Join us for the ultimate spring escape as we visit one of the most famed floral events. Not only will the river cruise see us sail to the likes of Amsterdam, Den Helder and Lelystad but we will also experience the once-in-a-decade Floriade Expo and have the opportunity to visit Het Loo Palace and De Kruidhof Botanical Garden.
Join us for this celebration of colour as we experience one of the Netherlands most famed floral events. On this seven-day river cruise, we will see the best of Dutch springtime as we view the vibrant displays from Amsterdam to Kampen. The focal point of the cruise will be the fabulous Floriade Expo. Held in Almere, on the outskirts of Amsterdam, the theme will be the important one of ‘growing green cities’, and here you will be treated to a cornucopia of trees, shrubs, perennials, creepers and flower bulbs. There is also the opportunity to visit to Het Loo Palace and De Kruidhof Botanical Garden and more - making this the ultimate spring escape!
We travel to Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, and enjoy a relaxing evening onboard our ship.
This morning, there’s the opportunity to join our optional excursion to the Van Loon Museum in Amsterdam. In the heart of the Amsterdam canal district lies the Museum Van Loon, a magnificent private residence built in 1672 by the architect Adriaen Dortsman. The first resident was the painter Ferdinand Bol, a pupil of Rembrandt. The interior of the house has remained largely intact during the last centuries and still evokes the splendour of the 17th century. In 1602 Willem van Loon co-founded the Dutch East-India Company and since 1973, the family has opened their home and garden to the public so you can get a glimpse of the life of the family in one of the finest canal house in the city. In the rooms, you’ll see a large collection of paintings, fine furniture, precious silver and porcelain from different centuries on display. Behind the house is a beautiful garden, an oasis of quiet in the modern inner city. The garden is laid out in formal style and is bordered on the far side by the classical façade of the coach house. This original unity of canal house, garden and coach house is nowhere else to be seen. If you want a glimpse of the world behind the façades of the world-famous canals, a visit to Museum Van Loon is a must! We return to ship for lunch onboard and this afternoon cruise onwards to Hoorn. We arrive into the atmospheric city of Hoorn later this afternoon and have free time to explore this wonderful little city full of history and interesting architecture.
We arrive in the unique town of Den Helder this morning which is situated at the northernmost tip of the province of North Holland. After lunch, why not join our optional excursion to the Medemblik Bakery, a quaint two-story museum where you’ll see how traditional Dutch specialities are made, including ‘gevulde koek’, which is an almond paste cookie and ‘speculaas’ which are delicious gingerbread cookies. We return to the ship in Den Helder for a relaxing evening on board as we cruise towards Harlingen.
This morning you can join our optional excursion to Het Loo Palace. Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn is a Dutch Baroque palace built for William, Prince of Orange and later King of England, Scotland and Ireland. Members of the House of Oranje-Nassau lived and worked at Het Loo Palace for more than 300 years. What began as a hunting lodge for a stadtholder became a palace for a king, as William ascended to the English throne as William III. There were refurbishments and modernisations, art was being collected and a garden designed. The gardens were used for strolls and to enjoy exotic flowers and plants; royal dinners took place, with food served on beautiful china. This rich and generous past is still to admire here.We return to the ship at lunchtime and sail onwards to Lelystad where there’s time to explore this lively little port as we are berthed here overnight.
After breakfast, we are taken by coach to the Floriade World Horticultural Expo in the town of Almere where you will have plenty of time to enjoy this horticultural delight. Floriade Expo 2022 will be an extraordinary expo. For six months the attention to the theme ‘Growing Green Cities’ will be focused on the cities of the future. Visitors will have a unique and meaningful experience: while visiting the expo they will be invited to ‘explore, touch and change’.This expo will also be the start of a new city district close to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Almost everything that will be built for the exhibition will become part of the legacy of Almere and the structures will remain and become part of the community. The expo site will be developed as a Green City Arboretum, serving as a model for green structure development in cities. This arboretum will consist of a variety of trees, shrubs, perennials, creepers, hydrophytes and flower bulbs, all of which contribute to a green, healthy and sustainable city. Around 3000 species have been selected that contribute to the green city in terms of biodiversity, air purification, food production and city climate management. We return to the ship in Lelystad and enjoy our last night on board as we sail onwards to Amsterdam.
De Kruidhof Botanical Gardens has the largest botanical garden in the Netherlands. It features seventeen themed gardens each with their own plant collections. Themed gardens include the medicinal herb garden, butterfly garden, rose garden woodland and fruit garden.
Price: £36 per person
Join our coach as we travel across the Ijsselmeer causeway to reach the quaint harbour town of Medemblik. Here, in an Edwardian shop on the main street, we find the tastiest museum in the Netherlands - the Old Bakery. It houses a fascinating collection of anything and everything to do with baking, and you can also watch the demonstrations and enjoy delicious baked goods.
Price: £35 per person
Learn about the Van Loon family history with a visit to the Van Loon museum, situated in the heart of Amsterdam on the Keizersgracht. In 1973, one of the most beautiful houses in the city and its collections where opened to the public to explore.
Price: £28 per person
Step aboard Eurostar at London St Pancras for a fast and comfortable journey to mainland Europe. You can even upgrade your reserved seat to Standard Premier – speak to our Holiday Advisors for more information. On arrival in Paris, Lille or Brussels, you will then join connecting services for your onward journey.
For those travelling from further afield, you can also book overnight accommodation in London, before and after your holiday. Speak to our Holiday Advisors for more information.
If our included flights are not suitable, alternative flights may also be available from other airports on our arrival and departure dates. These may have an additional supplement and are subject to availability at the time of booking.
Where possible, transfers will also be included, although if you choose to arrive or depart on a different day, there may be an additional supplement charged to cover your transfer costs.
Please call one of our friendly Holiday Advisors to check flight options and availability for this holiday.
Travel independently to Central London the day before your cruise and take advantage of our complimentary shuttle to Ashford for an overnight stay. Our coach will then collect you after breakfast the following morning.
Pick ups are available from London Euston, Kings Cross, Liverpool Street, Paddington Station, Waterloo, St Pancras and Victoria Coach Station.
Call our friendly Holiday Advisors for me information.
You can choose from a wider choice of departure points if you join at the departure port. Leave your car in a secure car park, close to the port of departure and be collected/returned by our coach.
Car parking at Dover Eastern Docks is £9 per day, we can pre-book parking for you at Dover.
Newcastle £12 per day, Hull £8 per day, payable upon departure from the car park.
Please speak to our Holiday Advisors for more information.
Dates:
4June 2022
Prices from: £1149
Single occupancy: £1349
Cabin upgrades: £100
Premium package price: £120
Deposit: £150
Our new 4-star ship has all the ingredients of an unforgettable river cruise; comfort, style and the crew’s unfaltering attention to detail is everything.
MS Arena is completely deserving of its place in our premier cruise collection! Whether you’re cruising the Dutch Waterways, the rivers Rhine, Moselle or Danube, all the way to the Black Sea, this elegant, 4-star ship promises everything you’d wish for – and more – making for an unforgettable river cruising experience.