Day
1
Depart USA
(Flights not included) Today you depart for Amsterdam, Holland. Meals and refreshments will be served on board during your journey.
Day
2
Arrive in Amsterdam
Upon arrival you will be met by Central Holidays representatives outside of the security section of the airport. They will escort you to Amsterdam and to check-in to your riverboat, home for the next seven nights. Enjoy some free-time exploring your new floating home and this evening you will enjoy a welcome cocktail party to meet fellow passengers followed by your dinner on-board the ship. You remain in Amsterdam this evening and will have the opportunity to explore Amsterdam as you wish. (D)
Day
3
Amsterdam/Volendam
This morning you can enjoy an included city tour of Amsterdam with a canal cruise and visit to the flower market. Stroll along the canals of this delightful 700-year-old European capital with its elegant and classic architecture, cafes, restaurants, lively marketplace and exciting nightlife. Perhaps visit one of the city's renowned museums such as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum or the Hortus botanical gardens. You will find the Anne Frank house here as well. The city is also noted for its diamond cutting trade, and tours are available to diamond cutting workshops. Your ship departs Amsterdam around lunchtime and crosses over the "IJsselmeer" to the little fishing town of Volendam. This is a day to savor the historic Dutch ports and lifestyle of the old Zuider Zee. Volendam is one of the prettiest places in northern Holland, having been a major fishing port. The town's main street is lined with cafes and shops, some of whose staff still wear the traditional costumes. Here there will be an optional ''Holland Waterland'' tour. Start here with a short stroll through the town before boarding a coach and driving out of Volendam into the countryside to visit a farm specializing in local Dutch cheeses. On the way back to Volendam there will be a short walk through the quaint village of Edam, a town famous for its namesake cheese and founded in the 12th century. The vessel leaves Volendam before midnight. (B,L,D)
Day
4
Arnhem
Arrive in Arnhem at noon and choose between two excursions. On the ''Arnhem and the Open Air Museum'' excursion you will drive through the town of Arnhem, where the World War II Market Garden parachute landings and the battle for the bridge took place, giving the town a melancholy fame. Then continue to an Open Air Museum, located in beautiful scenery on the town's outskirts. This museum displays more than 80 historic houses, farmhouses and mills from all over the Netherlands. Alternatively you can take the ''Arnhem & World War II History'' excursion, which also includes a tour of the town and a visit of the Hartenstein Airborne Museum. In the evening the cruise departs for Middelburg. (B,L,D)
Day
5
Middelburg
You arrive in Middelburg at noon, the capital of the Dutch province of Zeeland. This town was seriously damaged during the Second World War and is dominated by a 55-metre high belfry of the medieval town hall. While here, you will take a walking tour of historic Middelburg. Stroll through the medieval atmosphere of this town with stops in shops and historic city sights. While enjoying dinner back on the ship we depart Middelburg and set sail for Belgium. (B,L,D)
Day
6
Ghent
Arrive in Ghent, Belgium in the early morning. This city is the real diamond of Flanders. In a unique way, Ghent has managed to preserve its medieval charm and power, while keeping up with the times. The city center alone is a showcase of medieval Flemish wealth and commercial success. During the included city tour visit the old town center with a certain medieval charm and its historic buildings. In the afternoon join an optional Bruges sightseeing tour which feels like a journey back in time to medieval Flanders. The old craft of the "bobbin" - a skill that has become very rare - has been cultivated in the "Beginenhof" in Bruges since the middle of the 13th century. You will see the "Pulverturm," the town hall with its wonderful facade, and a Madonna by Michelangelo in the magnificent "Liebfrauenkirche". Later this afternoon there's time to explore Ghent on your own, before the ship casts off again. (B,L,D)
Day
7
Antwerp
In the early morning hours your ship docks in Antwerp, the second-largest city in Belgium and one of the biggest ports in all of Europe. This city was a great center for the arts in the Renaissance period. Some of Ruben's masterpieces can be seen in the massive Gothic cathedral. The main square of Antwerp, the Grote Markt, is surrounded by fine Renaissance buildings including a 16th century town hall. During the included city tour you will have a chance to see firsthand the beauty of this magnificent city. In recent years traffic has been banned from much of the city center, and trams have been diverted into subways, making it a pleasant city for strolling and shopping at leisure. There's plenty of time in the afternoon to explore this city on your own or to join our optional Brussels excursion to the Belgian capital, where you can photograph the famous "Mannekin Pis.'' Join the Captains Gala dinner this evening where you will hear from the ship's wonderful orchestra, which has been entertaining you in the Panorama bar throughout the cruise. (B,L,D)
Day
8
Kinderdijk/Utrecht/Amsterdam
This morning you arrive in Kinderdijk and can join an optional city walk of Kinderdijk. This is where you'll see Holland's largest concentration of working windmills - a great opportunity for beautiful photos. Before lunch the cruise continues to Utrecht, where the ship moors in the early afternoon. Here you will take an included Keukenhof excursion. Keukenhof's flower displays are made up of millions of flowers formed to display artistic perfection in the most beautiful park. Nowhere else in the world are spring flowers and colors as glorious as they are at Keukenhof. Its beautiful parks offer relaxation and inspiration to anyone willing to open their minds. In addition to the millions of flowers growing freestyle or formed into arrangements, Keukenhof has the largest sculpture park in the Netherlands and is one of the most photographed places in the world. Those who have been on this excursion will rejoin the ship in Amsterdam, where it stays moored overnight. Tonight explore Amsterdam for one final time and be sure to fit in any last minute shopping - or enjoy a drink at a local bar and take in the Amsterdam evening. Dinner is included on the ship. (B,L,D)
Day
9
