113 Night Grand World Voyage (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)
Sail date: January 22, 2019
Ship:
Amsterdam
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: 1812
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
We enjoyed many of the ports. But we really enjoy the shipboard life.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
The line moved pretty well, but a lot of people trying to get on at the same time.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Good food and decent selection. One comment is if you are on a low salt diet you need to tell them and they will prepare it for you.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Lots of lectures. I like to play Pickleball and they had that (wind and weather permitting). Two pools (one outdoor on the fantail, the other in a dome which an open or close depending on the weather) and 2 hot tubs. Nice fitness center with all the machines and freeweights. Also they had spin classes and other workouts.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
I'm not that impressed with the Holland America stage shows but we had lots of guest entertainers many of whom were just great. Everything from magicians, comedians, singers, pianists, you name it.
Children's Programs
They have a children's program but there were few children on this cruise.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Top notch service and the staff is apparently well treated and has a very positive, friendly attitude.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Inside the ship it is always very clean. I did comment to the staff at front desk the windows in public areas on the outside needed cleaning and did not get it on any regular basis. Plenty of space, public rooms are inviting. Beautiful library, comfortable chairs, nice and quiet for relaxing and reading.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabin was very adequate but could use an upgrade. We chose a porthole cabin this trip just to hold cost down. It was clean and had adequate storage but not overly large in square footage. We had a large shower which was very nice (some ships you have a tiny shower).
Ship tip
Find the crows nest - get a seat early and relax. Very nice place to sit and watch where you are going. They have a bar there and lots of nice events as well. Deck 9 forward.
We stayed on the ship and the Islanders came to us. The Lido Dome area became a market place and we got to meet the native and trade money for their handcrafts. This is where Fletcher Christian took the Bountry after the mutiny in 1790. Descendants of those people still live there.
The opera house tour was special because the Symphony Orchestra was rehearsing and we got to hear a few minutes of it. Being classical music fans, my wife and I thought it was our absolute highlight of visiting Sydney. Of course, there was lots to see here and do. We also took a tour and a cruise in the harbor. We need to go back, even though we had 2 days here.
Gardens by the Bay, the Zoo, the Botanical Gardens and FOOD. So much in Singapore, you can't get enough of it. 2 days was not enough and I've been there numerous times.
Our excursion was private and we went out to the Pinwala Elephant Preserve and had a blast. Even got to feed the elephants. They would walk right up to you if you had fruit in your hands. Last trip we did Colombo, so we want to get out of town and worth it.
Mumbai has cleaned up its act over the years. It used to be dirty and smelly but that has changed. We visited the slum, the laundry and visited the home of friends we know who live there. We always enjoy Mumbai when we go.
Very clean country and nice town to walk around and eat or shop. We have been there before so we just walked around town, did a little shopping in the Suk and ate lunch.
If you go here Petra is a must-see. Since we did that last time, we did a sunset tour of Wadi Rum which was totally beautiful. Think Lawrence of Arabia (and other movies).
Having done Pompeii before, we took a ride down to the Amalfi Coast which we heard was beautiful and it was. It was a private tour with about 15 people, very nice, and we ate lunch at a farm in Sorrento.
We rambled on Las Rambles and ate lunch, visited the Gaudi Bascillica and otherwise walked around - having spent 2 days there not long ago. Lovely place. Don't miss it.
Was there last year and saw Cadiz so this year took a small excursion private tour to Seville and wow that is beautiful. The tile work is breathtaking along with really nice architecture. Actually much more interesting than Cadiz if you only have one day.
We just took the shuttle bus into town from the port and shopped, ate and walked around. There is much we missed but we were pretty tired from several port days together.
Took a tour of Utah Beach and visited a museum. All famous from D Day in WWII. It is with great awe that I stood on that beach thinking what happened there on June 6, 1944, nearly 75 years ago.
Took a bus tour for highlights of Brussels. It's a beautiful city where we walked around the square, visited the guilded buildings, ate a nice lunch and bought too much chocolate to bring home.
Took a canal boat ride, visited a couple of museums and had a nice time at Rijksmuseum. If you go there, visit Anne Frank House where she held up hiding from the Germans during WWII. Very moving experience. Book on line ahead of time, it's very busy to get into.
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