Holland & Belgium in Bloom

Holland in the spring is a truly memorable sight, and the perfect introduction to any river cruising itinerary that touches on the traditional side of Dutch life. You will be met and transferred from the airport to your luxurious Emerald Waterways Star-Ship.

Meals Included: Dinner

This morning, you will have the opportunity to experience one of Holland’s many highlights as you venture to Zaanse Schans. Relax on board your Star-Ship, as your delightful EmeraldPLUS experience this afternoon involves welcoming a local clog painter for a demonstration and the opportunity to try your hand at this unique craft.
Your tour to the Zaanse Schans historic windmills will highlight the distinctive wooden houses and artisan workshops that make up the quintessentially Dutch town, where the smell of freshly baked goods and the sight of spinning windmills offers a truly memorable experience.
Alternatively, enjoy a guided bike tour to Waterland, passing picturesque scenery and iconic fields of tulips.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Rotterdam is a unique example of a Dutch city because it had to be reconstructed following the air raids of WWII, leaving behind a patchwork of different styles.
Today you will have the opportunity to explore this contemporary city, perhaps trying to imagine how the gabled houses of Amsterdam would have once sat here.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, you will arrive in Veere, a delightful historic town where normal houses are adorned with miniature classical palace gardens and elegant architecture adorns the surprisingly quiet streets that you will stroll down during your guided tour.
Afterwards, visit the Dutch Delta Works. Witness the sheer enormity of the world’s biggest storm surge barrier and be left awe-inspired by the immense feat of engineering. If you are feeling active, then you can also enjoy a guided bike tour of Veere, stopping to learn about how it encapsulates the opulence of a by-gone era.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning you’ll arrive in Antwerp, Belgium’s biggest port, positioned on the River Scheldt with a large harbour linking to the sea. Home to the famous Baroque artist Pieter Paul Rubens, it attracts art-lovers and diamond dealers from all over the world.
Enjoy a guided tour of the city centre, with its café-filled cobbled lanes, admiring the Renaissance City Hall and Hat Steen, a medieval fortress that was built during the early Middle Ages and one of the oldest buildings in the country.
Afterwards, enjoy free time to explore Antwerp at leisure.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Relax in the comfortable surrounds of your Star-Ship this morning as you sail down Dutch waterways, passing wonderful windmills and quaint traditional villages.
Arnhem is most famous for its great battle during WWII, best learned about during your EmeraldEXCURSION to the Airborne Museum, where you will have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of British parachutists and immerse yourself in what the battle would have felt like.
Alternatively, embark on a guided bike tour of Arnhem, famous for its postcard-worthy streets, scenic parks and fine museums.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Touch on Holland’s traditional heart today with a visit to Keukenhof Gardens, nestled in the middle of Holland’s tulip farm area, where fields full of rows of colourful flowers run as far as the eye can see.
The beloved Keukenhof Gardens feature incredible displays that consist of millions of flowers and tulips, each assembled by an expert landscape architect.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, it’s time to bid farewell to your fellow guests and quintessential Holland as you disembark the ship for your transfer to the airport, taking memories of wooden windmills and spring-blooming flowers with you.

This itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons such as high and low water. As such, the cruise may operate altered from that stated above.

Please note: Pre-release itinerary subject to change.

Meals Included: Breakfast