Amsterdam-The adventure brgins

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I love it when a plan comes together. MaryLou and I met at the hotel around 2:00. Our room was ready when I arrived at 11:00 and it was spacious with a veranda and a great bathroom with both tub and shower. We were both pretty whipped from traveling and I was a bit hungry ( the airline food was pretty bad) so we went to the Brassiere and sat by the fireplace. We were both chilled from the trip and the heat felt wonderful. I had a bagel with salmon and a glass of wine, ML had coffee and we were in bed by five.



Awoke refreshed after 16 hours. Better be refreshed!! Coffee, then boarded the shuttle to the airport. Found the train station easily, bought our ticket and were soon on our way to Amsterdam.



Arrived at Central Station 13 minutes later, walked across the street to the tram and headed out for the day. Our destination is the Rijksmuseum and the tram stops right in front. Show our tickets, pick up our headphones and we are on our way. So easy. From hotel to museum about an hour.



Of course our first stop is Rembrandt’s Night Watch. The crowd was manageable so we were able to take our time and enjoy the Dutch Masters up close and personal. Veneer, Van Dyke, Rembrandt and so many others. We then headed to the Dutch Impressionists including Van Gogh and finally decided to seek out the cafe for a bite.



The only disappointment for the day was not being able to dine at an Indonesian restaurant as the recommended ones were booked; as was every hotel room, Inn and B&B from the airport into town. There was a convention or exposition of techies and the crowd was expected to exceed 150,000. The streets were crowded as was the tram, train and shuttle but the museum was not overwhelmed. Lucky us.



Back at the hotel we again went to the Brassiere where ML enjoyed a salad and I had my Bitterbollen, sort of Dutch beef croquettes. Were tucked in our beds for another great night sleep.



Embarkation Day



Enjoyed a wonderful buffet breakfast. Anything you might want from fresh fruit (bananas, peaches, nectarines , red apples, green apples, pears and plums) to eggs and bacon, from cold cuts and cheese to hot and cold cereals and breads and rolls and muffins, oh my. They even had my Prociutto and melon. And the melon was ripe and juicy and full of flavor. Great way to start our day.



Our stay at the Van der Valt Hotel was great. Everyone was friendly and helpful. The food was great, our room large and comfortable. We lucked out there.



Our taxi to the ship took about an hour. Check in was a bit chaotic but we were soon in our cabin. The Konigsdam in HAL’s newest and largest ship. It's decor is light and airy, the art is more modern than antique and we have seen pros and cons.



Our cabin features crown molding and soft close drawers and doors. We have a large screen TV and lots of plugs and USB ports. On the other hand it seems smaller than on other ships and one closet is filled with the mini bar and safe. We managed to store our stuff but it was a challenge. The bathroom is tiny. We have a large walk in shower but no tub. A large man would have trouble sitting on the john as the is no leg room. Still it works for us and it is new and sparkling.







We head out to take care of business. ML signed up for a cooking class, we bought our shore excursion tickets, checked out our dining table to make sure it was a large one. Then headed to the Lido for lunch. ML stuck with salad and I had to have the pasta with shrimp, clams and mushrooms in oil and garlic. YUM! There is a whole section of a deck that is dedicated to music from Classical at the Lincoln Center Stage, Notes has rock and roll and the piano bar, Billboard on Board has pop and there is still the showroom.



We check out the spa and fitness center and pools. Movies are held at night at the Lido pool, another innovation. There is a Dutch Cafe where I can get bitterballen in the evenings. How well all of this suits us is an open question.



Another change is the way the muster drill is held. We no longer stand on deck in the blistering sun or driving rain. Instead we are assigned a muster station, in our case the dining room, and we are scanned in as we arrive. This eliminates the endless roll calls. The experience is detailed on the cabin TV prior to going to the muster station and again over the PA. It is over quickly and the 42 people who did not show up had better report in or they WILL be asked to leave the ship. No exceptions.



We arranged for an early seating, table for eight in the dining room. Only one couple besides ourselves were there, Ruth and Joe live in AZ but were born and raised in Ohio and met in college. They seem very nice. Ruth is Chatty so the conversation doesn't lag. Neither ML nor I were hungry so we ordered the gazpacho, ML stuck with salad and I had the Procuitto with melon. No main course, no desert.





It was time to turn in for a wonderful nights sleep. Tomorrow we have our first sea day.

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