New to Celebrity- Embarkation in Amsterdam

[lizhutch424]

I'm hoping to get some advice on what time to arrive at the port for embarkation in Amsterdam for our July 1 Baltic Cruise. We have sailed other lines in the past that give us a specific appointment time, but our Xpress Pass just says 10:30-3:30.

 

There's a good chance that the weather will not be nice enough to sit on the decks or use the pools until our room is ready. I would like to be on the ship as soon as possible without having to wait hours for the room to be ready. I'm also not crazy about the buffet rush on embarkation day.

 

Any advice on port arrival time would be appreciated, especially from those who have embarked in Amsterdam before. Thank you!

[mom says]

[quote=lizhutch424;56059101

There's a good chance that the weather will not be nice enough to sit on the decks or use the pools until our room is ready. I would like to be on the ship as soon as possible without having to wait hours for the room to be ready. I'm also not crazy about the buffet rush on embarkation day.

 

Haven't embarked in Amsterdam, but most embarkation days see huge lines in the morning as everyone seems to want to get on board ASAP. We've found that if we arrive around noon, those lines in the terminal have pretty much dissipated and we can get checked in and board in just a few minutes. But the cabins won't usually be available til 1:00 - 1:30. Once the rooms are available, the OVC empties fast.

[bigdawgs]

We are also booked on this cruise. We have never been to Amsterdam but most ships allow boarding from about 10:30 AM. We will be overnighting at the airport the night before and feel there is no rush to be the first to board. We will have our breakfast at the hotel and take our time.

 

We agree with the previous poster. Noon to 1:30 is a good time frame. By the time you finish lunch, your cabin should be available.

 

But a better choice, in our opinion, is to arrive after 1:30, drop your things in your cabin and then go to lunch at the OCV which by then will be much less crowded.

 

See you on board.

Larry and Ethel

[ScubesDad]

Amsterdam has a nice, modern terminal. We boarded there about 4 years ago and it was probably the easiest we ever did. we used a car service which dropped us off right at the door. luggage drop off is "self serve" you place your luggage on a conveyor belt rather than handing it to a porter/dock worker. once you enter the terminal proper it is a very spacious area and we did not encounter any crowds or delays. we found everything to be extremely well organized. we arrived at the terminal somewhere between 11:00 and 11:30.

 

Sail away was wonderful...it was quite a busy port area with good views of the city. Then there is a lengthy transit through the canal out to the sea.