La Nouvelle Etoile hosts this exciting 7-day cruise from Holland crossing Belgium, visiting and exploring different tourist destinations. Visit Keukenhof Gardens, where you can see one of the world's most extensive flower gardens. Be transported back into history as you see wooden houses, mills, barns, and workshops, which follow designs from back in the 18th and 19th centuries. Visit the fascinating Royal Delft pottery factory in Delft, where famous pottery is still handmade and painted by hand. You will also have the opportunity to wander through the largest auction of flowers in Aalsmeer. Then you will make your way to Belgium, where you can walk the streets of the beautiful Flemish city, Antwerp, and finally disembark in Bruges.
Highlights
Tour the world famous Keukenhof Gardens
Wander through the picturesque town of Bruges or the "Venice of the North"
Visit the home of Flemish artist Peter Paul Ruben in Antwerp
Witness traditional Dutch pottery being handmade at Delft Pottery Works
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Embark on La Nouvelle Etoile where a champagne welcome awaits. You will be given enough time to roam around the city of Haarlem. Upon return, you will then join a short cocktail cruise through Haarlem and moor for the night near Cruquius.
In the morning, you will drive and visit the colorful flower auction in Aalsmeer where you can witness 20 million flowers being traded every day. You will then return to the hotel barge to cruise along the canals to Lisse to visit the Keukenhof Gardens, the largest display of flowers in the world, home to 7 million tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. The cruise will continue to Delft to visit the famous Delft Pottery Works and where its handmade potteries are being produced.
Today, leave Delft to cruise to Rotterdam, the major port city in South Holland. In the morning, you will have an opportunity to visit the company that produces the most prestigious vodka in the world, Ketel One. You will then return to the hotel barge and continue cruising through Rotterdam and across the Hollandsch Diep and to the lovely old fortress town of Willemstad.
On this day, you will leave Holland and cross the border to enter Belgium and cruise to Antwerp. This includes a tour of Peter Paul Ruben's home. Take a stroll in the old quarter of this beautiful Flemish city.
By morning, you can catch the flood tide up the winding “Sea Schelde”, which takes you to the town of Ghent. In this place, you will have the opportunity to wander around or get to see the Hubrecht and Jan van Eyck's famous work, the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.
In the morning, you will cruise to the little town of Bruges or the "Venice of the North". Another opportunity to spend the time to explore many museums, do some shopping for handmade lace, or take a boat trip on the small canals that meander through the beautiful town. Tonight is the farewell Captain’s Dinner on board.
Day 7: Bruges | Disembark
1 Breakfast
After breakfast, disembark La Nouvelle Etoile and transfer to the drop off point in Bruges.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Suites
200 sq. ft. including en-suite facilities. Twin/double beds, private bathroom with shower, wardrobe, small tables and a chair.
Initial deposit is 25%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by Credit card, check, and bank transfer. All final payments by credit card subject to a surcharge of 2.5% and maximum of $20,000 charge
Everything was amazing! The planning with Adventure Life went smoothly. The actual trip was fantastic! One of the best trips I have experienced. The cruise staff members were knowledgeable and attentive. I will be writing more about this on the blog!
Justin Chappelle
TrustScore 4.8 | 254 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 254 reviews on
1 day ago
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
1 day ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
1 day ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
6 days ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.