Jan Shaughnessy
Tulip River Cruise
This year I celebrated my 20th wedding
anniversary. What better way to celebrate, then on an
AmaWaterways Tulip River Cruise from Amsterdam through the
Netherlands and Belgium. For a short five to six week
period the beautiful flowers put on their show.
The AmaDolce
This was my first time on AmaWaterways. Like
other river cruise ships the AmaDolce built in 2009, is
long and sleek at 360 feet long and 38 feet wide. She
carries 148 passengers and 41 crew. My cabin was a lower
standard cabin with fixed window. I had stayed in this type
of cabin on other river cruises and it never bothered me. I
found this one noisier though. The cabin is 170 sq ft with
ample storage. It comes with plush robes, hair dryer, safe,
free internet and flat screen TV. In the bathroom you'll
find specialty soap, shampoo and lotion, and the best shower
head I have ever known. The majority of cabins on the
AmaDolce are French Balcony cabins also at 170 sq ft and a
few Jr Suites at 255 sq ft.
When entering the ship on deck three you'll
find smiling friendly faces greeting you from the reception
desk. Right next to the reception desk is a very tiny gift
shop, but it had a variety of reasonably priced souvenirs.
On the opposite side of the reception desk you'll find the
entrance to the Main Lounge & Bar where when not ashore the
majority of your time will be spent. Tucked in the corner
of the lounge on the other side of the bar you'll find the
24-hour coffe/tea area which includes lattes, espresso, and
cappuccino. Snacks can be found here also. During lunch
time a nice small buffet was displayed which included many
of the choices served in the dining room.
Throughout the cruise the main lounge was
used for nightly entertainment and port talks by the cruise
director. Our cruise included a 60's night, a violinist,
and another entertaining trio. On nights where no
speciality entertainment was scheduled a DJ played a variety
of music.
The ship also had an aft lounge with
overstuffed chairs. It was a quiet area to read or play
board games. Next to the aft lounge was a small fitness
room with one treadmill and two stationary bikes. Up on the
top deck were a walking track, whirlpool, giant chess set,
the navigation bridge, and bicycles for free use during
shore excursions.
Food on the AmaDolce was quite good. Certain
items may have lacked taste at times, but over all the food
was good. I particularly enjoyed the beef entrees which
were always cooked as ordered. The menu consisted of choice
of appetizer, soups and salads. The entrees usually had a
fish, beef, and poultry. I found most desserts quite tasty
with the exception of the special anniversary cake they
brought it. It had way too much frosting. Free flowing
complimentary wine, beer, and soft drinks are offered at
lunch and dinner.
Ports of Call
Amsterdam
Day 1 - Our cruise started from the beautiful
port of Amsterdam. We took the train from the airport to
Central Station (Train #2). Arriving at the Central Station
you can exit the front side and hop on a short Tram ride to
the cruise pier, or exit the back side of the station for an
approximate eight block walk to the pier. Wheeled luggage
and good walking shoes is a must though. It's important to
know which pier your cruise ship will be docked at before
you start walking. There were several river ships docked
along the waterside and signage wasn't always clear. Our
cruise was the first cruise of the season so we were able to
get right on the ship at 9AM without waiting for previous
passengers to disembark. One of the things I love about
river cruises is no lines for embarkation. We stepped on
the ship, were greeted with a smile, and handed our keys.
The ship was serving light snacks in the lounge. After a
quick snack we went to our cabins to rest and refresh before
heading out to explore the 700 year old capital city. The
ship would be docked in Amsterdam all night, so we had
plenty of time to explore.
Amsterdam is a walkable city, but taking the
tram is easy, affordable, and saves time. We took the #25
tram from the pier to Dam Square. Dam Square is the center
of many activities. From the square you can walk to many
areas of Amsterdam. We walked to the popular Red Light
District and the Floating Flower Market. After several
hours we returned to the ship for the Captains reception and
dinner. At the reception all ladies were handed a single
long stemmed red rose.
Day 2 - Up early for breakfast and then off
for the included canal boat ride through Amsterdam. Guest
are given an excellent narrative history lesson on
Amsterdam. The canal system encircles the city like a
spider web. It is known as "The Venice of the North". We
enjoyed seeing the century's old buildings and learning all
about the different building styles and their meaning.
After the canal ride it was back to the ship for lunch and
then another included shore excursion of a bus ride around
the city before it took us 20 minutes away to the charming
village of Volendam. The included excursion here was a
walking tour of Volendam where we were able to enjoy the
sights of the lovely village. The village had lots of
shops, cafes and bars along the water front.
Edam
A short ten minute drive from Volendam was
our next stop the tiny little village of Edam, famous for
it's namesake cheese. We were able to sample some of the
cheeses at one of the oldest stores in Edam. Edam is a
semi-soft cheese similar to Gouda. The store provided a
service to order and ship cheeses home. In Edam I found and
bought my favorite Dutch Chocolate; Droste. It is a smooth
chocolate that is shaped into round wavers in a tube like
container and can be found in many delicious varieties.
Day 3 - Our port stop today was the town of
Arnhem. With my military background and interest in WWII
history I was very much looking forward to this stop.
Arnhem is most remembered for the Battle of Arnhem and
Operation Market Garden. Many may recall it's history from
the famous movie "A Bridge Too Far". Next, we visit the
Allied Airborne Cemetary and the Airborne Museum, before
returning to the ship for lunch and sailing to our next port
Nijmegen. Our local guide in Nijmegen gives us a walking
tour and narrates it's history. Nijmegen also is rich with
WWII history and an optional excursion is visiting The
National Liberation Museum about 10 kilometers from Nijmegen.
I had seen this museum on a previous trip and would highly
recommend it.
Belgium
Day 4 - Today our ship is docked all day at
the beautiful city of Antwerp, Belgium. Belgium is known
for it's Belgium chocolate, numerous varieties of beers,
lace, and diamonds! Our included walking tour of Antwerp
took us through the pedestrian-only walking part of the
city. We saw Steen Castle, the Vleeshuis" (Butcher's Hall),
the "Grote Markt" (Big Market), the Brabo Fountain, and the
cathedral of Antwerp. After our tour we were given free
time to explore on our own. There's a chocolate shop on
every corner to indulge your chocolate cravings. Later, we
had the option to take a tour to the capital city of
Brussels. I chose to stay in Antwerp where I explored the
city and found a tiny little Irish pub; Molly Blooms. The
young bartender was delightful to talk with as I enjoyed my
Irish beer. Anyone interested in 17th century art will
find Ruben's tour in Antwerp interesting. The tour visits
Ruben's house and cathedral where you'll see his most famous
work.
Those that take the optional tour to Brussels
will see sites such as the Royal Palace, the Chinese and
Japanese Pavilions, the upper city, Cinquaintinaire, and
Atomium. With your free time in Brussels you'll want to
shop for Neuhaus hand made chocolate. And when you get
hungry try the fresh steamed mussels and fries. Remember
though, Belgium's eat mayonnaise on their fries never
ketchup! You also might want to try one of over 1000
Belgian beers. Many of these beers are served with their
own unique glass.
Day 5 - Today we are in Ghent, Belgium. The
ship can't dock in the city center so our included shore
excursion includes a short bus ride before we start our
walking tour in the city center. We start at St. James
Church and walk to the main square passing city hall. At
the square we find the cloth hall, the information office,
the 700 years old Belfry tower, and the cathedral. There
are not many touristy shops in Ghent. Many took the
afternoon optional excursion to Brugges.
Brugges is a bustling city of 120,000. At
the top of the Belfry tower you can take in a wonderful view
of the city. Brugges is the place for buying your lace.
You can find Renaissance Lace used for tablecloths, napkins,
runners, and doilies. Finer Princess Lace is used for
wedding veils and christening dresses. You'll also find
chocolate stores, waffle cafes, souvenir stores, and elegant
stores for clothing and shoes. If you'd like to see more of
the city you can take a picturesque canal ride. In the
city you'll also find architectural delights such as the
Basilica of the Holy Blood, where a drop of Christ's blood
from the Holy Land is housed.
Day 6 - Our day starts with a walking tour of
the amazing little town of Willemstad, Netherlands. It's a
charming little fishing village with outdoor cafes and
shops. The city is surrounded by an old city wall and is
shaped like a 7-pointed star. AmaWaterways arranged a
private short organ recital at the main church for it's
guest. The city has one old windmill, one main church, and
one main street. The visit to this charming town is brief
before we move on to Kinderdijk.
Kinderdijk
Kinderdijk is a UNESCO listed World Heritage
Site. It has the largest concentration of old windmills;
19, which still remain well preserved today. The huge
windmills were once used to drain excess water from the low
lying areas. After a long walk we are able to climb up
steep stairs inside one of the windmills to see it's inner
workings. Later we walk into the little town to enjoy a
drink at one of the outdoor cafes.
Day 7 - The highlight of any Tulip River
Cruise is the famous Keukenhof Gardens. They are only open
8 short weeks of the year. It is recommended you visit in
the morning hours before the heavier crowds arrive in the
afternoon. The park covers 70 acres of outdoor and indoor
displays of beautiful blooms. You'll want to visit all the
pavilions to see special displays and rare beauties such as
the orchids pavilion. You'll be amazed at all the different
variety and colors of tulips and other flowers such as
daffodils, and hyacinths. You can order bulbs to take with
you or have them shipped. Note: If you buy bulbs to take
with you they must have an approved label to export to
America. They also will be last year's bulbs. If you order
bulbs to be shipped they will be the new bulbs from this
year and will be shipped to you in September in time for
planting.
The rest of the day after the Keukenhof
Gardens was free to explore more of Amsterdam on your own
before the official end of your Tulip Cruise. Amsterdam is
rich with museums and you may want to visit the Anne Frank
House, Van Gogh, or Rijks Museum.
Day 8 - We are off the ship by 9AM and our
wonderful Tulip Cruise is now over. We decided to spend one
extra night in Amsterdam and had booked the Swiss Hotel
right on Dam Square. The rooms weren't ready this early but
we checked our bags and went out to enjoy our last day in
this wonderful city of Amsterdam. The Dam Square was
bustling with hotdog carts (which we had to indulge), mimes,
and other events. We walked to the Floating Flower Market
and enjoyed sitting outside of a cafe sipping a coffee and
hot chocolate. A small Jack RussellTerrier from the vendor
across the street entertained us. We enjoyed the rest of
the day exploring the pedestrian shopping area, finding
Irish pubs, and ended the day with a nice Fish and Chips
dinner. A perfect end to a perfect vacation.
AmaWaterways has 12 ships and has cruises
Europe, Russia, and the Mekong River in Asia.
