Why are P&O no longer docking in Amsterdam

[Britboys]

15 hours ago, FiftyOnePlus said:

 

To be fair, a few days Amsterdam way isnt the same at all as a 'proper' cruise. Its just not the same atmosphere at all.

 

Have a 2 week trip around the Med and you will see a massive difference.

 

Totally agree with this.  The four days to Amsterdam gave nothing like a 'proper' cruise experience.  I would always advise anyone to try at least a 7 night cruise to get a feel for what it is really like.

[brian1]

Is this tax for overnighters only?

[Britboys]

2 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Is this tax for overnighters only?

 

No - they levy €8 per 24 hours or part thereof.  No doubt part of the reason for introducing it is the sheer number of visitors.  The area around Dam Square and Damrak in particular were really heaving and most of the museums now operate a timed ticket system.

[Pennbank]

5 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Is this tax for overnighters only?

No

See

https://www.portofamsterdam.com/en/shipping/day-tourist-tax-river-and-sea-cruise-passengers#voorbeeld

[brian1]

Cheers,other than the Louvre and the Hermitage,I'm all museumed out from my schooldays in London.HOHO bus will do me.

[grapau27]

19 minutes ago, Britboys said:

 

No - they levy €8 per 24 hours or part thereof.  No doubt part of the reason for introducing it is the sheer number of visitors.  The area around Dam Square and Damrak in particular were really heaving and most of the museums now operate a timed ticket system.

The convenience of docking near the city centre is worth the €8 fee.

Surely it is much cheaper than all the shuttles from Ijmuiden and back and all the negative responses this brings.

[Britboys]

18 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

The convenience of docking near the city centre is worth the €8 fee.

Surely it is much cheaper than all the shuttles from Ijmuiden and back and all the negative responses this brings.

 

Indeed but the suits at Carnival/P&O seem to prefer flexing their muscles at the City of Amsterdam to providing a good experience to pax booked on these cruises.

[brian1]

According to the port schedule,Pacific Princess is docking downtown this year.So Carnival are not boycotting with all their ships.

[Britboys]

22 minutes ago, brian1 said:

According to the port schedule,Pacific Princess is docking downtown this year.So Carnival are not boycotting with all their ships.

 

According to the Princess website, Pacific Princess is only calling at Amsterdam once this year, on 6th October, and is berthed in Ijmuiden.  Sea Princess is also calling into Ijmuiden as part of her World Cruise Itinerary.

 

The only Carnival Brand that seems to be calling regularly into the City Centre is Holland America - and I guess the clue there is in the name of the Cruise Line 😁

[kruzseeka]

2 minutes ago, Britboys said:

 

According to the Princess website, Pacific Princess is only calling at Amsterdam once this year, on 6th October, and is berthed in Ijmuiden.  Sea Princess is also calling into Ijmuiden as part of her World Cruise Itinerary.

 

The only Carnival Brand that seems to be calling regularly into the City Centre is Holland America - and I guess the clue there is in the name of the Cruise Line 😁

 

I raised the issue of Holland America being the only Carnival brand still docking in Amsterdam some time ago, and someone replied pointing out that Amsterdam is a turn around port for Holland America during the season so that's probably why they have been spared the change to Ijmuden. 

[brian1]

3 hours ago, Britboys said:

 

According to the Princess website, Pacific Princess is only calling at Amsterdam once this year, on 6th October, and is berthed in Ijmuiden.  Sea Princess is also calling into Ijmuiden as part of her World Cruise Itinerary.

 

The only Carnival Brand that seems to be calling regularly into the City Centre is Holland America - and I guess the clue there is in the name of the Cruise Line 😁

The PTA website have her scheduled for 16th Sept.I assume the PTA is downtown.

[brian1]

Hi Britboys,your'e right,Princess show her in the Orkneys that date.The PTA must be wrong.

[No1cherry]

Did anyone on the Azura cruise last weekend make it to Haarlem via public transport. Wondering how do able it is if the shuttle bus trouble continues.

[davemorton]

Seems a shame that this has stopped, they could have probably made a good living if they were still around for the cruise passengers.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g188590-d2639665-Reviews-Fast_Flying_Ferry_to_Ijmuiden-Amsterdam_North_Holland_Province.html

 

15 mins from the port to amsterdam. 

Edited March 29, 2019 by davemorton

[janny444]

9 hours ago, davemorton said:

Seems a shame that this has stopped, they could have probably made a good living if they were still around for the cruise passengers.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g188590-d2639665-Reviews-Fast_Flying_Ferry_to_Ijmuiden-Amsterdam_North_Holland_Province.html

 

15 mins from the port to amsterdam. 

 

Wow...looks great....shame it has gone but I wonder if where the ships dock if it is any where near the ferry pick up point. Someone made a comment on here that where the cruise ship now docks is the " dark end of nowhere".

 

We have a cruise booked in July with the overnight stay in " Amsterdam" and have been waiting to see how they " cope" with the change of POC as I have asked two specific questions which have now been answered and unfortunately not favourably as to my medical needs.

P&O's attitude is very much a take it or leave it attitude as to this issue....same issue with MSC was handled totally different....full refund  of all monies paid....no hassle. Think our days of cruising with P&O have come to an end.

[grapau27]

23 minutes ago, janny444 said:

 

Wow...looks great....shame it has gone but I wonder if where the ships dock if it is any where near the ferry pick up point. Someone made a comment on here that where the cruise ship now docks is the " dark end of nowhere".

 

We have a cruise booked in July with the overnight stay in " Amsterdam" and have been waiting to see how they " cope" with the change of POC as I have asked two specific questions which have now been answered and unfortunately not favourably as to my medical needs.

P&O's attitude is very much a take it or leave it attitude as to this issue....same issue with MSC was handled totally different....full refund  of all monies paid....no hassle. Think our days of cruising with P&O have come to an end.

Just a thought but I wonder if any one pays by credit card they could ask for an article 75 ruling with their credit card company.

[Harry Peterson]

On 3/29/2019 at 8:10 AM, pete14 said:

 

Docco. I refer you to post 287 on the other Amsterdam / Ijmuiden thread you started (by MPC 1986) which you have not responded to. Maybe you haven’t seen it. It raises the question of how much you intend to claim for the inconvenience, something that you of course have to inform the courts of in your application, and suggests that it would be hard to justify it being a large sum.

It will depend on the level of inconvenience and how that affects the entire package paid for. Impossible to judge in advance, as it will depend entirely on the facts.

 

As things stand though, I'm probably going to cancel altogether and just lose the very small deposit, which as I recall was only 5%. I'll then claim that back in due course. I'm also cancelling 3 other pre-booked cruises with P&O. I've had enough of them.

 

[Harry Peterson]

26 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Just a thought but I wonder if any one pays by credit card they could ask for an article 75 ruling with their credit card company.

An excellent suggestion. The card company is equally liable with P&O and it's likely to be an easier route. They'll just claw the money back from P&O.

[janny444]

3 hours ago, docco said:

It will depend on the level of inconvenience and how that affects the entire package paid for. Impossible to judge in advance, as it will depend entirely on the facts.

 

As things stand though, I'm probably going to cancel altogether and just lose the very small deposit, which as I recall was only 5%. I'll then claim that back in due course. I'm also cancelling 3 other pre-booked cruises with P&O. I've had enough of them.

 

Hi....my deposit is more than the 5% but there is noway I can go on this cruise....unless I want to spend 2 full days on the ship....not quite what we had in mind when we booked.

I am still pursuing  it with P&O but it may come to it that I will cancel and like you docco walk away from the other 3 cruises we have booked with them....end of the line with them for us too

[janny444]

4 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Just a thought but I wonder if any one pays by credit card they could ask for an article 75 ruling with their credit card company.

Hi....good idea ....have mentioned it to my TA today and they think it could be a possibility....so if we have no joy with P&O will definitely look into it....thank you

[arendale1]

I think this will be our first and last cruise with P&O. Shame really, but not happy with the changes or the generic email response to my complaint.

I’m awaiting a phone call to discuss further, but not holding out much hope.

Our cruise is less than two weeks away and is going to be quite different to how we thought it was going to be when we booked last summer.

Reading what happened last weekend has made me even more apprehensive 😩 

[grapau27]

42 minutes ago, janny444 said:

Hi....good idea ....have mentioned it to my TA today and they think it could be a possibility....so if we have no joy with P&O will definitely look into it....thank you

Your welcome.

Good luck I hope you are successful.

Graham.

[Britboys]

On 3/29/2019 at 9:25 PM, No1cherry said:

Did anyone on the Azura cruise last weekend make it to Haarlem via public transport. Wondering how do able it is if the shuttle bus trouble continues.

 

A couple of my friends tried to do this but gave up.  They had researched it beforehand but no-one locally seemed to know the bus route my friends were looking for.  They gave up in the end and managed to get in to Amsterdam by shuttle.  It requires at least two buses apparently - one from the port to Ijmuiden Town and then another to Haarlem.  I spoke to some other people who did it by taxi, which was pretty expensive but they said the little town was beautiful.

[Britboys]

21 hours ago, janny444 said:

Hi....my deposit is more than the 5% but there is noway I can go on this cruise....unless I want to spend 2 full days on the ship....not quite what we had in mind when we booked.

I am still pursuing  it with P&O but it may come to it that I will cancel and like you docco walk away from the other 3 cruises we have booked with them....end of the line with them for us too

 

I know you mentioned in an earlier post that you have some medical needs but if you are able to use a shuttle bus, there is no need for you to spend two full days on the ship.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I walked off the ship on Sunday at 0930, got straight on a shuttle and was in the City Centre just after 1000.  I got straight on a shuttle in Amsterdam around 1545, which again took approximately 30 minutes to get back to the ship.

[Britboys]

21 hours ago, arendale1 said:

I think this will be our first and last cruise with P&O. Shame really, but not happy with the changes or the generic email response to my complaint.

I’m awaiting a phone call to discuss further, but not holding out much hope.

Our cruise is less than two weeks away and is going to be quite different to how we thought it was going to be when we booked last summer.

Reading what happened last weekend has made me even more apprehensive 😩 

 

Try to go with a positive frame of mind if you can.  I was unhappy about the change and am still awaiting a response to my complaint but I still managed to enjoy myself on all 4 days of my short cruise.