Started off with a few days in Amsterdam, a great to acclimate to the time zone change. Superb city for walking, everything close proximity to the hotel by Central Station including the Eurodam.

Embarkation - took about 40 minutes from arrival to processing to the stateroom on board, where we soon met our room stewards. Didn't see much of them during the cruise, the room was always picked up or turned down when we returned. We read to be wary of the 4th floor, but no problems with noise from below. The stateroom had plenty of storage and was comfortable when spending time on the balcony.

Activities - Took a couple of days to get the lay of the land, plenty of places to read or get a drink, lots of activities to keep busy during the days at sea. Spent time every day in the Greenhouse Spa, bought the supplemental pass for unlimited access and found it well worth while. The workout area didn't get much use from the other guests so finding a machine was easy. Yoga on the days at sea proved to be a bit challenging with some of the rolling seas. The staff for massages were great and we all knew each other half way through the trip. The hydro pool and thermal suite were terrific to rejuvenate after a day in port and before the start of evening dinner. Participated in the "Dancing with the Stars", Culinary Arts Center, and Digital Workshop. Would have liked to have somebody who was bi-lingual (Windows and Apple) but being sponsored by Microsoft the technician wouldn't even acknowledge the word "Apple". Internet was extremely slow and expensive. You have to pick your time to login, everyone on shore or late evening to get half way decent speed. Read more