Queen's Lounge

The Queen's Lounge is theatre on the Amsterdam where nightly at 7pm and repeated again at 9 pm we are treated to a live show. The shows vary from the Amsterdam's singers and dancers, magician, comedians, comic jugglers, soloists, and singing groups. During the twenty day cruise various artist joint the ship while others went home.

The theatre is at the front of the ship and is two decks high. The first photo show both the downstairs and upstairs seating area. Downstairs comfortable couches with tables while upstairs extremely comfortable seating ,but no tables. Both areas served by waitresses providing drinks as required. Although the lower seating arrangement is better the drawback is that many of the acts consider those sitting there are part of the entertainment.


The stage are as seen from downstairs.


A view from upstairs looking across the seating and also at the downstairs seating.


Finally the stage as seen from upstairs.


Again posted from Salem.

Walk down to my cabin

After lunch let's take a walk from deck 8, The Lido Deck down the stairs to my cabin on deck 3. Yes that is a real seagull, it just flew in through the open roof.



Lido deck 8. From here you go down a set of stairs that I forgot to photograph to deck 7.



Landing between deck 7 and 6. Art works are present on each landing and here in the forward stairs are a series showing the various ships that have carried the name Amsterdam.



Lifts deck 6. On each deck, forward, aft, and midships are a set of stairs and a group of four lifts. The lifts are very fast, extra smooth and normally are very prompt when requested. My advice is use the lifts. I didn't as before leaving the ship I wanted to be able to walk up the stairs from deck 1 to deck 9. It never happened, my knees started to object by day 8 and after a few hours wandering around the aircraft carrier Midway in San Diego, gave up completely. The lifts are there and are very good--use them.



Landing between deck 6 and 5.


Lifts deck 5 looking towards the top of the atrium feature. All the Holland America ships have a large atrium feature extending through several decks. On the Amsterdam it is a feature representing time, stars and navigation. This deck has most of the lounges and bars, the library, casino, and the upstairs of the theatre.



Top of the atrium feature deck 5.


Landing between deck 5 and 4.


The lifts deck 4 looking towards centre of atrium feature. This deck has the front desk counters, downstairs of the theatre, lower seating for the main dinning room, the cinema, and up market restaurant.



Centre of the atrium feature, deck 4.


Landing between deck 4 and 3.


Lifts on deck 3 looking towards the bottom of the atrium feature.



The bottom of the atrium feature.


Looking left towards the door out to the walking deck. These door are extremely heavy and are hard to use on windy days.


At bottom of the stairs on deck three turn right and down the corridor to my cabin. The orange carpet is another exit to the promenade deck.

I am posting this from Salem, five days after the end of the cruise, and my legs and knees are still not working. Also if anyone is interested it is my birthday. Before leaving New Zealand I invited lots of people to help me celebrate, but no one have shown up yet. Suppose they could be planning a surprise party tonight.

Day 16 - May 13 - San Diego

Arrived in San Diego about one and a half hours early. Managed to be on deck just as we came through the heads.


Nice cool weather, the first time I have put on my jersey since leaving home. The time was 6 30 am, the sky overcast, but there I was taking photographs again. I knew this must be the US when I saw rows and rows of munition magazines, half round buildings emerging from the ground, and aircraft hangars with dozen of helicopters parked out side.





Lots of small police or port authority boats buzzing around. Why do they go so fast, as if they had to be somewhere yesterday.

Straight in through the heads, turned left and there ahead was cruise terminal. The Statendam had docked before us again.



There she was with sailing ships on one side and an aircraft carrier on the other--the Midway, I think.


I will tell you later as today I plan to visit the Marine Museum and have a look around these ships.

Once the ship had tied up we all had to go through US Immigration. This was done onboard on deck 5 and started just before 8 am.


Quite painless, but as we lined up in the Piano Bar the ship's staff scanned our cabin passes, as they normally do as we leave the ship. Onto the desks set for the US immigration to have our passports and visas checked. Continued on to the ships staff again to have our cabin passes rescanned. Evidently we had theoretically been off the ship while going through immigration, hence the off/on boarding process. Just now, at 9.30 am, an announcement has been made asking for two specific passengers to report to US immigration. We all wait as no one can leave the ship until everyone has been processed.
Quarter to ten, the ship has be cleared and all passengers checked by immigration, and we have just been told we can go ashore.
Here in San Diego we have passengers leaving the ship and new one joining us. The same happened a Fort Lauderdale, although there most from the previous cruise, an epic around the world cruise, left the ship and about 1000 of us new passengers boarded. It appears a bit like a hop-on hop-off bus. Current passenger leave about 9 in the morning and new one board from about 2 in the afternoon.


Just back from visiting the aircraft carrier, Midway and have some observations: one, forget those previous comments about it being cool, it is not; two, the Midway has more stairs, steps, and ladders than the Amsterdam; Three, people that climb into tin-cans with wings and motors and take off and land on the deck of an aircraft carrier smaller than the ship I'm cruising in must be .... or let's say different.


Having said that the tour was very good and should be on everyones list when visiting San Diego. In the hangar deck there are several flight simulators in which you are completely enclosed and complete 3 dimension movement, including pointing vertical up and down and 360 degree rotation.


Exciting. Did I have a ride, no, I watched and took a short video.

Up to deck 8, The Lido Deck for lunch. The self service buffet had shutters up and staffing "What would l like, sir". With new passengers coming on board the self service is closed down for 48 hours. The same happened when we boarded in Fort Lauderdale.


Got my lunch and sat looking out over the ships of the Marine Museum, and latter sea gull from San Diego dropped in.


Not much more to write about today as I am going to have a easy afternoon.
Tomorrow and the next day we are at sea sailing up the west coast to Victoria on Vancouver Island.

Day 14 - May 11 - Mexico, Cabo San Lucas

Up this morning for my deck walk and to my suprise it was cold. Since starting this cruise I have been breaking out in a sweat before I had done less than half a lap around the deck. This morning felt good, having to walk fast to get warm.

Cabo San Lucas is situated in bay in which we anchored, and tendered ashore by four lifeboats. Although no harbour entrance the approach was spectacular with the northerly arm of the bay a series of eroded rocks, beaches and cliffs.


The town, a tourist resort, at the southern tip of Baja Peninsular. A barren area best described as moonscape like, but a moonscape with modern hotels, condominiums, pristine beaches, and a marina full of expensive boats and yachts.


We entered the bay and dropped anchor beside another Holland American cruise ship the Statendam.


The crew prepared four lifeboats and quickly lowered them for ferrying us back and forth to shore. Once off the lifeboats we head up the jetty, through custom checking to see we weren't carrying any food items, then into the tourists shops.


I wandered through many stalls, then around the corner that opened out into cafes, bars, more shops for tourists, and small seaside stands offering local land and sea tours. Once again very clean, colourfull, and Mexican music playing everywhere.


After walking around, making some purchases, enjoying the shops and sites I decided to have a beer and something to eat.
I could have gone into the real town, a 20 minute walk, but here was good enough. In the town, according to our handouts, were plenty of Clothing Boutiques, jewelry shops, diamond and precision stone dealers--all those type of places the rich and famous like. Being neither I was happy to settle for a beer, corn chips and quackamoly (that green stuff made from avocados). Sorrow about the spelling, I have a dictionary on my iPad, but you have to have some idea of the spelling to look up a word! Anyway the beer and chips were good and it gave me a chance to sit down, listen the mexican music and people watch.


After this I headed back to the ship, cooled down and watch all sorts of boats, jet-skiers, para-gliders, swimmers at play in the bay and on the beaches.

Day 13 - May 8 - Mexico, Puerto Vallarta

Another day another port. This morning out for my early morning walk around the Lower Promenade deck and as usual at 6 am it was dark, the deck wet, and some wind blowing. After 6 laps of the deck I was feeling tired and headed of to my cabin to wait for my in cabin breakfast I had ordered the night before. By the time I had finished my breakfast we were entering Puerto Vallarta.


Coming into the port, on the left and on the right--port or starboard or something nautical like that.


Up on deck to shoot of several photos and then down for my shower.


Further in we passed naval or coast guard ships and then some old looking sail boats. These were of modern construction and later headed out to sea for a day excursion for some tourists.


The ship did it 360 degree rotation and sail sideways into the wharf to dock along from another cruise ship.


Dressed, water bottle filled, onshore bag filled with the necessities for going ashore I was up on deck watching where my fellow passengers were heading as they left the ship. Some were boarding buses for excursions inland while others were crossing a four lane road to the shopping complex opposite where we had docked.

By this time I was hot and had decided not for me--I would stay on the ship today. I spent most of the day reading and sitting around talking to others like myself who thought it was too hot to go ashore.

Day 14 - May 9 - Zihuatanejo, Mexico

Mexico today, Zihuatanejo a small fishing village that has grown into a tourist destination. This morning, in the dark we anchored off shore and the crew lowered four lifeboats to act as tenders to take us to and from shore. While lowering the boats both side decks were roped of and my morning walk was a U-shape from mid-ships around the stern to midships and back.


After breakfast and after all the bus tour passengers had gone ashore I made my down to the lower deck and boarded one of the boats and headed of to the pier.


As with all the other stops so far it was hot. Walking of the pier you are greeted with this bronze statue of water carrier and child. I am sure it was reminding me to keep drinking water.


Around the corner to greeted by a colorful display of hats and scarves.


Down the street a further and hard left and into a long street full of shaded market stalls.


From the street the stalls went a long way back and without free flowing air were extremely hot. The occasional stall had a small fan or better still the shop-keeper walked with you vigorously flapping a hand fan while trying to make a sale.


After buying a few things for the grand kids I made my way back towards the beach. Passing more stalls, bars, cafes, and a fish market right there on the beach.
Through the trees the ship appeared and a walk along the beach brought me back to the pier.


I had timed it just right. A tender was just loading. I joined a small queue, boarded, and headed back to the cruise ship.


Now all hot, wet, and tired I headed down to my cabin, changed my clothes, had a rest, and then headed up for dinner.

Other than the heat this was good place to visit, extremely clean, friendly people that allowed you look around with out the continual pestering to buy as in some of the other ports.

I don't know if you have noticed I have missed a couple of days, the 11th and 13th May, one in Nicaragua and the other at sea. Both should show up eventually. Maybe I get around to them tomorrow as we are at sea all day.

Day 12 - May 7 - Guatemala

Woke up this morning in Guatemala. Temperature still hovering around 30 degrees, no wind and slightly overcast. After my early morning walk had breakfast and then went ashore. Here we are tied up to a small platform about a quarter the size of the ship and connected to the land by long narrow bridge. On shore there are two open airy buildings both with high conical thatched roofs. All surrounded by stalls with brightly colour goods for sale. Everything is new, very clean and by far the best landing area so far.

To day I have a bus trip trip to Antigua. Our transport are small 10 seater buses, air conditioned but with very little leg room. Each bus has pecular gadget fixed to each wheel. I assume some form of measuring device for road usage taxation, but why on each wheel?


The trip a ninety minute ride both ways to Antigua. We climbed from the coast to 4500 ft through firstly sugar can plantations then tropical forest. Antigua a city with UNESCO world heritage classification is dominated by a large volcano which in the past has devastated the city.


The city laid out in a checkerboard cobbled roading system around a central square. The city having world heritage status means the outward appearance of all building have been preserved including 30 churches dating back to the late 1500s--some just shells of buildings.


The cobbled stone streets slope into a central gutter.


Although the above shows a foot path in most streets the houses open onto the street. As we drove paste looking into the open doorways you could see all sorts of interiors--hotels, restaurants, garden filled courtyards, shops, and workshops. Sorry no more photos as after taken this one the camera's battery gave up.

Pleasant trip back to the ship and some time for shopping before boarding.

Tomorrow a day at sea.