Duration: 8 Days
See your visions of tulip season in Holland and Belgium come into view while cruising from Brussels to Amsterdam, perfect for garden and nature enthusiasts. For flower lovers, an expert botanist will provide lectures onboard, accompanies you on this tulip season cruise, sharing his knowledge about botany and the world of plants!
Take in the quintessential Dutch scenes of windmills, waterways, and seemingly endless rows of blooming colour. Embark in Brussels and sail to Ghent—“The Diamond of Flanders.” Visit St. Bavo’s Cathedral with its stunning Flemish artwork. Sail to Bossuit for moving battlefield remembrances, including In Flanders Fields Museum and the Last Post Ceremony. On to Holland for a visit the former Dutch East India Company trading port. You’ll tour a marvel of flood-protection at the Delta Works in Veere. In Kinderdijk, see 19 windmills built in 1740 for water management and marvel at the Erasmus Bridge in the historic port city of Rotterdam.
Be amazed at the varieties and volume of tulips and other flowering bulbs in the flower farm regions of Zaandam and Haarlem and delight in a visit to see the breathtaking blooming colours of Keukenhof, also known as the “Garden of Europe.” With 70 acres of parkland and lakes, Keukenhof is one of the world’s largest flower gardens with more than 7 million flowering bulbs each year. This beautiful and historic springtime river cruise concludes with two nights in Amsterdam. Take a guided canal cruise past bridges and homes of a golden age.
Welcome to Belgium. Your Suite Ship is Ready for Boarding.
Flights into Brussels must arrive by 2:00 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.
Enjoy dinner on board as you sail for Ghent this evening.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO GHENT (D)
Medieval Masterpieces and Flemish Finery
Visit the Adventure centre for today's activities with your Adventure Host.
ACTIVE - Explore a different side of Ghent by foot with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC - Explore Ghent-"The Diamond of Flanders"- with a Guided Sightseeing Tour of this showcase of medieval Flemish wealth. You'll visit St. Bavo's Cathedral-with its remarkable Flemish artwork.
Alternatively, you may choose to join a full-day Guided Optional Excursion of Bruges to explore its canals, cobbled streets, and medieval buildings. You'll see its crisscrossed canals, the 13th-century belfry of Market Square, and charming patrician houses.
This evening, enjoy live entertainment on board.
OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BOSSUIT (B,L,D)
Battlefield Remembrances in Flanders
DISCOVERY - Visit the In Flanders Field Museum in Ypres-named for the soldier's famed poem. Learn about the story of the invasion of Belgium, the first months of the mobilisation, the four years trench war in the Westhoek, the end of the war, and the lasting remembrance to follow. After your visit, enjoy lunch at the museum's cafe.
DISCOVERY - Following the museum, visit battlefields, cemeteries, memorials and private collections.
DISCOVERY - Experience the Last Post Ceremony, taking place nightly under the arches of the Menin Gate. Enjoy some free time for dinner before the Ceremony starts.
OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MIDDELBURG (B,L,D)
A Spicy History in Middelburg's Dutch Harbor Town
ACTIVE - Explore Middelburg by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC - Join a Guided Walking Tour through the winding cobblestones and canals of Middelburg. See the 15th-century Gothic Town Hall and learn about its important role in the spice trade and Dutch East India trading. Enjoy lunch on board while cruising to Veere.
VEERE: The Delta Works Stand Strong as a Technical Marvel
ACTIVE - Bike your way to the beach from Veere with your Adventure Host, OR:
ACTIVE - Join an hiking experience in the Domburg area on a scenic route through history and landscapes, OR:
DISCOVERY - Join a Guided Tour of the Delta Works, the largest flood-protection system in the world, and a miracle of modern technology.
DISCOVERY - While sailing satisfy your curiosity about botany and nature during a lecture hosted by a local expert.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO KINDERDIJK (B,L,D)
Harnessing the Wind for 300 Years
Join your Adventure Host for today's special activities.
ACTIVE - See the windmills of Kinderdijk by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC - Join a Guided Tour of Kinderdijk where 19 windmills were built in 1740 as flood prevention and water management. You'll hear about the windmill's vital role in the Netherland's history and why it became a national symbol of Holland.
Enjoy a cruise through Rotterdam harbor.
ACTIVE - Experience Rotterdam by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC - Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Rotterdam featuring innovative architecture, including the marvellous Erasmus Bridge.
Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.
OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ZAANDAM (B,L,D)
Windmills, Waterways, and Waving Fields of Flowers
CLASSIC - Join a half-day Guided Tour of breathtaking Keukenhof-known as the "Garden of Europe"-for its 70 acres of lush parkland, lakes, and the world's largest flower gardens-with more than seven million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths as well as other bulbs, planted each year OR:
ACTIVE - Join your Adventure Hosts for a scenic bike tour in Kinderdijk
Alternatively spend your time to explore independently the quintessential Dutch town of Zaandam.
Cruise to Haarlem this afternoon while enjoying lunch on board.
HAARLEM: Tulips and North Sea Trading Ports
ACTIVE - Enjoy an easy bike ride to the beach with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC - Visit Haarlem, a major flower bulbs growing district outside of Amsterdam. Explore the former North Sea trading port with its medieval features, gabled houses, and leafy courtyards.
Enjoy dinner on board your ship this evening as you sail to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM (B,L,D)
Canals of Colourful Amsterdam
ACTIVE - Join a Biking Tour through the Dutch countryside past polders, dykes, and quaint centuries-old villages, OR:
CLASSIC - Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam's "Golden Age" OR:
DISCOVERY - Access Amsterdam's secret gardens hidden behind the brick facades - a unique opportunity as they are normally closed to public.
This afternoon, you may like to join a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans or experience a Culinary Tour through Amsterdam.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM (B,L,D)
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
