The Amsterdam - detail

I've been checking the temperatures in Alaska and they are running in the high 50's F, so certainly a break from all the heat and humidity we have been having.  Also, on our drive, once we get into the Rocky Mountains, the nights will be cool for sleeping.  We will hit the hot weather in Iowa, South Dakota and Wyoming and then on our return in the American Southwest, although by the end of August and early September, even the temperatures there should be bearable.  We just need to stay clear of forest fires!!! 

On our cruises, we always book an inside cabin since all we use the space for is to sleep, shower and change.  The rest of the time we are out and about on the ship or walking at our port stop.  An Interior Stateroom is approx. 182 sq. ft. - certainly bigger than my tent and I can most certainly stand up in the cabin.

The beds can be configured as two singles or as one queen size bed.  The room is very compact - every inch of space is accounted for.  Believe it or not, condos are being built in downtown Toronto,  even as I write, that are not much bigger than this - although they do have a balcony and a nice big window.  I can live in this much space for a couple of weeks but I don't think I could live in such a small space for any length of time, even with a balcony and certainly not with two people.

There are lots of bright, open spaces on a cruise ship where you can sit and watch the water go by.  The best place for doing that is in the Crow's Nest - deck 9.  The Crow's Nest is a bar with wall to wall windows at the front of the ship.  The nice thing about a cruise ship is that you can sit in the bar and not have to drink.  It is a public space.

If you want to see more of the ship, go to www.hollandamerica.com and click on the "our ships" drop box and find the Amsterdam.  Once we get on board, I will post pictures of the ship either to this blog, or to the Flickr link at the top of the blog.

An example of an interior stateroom layout: