Port Information:Amsterdam
In Amsterdam, river cruise vessels dock behind the Central Station, along a street called de Ruyterkade. This is very close to the city center. You can walk along the waterfront to the back side of Central Station. When you cross through the Central Station building you exit the station in the center of the city.
Unless you want to drag your suitcases on public transportation, the best way to get from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport to de Ruyterkade is by taxi. You'll be able to hire a taxi from the taxi stand in front of the airport. You might want to negotiate price with the driver before you enter the taxi. We paid 51 euros (including tip) from the airport to the ship. The taxi back to the airport was arranged by our Cruise Director for a flat fee of 35 euros (plus tip). We also shared the taxi back to the airport with another couple, which reduced our cost more.
The ship may also be located at Veemkade, which is behind the Central Station to the left, or further down at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA). The PTA is where the larger cruise ships dock. We docked there on our past cruise vacations that included Amsterdam.
We were able to easily explore Amsterdam from where we were docked. As I mentioned in my earlier post, we walked along the waterfront and Central Station and into the heart of Amsterdam from our ship. When we returned to Amsterdam later in the week, we were also docked in the same location. This time, we used the Stop/Go Bus to take us to some shops near Anne Frank's House. From there we walked back to the ship, shopping along the way. It only costs 1 euro for an hour on the Stop/Go Bus - this is a great deal.
Amsterdam is a very easy city to get around on your own. There are several public transportation options. For those that wanted some exercise, the Amalegro also had bicycles that you could check out if you desired.
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