Day 2: Amsterdam
When we awoke on our first full day on-board, the SENA was still making its way to Amsterdam. We sat on our cabin balcony in our pajamas, watching as the captain navigated the ship through various narrow locks.
We were due to arrive at 1pm, allowing us time for both a leisurely breakfast and lunch.
Unfortunately, heavy river traffic delayed our arrival into Amsterdam by more than an hour. Because the ship was docking overnight, it didn’t really impact our plans.
We’d made arrangements to meet friends from the U.S. for a late lunch.
KidTripster Tip: If you prefer to book your excursions through A-ROSA, you can make your reservations in advance of your sailing via the website. Or you can book your excursions once on-board. The activities team will provide you with a booking form that outlines the available activities.
The SENA docked within walking distance of Amsterdam Central Station. From there, we headed to Pancakes Amsterdam, a popular spot for sweet and savory pancakes with five locations in the city.
Our next stop was the Anne Frank House, located next door to the restaurant. This was a must-do for our family during our visit to Amsterdam.
Our teenage daughter had read The Diary of a Young Girl and was familiar with Anne Frank’s story. Our 11-year-old son, however, didn’t know much about Anne Frank. The museum offers two versions of the audio tour. Both audio tours tell the story of Anne Frank and the other people in hiding inside the house. If visiting with younger kids (the minimum age to visit is 10-years-old), we recommend listening to the Anne’s Story version, which is created for youth visitors. Walking through the house was a compelling and emotional experience for our family.
KidTripster Tip: It’s important to plan ahead when visiting the museum. Tickets sell out, especially during the summer months. You can purchase your tickets six weeks in advance. We bought our tickets the moment they went on sale and several hours later, that particular day was already sold out. The Van Gogh Museum also sells out. Tickets are available up to three months in advance.
We’d never visited Amsterdam as a family, so we set out to do some touristy things. Our son’s obsession with Tony’s Chocolonely led us to Tony’s Super Store. The Super Store sells chocolates not available elsewhere. Something else that’s super cool is the ability to create a custom chocolate bar. Just know that the chocomachine shuts down two hours before closing time.
We shopped and snacked our way back to Amsterdam Central Station where we caught the free ferry to the A’DAM LOOKOUT. You’ll hop on ferry F3 behind the train station and it’s a short five minute ride across the water.
The A’DAM LOOKOUT is a well-known landmark in Amsterdam. The observation deck offers panoramic views of the city. It’s also famous for its swing. “Over the Edge” is Europe’s highest swing. It dangles riders from the top of the building – some 328 feet above the city. The swings are an optional add-on to your LOOKOUT ticket. The swing experience lasts about a minute. Because there are just six swings, they can sell out. Try to swing during daylight hours as you’ll receive a complimentary video of yourself swinging. (We’re told that the videos aren’t available after dark.) You can also ask the employees to take photos of you as you swing.
[ Related: Go Over the Edge on Europe’s Highest Swing ]
Because our ship was docked overnight, we didn’t need to rush back. We opted to grab a late dinner near the A’DAM LOOKOUT before heading back to the SENA.
Keep reading: click the #4 button below to see how we fulfilled a bucket list experience on our second day in Amsterdam.
