I have recently booked a Baltic cruise on Century and have gotten a lot of good info from Tom's wonerful review of his trip this May. We have many months before we leave (June 15, 2006) but are trying to get as much done ahead of time as possible. My husband and I are both high school teachers, so we get pretty overwhelmed later in the year!
I have read all of the info, reviews, etc. but still can't find answers to all of my questions. If anyone could help, I'd be most appreciative!
First of all I was curious about the port in Amsterdam. How far is it from the airport? Downtown? We are planning to fly in a couple of days early and will need to find a hotel where we can see the sights and get to the ship without spending too much (I'd prefer to save money for St. Petersburg). Any ideas?
Also, I assume that the ship does not have self service laundry facilities since I've read nothing indicating that it did? How much does the ship charge to do laudry?
Finally, the ship is supposed to arrive back in Amsterdam at 7:00AM. Would a flight leaving Amsterdam at 12:30PM give us enough time?
This will be our first cruise and are really excited. This summer we spent two weeks in Italy. It was great fun, but a lot of work: loading and unloading ridiculous amounts of luggage on and off trains, walking or taking the subway to hotels, and repeatedly packing and unpacking suitcases. We are looking foreward to something a bit more relaxing. Although I know we will still be very busy, at least we won't have to drag all our belongings around with us every day.
I'm sure that I will come up with many more questions before we go, but for now thanks for any tips you can share.
Hi Kami,
Welcome to cruise-chat. I was on the same Baltic cruise on the Century as Tom, but am still completing my mega-review. It should be posted within the next couple of days.
The Amsterdam airport is outside the city, about 15 minutes by train and about 20-40 by taxi depending on traffic. The cruise port itself is in close proximity to the center of town. I chose to stay at the Golden Tulip Amsterdam-Centre for my pre-cruise night in Amsterdam. Location is great (within walking distance of all major attractions), rooms are clean, nice and reasonably priced. Staff was very friendly and helpful and they even have free internet service in the lobby for guests.
You are correct, there are no self-service laundry facilities on the Century. Here is a breakdown of typical laundry costs. For women: blouse or slacks $3.25/dress $5.50/sweater $2.75. For men: pants $3.75/shirt $2.75. Undergarments range from $1 - $1.50 per item, so I would suggest you plan to wash those by hand in your sink.
Based on my departure from Amsterdam, a 12:30 flight would be fine. I believe Tom's was at 11:30 and he made it without difficulty. Mine was not scheduled until 2:30 and I had to hang around the airport for quite awhile.
Hope that helps. BTW - you are in for the treat of you life - it is a killer itinerary!
Wow! Doing the Baltic for your first cruise? You are in for a very memorable experience. Not only will the cruise experience dazzle you, the itinerary is magical.
I stayed at the SAS Radisson Hotel in Amsterdam and would also recommend it. GREAT breakfast, comfortable room and reasonably priced. It is deeper into the city, but in Amsterdam, everything is within walking distance.
Thanks Nancy and Tom for your informative replies. Only 10+ months to go ! I think I've caught what ever it is that you all seem to have, because I am already looking at possibilities for our NEXT cruise, yikes!
Hi Kami,
Yes, cruise fever is very contagious and once you have been infected it can become highly addictive. BTW, as a former teacher myself, I can fully understand the pre-planning you are doing during summer vacation.
My review of the Baltic cruise on the Century is finally finished and published so I thought you might want to check it out. The pictures have not yet been added (that's Tom's job), but it may continue to feed the cruise bug: http://www.cruisereviews.com/Celebrity/Century64.htm
! I think I've caught what ever it is that you all seem to have, because I am already looking at possibilities for our NEXT cruise, yikes!
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