Just FYI to those taking a cruise out of Amsterdam. We're arriving a day early and will stay in a hotel. But on "Day 1" of the cruise, Tauck will transport us to embark the boat at 4pm, which means we must be packed earlier, and will depart the hotel at maybe 3:30pm.
My expectation was that the welcome dinner would be at 6pm at the hotel and we would embark on the morning of the next day, giving us most of the day for private touring.
This limits our free time on “Day 1” - we’ll really only have the morning to do any private touring so I’ve now made arrangements to do some things in the city. Just won ‘t have time to travel outside the city.
Easy mistake to make and more common than we think. The great thing about starting in Amsterdam is where the boat is docked. The docking schedule is very regimented in Amsterdam and set months in advance. The docking areas are located on either side of the Central Station about a 5 minute walk. The station is serviced by numerous trains including the high speed trains, the buses in Amsterdam and going outside of Amsterdam and most of the tram line. Ask the TD who should be at the hotel on Day 1, where the boat is docked and that you will meet them there around 430. This gives you a huge chuck of tour time on your own, rather than wasting time getting back to the hotel, waiting for people to show up and then taking the bus over. This is even easier if you have a hired car or private guild with a car. They can just drop you off right at the dock, which have easy access to the highway system. It probably easier and faster to get to the docking area rather than your hotel.
Mike, were the tour details unclear? That seems a big mistake on your part and that’s not like you.
The details that we would be taken to the boat at 4pm was not something I couldn't find in the documentation. Maybe it's there and I missed it. It was my travel agent who mentioned it to me.
The welcome dinner is always on Day 1 of the tour not the preceding, non tour day. Not everyone arrives early…some guests’ flights arrive on Day 1.
Yep, very familiar with that. But I expected to have free time until 6pm. I did that on the Vietnam tour where we went to Ha Long Bay on "Day 1" and got back in time for the 6pm dinner. I was expecting to do that here. Of course, Vietnam was a land tour and not a river cruise.
We don't do many river cruises so I was not familiar with how they might do things. I'll know better next time.
There is always a wealth of information on Tauck’s website for each tour and, in my opinion, it is always prudent to review the details.
You can always skip the reception and dinner on the ship in order to have sufficient time at the Delta Works. Just be sure to let one of the tour directors know. The hotel’s front desk can store your luggage and, hopefully, it gets transported to the ship. Once you arrive on the ship you can have a snack in Arthur’s.
There is always a wealth of information on Tauck’s website for each tour and, in my opinion, it is always prudent to review the details.
Yep, I reviewed the itinerary carefully on Tauck’s website. I do that for every cruise we take. And my wife who is really good at picking up details that I miss didn’t see it either.
I did see that we’d spend the night on the boat, but not that we’d be transported for arrival at the boat at 4pm.
Live and learn. We don’t do river cruises much because you don’t get to spend much time in each town, and never have any evening time. It’s back to the boat, usually before dark, which then cruises to the next town.
But for some places, a land tour just isn’t reasonable, or even available.
Comments
Thanks, I sent you a private message.
Just FYI to those taking a cruise out of Amsterdam. We're arriving a day early and will stay in a hotel. But on "Day 1" of the cruise, Tauck will transport us to embark the boat at 4pm, which means we must be packed earlier, and will depart the hotel at maybe 3:30pm.
My expectation was that the welcome dinner would be at 6pm at the hotel and we would embark on the morning of the next day, giving us most of the day for private touring.
This limits our free time on “Day 1” - we’ll really only have the morning to do any private touring so I’ve now made arrangements to do some things in the city. Just won ‘t have time to travel outside the city.
Mike, were the tour details unclear? That seems a big mistake on your part and that’s not like you.
The welcome dinner is always on Day 1 of the tour not the preceding, non tour day. Not everyone arrives early…some guests’ flights arrive on Day 1.
Easy mistake to make and more common than we think. The great thing about starting in Amsterdam is where the boat is docked. The docking schedule is very regimented in Amsterdam and set months in advance. The docking areas are located on either side of the Central Station about a 5 minute walk. The station is serviced by numerous trains including the high speed trains, the buses in Amsterdam and going outside of Amsterdam and most of the tram line. Ask the TD who should be at the hotel on Day 1, where the boat is docked and that you will meet them there around 430. This gives you a huge chuck of tour time on your own, rather than wasting time getting back to the hotel, waiting for people to show up and then taking the bus over. This is even easier if you have a hired car or private guild with a car. They can just drop you off right at the dock, which have easy access to the highway system. It probably easier and faster to get to the docking area rather than your hotel.
The details that we would be taken to the boat at 4pm was not something I couldn't find in the documentation. Maybe it's there and I missed it. It was my travel agent who mentioned it to me.
Yep, very familiar with that. But I expected to have free time until 6pm. I did that on the Vietnam tour where we went to Ha Long Bay on "Day 1" and got back in time for the 6pm dinner. I was expecting to do that here. Of course, Vietnam was a land tour and not a river cruise.
We don't do many river cruises so I was not familiar with how they might do things. I'll know better next time.
There is always a wealth of information on Tauck’s website for each tour and, in my opinion, it is always prudent to review the details.
You can always skip the reception and dinner on the ship in order to have sufficient time at the Delta Works. Just be sure to let one of the tour directors know. The hotel’s front desk can store your luggage and, hopefully, it gets transported to the ship. Once you arrive on the ship you can have a snack in Arthur’s.
Yep, I reviewed the itinerary carefully on Tauck’s website. I do that for every cruise we take. And my wife who is really good at picking up details that I miss didn’t see it either.
I did see that we’d spend the night on the boat, but not that we’d be transported for arrival at the boat at 4pm.
Live and learn. We don’t do river cruises much because you don’t get to spend much time in each town, and never have any evening time. It’s back to the boat, usually before dark, which then cruises to the next town.
But for some places, a land tour just isn’t reasonable, or even available.