Tulip Serenade

8 days | Amsterdam—Ghent—Amsterdam

Enjoy spring as the countryside awakens from a long winter‘s slumber. Cruise along the Waterways of Holland & Belgium, past lazily spinning windmills, blossoming foliage and sleepy towns. Along the intricate net of extensive waterways, explore the capital city of Amsterdam, ‘the Venice of the North‘, the quaint villages and Renaissance cities of Ghent, Antwerp and Bruges medieval churches. View Dutch and Flemish masterpieces and taste Dutch cheeses and world-famous Belgian chocolates. Take the opportunity to visit the Keukenhof gardens with its 79 acres of breathtaking beauty, only open in the spring. A riot of flowers exploding in color and scent as well as centuries of history and culture make the Tulip Serenade a wonderful treat.

Your itinerary

DAY/PORT ARR DEP HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROGRAM

1 Amsterdam 22:00 Embarkation from 4 pm

Welcome Cocktail and Welcome Dinner Shanty Choir on board

2 Arnhem 08:00 18:30 • Arnhem and the history of World War II

• Arnhem and the Open Air Museum or Visit to the Kröller-Müller-Museum

3 Middelburg 11:00 18:00 • Delta Works experience & Veere walking tour or Middelburg walking tour

4 Ghent 02:00 19:30 • Ghent with Gravensteen medieval fortress

• Bruges — Venice of the North

5 Antwerp 05:00 20:00 • Brussels with Atomium & Cinquantenaire park

• Antwerp and the Cathedral of Our Lady

6 Rotterdam 06:00 20:00 • Kinderdijk and visit to the windmills

• Visit to the Keukenhof Flower Gardens

7 Amsterdam 05:00 • Amsterdam & iconic canal cruise

• A Dutch Trip to Waterland Captain‘s Gala Dinner

8 Amsterdam Disembarkation after breakfast

Excursions listed in blue are not included in the cruise price. Please refer to pages 132—147 for specific shore excursion details. We reserve the right to make amendments to the timetable and program.

Price per person in double cabin from

1.379,-

RHINE · Tulip Serenade_AMS–AMS

Amsterdam canal scenery with bridges, boats, bikes and flowerbeds

DAY 1 | NETHERLANDS: AMSTERDAM

Your Dutch adventure begins in Amsterdam, where you will embark in the afternoon. After a Welcome Cocktail and a celebratory Welcome Dinner, you will get to enjoy a performance on board by a traditional shanty choir, setting the mood for the days to come.

DAY 2 | ARNHEM

Voted “greenest city in Europe“, Arnhem rebuilt itself after the famed 1944 battle immortalized in the film “A Bridge Too Far“, and is now a thriving artists‘ town with fine museums and beautiful parks. Choose to join the morning city tour to appreciate its beautiful sights and delve deeper into the history of World War II at the War Museum. Later in the day, choose between a trip to the Open Air Museum with views of charming Dutch buildings, industries and crafts of bygone times and the Kröller-Müller-Museum, housing the second-largest collection of Van Gogh paintings in the world. Relax on board in the evening, enjoying a delicious dinner as your vessel cruises onwards to Middelburg.

DAY 3 | MIDDELBURG

Before lunchtime, your cruise ship will dock in Middelburg. As one of the centers where the Dutch East India Company flourished in the 17th century, this lovely city features historic merchant houses and storefronts lining its canals. This afternoon, take part in a guided walking tour and learn more about its history and culture, or visit Netherland’s “morn wonder of the world,“ the Delta Works, which protect the southwest of the country from the sea. Continue to the historic village of Veere.

DAY 4 | BELGIUM: GHENT

During the night, your vessel will dock in Ghent, the ultimate medieval city, which you can explore in the morning. Admire architecture preserved since the late Middle Ages and visit 13th century residence of the Counts of Flanders, the Gravensteen or “Castle of the Counts“.

In the afternoon, join the excursion to Bruges, the capital of the province of West Flanders. With its cobbled streets, crooked bridges, meandering canals and World Heritagelisted medieval buildings, the Belgian city of Bruges is bursting with fantastic 12% brews, boutique chocolate-makers and canalside bars. There’s also the Basilica of the Holy

Blood, a double-decker chapel which has a Romanesque church down below and a neo-Gothic church up above.

DAY 5 ANTWERP

Antwerp, the second-largest city in Belgium, welcomes you today. After breakfast, join the excursion to the politically and culturally significant city of Brussels. View the iconic Atomium, which was created for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair and, thanks to its popularity, was not torn down as originally planned. Visit the Cinquantenaire Park with its triumphal arch, built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Belgium’s independence.

In the afternoon, explore Antwerp in a comfortable coach. Famous for its diamond trade, the city also boasts many cultural highlights such as the Cathedral of Our Lady with pain-

One of the largest water castles in Europe: Gravensteen Castle in the historic center of Ghent

”There is so much to take in and see at the Keukenhof Gardens,

Benjamin D.

tings by the famous Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens. In the evening, enjoy dinner, while your vessel returns to the Netherlands.

DAY 6 | NETHERLANDS: ROTTERDAM

Early morning, your ship will arrive in Rotterdam, the second largest city in the Netherlands. After breakfast, you can pay a visit to Kinderdijk, which houses the most unique windmill complex in the world. Built to drain water from the soil, these windmills are now protected by UNESCO and are one of the Netherlands’ most popular tourist destinations. After lunch, you can explore the world–famous Keukenhof gardens.

During dinner, the ship departs for the final leg of the cruise back to Amsterdam.

DAY 7 | AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam welcomes you back today with its enchanting blend of old-world charm and contemporary allure.

In the morning, cruise through the lovely, verdant canals of Amsterdam while learning more about the city’s history and significance. After lunch, you can visit Waterland in North Holland, where you will stop in the charming fishing village of Volendam and the equally picturesque town of Edam. Renowned for its cheeses, this is the perfect spot for a cheese tasting (included in the excursion). This evening, the festive Captain’s Gala Dinner will provide a fitting finish to the day.

DAY 8 | AMSTERDAM

Enjoy one more leisurely breakfast on board before disembarking. The AMADEUS team wishes you a safe journey home and looks forward to seeing you again in future.

Cruise fares per person in EUR based on double occupancy of a cabin

Early booking discount of 15% on the above-mentioned prices when booked by Nov 30, 2023. Single cabin supplement per person for all dates:

15%, B-4: 30%, B-1: 50%, A-1: 60%, Suite: 100% of cruise price. For cruise price see page 16, for deck plans see page 118—131.

Excursion packages

prices per person in EUR and if booked in advance

Transfers prices per person in EUR

Amsterdam: train station—vessel or v.v. 50 Amsterdam: airport—vessel or v.v. 59