A Day in the Dam
Thinking about going to Amsterdam on a 2-4-1 P&O mini cruise but worried one day wont be enough? or that there's a catch? After all, £45 for 2 nights seems too good to be true.
I too had my reservations about booking the famous Amsterdam deal, but for £45 each we thought why not, we will make the best of whatever is in store for us and not have high expectations.
Well... I am definitely glad I took the leap and have done the 2-4-1 trips three times since! Both to visit Amsterdam and Bruges. Ghent is next on my list.
First, the cruise itself and what to expect. When I hear the term "ferry" and "mini cruise" I immediately think of year 8 and our school trip to Germany which consisted of a coach ride then ferry crossing. To be honest, I dont have great memories of the ferry journey, just that is was quite small and dingy looking. As I pulled up to the P&O ferry terminal and the ship came in sight, I was truly shocked and astounded which grew later as I walked down the gangway to entre the ship.
It exceeded my expectations straight away; a mini casino, two cinemas, two bars, a dance floor and a stage which later in the evening would be home to a live band. It felt just like a huge hotel but on water. Dont get me wrong, the cabins are rather small and are host to bunk beds, a mirror, small desk and ensuite shower room/toilet. To me I would describe it as cosy and with plenty to keep you entertained on board, you hardly spend any time in the cabin itself. As for food, there is 2 resturants onboard; an a la carte resturant for fine dining and a buffet resturant.
Tip: I would highly recommend the buffet resturant! Lots of variety, all the food looked tasty and all you can eat for £22.50 per person. The salted caramel profiteroles alone are worth it and one of the reasons I wanted to do another trip!
Anyway... now you should have more of an idea if the ship experience is for you or not, onto a day in the Dam. You dock in Rotterdam at around 8am the next morning, disembark the ship to be transported to the centre of Amsterdam. You will arrive at roughly 10am; this gives you 7 hours to explore the Netherlands capital until you get picked up later that day from the same spot at 5pm.
When visiting Amsterdam for the day, it is important to set achievable goals for what you want to see/do. Personally, I didn't have a set itinary which made the day seem longer and more enjoyable as we weren't rushing around trying to fit everything in. Most people just want to visit the Coffee shops (where you can smoke cannabis legally or try space cake), we obviously had a quick stop in one for a brownie then proceeded to saunter around the city which was our main agenda.
For people wanting to stick to an itinary and if you have never been to Amsterdam before, I would suggest visiting Dam square; home to the Royal Palace which you can get to via a cobbled alleyway lined with high street shops, Vondelpark for a scenic stroll subject to the weather and lastly, of course the red light district is a tourist favourite.
To visit any museums such as The Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank's House, you will need to book way in advance to guarantee tickets and they can take a couple of hours each. I would advise to visit just one if you are only in Amsterdam for the day then the rest of the time can be spent taking in the sights and having a slow walk around the centre.
A day in the Dam can be as busy or laid back as you wish. Adding the P&O mini cruise experience in with your trip too makes it more exciting and for £45, why wouldn't you?
