Disembarkation
All the people who were last to get off (9:00) had brown luggage tags. We had brown luggage tags as we were not flying out today. The AmaViola moved over and rafted on the AmaStella in the evening. Bob thought this would be a problem, but it wasn't so much of one. With luggage in the hall it was a bit tight for the scooter to get through, but we went down to breakfast and this time I had the A+ breakfast just to see what it was. It had sausage, bacon, a minute steak, a fried egg, and a grilled tomato. I couldn't eat all the sausage and bacon.
German cat bought in the ship store for our cat sitter
Blueberry soup recipe
We put the luggage out a little early and did the last bathroom run and checked to be sure that we hadn't left anything, and went down to the foyer a little early. Our luggage was still there in the foyer. The drill is - you put your luggage out half an hour before your disembarkation time, and someone takes it down to the lobby. Then people shuttle the luggage down to a tent on street end of the pier.
Crew taking suitcases down the dock
The guy with the yellow thing is moving pallets down from the ship
As your transportation gets there, you get your bags and you are off. So we went out a little early - they were bunkering (water or fuel I don't know which) and Bob talked to the chief engineer for a few minutes.
Bunkering barge on the water side
Then we lifted the scooter over the ramp of AmaStella (as that ramp has a step on each end) and went down to the pier. It was a nice day - sunny and cool but without much wind. Our suitcases were under the tent.
There was also a provisions truck there unloading pallets
I took a photo of the captain with the lady who has the big group from California.
Captain of the AmaViola and Travel Agent
There was a cab driver there who attempted to pick us up but he didn't know our name or where we were going so I concluded that he was not the proper person. I was getting concerned about our transport so I called the number I had called from the airport and got someone who didn't know anything about our transport. Then I got a call from our driver who wanted to know where we were. I did have the address on me, but I couldn't pronounce it, so I said we were between the Movenpick Hotel and Central Station. That allowed him to find it. It turned out that the guy who had been booked for the transport decided not to do it (maybe hung over from Kings Day), so the manager got this other guy to take us. And he did have the hotel address.
Leaving Amsterdam
Highway to Alkmaar
Picture going through a tunnel
From the taxi window
Tulip fields from the taxi
He had a meter and on the meter, the price would have been 128+ € which was confusing to Bob as he didn't hear the guy say that we only needed to pay 83 € which was the discount rate.
It was raining like crazy on the way to Alkmaar. We got to the hotel about 10:30 and checked in. It is a big room
Hotel reflected in the canal
Beds
Wardrobe, TV and Desk (on right) with scooter
and has both a tub with a shower and a handicapped shower with a seat in one corner.
Handicapped shower
Handicapped toilet
All the people who were last to get off (9:00) had brown luggage tags. We had brown luggage tags as we were not flying out today. The AmaViola moved over and rafted on the AmaStella in the evening. Bob thought this would be a problem, but it wasn't so much of one. With luggage in the hall it was a bit tight for the scooter to get through, but we went down to breakfast and this time I had the A+ breakfast just to see what it was. It had sausage, bacon, a minute steak, a fried egg, and a grilled tomato. I couldn't eat all the sausage and bacon.
German cat bought in the ship store for our cat sitter
Blueberry soup recipe
We put the luggage out a little early and did the last bathroom run and checked to be sure that we hadn't left anything, and went down to the foyer a little early. Our luggage was still there in the foyer. The drill is - you put your luggage out half an hour before your disembarkation time, and someone takes it down to the lobby. Then people shuttle the luggage down to a tent on street end of the pier.
Crew taking suitcases down the dock
The guy with the yellow thing is moving pallets down from the ship
As your transportation gets there, you get your bags and you are off. So we went out a little early - they were bunkering (water or fuel I don't know which) and Bob talked to the chief engineer for a few minutes.
Bunkering barge on the water side
Then we lifted the scooter over the ramp of AmaStella (as that ramp has a step on each end) and went down to the pier. It was a nice day - sunny and cool but without much wind. Our suitcases were under the tent.
There was also a provisions truck there unloading pallets
I took a photo of the captain with the lady who has the big group from California.
Captain of the AmaViola and Travel Agent
There was a cab driver there who attempted to pick us up but he didn't know our name or where we were going so I concluded that he was not the proper person. I was getting concerned about our transport so I called the number I had called from the airport and got someone who didn't know anything about our transport. Then I got a call from our driver who wanted to know where we were. I did have the address on me, but I couldn't pronounce it, so I said we were between the Movenpick Hotel and Central Station. That allowed him to find it. It turned out that the guy who had been booked for the transport decided not to do it (maybe hung over from Kings Day), so the manager got this other guy to take us. And he did have the hotel address.
Leaving Amsterdam
Highway to Alkmaar
Picture going through a tunnel
From the taxi window
Tulip fields from the taxi
He had a meter and on the meter, the price would have been 128+ € which was confusing to Bob as he didn't hear the guy say that we only needed to pay 83 € which was the discount rate.
It was raining like crazy on the way to Alkmaar. We got to the hotel about 10:30 and checked in. It is a big room
Hotel reflected in the canal
Beds
Wardrobe, TV and Desk (on right) with scooter
and has both a tub with a shower and a handicapped shower with a seat in one corner.
Handicapped shower
Handicapped toilet
- Next entry in the series 'Go to Amsterdam First (1950, 1965, 2009, 2016, 2018, 2022)': Lunch at the Stedelijk Museum- 2016
- Previous entry in the series 'Go to Amsterdam First (1950, 1965, 2009, 2016, 2018, 2022)': Back to the Boat - King's Day 2016
