Tulip Time Cruise

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, cafes, lively marketplaces and exciting nightlife. This evening meet your fellow passengers on board for the Welcome Reception and Dinner.

After breakfast, enjoy a comprehensive and scenic morning cruise through the historic harbor and canals of Amsterdam. See the beautiful homes that line the water, the fabled Skinny Bridge, and the famous Anne Frank House. Later, enjoy a panoramic city tour that includes the Rembrandt Windmill and other great landmarks of Amsterdam. Return to the ship for a scenic lunch while you cruise the Ijsselmeer towards Volendam. Enjoy a late afternoon tour of Volendam Harbor to see the fish auction building, Old Quarter and famous churches. Continue by motor coach to the village of Edam, a picturesque town with a rich historic past. While here, be sure to sample some of its famous cheese. Take a walking tour through the Old Quarter's beautiful houses, canals, bridges, and churches.

Arrive in beautiful Arnhem early this morning and see the site of the Battle of Arnhem Bridge featured in the classic film 'A Bridge Too Far' during Operation Market Garden in World War II. Then visit the Airborne Museum, which shows the course of events during the Battle of Arnhem. Alternatively, enjoy a tour of the most stunning royal residence in Holland, Het Loo Palace, with lavishly furnished rooms and meticulously sculpted gardens. After your tour, return to the ship for lunch and cruise to Nijmegen for a city tour. Enjoy scenic cruising this evening as you sail through Holland, and on to Belgium.

This morning, enjoy a walking tour of Antwerp. See the Antwerp Castle, Grote Market, Brabo Fountain and city's superb architecture. Alternatively, visit the Rubens House, former home and studio of famous 17th-century Flemish Baroque Painter, Peter Paul Rubens. Afterwards, visit the Antwerp Cathedral which features two of Rubens' most important works, "The Elevation of the Cross" and "The Descent from the Cross." The afternoon is free to explore Antwerp on your own or take an optional excursion to nearby Brussels, the capital of Belgium and site of NATO headquarters. After dinner, your ship departs for Ghent.

After breakfast take a guided sightseeing tour of Ghent, the fourth largest city of Belgium. Your walking tour includes the Belfry Hall and picturesque highlights such as the Koornlei, the Graslei, and the Castle of the Counts. Cruise to Terneuzen this afternoon or take an optional excursion to Bruges, one of Europe’s most perfectly preserved medieval cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Early this evening, cruise through the Dutch region of Zeeland, home to one of the world’s most complex engineering projects, the Delta Works, which took more than 30 years to complete.

This morning, stop in charming 400-year old Willemstad for a walking tour and private organ recital at the oldest Protestant church in Holland. In the afternoon, visit Kinderdijk, a lovely region renowned for having the greatest concentration of windmills in the entire country and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tonight, enjoy a special onboard musical performance as the ship cruises to Schoonhoven, where the ship moors overnight.

Arrive in Amsterdam today. Admire the spectacular display of millions of flowering tulips during your morning excursion to the famous 70-acre Keukenhof Gardens. Return to Amsterdam and spend the rest of the day at your leisure. The ship moors overnight in Amsterdam.

Disembark after breakfast in Amsterdam for your transfer to the airport.