Tulip Time Cruise
Joy's Signature Event 2022 is a private 8 day sailing onboard the Tranquility II
Joy reserved the entire ship and only customers of The Joy of Travel will be able to join her personally escorted Tulip Time sailing.
8 Day River Cruise Amsterdam to Amsterdam, April 1 - 8, 2022 - Escorted by Joy Gawf-Crutchfield
There are currently only two cabins still available for this event. Please contact your favorite agent at the Joy of Travel for information about the open cabins on this Signature sailing.
Vacation overview
This springtime river cruise gets underway in Holland’s colorful capital of Amsterdam. This 700-year-old city offers an abundance of classic architecture, cafés, and restaurants to explore before you embark on your river cruise through Holland and Belgium. Sail through Rotterdam’s harbor, said to be the world’s busiest port. Garden enthusiasts will delight in a visit to see the breathtaking colors of Keukenhof, also known as the “Garden of Europe.” With 70 acres of parkland and lakes, it’s one of the world’s largest flower gardens with nearly 7 million flowering bulbs bursting with color. Next, sail to Antwerp, Belgium’s second-largest city, known for its centuries-old history in diamond trading amid ancient buildings and monuments combined with modern architecture. In Ghent, Belgium, join a local expert for a guided tour of the city, including a visit to St. Baaf’s Cathedral.
Your cruise traverses back into Holland where you’ll explore Middelburg, formerly an important trading city. Get a sense of its historic wealth still evident today with its impressive structures like the Gothic-style Town Hall, Abbey Tower, and bustling Market Square. No trip to Holland is complete without a visit to the technical miracle that is the Delta Works, a storm flood barrier almost six miles long, constructed after the floods of 1953. This beautiful and historic springtime river cruise concludes with more time to explore the wonderful city of Amsterdam. See the most fascinating views of the city on a canal cruise along the elegant grachten lined with homes dating back to the city’s “Golden Age.”
Itinerary:
Day 1 AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (EMBARKATION)
Welcome to Holland. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding.
Flights into Amsterdam must arrive by 3:30 pm.
Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.
Your day in Amsterdam is free to explore at your leisure.
You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to beautiful Zaanse Schans where you’ll see a wonderful collection of well-preserved historic windmills and Dutch houses.
Enjoy dinner and explore the ship on your first night on board.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ROTTERDAM
Day 2 ROTTERDAM
Dutch Treats and Flowers Sweet
Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.
CLASSIC Join a full- or half-day Guided Tour of breathtaking Keukenhof—known as the “Garden of Europe”—for its 70 acres of lush parkland, lakes, and the world’s largest flower gardens—with more than seven million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths as well as other bulbs, planted each year.
Take some free time to relax on the harbor-side in Rotterdam with an artisan beer, a slice of appeltaart (Dutch apple pie), and a koffie verkeerd, a typical Dutch drink with equal parts coffee and milk. Take a bike from your ship to explore Rotterdam and the surrounding area.
Before dinner, enjoy a cruise through Rotterdam harbor.
Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ANTWERP
Day 3 ANTWERP, BELGIUM
Cathedrals, Carats and Crêpes
CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of this sophisticated city to visit the central Grote Markt, lined with 16th-century guildhall houses. You’ll also see the beautiful city hall, the Cathedral of Our Lady with its stunning altarpiece paintings by Rubens.
You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion to the nearby capital, Brussels—considered home to the European Union, and admire its magnificent palaces and cathedrals.
You might prefer to take time on your own to indulge in Antwerp’s signature Belgian waffles and crêpes—or explore this bike-friendly city from its old wharfs to its legendary diamond district.
Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO GHENT
Day 4 GHENT
Medieval Masterpieces and Flemish Finery
CLASSIC Explore Ghent—“The Diamond of Flanders”—with a Guided Sightseeing Tour of this showcase of medieval Flemish wealth. You’ll visit St. Bavo’s Cathedral—with its remarkable Flemish artwork.
You may choose to join a Guided Optional Excursion of Bruges to explore its canals, cobbled streets and medieval buildings. You’ll see its crisscrossed canals, the 13th-century belfry of Market Square, and charming patrician houses.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MIDDELBURG
Day 5 MIDDELBURG, HOLLAND
A Spicy History in Middelburg’s Dutch Harbor Town
Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.
CLASSIC Join a Guided Walking Tour through the winding cobblestones and canals of Middelburg. See the 15th-century Gothic Town Hall and learn about its important role in the spice trade and Dutch East India trading.
Spend some free time biking or walking through Middelburg to sample Babbelaar cookies, fries, or beer before cruising to Veere.
VEERE
The Delta Works Stand Strong as a Technical Marvel
DISCOVERY Join a Guided Tour of the Delta Works, the largest flood-protection system in the world, and a miracle of modern technology.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO WILLEMSTAD
Day 6 WILLEMSTAD
Willemstad’s Windmills and Historic Harbor
ACTIVE Grab a Nordic walking stick for a hike with your Adventure Host in Willemstad.
CLASSIC Join a Guided Walking Tour of Willemstad and discover its many beautifully restored buildings from the 17th and 18th Century.
DISCOVERY Later, enjoy a Cheese Tasting on board as you prepare to sail to Amsterdam.
AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO AMSTERDAM
Day 7 AMSTERDAM
Canals of Colorful Amsterdam
DISCOVERY Discover Aalsmeer Flower Auction—the largest in the world, where around 20 million flowers are sold every day. Later enjoy a typical Dutch breakfast, OR:
CLASSIC Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.”
This afternoon choose among the many Guided Optional Excursions available.
Take some free time to explore Amsterdam’s colorful streets and canal houses, galleries, and shops.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM
Day 8 AMSTERDAM (DISEMBARKATION)
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning.
*prices are based on two people per cabin, and are good only until the vessel is booked to 50% capacity. At that time the discount changes to $750 off per person in any category cabin plus complimentary gratuities. So book now and save hundreds. Single supplements are available.
Also available are additional pre or post nights in Amsterdam, as well as a three-night Paris extension.