Welcome to Amsterdam! In Amsterdam, you will be docking at the Amsterdam Cruise Terminal. This terminal is next the Moevenpick Hotel. When exiting the Cruise Terminal, it’s just a short tax ride into town, and costs about 10 Euros. You have a couple of options on where to do go from the terminal. You can asked be dropped off at Dam Square which is center to Amsterdam. Here you will find much to do within a walking distance. You can walk to the many shops and stores, restaurants in the area. Tour the canal streets. There is even a row of sight-seeing tour boats that cost around 20 Euros. The typical trip was about 1 hour. There are also a number of museums in Amsterdam that are worth checking out. The Van Gogh Museum, the Rembrandt House Museum, and the Museum Rijksmuseum, which is the state museum.
From Dam Square, you can walk a few blocks to the Anne Frank house. However, this is a very popular attraction in Amsterdam and the queue lines may be long to get through. The cost is just under 10 Euros for admission. You can also grab a taxi from the Cruise Terminal to the Anne Frank House. You can also walk to Amsterdam Central which is the main transportation hub to Amsterdam. Public Transportation, such as trains, trolleys, bikes, and walking is the main mode of transportation in the country.
Dining – If you are going to eat out in Amsterdam, it is well noted for it’s Indonesia cuisine since the Dutch discovered Indonesia’s culture and trade. There are many fine restaurants in town. If you just wanted try a restaurant from the cruise terminal, exit the terminal and walk left. There is a restaurant called the Fifthteen that has a unique dining experience right near the port.
While in Dam Square, be sure to check out some of the small restaurants, pubs and cafe’s. This picture is from O’reilly’s Irish Pub in Amsterdam.
‘In summary, Amsterdam is a port where you can do your own excursion. You will want to plan what stops you wish to make ahead of time so that you can map out your travel and walking.
When it comes to doing your own excursion, you can’t beat the exciting underwater adventure that you can do in Nassau at Stuart Coves. Diving with live sharks is something you wont find on the cruise director’s list of things to do, but for those daring, check out the Stuart Coves web site for your own excursion in Nassau, Bahamas. They offer approximate 1 hour dives near the reefs, and draw in reef sharks with bait. You will descent to approximately 45 feet and form a wide circle near a wreck. From that point, the bait comes out, and the sharks start to assemble and your exciting dive starts there. You can rent the gear, underwater camera and take spectacular footage. The price is not bad considering what Scuba excursions could cost. The shark adventure runs around $150.00. They also have 2 tank dives around 100 bucks. They will even pick you up at the port.
They also offer snorkel, coral reef tours, and dives. Check out the information on their web site. http://www.stuartcove.com/ From here, you can book online.
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USA Today posted some useful information on top Cruise Ports. You can read this article by clicking HERE on Top Cruise Ports by USA Today.
St Maarten is divided between the Dutch Side (Philipsburg) Sint Martin, and the French Side called Saint Maarten has it’s capital at Marigot.
Philipsburg has a fairly new cruise terminal and is a popular stop for ships. Once the ships dock here, it is just a short water taxi ride over to the Philipsburg, or you can walk to town that will take you about 20 minutes. Once in town, you will find a beach and a paved area that resembles a board walk at some of the USA beaches on the east coast. The mile long paved walk is lined with shops, cafes, and bars. There are also hotels around this area. There are also very nice cafes and bars along the strip. So, if you wanted to do something on your own, you can explore the shops and cafe’s spread across Philipsburg and experience some local cooking.
When you walk into town just outside this beach area on Front Street, there are plenty of shops, so this is definitely a port-of-call for shoppers.
Many shops line the streets in both directions. Jewelry shops, electronics, and alcohol cater to those looking for duty free shopping.
The water and beach areas are very beautiful and clean. This is a very beautiful stop for cruise travelers. Check with your cruise shore excursions list to see what beach tours they have available. This port-of-call has many shore excursion opportunities as it is a popular stop for Cruise Lines. However, if you plan to just use the water taxi and head into Philipsburg’s town, there is plenty to see and shop too.
Phillipsburg Cruise Terminal, Sint Martin
When you are ready to head back, simply catch the water taxi back to the cruise port. At the cruise port, you will also find more shops and duty free shops so you don’t need to rush back on board.
There was also a local steel drum band playing at the pier. While waiting to board, you can stop at a cafe, local bar, and just hang out on the pier listening to the local bands playing.
Cruise Lines: Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess, Disney, Celebrity.
Bermuda Horseshoe Bay Beach
Bermuda is a magnificent cruise stop for travelers. This article will discuss the beaches you can find during your stop at Bermuda. Some are public beaches and some are private.
For first time travelers, a little unknown secret about Bermuda is their public buses. For a small fee, you can take the public buses just about anywhere on the island. The fare depends on the distance you plan to to travel. But, the price is not bad if you plan to do your own shore excursion. They also have taxis.
If you are docked out by the Naval ship yard, you may want to go to Snorkel Park Beach. There is a fee, but you will find this a very popular stop as it is within a few minutes walking distance from the pier. A commercial establishment, but you will find amenities, water sports, rentals, entertainment, rest rooms. Click Here for their web site to see what it is about. Near the ship is a visitor’s center, water taxi and shopping.
Downtown Hamilton Bermuda
If you are docked near Hamilton, or wish to take the bus or taxi, a popular public beach is Horseshoe Bay Beach or Elbow Beach. This is just a short drive via the bus or taxi. Horseshoe Bay Beach is public beach that has rentals, restrooms, and a lunch cart for small items to purchase. Elbow Beach also has a private and public beach surrounding it, so, you may find an on ship excursion that may take you to the private beaches that offer more amenities. Bermuda’s sand is not shell based, it is coral based. So, you will find it cooler, soft, silky and smooth to touch. There is nothing like it. Take off of your shoes and and enjoy the cooler feeling of coral based beaches. If you decide to do your own excursions to these beaches, just remember to check your time and leave within plenty of time to return to your ship. Allow for sufficient time to travel using their bus schedules or flag down a taxi to return. You don’t want to miss your ship!
Bermuda Channel into Hamilton
Half Moon Cay, The Bahamas is a Private Island paradise shared by Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America.
Originally developed by Holland America, this is absolutely a beautiful island stop with white sand beaches, chairs to lounge, food and bars.
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Grand Turk, Caicos
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Grand Turk and Caicos Island is a must stop for Cruise Travelers! Once docked, you will find a nice walkway to the terminal. At the terminal are some local shops, and access to a public beach with plenty of chairs. You can also rent snorkel gear or other floation devices at a small stand on the beach.
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This section will be used to post articles on key destinations and cruise ports. We have categorized the destination menus to sort the articles for easier searching and reading. In the coming weeks and months, we will be adding articles specific to Cruise stops.
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