Tulip Time Cruise Cruise through Holland & Belgium in the Spring 9 Days • Roundtrip Amsterdam
Discover the beauty and history of the Dutch and Belgian waterways in springtime. Admire the colorful Tulip carpets and flower displays; stroll amidst Kinderdijks’ lush green countryside dotted with the world-famous windmills, taste the local cheese and learn about the traditions of the friendly Dutch and Flemish people. In Belgium, admire great medieval cities like Antwerp, Ghent and Brugges with their stunning architecture and traditions and sample the delicious pastries and chocolates.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1, Sat. DEPART USA. Day 2, Sun. ARRIVE IN AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND. Welcome to Amsterdam, a modern city with a rich and fascinating history. Explore the 700 year-old European capital with its elegant and classic architecture, cafés, restaurants, lively marketplace and exciting nightlife. Perhaps visit one of the city's renowned museums such as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum or the Anne Frank House. Tonight, meet your fellow passengers on board for the Welcome Dinner. (D)
Day 3, Mon. AMSTERDAM - VOLENDAM - EDAM. After breakfast, enjoy a comprehensive morning cruise through the historic canals of Amsterdam. Once back on board, a short cruise on the Ijsselmeer takes you to Volendam. The afternoon tour takes you from Volendam to the village of Edam, famous for its wonderful cheese. (B,L,D)
Day 4, Tue. ARNHEM. Arrive in Arnhem early this morning. Tour the Airborne Museum Hartenstein, which shows the course of events during the Battle of Arnhem, one of the major battles of World War II. After the tour, return to the ship around lunchtime and spend a leisurely afternoon and evening cruising through Holland and on to Belgium. (B,L,D)
Day 5, Wed. ANTWERP, BELGIUM. This morning, enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Antwerp, one of the world's most important ancient seaports. See the Grote Markt with its beautiful city hall and the Church of Our Lady, and admire the city's superb architecture. The afternoon is free to explore Antwerp on your own or take an optional excursion to nearby Brussels. After dinner, your cruise departs for Ghent. (B,L,D)
Day 6, Thu. GHENT. Disembark after breakfast for a guided sightseeing tour of Ghent, the fourth largest city of Belgium. This city is the real diamond of Flanders. In its own way, Ghent has preserved its medieval charm while remaining current with the times. The afternoon is yours to explore Ghent further or to take an optional excursion to Brugges, one of Europe's most perfectly preserved medieval cities. (B,L,D)
Day 7, Fri. WILLEMSTAD, HOLLAND - DORDRECHT. This morning, sail through the Dutch region of Zeeland. This region is home to one of the world's most complex engineering projects, the Delta Works, which took over 30 years to complete. During this morning's cruise, you will pass some of these magnificent projects, then stop in charming Willemstad for a walking tour and spend some free time to shop or explore on your own. During lunch, continue cruising towards Dordrecht and the 18th-century windmills of Kinderdijk, the largest group of original windmills in Holland. Tonight, enjoy a special music performance on board. (B,L,D)
Day 8, Sat. UTRECHT - KEUKENHOF - AMSTERDAM. Cruise along the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal to Utrecht, where you disembark for a morning excursion to the famous Keukenhof Gardens to admire the spectacular display of bulb flowers in bloom. Keukenhof also offers several ponds, sculpture gardens, greenhouses, a windmill which can be toured and several terraces to relax in. Return to your ship in Amsterdam for lunch. (B,L,D)
Day 9, Sun. DEPART AMSTERDAM. Disembark this morning. Extra nights are available if you wish to extend your stay in Amsterdam. (B)
This is the Amadeus Waterways Itinerary which we believe offers the best Value & Quality for 2010.
Similar itineraries are available from Viking, Avalon/Globus and Uniworld call800-640-4899
Single Supplement for Cruise: 50% of twin price; Jr. Suites 100% of twin price.
Prices are per person in Category E in a deluxe outside stateroom with window. To upgrade to a higher Category, add the following amount per person:
Cat.
Deck
STATEROOM
Price
D
Piano
Window
$ 189
C
Cello
French Balcony
$ 549
B
Cello
French Balcony
$ 749
A
Violin
French Balcony
$ 849
A+
Violin
French Balcony
$ 1099
S
Violin
French Balcony
$ 1799
NOTE: Please select bedding configuration at the time of booking.
The choices are: Choice A: Two twin beds Choice B: One large bed (larger than queen size)
The MS AMADANTE, MS AMALEGRO, MS AMADAGIO and the MS AMACELLO offer well-designed public areas for your full cruise enjoyment. Enter the contemporary Lobby with its captivating artwork, then relax in the modern lounges and bars with comfortable furnishings. Walk through pleasant hallways and generous open stairways and enjoy a well lit surrounding.
The newest features onboard these ships are:
BICYCLES: Each ship has 25 bicycles onboard which can be used by passengers free of charge to visit the small towns. Today, most regions offer well-maintained bicycle paths along the river.
INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM: Every stateroom is equipped with monitor and keyboard with Internet access, English speaking TV stations, a large movie selection and numerous music programs. Our satellite telephone system allows you to call home for only 1 Euro per minute.
THE GENEROUS WELLNESS AREA located in the Aft area of the Violin Deck includes a glassed-in fitness room, massage, beauty salon and the Adagio Lounge with bar, modern wicker furniture and French doors to enjoy the fresh river air.
ELEVATOR: Both ships have an elevator, which only very few river cruise ships are featuring. The elevator reaches 4 different levels: The Restaurant level (1), the Staterooms on the Cello Deck (2), the Lobby and Panorama Lounge (3) and the Staterooms on the Violin Deck (4).
STATEROOMS: Inside your exquisitely decorated stateroom you'll find all the amenities of a fine hotel, with white-on-white plush bedding, a cozy sitting area, Infotainment System, hair dryer, safe, fluffy bathrobes, individually controlled air-conditioning and ample closet space. All 71 staterooms and the 4 Jr. Suites are outside; over 82% feature large French balconies, which are a true delight when relaxing in your stateroom.
JUNIOR SUITES: Although rarely found on European river cruise ships, Junior Suites aboard the MS AMALEGRO and MS AMADAGIO are extra spacious - 255 square feet. They feature a comfortable sitting area with a sofa and two chairs, floor-to-ceiling windows with French balcony and a luxurious, extra spacious bathroom with bathtub and shower. The suites sell quickly, so early reservations are recommended.
The About.com Guide to Cruises, Linda Garrison, has just returned for a 9-day Tulip Time River Cruise with premier river cruise line AMAWATERWAYS and she brought back praise and across the board Thumbs Up on her experience for AMA. Garrison has been cruising since 1967 and writing for About.com since 2000.
The cruise Garrison took, on the MS Amalegro, starts and ends in Amsterdam with 7-days on-board ship, includes visits to Vollendam, Edam, Arnhem, Nijmegen, Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Brugges, Willenstad, Kinderdijk and Utrecht.
A primary attraction for these extremely popular cruises is the springtime floral explosion of colors in the world famous gardens of Holland. In the series of postings seen below, all published at on About.com, Linda Garrison gave her readers an overview of the company and a comprehensive look at the MS Amalegro, which she titled European River Ship Accommodations Are Comfortable and Feature Terrific Shower.
Here are Linda Garrison's Blog Posting About AMAWATERWAYS and the MS Amalegro:
"AMAWATERWAYS has six identical European river ships with musical names--the MS Amalyra and MS Amadolce (2009), MS Amacello and MS Amadante (2008), MS Amalegro (2007) and MS Amadagio (2006). In addition to these six ships, the company has four other owned/leased ships sailing in Europe and Russia and the MS La Marguerite sailing the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia. AMAWATERWAYS will be sailing the significantly refurbished Amakaterina on its Russian Waterways cruises starting in 2011. The MS Amakaterina will be the largest vessel sailing the Volga River and will feature 106 cabins, 76 of which will have full balconies (not French ones).
"I sailed on the AMAWATERWAYS MS Amalegro on a colorful 9-day April Tulip Time cruise in the Netherlands and Belgium and loved the ship, the itinerary, and the onboard and ashore activities. My favorite part of the ship was the 3-jet shower, which was the best I've seen on any cruise ship of any size!
Cabins and Suites:
"The 150-passenger AMAWATERWAYS MS Amalegro river ship has four types of cabins, all of which are on the outside and feature 220-volt European plug ins, plush bedding, telephone, safe, hair dryer, satellite television with complimentary movies, terry bathrobe and slippers, complimentary bottled water, and one of the best showers I've ever experienced on any cruise ship. This shower is large, has three nozzles, and lots of water pressure. The bath also includes spa-quality toiletries.
"Junior Suites measure 255 square feet and feature a small sitting area and sofa and two large French balconies. In addition, they have a full-size tub and shower in the bath. French Balcony Cabins measure 170 square feet and have a floor to ceiling French balcony with sliding door. Outside Cabins with windows on the Piano Deck do not have balconies, but are the same size (170 square feet) as the balconied cabins on the two upper decks. Single Cabins measure 140 square feet, but include a French balcony.
Dining Rooms:
"The 150-passenger MS Amalegro has one main dining room with three casual, open seating meals. Breakfast is served for about two hours each morning, but lunch and dinner are at a set time. Breakfast and lunch feature both buffet and menu items. Made-to-order omelets are quite a popular breakfast item, and lunch always has a selection of homemade ice creams (my favorite) for dessert.
"For those in a hurry or who are not hungry, a light breakfast and lunch are available in the lounge. Dinner is ordered from a menu and each course is served separately. Every dinner features a choice of appetizers, soups, entrees, and desserts. Wine is complimentary at dinner, and it flows freely. Dinner is leisurely and fun, but the room gets quite noisy, making table conversation difficult.
"In addition to the regular meals, coffee and tea are always available in the lounge. Delicious cookies are set out most of the day, and afternoon tea and a late night snack is also served in the lounge.
Interiors:
"Although the MS Amalegro and her five sisters look much like other river ships from the outside, the company has done as excellent job of furnishing the interior space. The large forward observation lounge has comfortable, plush seating and huge windows. The bow of the ship is low, making viewing easier.
"The wonderful aft lounge has modern wicker furniture and serves as a sun room and an open-air, covered lounge when the French doors are open. It's perfect for small group gatherings. The small fitness center includes exercise equipment and is across the hall from the massage and beauty salon.
"The cabins are 170 square feet, which are larger than the 150-160 square feet norm on many other European river ships. And, having the dining room on the lowest deck makes cruising during meal time delightful since you can watch the mesmerizing wake of the ship as you dine.
"One excellent Amalegro feature not seen on most river ships is an elevator that covers all indoor decks.
"The six AMA musically-named river ships have three indoor decks and are long and narrow like other European river ships. The MS Amalegro also has a very low draft, facilitating travel in shallow water. It is 360 feet long and 38 feet wide and has 41 crew and carries 148-150 passengers. The top sun deck has a nice shaded area and comfortable chairs. The outdoor chess set and hot tub are good additions, and passengers even have a "walking track" marked out in the outdoor carpet.
"One of the most popular outdoor activities on the MS Amalegro is bicycle riding. The ship has storage for 20-30 bikes, and passengers can use them for free. Anyone who has traveled European waterways knows that bicycle paths follow the canals and rivers. These bike paths pass through charming villages and picturesque countryside. Bicyclists can go out on their own for an hour or so or even form a group to spend the day following the trail by the river, rejoining the ship at the next stop.
AMAWATERWAYS is the innovative industry leader, offering fine all-inclusive river cruise vacations in Europe, Russia, Vietnam and Cambodia. It's luxurious, state-of-the art fleet in Europe consists of the MS Amadolce (2009), the MS Amalyra (2009), the MS Amacello (2008), the MS Amadante (2008), the MS Amalegro (2007) and the MS Amadagio (2006). The line introduced Vietnam, Cambodia and the Riches of the Mekong in late 2009, featuring a 7-night Mekong River cruise on the beautiful new MS La Marguerite. Due to the overwhelming success of the program, AMAWATERWAYS is constructing a new 124-passenger vessel to be introduced on the Mekong in the fall of 2011.
With the decrease in the value of the dollar and the high price of fuel the cost of hotels and meals have doubled in European during the last three years. Savy travelers have come to understand that a river cruise offers the best value for a European Vacation. Accommodations, all meals on board and shore excursions are included in the price and some companies even include wine with dinner. Because of this, you do not have to live in fear of the $300 per night hotel bill, the $100 not so wonderful restaurant meal and the $10 cup of coffee with no free refills.
Many people believe that by dealing directly with the cruise line, they cut out the expense of a middleman. But when it comes to cruising, this is never the case. The cruise lines depend on travel agents to sell their product, and so it is the cruise lines who pay the agent's commission, not the customer. The lines also offer agents various extra incentives, bonus commissions and value-added perks, giving the travel agents more pricing leverage and the ability for us to offer you lower rates: There are many superb and well-trained travel agents, but there are not many who know as much as we do about river cruising.
