TWcrossroads Managing Editor Michael Nassaur and his wife
Heather are cruising the Panama Canal aboard Holland America's
Amsterdam. He will be filing reports from the recently launched
ship over the next several days.
ABOARD THE AMSTERDAM -- It has been said that first impressions
are the most lasting. If that's true then I will always think of
Amsterdam as a modern ship in the truest spirit of a classic
liner.
The most immediate and striking characteristic of the ship is
the abundance of mahogany and brass at every turn, yielding a
pleasing combination of understated richness and old-time
elegance.
But though the ship is decorated in the trappings of the
classic, it still is firmly rooted in the 21st century.
The most obvious example of Amsterdam's place in the here and
now is that I am writing this in the Internet Cafe -- actually it's
the "C@fe" -- an attractive stop on the Promenade deck next to the
ubiquitous Java Bar and Wajang Theater.
The cafe, open 24 hours a day, contains seven terminals that
allow passengers to connect to the Internet and e-mail with just a
few clicks. For those who need a little help getting started, an
onboard manager is available at various times throughout the day
and evening.
The fee for accessing the Internet is 75 cents per minute, $3.95
for each e-mail sent using the ship's CruisE-mail account and $4.95
for each 15-20 second sound and video e-mails.
Of course, users who can access internet-based e-mail servers
can just access the Web and send from their usual sources, such as
AOL, Yahoo!, Hotmail, etc.
I'll report back with more info on the ship and a look at our
first port stop in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.