Holland America Line - Amsterdam Review

The Amsterdam became Holland America Line's "second flagship" in 2000. Both the Amsterdam and the Rotterdam (sister ship) are considered the line's most posh ships. I have sailed on her two times, and the line many times. All areas are rated 1-5 stars

Cabins *****

The cabins are where the Holland America line really shines. The Amsterdam offers multiple cabin options ranging from insides to Penthouse Verandah Suites. The line itself tends to have larger cabins. We stayed in both an outside and a balcony room. Both were nicely laid out with a regular size leather pull out couch. There were 2 curtains with one between the sleeping area and living area which is wonderful for late sleepers or nappers. The verandah is also nice sized and has mesh furniture.

The flat screen TV is a big improvement from other lines and having a DVD player (you can rent DVD's) could be nice for longer voyages. They even have a recyclable can in each cabin!

Now the bathroom. What is great here is that most of their rooms have bathtubs! They may be small but, they are much better than the usual confining showers found on ships! Add in their fresh fruit baskets, adorable towel animals and pillow menus and you can see how the Amsterdam gets five stars for their cabins!

Dining **

Dinning is always subjective. My experiences on the Amsterdam haven‘t been great. Their food is not bad, it just lacks flavor! You are quickly reminded that they are catering to a lot of senior citizens and very few spices are used! A vegetarian menu is available.

The Amsterdam has traditional dinning in their 2 level main dinning room. You will see more people follow the nightly dress codes on Holland America, especially on formal nights.

There is good news, all of the line is slowly being revamped to a As You Wish dinning concept. This will take place over the next couple of years and this is really the only line, where passengers may need to have both options. HAL gets a large number of senior, repeat passengers and the traditional dinning is an important part of their cruise experience.

They also offer 24 hour room service which has a limited menu but allows you to order off the dinner menu during dinner hours, which is always a bonus. They have one specialty restaurant, The Pinnacle Grill which has a $30 pp surcharge ($15 for lunch) as well as a decent buffet option. One thing to note here is the buffet has a decent Asian section and most of the items are served to you as opposed to helping yourself.

Entertainment **

The Amsterdam's main lounge looses a lot with both the obstructed views and limited capacity. They do have a rotating stage which is overused and therefore, takes away from the shows. Again, this is an area adapted to the older passengers in the entertainment choices, especially the music choices. BUT, they will offer shows ONLY at 10 at night which is too late for the majority of seniors! They would really benefit to a wider audience and the "normal" 2 shows a night schedule. Out of the 17 nights I have sailed on her, we had only one show we enjoyed.

Toddlers *** School Age/Teens *

As I have stated, the Amsterdam passengers are mostly seniors. There has never been a large number of children on board. Depending what type of child, will either love that or find the sea days beyond boring. My kids are fine as they have done a lot of cruising and have each other to torment by an only child may end up missing out on some of the experiences they would have on another line.

Toddlers are the exception here. The Amsterdam has a wonderful area for them. It is colorful and full of activities to enjoy. They must be 3 and fully potty trained to participate.

Adults **

Unless you are over 65 or looking for a very slow paced, relaxing vacation, choose another line. You will learn to have a lot of patience as ALL lines will move VERY slowly. That being said, the Amsterdam does have some positive options for those adults of all ages.

They offer a few different cooking classes. These are great and are limited to 12 (sign up early) per class. You get an apron to keep plus printed instructions and a full tummy for $29.

There ore only two pools; one uncovered and the other with a removable roof. There are outdoor hot tubs, a decent fitness room, okay Casino, nice spa and a true Promenade deck which are getting harder and harder to find.

Crew ****

The Amsterdam's crew is very efficient and capable of solving problems quickly. They are right there to assist and seem to do it all with a smile. They should be tipped a few dollars when they arrive. I noticed they now do the $10 per person, per day gratuity which is automatically put on your shipboard account. HAL kid club staff and room service should be tipped separately.

My only negative crew complaint would be a couple of the younger staff complaining to each other, in the halls, library or outside events. Most of it is the "poor me" or "Did you see so and so" type things you see in all work places.

Overall ***

The Amsterdam is slowly becoming more of a family ship; with kids areas, changing to As You Wish dinning and sailing to more family friendly ports. It is still geared more to Senior Citizens which is a great option for them as well as people wanting a very slow paced ship. This is not to say you can't have a great time, just know what to expect before you get on board.