickets online before you go-online access is a few months before you are expected to go.
Rijksmuseum
Van Gogh Museum
canal cruise at night
had a drink at the Sky Lounge at the Doubletree to get a very nice view of Amsterdam
Zaanse Schans
Albert Cuypmarkt
T Blauwe Treehuis
Red Light District
went to the brown Cafe, 't Smalle and sat on their canalside terrace
took the train to The Hague and saw Maduradam, a miniature village of the Netherlands and then sat by the sea at De Pier for lunch and sun

We had the most wonderful week in Amsterdam before we left on the Koningsdam and I would love to be there right now to see the beautiful tulips.

 

[over50visits]

I used to live there. Amsterdam is easily a walking city. Canal boats are easy to find at the train station for a nice canal tour, or a water taxi. Trams are everywhere. EVERYONE in the country will speak just about perfect English (or so it seems). Visit the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank house, Van Gogh museum, Rembrandt museum, the Church, the red light district, the many great shops, eat fries (frites) on the street.

If you can get away from Amsterdam, do so. Go anywhere. It's a small country steeped in history (often the "new church" in a town is 700-1000 years old). Visiting Amsterdam is like visiting New York and thinking you've visited the US.

Trains run often, exactly on time, are clean and safe. Take a train to Leiden and sit in the very pews the pilgrims sat in before they left Holland for the new world (they lived there a while after they left England before they took off for America), then visit the "mummy" museum. Go to The Hague to visit a delightful seat of government city, and Scheveningen (don't even try to pronounce it), the coolest beach on the North Sea. And oh Madurodam! See if you can make it to Delft, visit the town center, the old church, buy the real pottery, see where Vermeer actually created his masterpieces. Go to Alkmaar for the cheese experience; be overwhelmed with the beauty (and fragrance) of the largest flower market in the world in Aalsmeer. Visit a windmill. Savor Holland as the gem of Europe.

 

[RedSox68]

I read it as around Amsterdam, thanks for the clarification, around the country I second Karin's suggestion for Groningen or Maastricht, love both!

We drive on the right side And we have the best and clear road signs anywhere

Ha Ha, good to know. That was one of our concerns -- being able to read the road signs.

 

[RedSox68]

Wow, the information being posted is amazing. wombat_5606 and over50visits, thanks tons for taking the time to post so much!

And no, we are not traveling with children. My "child" is 33 LOL. She did do two previous HAL cruises with us, including Alaska, which we all loved. And while many make fun of HAL for being nothing but an "old folks cruise" (which we are ha ha), we found the age groups on both our previous cruises was varied -- including middle age couples with teenagers. Either way, we like the cruise line. We cancelled our cruise with them this year because it's just too uncertain for us at this time to go in July, so we moved it to next August. Same itinerary, but got a HUGE amenity package including full gratuities for the three of us, drink package and specialty dining for all of us. It's a price saver just to get the gratuities. We'll be on their new ship Ryndam.

 

[over50visits]

Ha Ha, good to know. That was one of our concerns -- being able to read the road signs.

Same signs as all over Europe. Symbols rather than words. Pretty clear to understand. If you rent a car I suspect they can give you a sign guide.

 

[over50visits]

@RedSox68 ...... I would love to be there right now to see the beautiful tulips.

I would go there right now just to see the tulips. We took many train rides between Amsterdam and The Hague just to pass by field after field of bold colors. Google "holland tulip fields" and look at the images.

 

[wombat_5606]

I would go there right now just to see the tulips. We took many train rides between Amsterdam and The Hague just to pass by field after field of bold colors. Google "holland tulip fields" and look at the images.

I would go there right now just to see the tulips. We took many train rides between Amsterdam and The Hague just to pass by field after field of bold colors. Google "holland tulip fields" and look at the images.

Oh, I have already!!

My husband's family is from there(only cousins living) and he would consider living there, but we are grandparents now, so that's not going to happen. I just wish I had visited many, many years ago. I will return after this virus and I will probably try to make it at least 2 weeks next time.

 

[Chrissy-Mickey]

We'll be on their new ship Ryndam.

Interesting! What's the itinerary?

 

[wombat_5606]

Wow, the information being posted is amazing. wombat_5606 and over50visits, thanks tons for taking the time to post so much!

And no, we are not traveling with children. My "child" is 33 LOL. She did do two previous HAL cruises with us, including Alaska, which we all loved. And while many make fun of HAL for being nothing but an "old folks cruise" (which we are ha ha), we found the age groups on both our previous cruises was varied -- including middle age couples with teenagers. Either way, we like the cruise line. We cancelled our cruise with them this year because it's just too uncertain for us at this time to go in July, so we moved it to next August. Same itinerary, but got a HUGE amenity package including full gratuities for the three of us, drink package and specialty dining for all of us. It's a price saver just to get the gratuities. We'll be on their new ship Ryndam.

We have children the same age. My babies are 30 and 36. I love HAL, too and we took the younger daughter on HAL when she graduated from high school. She loved it and we were cruising Alaska so her focus definitely wasn't on our fellow cruisers.

We still have until July to decide on our cruise in the Med for October on the N. Statendam. I'm fairly confident it will be a no go, but I will hold out as long as I can.

I've been looking at the Ryndam too for next year. I've been studying the deck plans. LOL

If you have any other questions, ask. I still have my planning info.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I would go there right now just to see the tulips. We took many train rides between Amsterdam and The Hague just to pass by field after field of bold colors. Google "holland tulip fields" and look at the images.

The Keukenhof has up videos of the gardens. We were there on our honeymoon.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Thanks!

Anyone, do you need to book the Anne Frank museum ahead of time, and is it within walking distance of the port?

Has anyone heard of the Movenpick Hotel?

Yes, you need to book the Anne Frank house/museum ahead of time. There is a convenient web site. We took a canal boat to get there (see below), but the following day, we did a walking tour (from Rick Steves’ Amsterdam guidebook) and ended our tour there. We then took the hop-on, hop-off bus to get back to our hotel.

We stayed at the Movenpick Hotel when we did two days in Amsterdam prior to a Viking river cruise. Good included breakfast and comfortable rooms. It was near the central train station as well as the various docks.

We found it convenient to do a multi-day ticket for one of the hop-on, hop-off tour companies that included both canal boat and bus access. We used that to get around anywhere we didn’t just walk to. Stops of boats or buses near all the major sites, including the Anne Frank House and the museum campus.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

We stayed at the Movenpick for 3 days before our Viking River Cruise and loved the location. It's on the water and an easy walk to central station. Had a great breakfast buffet. We bought the multi day pass as well for transportation. We loved Amsterdam but we are with the others that say to get away from town. I googled private tours and came up with a wonderful man that had great reviews on TA. He no longer is in the business but I know there are others. He picked us up and dropped us off right at the Movenpick. It was the highlight of our stay in Amsterdam along with Anne Frank's House.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

The Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum are three of the best places to visit in Amsterdam. We also took an Anne Frank bike tour, which took us to the sctual apartment where Anne lived as a child (not the hiding place), to her school, and to the bookshop where she bought her diary. It was very nice, and in addition to the history, it felt good to get around Amsterdam by bicycle, because that's what the locals do. We also took a day tip out of town to see the windmills. Amsertdam was our favorite city we visited in Europe.

 

[wombat_5606]

The Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum are three of the best places to visit in Amsterdam. We also took an Anne Frank bike tour, which took us to the sctual apartment where Anne lived as a child (not the hiding place), to her school, and to the bookshop where she bought her diary. It was very nice, and in addition to the history, it felt good to get around Amsterdam by bicycle, because that's what the locals do. We also took a day tip out of town to see the windmills. Amsertdam was our favorite city we visited in Europe.

I'm in awe. No way I'd get on a bicycle in Amsterdam.

 

[RedSox68]

I'm in awe. No way I'd get on a bicycle in Amsterdam.

In younger days, but now my husband's health wouldn't allow.

 

[wombat_5606]

In younger days, but now my husband's health wouldn't allow.

There are millions of bicycles in Amsterdam. Google their parking garages. They also have the right of way, over cars and pedestrians. It's insane.

I might ride in a park, but I wouldn't get on the street there.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

I'm in awe. No way I'd get on a bicycle in Amsterdam.

Riding one on a guided tour was the only way I felt at ease riding a bike in Amsterdam. The tour was mostly not in the city center, anyway, where the most hectic bike traffic was. It takes you out of the main tourist areas, which was another nice thing about that tour: it really took us off the beaten path.

But honestly, it can take courage just to walk in Amsterdam if those bikes make you nervous. I almost got hit by one just walking out of my hotel in the canal district. In safety terms, it's like having a major freeway right off of the sidewalk.

 

[RedSox68]

Interesting! What's the itinerary?

Amsterdam
Day at sea
Bergen, Norway
Molde, Norway
Day at sea
Akureyri, Iceland
and cruise Eyjafjordur
Isafjordur, Iceland
and cruise Isafjordurjur
Reykjavik overnight
Day at Sea
Lerwick, Shetland Islands, UK
Invergordon (Inverness), Scotland
South Queensferry (Edinburgh), Scotland
Day at Sea
Amsterdam

 

[Mathmagicland]

For a different WWII perspective in Amsterdam, consider the Dutch Resistance Museum.

https://www.verzetsmuseum.org/museum/en/exhibitions/the-netherlands-in-ww2
Easily reached via the Trams that run all over the city, it tells the story of the Dutch resistance to the nazis. This is not the Anne Frank story, which was hiding. It can be done in half a day including the tram Rides, so you’ll have time for other activities. Pick up the tram at the Amsterdam Centraal station.

 

[over50visits]

Amsterdam
.
.
.
Amsterdam

I know I'm very, very biased, but this is an opportunity you may never have again. Go as many days early as you can, or stay extra days at the end. Holland is enchanting, historic, wonderful people everywhere, and a treasure trove of so many things to see, do, and eat. Pancakes are an art form there (trust me on this one). Take the high speed train to Brussels for the day and stand in what is absolutely the most stunning city center in Europe.