I just finalized all of the booking for a cruise/city vacation in Holland and Baltic Cruise. Below are some of the tips for reducing costs that I put into action.
1. The cruise was almost free as I had a future cruise credit due to a cancelled cruise by the cruise line. All I had to pay was $100 and the taxes. But the tip here is that I used the future cruise credit at CruCon.com (crucon.com) and got a $150 on board credit (OBC). If a cruise line offers you a cruise credit, use it in the time frame allowed and find a travel agency giving OBCs this way you will reduce your overall cost. This will pay for the daily service charges)
2. Try to use your credit card, travel agency and or airline points even if its only a partial payment. This time I used my expedia points (expedia.ca) and doubled the credit at one of their VIP hotels. In this case it allowed me a discount of $200 for a much better hotel in Amsterdam. I also used up my Visa Adventura card points (cibc.com) which reduced a $1200 flight to $733 but I still had to pay for my seats and baggage. I am flabbergasted that a seat on KLM is now $32 CDN each way and 1 checked bag is $60 each way. If my KLM points had not expired I would have saved some money there.
3. If you are only staying one night as I am the last day of the cruise you really only need a hotel close to transportation to and from the cruise port and airport. I have to stay one night in order to get a morning flight home the next day. I used Booking.com (booking.com) and my genius 2 level discount for a hotel walking distance to the cruise port and easy 1 train to the airport the next day.
4. This is likely the most important tip - watch the prices of your flight, cruise as this way you can book at sale times and you get the double wammy of the sale price plus the use of your rewards to get the lowest price.
I only like direct flights when I have to check a bag, prefer an aisle seat close to the front of the plane and hotels on the train lines and public transit or walkable to the sights I want to see. With a little planning and use of reward points I am saving over $2500 on this vacation.
Hope this helps
Marcia
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Link to good article on safest countries for women travelling solo
As I have mentioned in previous posts I find the articles on smarter travel.com (https://www.smartertravel.com) www.smartertravel.com very helpful. There is a good one on which counties (based on most travelled to countries) are safest and those that are not for female solo travellers based on a number of factors.
Below is the link
https://www.smartertravel.com/safest-countries-for-solo-female-travel/?source=91&u=DED129A403&nltv=&nl_cs=51498934%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A&mi_u=DED129A403
You can copy it into your browser to see if where your going is on the safest or worse. I am glad Canada is in the top ten but think it should be higher than the first which is Spain?? I saw lots of pickpockets and vandalism in Spain. I also was not surprised that Dominican Republic was on the 10 least safe as I had my bad experiences there in the past.
Take a look at the article and see if you agree.
Hope this helps
Marcia
Below is the link
https://www.smartertravel.com/safest-countries-for-solo-female-travel/?source=91&u=DED129A403&nltv=&nl_cs=51498934%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A&mi_u=DED129A403
You can copy it into your browser to see if where your going is on the safest or worse. I am glad Canada is in the top ten but think it should be higher than the first which is Spain?? I saw lots of pickpockets and vandalism in Spain. I also was not surprised that Dominican Republic was on the 10 least safe as I had my bad experiences there in the past.
Take a look at the article and see if you agree.
Hope this helps
Marcia
Monday, October 28, 2019
Safety tips for solo senior travellers
I have been travelling solo since I was a teenager and have recently realized that some of the things I had to worry about as a young traveller are now true as a senior traveller. Travelling alone has its perks (do your own thing), no schedules to keep or joint decision making but you can be a target for pick pockets and other unsavory characters. When I was young the various service people called me "dear" or "Miss", in middle age they called me mam, and now in my sixties its back to "dear" again. Quite weird. So below are my tips
1. Arrive and depart in the daytime if possible. Easier to travel alone and you don't stand out. To Europe I take the night flights that arrive in the morning.
2. Use a "Travelon" (amazon.ca) purse/bag as it locks and is really hard for pickpockets to get at you. The strap also has metal so can't be cut.
3. Make sure you have either pre-booked your pick-up when you arrive or know the public transport you will be taking. I use Rome2Rio (rome2rio.com) to figure out what routing and transportation options I have in each new destination. The same applies for your departure.
4. I prefer shuttles to taxis if possible for pickup or departure - I feel safer with others in the van and of course its cheaper for one person.
5. Take public transport if possible in the town/city as there are cameras and lots of staff to help you.
6. Travel light - you must be able to carry your suitcase without looking like you need help. The only help I have needed is on some trains in Europe, staff or kind gentlemen have lifted up my suitcase to the overhead when there wasn't another option. I prefer the lower section and ALWAYS lock your suitcase after you get off the plane - pickpockets like to rifle thru unlocked suitcases on trains/buses.
7. Look for hotels/inns that include breakfast. It saves you money and time in the morning.
8. Eat your big meal in a nice restaurant at lunch. It will be cheaper and there are usually lots of other solo (usually business people) eating alone and a few times they have asked to join me.
9. Be back in your hotel/inn mid evening - I target for 8 or 9 pm and if I am going to be really late (seeing a show etc) I make sure I know my routing or take a cab to my hotel.
10. Don't be afraid - look confident - a little planning on your routes, your travel options to the various destinations in big cities or country side will give you confidence.
11. Avoid big crowds as this is where the pickpockets are and they love Seniors - in Rome its the crowded buses and line ups for tourist sites. If you can travel off-peak times, you will find breathing space.
12. Be open to meeting and talking to other fellow travellers - I always meet fellow tourists and am friendly and polite to all service people and other travellers. If there is an issue I speak up but respectfully and calmly.
13. Most of all enjoy yourself, do your own thing and try new things.
Lastly you don't always need a tour, but for some who need the company, want others to plan your days go ahead but remember its likely more expensive than travelling on your own.
Hope this helps
Marcia
1. Arrive and depart in the daytime if possible. Easier to travel alone and you don't stand out. To Europe I take the night flights that arrive in the morning.
2. Use a "Travelon" (amazon.ca) purse/bag as it locks and is really hard for pickpockets to get at you. The strap also has metal so can't be cut.
3. Make sure you have either pre-booked your pick-up when you arrive or know the public transport you will be taking. I use Rome2Rio (rome2rio.com) to figure out what routing and transportation options I have in each new destination. The same applies for your departure.
4. I prefer shuttles to taxis if possible for pickup or departure - I feel safer with others in the van and of course its cheaper for one person.
5. Take public transport if possible in the town/city as there are cameras and lots of staff to help you.
6. Travel light - you must be able to carry your suitcase without looking like you need help. The only help I have needed is on some trains in Europe, staff or kind gentlemen have lifted up my suitcase to the overhead when there wasn't another option. I prefer the lower section and ALWAYS lock your suitcase after you get off the plane - pickpockets like to rifle thru unlocked suitcases on trains/buses.
7. Look for hotels/inns that include breakfast. It saves you money and time in the morning.
8. Eat your big meal in a nice restaurant at lunch. It will be cheaper and there are usually lots of other solo (usually business people) eating alone and a few times they have asked to join me.
9. Be back in your hotel/inn mid evening - I target for 8 or 9 pm and if I am going to be really late (seeing a show etc) I make sure I know my routing or take a cab to my hotel.
10. Don't be afraid - look confident - a little planning on your routes, your travel options to the various destinations in big cities or country side will give you confidence.
11. Avoid big crowds as this is where the pickpockets are and they love Seniors - in Rome its the crowded buses and line ups for tourist sites. If you can travel off-peak times, you will find breathing space.
12. Be open to meeting and talking to other fellow travellers - I always meet fellow tourists and am friendly and polite to all service people and other travellers. If there is an issue I speak up but respectfully and calmly.
13. Most of all enjoy yourself, do your own thing and try new things.
Lastly you don't always need a tour, but for some who need the company, want others to plan your days go ahead but remember its likely more expensive than travelling on your own.
Hope this helps
Marcia
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Should you use a travel advisor/agent?
The quickest answer is sometimes you can/should use a travel agent/advisor. They are now calling themselves advisors (a recent change).
All I can do is tell you when I use a travel advisor.
1. I use a travel advisor when I am booking cruises. Often they offer additional credits beyond what the cruise line is offering. For instance on my recent booking to the Baltic CruCon (https://www.crucon.com) www.crucon.com, offered a $150 USD on board credit. They are a high volume cruise booker so it is likely based on volume??? Not sure.
2. I use a travel advisor at Expedia Cruise Centers when I have found the best deal, and its thru the Cruise line only. I don't pay anything extra, she gets the commission, I get expedia points that I use for hotel bookings thru Expedia and I have the added protection of going thru a travel agency.
When do a book on my own?
1. I do it when I book flights and hotels only.
I often find that I like the convenience and safety of booking the airlines directly on their site. The price (even with sales) are the same and I can book my seats and pay for my bag all in one transaction. They are the best at keeping me informed on any flight changes as I have found Expedia has had an issue with the flight changes as they always ask me to accept the change (I do) and then for some reason it doesn't take. I caused me a whole lot of hassle with a Delta/WestJet flight last summer and the Expedia supervisor was extremely rude and still didn't fix it so I had problems checking in with WestJet. Thankfully West Jet did the best they could and I got on all my flights, but had to check in with agents versus online and kiosks even though I only had a carryon.
With Hotels I use Expedia and/or Booking.com. I use Expedia, (Expedia.ca) when I am using up the credits I have earned from Cruises and hotel bookings. But I like Booking.com (booking.com) the best as I have the Genius level discounts from booking many hotels and I trust the ratings of people who have stayed at the hotel. I find if the place has an average guest score of 8 or more out of 10, regardless of the hotel star rating ( I usually stay at 3 star) I can trust the experience I will have.
2. Booking trains and buying passes in Europe. I find booking directly with the national train service or tourism site for city passes the best way to go, as you can trust the reservation, don't have to pay a fee and usually the price is the same. However I have had an issue with Canadian Credit cards with the French rail service - for some reason they didn't like my card. So I had to book with a third party and the ticket was fine but there was a small fee.
Hope this Helps
Marcia
All I can do is tell you when I use a travel advisor.
1. I use a travel advisor when I am booking cruises. Often they offer additional credits beyond what the cruise line is offering. For instance on my recent booking to the Baltic CruCon (https://www.crucon.com) www.crucon.com, offered a $150 USD on board credit. They are a high volume cruise booker so it is likely based on volume??? Not sure.
2. I use a travel advisor at Expedia Cruise Centers when I have found the best deal, and its thru the Cruise line only. I don't pay anything extra, she gets the commission, I get expedia points that I use for hotel bookings thru Expedia and I have the added protection of going thru a travel agency.
When do a book on my own?
1. I do it when I book flights and hotels only.
I often find that I like the convenience and safety of booking the airlines directly on their site. The price (even with sales) are the same and I can book my seats and pay for my bag all in one transaction. They are the best at keeping me informed on any flight changes as I have found Expedia has had an issue with the flight changes as they always ask me to accept the change (I do) and then for some reason it doesn't take. I caused me a whole lot of hassle with a Delta/WestJet flight last summer and the Expedia supervisor was extremely rude and still didn't fix it so I had problems checking in with WestJet. Thankfully West Jet did the best they could and I got on all my flights, but had to check in with agents versus online and kiosks even though I only had a carryon.
With Hotels I use Expedia and/or Booking.com. I use Expedia, (Expedia.ca) when I am using up the credits I have earned from Cruises and hotel bookings. But I like Booking.com (booking.com) the best as I have the Genius level discounts from booking many hotels and I trust the ratings of people who have stayed at the hotel. I find if the place has an average guest score of 8 or more out of 10, regardless of the hotel star rating ( I usually stay at 3 star) I can trust the experience I will have.
2. Booking trains and buying passes in Europe. I find booking directly with the national train service or tourism site for city passes the best way to go, as you can trust the reservation, don't have to pay a fee and usually the price is the same. However I have had an issue with Canadian Credit cards with the French rail service - for some reason they didn't like my card. So I had to book with a third party and the ticket was fine but there was a small fee.
Hope this Helps
Marcia
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Helpful article on how to pack everything in a carry on
I just found this good article on Jetsetter. It talks about how to pack everything in a carry on. Below is the link to the article.
https://www.jetsetter.com/magazine/tips-for-packing-a-carry-on/?source=115966&u=DED129A403&nltv=&nl_cs=51663008%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A&mcid=57485&mi_u=DED129A403
jetsetter.com
I like this newsletter as I only get it once a week and usually there is something helpful.
Hope this helps
Marcia
https://www.jetsetter.com/magazine/tips-for-packing-a-carry-on/?source=115966&u=DED129A403&nltv=&nl_cs=51663008%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A&mcid=57485&mi_u=DED129A403
jetsetter.com
I like this newsletter as I only get it once a week and usually there is something helpful.
Hope this helps
Marcia
Sunday, October 20, 2019
MSC Caribbean cruise inside cabin 11 day at $741 CDN
I am seeing a terrific deal for solos on MSC DIVINA at $741 CDN (Expedia.ca expedia.ca) for December 6 to December 17th 2019 for a solo (Fantastica) in an inside cabin on decks 12 or 13. This is a very good deal as a Fantastica cabin means you will likely get your choice of dining time and free room service. I have never been on an MSC ship but have heard mixed reviews - with some reviews saying its the Greyhound bus of cruises and others really liking it. The ports are excellent on this cruise. The worry I have is the price of flights seem to be close to the cost of the cruise with the lowest direct flight over $500 CDN on American Airlines … Air Canada is over $600.
Hope this helps
Marcia
Hope this helps
Marcia
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
9 day Empress of the Seas carribean cruise for 2 $442 USD PP
The deal of the day is Empress of the Seas 9 day Southern Carribean Cruise for $442 USD PP double occupancy or for solo its $849USD. Its on December 13, 2019 and leaves from Miami. This is the rate for an inside cabin on a high deck. On Cruises.com and American Cruise Discount they are also offering onboard credit of $50 USD.
Note this is an older ship and has mixed reviews but with Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire as some of the ports you can't go wrong with this deal.
However direct flights are about $600 CDN on either WestJet or Air Canada for these dates.
It seems if you get a good cruise deal the flights will be expensive.
Hope this helps
Marcia
Note this is an older ship and has mixed reviews but with Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire as some of the ports you can't go wrong with this deal.
However direct flights are about $600 CDN on either WestJet or Air Canada for these dates.
It seems if you get a good cruise deal the flights will be expensive.
Hope this helps
Marcia
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Deal of the day October 15 2019
I have been asked to post the best deal I see each day. I will only post if something is a really good deal. Today Holland America has a large sale. There are two web sites offering these good deals on HAL cruises. Caribbean cruises are as low as $437 PP (double occupancy) for a 7-day cruise in November 2019 thru January 2020.
Vacations to Go. On my transatlantic cruise almost all of the people I met from the US said this was the site for the best cruise deals.
Below is the link to their site. Note its in USD but I find their site easy to use and they have a quick link to check single rates on each of the cruises
www.vacationstogo.com
Holland America Private Sale - note they say you have to sign in to get the private fares, but the prices are the same regardless of whether you sign in or not. I typically sign in and I wonder if this is the reason I typically get an upgrade???
hollandamerica.com
Hope this helps
Marcia
Vacations to Go. On my transatlantic cruise almost all of the people I met from the US said this was the site for the best cruise deals.
Below is the link to their site. Note its in USD but I find their site easy to use and they have a quick link to check single rates on each of the cruises
www.vacationstogo.com
Holland America Private Sale - note they say you have to sign in to get the private fares, but the prices are the same regardless of whether you sign in or not. I typically sign in and I wonder if this is the reason I typically get an upgrade???
hollandamerica.com
Hope this helps
Marcia
Monday, October 14, 2019
Tips for packing light for longer trips (2 weeks or more)
I am always asked how I pack in order to keep to a 25 inch suitcase for 2-weeks. Below are my tips
1. Get a lightweight suitcase - my favourite is Lipault. They are the cheapest usually on amazon.ca amazon.ca. These suitcases weigh under 51bs and are very durable. My suitcase has weathered many cruises and airlines. Pick a darker color as the airlines tend to dirty them. I have both the 25 inch and the carry on and they hold a lot without you going over the weight limits and I have never had an airline refuse the carry on.
2. Buy an x-large plastic seal bag - I get mine at Walmart. It will protect your clothes that you pack from any water, leaks and especially bugs https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ziploc-10-Gallon-Pinch-and-Seal-Big-Storage-Bags-XL-4-Count/14089250. Put all of your packed clothes in it on one side of the suitcase and seal it. Take an extra bag for the way home and continually put in the dirty clothes as you can switch the bags at the end of the trip. You get 4 bags for about $6.
3. Learn how to fold your clothes so they are as small as possible. I do not use the roll method as I find it takes up too much space . There are many sites that show you how on the internet. Note when you get to your destination hang them up and they will be wrinkle free in a day or two.
4. Take only the shoes you are going to wear. I wear the heaviest shoes on the plane (runners or winter boots) and then take light weight shoes. I typically pack 2 pairs - I find the sketchers go walk shoes and easy spirit shoes are the lightest for travel and are always comfortable for long walks.
5. In your cosmetic bag you need the following for light travel
- I use lush shampoo bars. They last for 3 to 4 2-week trips https://www.lush.ca/en/hair/shampoo-bars/ at lush.ca lush.ca. They weigh almost nothing and I use the body shop small plastic container from the body butter as it makes sure the shampoo is protected in the shower.
- I am not fond of Lush's conditioner bar as it doesn't work for my hair so I take a small container of liquid conditioner.
- Pack a small container of washing detergent gel/liquid - I like the arm and hammer for cold water as you only need a little to rinse out underwear and other things in the sinks.
- Pack 4 or 6 plastic clothespins - on cruises I use these to hang up the laundry. They also sell ones that have a hook for hanging up in closets etc. In a pinch the hangers in the closets for hanging trousers or pants also work well as you hang the underwear or bras on each of the clasps.
- Pack Benadryl cream and pills. I have been bitten by spiders, no see-ums, mosquitos and bees and Benadryl is a life saver for me.
- Pack a mini humidifier - The cruise cabins and hotel rooms air conditioners are horrible for my voice/throat. These weigh only a few ounces. I prefer the ones that have rechargeable batteries with a USB plug in for re-charging. Again they are available on amazon.ca
- Pack medication, a mini kit of bandaids, polysporin, etc.
- Pack lotion and or suntan lotion as planes and hotel rooms dry out the skin
- Pack extra batteries for your travel alarm clock.
For a two week trip in a sun destination I take about 7 t-shirts (easily washable), 5 pairs of underwear/bras and socks (also washable), 2pairs of shorts/capris. If its a cruise where you need to dress up for dinner I have 5 very light weight tops and 2 pairs of light weight dress pants. I take 2 scarfs, On the plane I wear the jeans, t-shirt and a light weight fleece and scarf.
If I am checking a bag, I carry a small lockable purse - I have 3 Travelon (again available at amzon.ca) purses. They have locks and even in Rome where they pick pocketed me they only got the travel guide that was in an open sleeve. I also take a back pack for my scarf, book, water bottle and sweatshirt for the plane.
I hope this helps
Marcia
1. Get a lightweight suitcase - my favourite is Lipault. They are the cheapest usually on amazon.ca amazon.ca. These suitcases weigh under 51bs and are very durable. My suitcase has weathered many cruises and airlines. Pick a darker color as the airlines tend to dirty them. I have both the 25 inch and the carry on and they hold a lot without you going over the weight limits and I have never had an airline refuse the carry on.
2. Buy an x-large plastic seal bag - I get mine at Walmart. It will protect your clothes that you pack from any water, leaks and especially bugs https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ziploc-10-Gallon-Pinch-and-Seal-Big-Storage-Bags-XL-4-Count/14089250. Put all of your packed clothes in it on one side of the suitcase and seal it. Take an extra bag for the way home and continually put in the dirty clothes as you can switch the bags at the end of the trip. You get 4 bags for about $6.
3. Learn how to fold your clothes so they are as small as possible. I do not use the roll method as I find it takes up too much space . There are many sites that show you how on the internet. Note when you get to your destination hang them up and they will be wrinkle free in a day or two.
4. Take only the shoes you are going to wear. I wear the heaviest shoes on the plane (runners or winter boots) and then take light weight shoes. I typically pack 2 pairs - I find the sketchers go walk shoes and easy spirit shoes are the lightest for travel and are always comfortable for long walks.
5. In your cosmetic bag you need the following for light travel
- I use lush shampoo bars. They last for 3 to 4 2-week trips https://www.lush.ca/en/hair/shampoo-bars/ at lush.ca lush.ca. They weigh almost nothing and I use the body shop small plastic container from the body butter as it makes sure the shampoo is protected in the shower.
- I am not fond of Lush's conditioner bar as it doesn't work for my hair so I take a small container of liquid conditioner.
- Pack a small container of washing detergent gel/liquid - I like the arm and hammer for cold water as you only need a little to rinse out underwear and other things in the sinks.
- Pack 4 or 6 plastic clothespins - on cruises I use these to hang up the laundry. They also sell ones that have a hook for hanging up in closets etc. In a pinch the hangers in the closets for hanging trousers or pants also work well as you hang the underwear or bras on each of the clasps.
- Pack Benadryl cream and pills. I have been bitten by spiders, no see-ums, mosquitos and bees and Benadryl is a life saver for me.
- Pack a mini humidifier - The cruise cabins and hotel rooms air conditioners are horrible for my voice/throat. These weigh only a few ounces. I prefer the ones that have rechargeable batteries with a USB plug in for re-charging. Again they are available on amazon.ca
- Pack medication, a mini kit of bandaids, polysporin, etc.
- Pack lotion and or suntan lotion as planes and hotel rooms dry out the skin
- Pack extra batteries for your travel alarm clock.
For a two week trip in a sun destination I take about 7 t-shirts (easily washable), 5 pairs of underwear/bras and socks (also washable), 2pairs of shorts/capris. If its a cruise where you need to dress up for dinner I have 5 very light weight tops and 2 pairs of light weight dress pants. I take 2 scarfs, On the plane I wear the jeans, t-shirt and a light weight fleece and scarf.
If I am checking a bag, I carry a small lockable purse - I have 3 Travelon (again available at amzon.ca) purses. They have locks and even in Rome where they pick pocketed me they only got the travel guide that was in an open sleeve. I also take a back pack for my scarf, book, water bottle and sweatshirt for the plane.
I hope this helps
Marcia
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Reviews of 2019 Cruises (Transatlantic, Greek Islands and Hawaii)
2019 was the year of 3 cruises for me. Too many and I won't be taking one until next June.
Transatlantic cruise - Rotterdam (HAL) - April 2019
I was supposed to be taking a transatlantic cruise on the Oasis of the Seas from Port Canaveral to Barcelona but the Oasis was hit by a crane while in dry-dock. Two weeks before the cruise Royal Caribbean notified me. The gave a full refund for the cruise including taxes and only $400 towards the flight cancellation fees. RCL also gave a future cruise credit for the full amount of the cruise not including taxes. Which I am using for the Brilliance of the Seas cruise in June 2020 to the Baltic. Given it was so close to the date of sailing, the $400 didn't cover the full cost of flights but my credit card travel insurance covered the remainder. I must say RCL kept its promises and I received all refunds etc. as per the timeline they set out but in all it took almost 2 months to get all my money refunded. I really recommend GOPORTCANVERAL.COMgoportcananveral.com for booking your transfers and hotels for cruising out of Port Canaveral. they promptly refunded all the money. I used them before and found the transfers and hotel a very reasonable rate and they were efficient. I will use them again. I used ITRAVEL2000 for the flights and again the staff went out of their way to help me get a refund from AirTransat.
I called Holland America (HollandAmerica.com) , and the agent was able to get me the flights and an interior guaranteed cabin on the Rotterdam for about the same as I what I paid for both the flight and cruise on the Oasis. The Rotterdam left out of Tampa to Rotterdam, Holland. It was supposed to stop in the Azores, France, Belgium and Rotterdam. Unfortunately due to high seas we only went to the Azores (stayed 3 days). Unlike RCL, HAL is not that good with refunds. They gave us $100 on board credit, and refunded our shore excursions in the three ports we missed. We also got a 10% future cruise credit which came to about 180 dollars . Most of the cruisers only booked the cruise in order to see the ports in France and Belgium, so in addition to being disappointed they were unhappy with the level of credit.
They upgraded me to an Ocean view cabin mid-ship on the second level. Even with high seas, the only noise I heard was some creaking and movement was manageable. Those at the front of the ship said the banging and movement was unbearable at night. I liked my cabin -while old was clean and large and very comfortable.
The Rotterdam is an old ship with minimal to do. The had the same entertainers several nights in a row. They were doing construction to build more entertainment venues. I loved the promenade deck and small movie theatre (went almost every night) but not much else as 11-days at sea is too much on this small of a ship. The food is ok in the dining room and buffet. Nothing to rave about
I will not go on this ship again unless the itinerary is almost all days in port.
Wanting to use the cruise credit, and because of a sale on a 12 night Greek Island cruise in early July I booked the Koningsdam out of Rome to Olympus, Athens (2-days), Mykonos, Crete, Santorini, Rhodes, Kudasi, (not in this order) and Naples.
While I don't like the Koningsdam (horrible Promenade deck, smoky adult swimming pool at the back of the ship and poor food/service in the dining room), I like the cabins and this time the itinerary. The pools were always packed with kids, back deck unbearably smoky but the food in buffet was really good especially at dinner. There were a lot of nights (seafood night especially) where it was packed. I was told the dining room was empty that night.
The ports were great. Below is my review
Rome airport transfer to ship - way too expensive thru the cruise line, but given the flight time arrival I had no choice. You can take the train to Termini and then the train to the cruise port for about 25% of the cost of the transfer.
Katakalon - Olympia Greece.
Do not take a ship tour. Get off the ship and there are lots of vendors who sell the return transfer to Olympia (with 2 hours at the park) for 8 euros. It costs 12 euros for the museum and park. Its very easy to do on your own in two hours.
Athens - Greece.
One of my least favourite cities. Take the 2- day hop on hop off bus from the port. Its about 15 Euros and it will take you to the Acropolis and main sites. I took the blue bus and it was fine but the traffic is really bad in Athens so it will take a few hours to do the full tour. I went to the archeological museum as it was highly recommended but it was not as good as the one in Rhodes or Naples. I saw the main sites on the first day and on the second got off at the Plaka and walked and shopped.
Athens is hot, busy with traffic and except for the small downtown area where all the key sites are just a city of urban sprawl.
Kudasi - Turkey.
I had not been back to Ephesus for 40 years so thought I would see the changes. This is one tour where I say take the shore excursion as it leaves at 7:30 am prior to the heat and the crowds. Note its not an in-depth tour of this site but gives you the highlights.
I then shopped in the markets.
Mykonos- Greece.
My favourite port - you tender in and can walk to all the main sights (Windmills, rambling streets). There is a decent beach right in port. Best Gyros at Gus's
Rhodes - Greece.
Again love this port - no tours necessary in this walled city. The palace and archaeological museum are highlights as well as shopping.
Santorini - Greece.
Again this is where you take the ships excursion - Ferry and bus to OIA and then bus back to Fira with cable car ticket. Good value and the Ferry ride (about 20 minutes) is very scenic in the Caldera. You have to be able to walk up a very steep hill (5 minutes) to get the bus to OIA, but its worth the effort. They give you a few hours in OIA (extremely pretty for pictures) and then take you back to Fira. This town isn't as scenic, but the cable car was good and I liked watching the donkeys for those who took them down the mountain. The sunset was best from the ship deck.
Crete -Greece.
Take the local bus (5 Euros return) into the downtown. Easy and every 15 minutes with free wifi. In town the port is where all the action is. I paid 10 euros for a boat cruise (swimming, snorkeling, glass bottom) for two hours. Worth the money as you go to two islands and pass by all the best sandy beaches.
Naples - Italy
No tour necessary - I walked to the palace, cathedral and the archeological museum. You can also take the local buses. I have never had any issues here - lots of police, tourists. But its always been in the daytime.
Finally I did the Ovation of the Seas 10 night to Hawaii from Vancouver.
I love the Ovation of the Seas. Although it had 4600 passengers it very seldom seemed crowded. I did the north star twice. Pre book the i-fly and north star about 45 days before the cruise. Entertainment overall was good. I ate at the Solarium Bistro, take-two for lunch, American Icon for MDR and the buffet. I didn't like the WindJammer buffet - too crowded, repetitive food.
We did five days at sea with a sail by the Kaui coast, 2 days in Maui, 1 in Kona (big island) and end in Honolulu.
Maui - I regrettably did a ship tour via Hike Maui tours on the hidden gems of Maui. Expensive waste of money and time. The tour guide was horrible and in a hurry misses some sights, shortened time at others and got us back 1.5 hours early. Never again. RCL again was terrific and gave me a partial refund. The second day I took the local bus to the beach - so easy for $2 or $4 for the day unlimited. Get a bus schedule from the tourist office when you get off the ship.
Kona - excellent tour called Coast and walk in the Clouds - the coast and then the walk in a nature reserve (wear good walking shoes as its up hill and over tree roots) were beautiful. Then we did a tour of a coffee plantation. I also walked in the morning in Kona and loved this little town. There is a beach right off the pier.
Honolulu - used Roberts Hawaii for transfers and they were reliable and good. Stayed at the Aqua Oasis - central, clean and comfortable in Waikiki. I made the mistake of booking Enoa tour to Pearl Harbor - they didn't show up and then after missing 45 minutes they came and caught me up with the tour. They refunded $11 but then the bus broke down on the way back and I had to pay $20 for a taxi back to the hotel. Do not book them as they are horrible to deal with.
Overall of the three cruises I liked the Ovation of the Seas best and will be switching loyalty from HAL to RCL
Hope this helps.
Marcia
Transatlantic cruise - Rotterdam (HAL) - April 2019
I was supposed to be taking a transatlantic cruise on the Oasis of the Seas from Port Canaveral to Barcelona but the Oasis was hit by a crane while in dry-dock. Two weeks before the cruise Royal Caribbean notified me. The gave a full refund for the cruise including taxes and only $400 towards the flight cancellation fees. RCL also gave a future cruise credit for the full amount of the cruise not including taxes. Which I am using for the Brilliance of the Seas cruise in June 2020 to the Baltic. Given it was so close to the date of sailing, the $400 didn't cover the full cost of flights but my credit card travel insurance covered the remainder. I must say RCL kept its promises and I received all refunds etc. as per the timeline they set out but in all it took almost 2 months to get all my money refunded. I really recommend GOPORTCANVERAL.COMgoportcananveral.com for booking your transfers and hotels for cruising out of Port Canaveral. they promptly refunded all the money. I used them before and found the transfers and hotel a very reasonable rate and they were efficient. I will use them again. I used ITRAVEL2000 for the flights and again the staff went out of their way to help me get a refund from AirTransat.
I called Holland America (HollandAmerica.com) , and the agent was able to get me the flights and an interior guaranteed cabin on the Rotterdam for about the same as I what I paid for both the flight and cruise on the Oasis. The Rotterdam left out of Tampa to Rotterdam, Holland. It was supposed to stop in the Azores, France, Belgium and Rotterdam. Unfortunately due to high seas we only went to the Azores (stayed 3 days). Unlike RCL, HAL is not that good with refunds. They gave us $100 on board credit, and refunded our shore excursions in the three ports we missed. We also got a 10% future cruise credit which came to about 180 dollars . Most of the cruisers only booked the cruise in order to see the ports in France and Belgium, so in addition to being disappointed they were unhappy with the level of credit.
They upgraded me to an Ocean view cabin mid-ship on the second level. Even with high seas, the only noise I heard was some creaking and movement was manageable. Those at the front of the ship said the banging and movement was unbearable at night. I liked my cabin -while old was clean and large and very comfortable.
The Rotterdam is an old ship with minimal to do. The had the same entertainers several nights in a row. They were doing construction to build more entertainment venues. I loved the promenade deck and small movie theatre (went almost every night) but not much else as 11-days at sea is too much on this small of a ship. The food is ok in the dining room and buffet. Nothing to rave about
I will not go on this ship again unless the itinerary is almost all days in port.
Wanting to use the cruise credit, and because of a sale on a 12 night Greek Island cruise in early July I booked the Koningsdam out of Rome to Olympus, Athens (2-days), Mykonos, Crete, Santorini, Rhodes, Kudasi, (not in this order) and Naples.
While I don't like the Koningsdam (horrible Promenade deck, smoky adult swimming pool at the back of the ship and poor food/service in the dining room), I like the cabins and this time the itinerary. The pools were always packed with kids, back deck unbearably smoky but the food in buffet was really good especially at dinner. There were a lot of nights (seafood night especially) where it was packed. I was told the dining room was empty that night.
The ports were great. Below is my review
Rome airport transfer to ship - way too expensive thru the cruise line, but given the flight time arrival I had no choice. You can take the train to Termini and then the train to the cruise port for about 25% of the cost of the transfer.
Katakalon - Olympia Greece.
Do not take a ship tour. Get off the ship and there are lots of vendors who sell the return transfer to Olympia (with 2 hours at the park) for 8 euros. It costs 12 euros for the museum and park. Its very easy to do on your own in two hours.
Athens - Greece.
One of my least favourite cities. Take the 2- day hop on hop off bus from the port. Its about 15 Euros and it will take you to the Acropolis and main sites. I took the blue bus and it was fine but the traffic is really bad in Athens so it will take a few hours to do the full tour. I went to the archeological museum as it was highly recommended but it was not as good as the one in Rhodes or Naples. I saw the main sites on the first day and on the second got off at the Plaka and walked and shopped.
Athens is hot, busy with traffic and except for the small downtown area where all the key sites are just a city of urban sprawl.
Kudasi - Turkey.
I had not been back to Ephesus for 40 years so thought I would see the changes. This is one tour where I say take the shore excursion as it leaves at 7:30 am prior to the heat and the crowds. Note its not an in-depth tour of this site but gives you the highlights.
I then shopped in the markets.
Mykonos- Greece.
My favourite port - you tender in and can walk to all the main sights (Windmills, rambling streets). There is a decent beach right in port. Best Gyros at Gus's
Rhodes - Greece.
Again love this port - no tours necessary in this walled city. The palace and archaeological museum are highlights as well as shopping.
Santorini - Greece.
Again this is where you take the ships excursion - Ferry and bus to OIA and then bus back to Fira with cable car ticket. Good value and the Ferry ride (about 20 minutes) is very scenic in the Caldera. You have to be able to walk up a very steep hill (5 minutes) to get the bus to OIA, but its worth the effort. They give you a few hours in OIA (extremely pretty for pictures) and then take you back to Fira. This town isn't as scenic, but the cable car was good and I liked watching the donkeys for those who took them down the mountain. The sunset was best from the ship deck.
Crete -Greece.
Take the local bus (5 Euros return) into the downtown. Easy and every 15 minutes with free wifi. In town the port is where all the action is. I paid 10 euros for a boat cruise (swimming, snorkeling, glass bottom) for two hours. Worth the money as you go to two islands and pass by all the best sandy beaches.
Naples - Italy
No tour necessary - I walked to the palace, cathedral and the archeological museum. You can also take the local buses. I have never had any issues here - lots of police, tourists. But its always been in the daytime.
Finally I did the Ovation of the Seas 10 night to Hawaii from Vancouver.
I love the Ovation of the Seas. Although it had 4600 passengers it very seldom seemed crowded. I did the north star twice. Pre book the i-fly and north star about 45 days before the cruise. Entertainment overall was good. I ate at the Solarium Bistro, take-two for lunch, American Icon for MDR and the buffet. I didn't like the WindJammer buffet - too crowded, repetitive food.
We did five days at sea with a sail by the Kaui coast, 2 days in Maui, 1 in Kona (big island) and end in Honolulu.
Maui - I regrettably did a ship tour via Hike Maui tours on the hidden gems of Maui. Expensive waste of money and time. The tour guide was horrible and in a hurry misses some sights, shortened time at others and got us back 1.5 hours early. Never again. RCL again was terrific and gave me a partial refund. The second day I took the local bus to the beach - so easy for $2 or $4 for the day unlimited. Get a bus schedule from the tourist office when you get off the ship.
Kona - excellent tour called Coast and walk in the Clouds - the coast and then the walk in a nature reserve (wear good walking shoes as its up hill and over tree roots) were beautiful. Then we did a tour of a coffee plantation. I also walked in the morning in Kona and loved this little town. There is a beach right off the pier.
Honolulu - used Roberts Hawaii for transfers and they were reliable and good. Stayed at the Aqua Oasis - central, clean and comfortable in Waikiki. I made the mistake of booking Enoa tour to Pearl Harbor - they didn't show up and then after missing 45 minutes they came and caught me up with the tour. They refunded $11 but then the bus broke down on the way back and I had to pay $20 for a taxi back to the hotel. Do not book them as they are horrible to deal with.
Overall of the three cruises I liked the Ovation of the Seas best and will be switching loyalty from HAL to RCL
Hope this helps.
Marcia
Update on Solo Cabins - Holland America and Royal Carribean
This year I have taken 3 cruises and two of the bookings were solo cabins.
Booking solo cabins is supposed to save you the single supplement but check out the prices on a normal interior cabin - often they are very close in price and on NCL its often less money to book a regular interior. On both HAL and RCL they are a cheaper option but there are so few of them that you have to book way in advance. (i.e. 12 months for my solo cabin on Brilliance of the Seas).
I was upgraded to an Ocean-view solo Cabin on Holland America's Koningsdam. While I don't like this ship very much, the itinerary to the Greek Islands and the sale price ($1800 CDN for 12-nights) was the reason I went back on it.
Below is my review of the solo cabin 2006 on Koningsdam. (Second deck level at the front of the ship)
First impressions on the ocean-view cabin was that it felt really small even with the window. It was supposedly 126 feet but didn't feel that. There is no chair nor room for it even though its shown in the pictures by HAL online. The cabin has the regular size bathroom - best shower for size and ease. The bed is a double and comfortable. Regular closets and a full size desk and TV. I like their TV as they have a lot of movies (all free). While I only watch them at night to fall asleep, I never seemed to watch a full movie.
I had no air conditioning for the first 2.5 days and although Customer service and I both tried to tell them that it was air flow it wasn't til the 5th visit that the final mechanics had to divert air flow outside the cabin for me to get air. To say I was frustrated and very hot was an understatement. After my note to the hotel director, I received flowers and a spa day. I just wish Cruise lines would listen better to passengers - Both myself and the customer service rep had to try 4 times to get help - just wrong. I am not thinking of booking HAL again for a while because of this.
I also found this cabin very noisy as you can hear the engines, the anchor and when they have to tender the noise/vibrations start at about 5 in the morning an last all day in port. While I read in reviews you can hear noise from the shows/music walk one level above, I didn't hear anything from above.
Overall out of 10 I would give this cabin a 5.
Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas Cabin 12230.
This cabin was 100 square feet but felt much bigger than the HAL cabin.
This cabin has a full-size bathroom (again great walk in shower), double bed, enough storage for 1 person. Again it doesn' t have a chair but their is a stool and mini-fridge. I like that you can control the air conditioning and FAN. I have voice issues on ships due to the air conditioning fans blowing causing a severe dryness.
The bed is comfortable and their is a virtual balcony that allows you to see real time views beside your bed. I loved this feature as you can see the weather and the sea.
RCL has the worst TV offering of all cruise lines - while I only watch the news and a movie at bedtime it really doesn't offer movies in-rooms unless you pay for them.
Overall I would rate this cabin a 9 out 10. I would definitely book this cabin again
So far I wouldn't book a solo cabin on HAL nor NCL again, but would on RCL. I have booked a solo cabin on the Brilliance of the Seas for next June's Baltic Sea cruise.
Hope this helps
Marcia
Booking solo cabins is supposed to save you the single supplement but check out the prices on a normal interior cabin - often they are very close in price and on NCL its often less money to book a regular interior. On both HAL and RCL they are a cheaper option but there are so few of them that you have to book way in advance. (i.e. 12 months for my solo cabin on Brilliance of the Seas).
I was upgraded to an Ocean-view solo Cabin on Holland America's Koningsdam. While I don't like this ship very much, the itinerary to the Greek Islands and the sale price ($1800 CDN for 12-nights) was the reason I went back on it.
Below is my review of the solo cabin 2006 on Koningsdam. (Second deck level at the front of the ship)
First impressions on the ocean-view cabin was that it felt really small even with the window. It was supposedly 126 feet but didn't feel that. There is no chair nor room for it even though its shown in the pictures by HAL online. The cabin has the regular size bathroom - best shower for size and ease. The bed is a double and comfortable. Regular closets and a full size desk and TV. I like their TV as they have a lot of movies (all free). While I only watch them at night to fall asleep, I never seemed to watch a full movie.
I had no air conditioning for the first 2.5 days and although Customer service and I both tried to tell them that it was air flow it wasn't til the 5th visit that the final mechanics had to divert air flow outside the cabin for me to get air. To say I was frustrated and very hot was an understatement. After my note to the hotel director, I received flowers and a spa day. I just wish Cruise lines would listen better to passengers - Both myself and the customer service rep had to try 4 times to get help - just wrong. I am not thinking of booking HAL again for a while because of this.
I also found this cabin very noisy as you can hear the engines, the anchor and when they have to tender the noise/vibrations start at about 5 in the morning an last all day in port. While I read in reviews you can hear noise from the shows/music walk one level above, I didn't hear anything from above.
Overall out of 10 I would give this cabin a 5.
Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas Cabin 12230.
This cabin was 100 square feet but felt much bigger than the HAL cabin.
This cabin has a full-size bathroom (again great walk in shower), double bed, enough storage for 1 person. Again it doesn' t have a chair but their is a stool and mini-fridge. I like that you can control the air conditioning and FAN. I have voice issues on ships due to the air conditioning fans blowing causing a severe dryness.
The bed is comfortable and their is a virtual balcony that allows you to see real time views beside your bed. I loved this feature as you can see the weather and the sea.
RCL has the worst TV offering of all cruise lines - while I only watch the news and a movie at bedtime it really doesn't offer movies in-rooms unless you pay for them.
Overall I would rate this cabin a 9 out 10. I would definitely book this cabin again
So far I wouldn't book a solo cabin on HAL nor NCL again, but would on RCL. I have booked a solo cabin on the Brilliance of the Seas for next June's Baltic Sea cruise.
Hope this helps
Marcia
Tips for traveling to Holland and Belgium
I travelled to Holland and Belgium a few years ago and was recently asked for some tips. Below are the things I did to keep a 10 night trip (April) to about $1700 CDN. including flights, trains and hotels.
1. Watched for sale prices on KLM.com (sign up for their offers) as they will offer the international flight to Amsterdam and a train to Brussels (instead of 2 flights), for a slightly lower price.
2. Stay in Belgium first as you will return out of Amsterdam. I stayed at the Novotel hotel near the train station in Belgium as I knew I would be using the train station a lot. Also its only a 15 minute walk to the town center and a nice walk with lots to see. The hotel was clean, let me check in early and had lots of places for breakfast including the food court in the station.
3. I learned from the Rick Steve's book on Amsterdam and Brussels & Bruges that it is cheaper to book station to station train tickets in both Belgium and Holland vs. a train pass and it was correct as it only cost $5 euro each way to Namur and Ghent.
4. Do day trips out of Brussels and Amsterdam. I went to Namur by train (about an hour each way) and its a nice town with a castle you can walk up to (nice café at the top). It was market day which offered some great fruit/veggies and baked goods. The river and town are scenic and historic.
I also went to Ghent (again an hour each way) and it was my favourite. I visited the Bell tower - one of the easier towers to ascent as their is an elevator for part of the way up and great views from the top. Did a river boat cruise and walked around visiting galleries, etc.
I went to Bruges and stayed two-nights at a B&B, that I booked on Booking.com. I like Booking.com as the reviews are trust-worthy as you have to have stayed at the hotel in order to review it. I only go with properties with an 8 out of 10 or higher as the few times I did a lower score, the reviewers were right and the properties weren't good.
Bruges offers an inexpensive museum pass that is worth it. I visited all of the museums, Bell tower ( a tougher walk up to the top - you almost have to crawl the last steps on the way up/down as its tiny. I also visited a Brewery for a tour. I liked this town but not as much as Ghent.
5. Stay in Brussels for a few days - there is a lot to see (the Cathedral, museums, town square/center etc). Chocolate and waffles are sold everywhere. I enjoyed the food and especially the various beers.
6. Take the train back to Amsterdam - its only over an hour but I did it from Bruges (had to change in Brussels) so it was closer to 2 hours. I stayed at Hotel Fita near the museum square. I am going back to Amsterdam this spring but they are fully booked.
7. Top places to visit in Amsterdam - the Rijksmuseum, Jewish Museum - it includes the museum. synagogue and an old theatre where the Nazi's held jews during world war 2. I did the tulip gardens and walked around. Note Amsterdam is very expensive for lodging so a B&B is a must. 8. Take the local trains to see other towns including Delf, the Hague, Rotterdam (all museums are free entry on Wednesdays). 9. How long should you stay - that depends on what you want to see - I should have stayed 3 nights instead of two in Brussels, and 3 was enough for Amsterdam, (unless you are going to do several short trips to other towns. 10. Keukenhof Gardens is a must in April/May. If you stay near museum square, take the tram back to the airport and you can buy the bus ticket and entry on the bus. Its crowded first thing in the morning but on the way back the buses and lines are pretty empty.
11. Pre-book the tickets for the trains online as you will get deals by pre-booking. The trains in both Holland and Belgium were efficient, on time and had room for luggage. I found the train staff all spoke English and were very helpful.
12. If the museum you want to see is really popular, pre-book on line (i.e. the Rijksmuseum and Anne Frank house require timed tickets). I didn't do it for the museum as I saw there was no line one afternoon and just walked in.
13. Going in April/early May is a bit off-season so I got better deals for flights, hotels and trains. Also nothing was really crowded and the weather cooperated with 12 to 15 degrees celcius with sun and some showers.
I then took the flight back from Amsterdam.
Hope this helps
Marcia
1. Watched for sale prices on KLM.com (sign up for their offers) as they will offer the international flight to Amsterdam and a train to Brussels (instead of 2 flights), for a slightly lower price.
2. Stay in Belgium first as you will return out of Amsterdam. I stayed at the Novotel hotel near the train station in Belgium as I knew I would be using the train station a lot. Also its only a 15 minute walk to the town center and a nice walk with lots to see. The hotel was clean, let me check in early and had lots of places for breakfast including the food court in the station.
3. I learned from the Rick Steve's book on Amsterdam and Brussels & Bruges that it is cheaper to book station to station train tickets in both Belgium and Holland vs. a train pass and it was correct as it only cost $5 euro each way to Namur and Ghent.
4. Do day trips out of Brussels and Amsterdam. I went to Namur by train (about an hour each way) and its a nice town with a castle you can walk up to (nice café at the top). It was market day which offered some great fruit/veggies and baked goods. The river and town are scenic and historic.
I also went to Ghent (again an hour each way) and it was my favourite. I visited the Bell tower - one of the easier towers to ascent as their is an elevator for part of the way up and great views from the top. Did a river boat cruise and walked around visiting galleries, etc.
I went to Bruges and stayed two-nights at a B&B, that I booked on Booking.com. I like Booking.com as the reviews are trust-worthy as you have to have stayed at the hotel in order to review it. I only go with properties with an 8 out of 10 or higher as the few times I did a lower score, the reviewers were right and the properties weren't good.
Bruges offers an inexpensive museum pass that is worth it. I visited all of the museums, Bell tower ( a tougher walk up to the top - you almost have to crawl the last steps on the way up/down as its tiny. I also visited a Brewery for a tour. I liked this town but not as much as Ghent.
5. Stay in Brussels for a few days - there is a lot to see (the Cathedral, museums, town square/center etc). Chocolate and waffles are sold everywhere. I enjoyed the food and especially the various beers.
6. Take the train back to Amsterdam - its only over an hour but I did it from Bruges (had to change in Brussels) so it was closer to 2 hours. I stayed at Hotel Fita near the museum square. I am going back to Amsterdam this spring but they are fully booked.
7. Top places to visit in Amsterdam - the Rijksmuseum, Jewish Museum - it includes the museum. synagogue and an old theatre where the Nazi's held jews during world war 2. I did the tulip gardens and walked around. Note Amsterdam is very expensive for lodging so a B&B is a must. 8. Take the local trains to see other towns including Delf, the Hague, Rotterdam (all museums are free entry on Wednesdays). 9. How long should you stay - that depends on what you want to see - I should have stayed 3 nights instead of two in Brussels, and 3 was enough for Amsterdam, (unless you are going to do several short trips to other towns. 10. Keukenhof Gardens is a must in April/May. If you stay near museum square, take the tram back to the airport and you can buy the bus ticket and entry on the bus. Its crowded first thing in the morning but on the way back the buses and lines are pretty empty.
11. Pre-book the tickets for the trains online as you will get deals by pre-booking. The trains in both Holland and Belgium were efficient, on time and had room for luggage. I found the train staff all spoke English and were very helpful.
12. If the museum you want to see is really popular, pre-book on line (i.e. the Rijksmuseum and Anne Frank house require timed tickets). I didn't do it for the museum as I saw there was no line one afternoon and just walked in.
13. Going in April/early May is a bit off-season so I got better deals for flights, hotels and trains. Also nothing was really crowded and the weather cooperated with 12 to 15 degrees celcius with sun and some showers.
I then took the flight back from Amsterdam.
Hope this helps
Marcia
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