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The River Cruise Lady

River cruising and small ship luxury cruising

AmaWaterways River Cruises

Not just flowers on a Tulip Time River Cruise

July 22, 2017 by River Cruise Lady Linda Leave a Comment

I went on a Tulip Time river cruise this spring with Ama Waterways thinking that it would be all about flowers but nothing could be further from the truth!

Don’t get me wrong, we did see Tulips but we also visited a fabulous museum, learned how to make Belgian chocolate, biked through Antwerp viewing their incredible architectural buildings, strolled peacefully through the windmills in Kinderdijk and maneuvered the canals in Amsterdam.

The Tulip Time cruise started in Amsterdam and I took the ship picture to show you how close they dock to the main train station in Amsterdam (its the building in the background) and then the next picture is in front of the station which is stunning in itself.

AmaCerto river cruise ship
AmaCerto river cruise ship
Amsterdam Centraal Station
Amsterdam Centraal Station

We did a morning bus tour of the city before heading out in the afternoon to a Hoorn Tulip and Bulb field where we all became Tulip Specialists after getting a tour of their greenhouses to see all the different phases of growth (the process was very interesting and we learned quite a bit!) Once the bus dropped us off near the town trolley, we walked around the Hoorn harbor which was full of unique monuments and packing warehouses.

Tulip Farm Bulbs Planted
Tulip Farm Bulbs Planted
Tulip Farm Greenhouse
Stop and smell the Tulips?
Tulip Farm Machinery
Tulip Farm Machinery

The next days tour decision was a tough one as you had to choose between the Arnhem Bridge & Airborne Museum (renowned for its role during WWII’s Operation Market Garden) or the Kroller Muller Museum (which boasts the 2nd largest Van Gogh collection in the world). So our small group split up and some did choice A and some did choice B and when we gathered back on the ship in lounge for a pre-dinner drink, all agreed that both were great tours. (read between the lines as this meant that each group thought their tour was better)

When we arrived in Antwerp, we opted for the bike tour through the charming streets of this Belgium major city. Our guide managed to steer us effortlessly through traffic and the drivers were so polite, always stopping for us when we were crossing the streets (that never happens back home!) It was a great way to see such a large area of the city in such a short time and our stop at the Antwerp train station was saved until the end because the beauty of the building just can’t be missed.

Antwerp Bike Tour
Antwerp Bike Tour
Antwerp Train Station
Antwerp Train Station
Antwerp Train Station Inside
Antwerp Train Station Inside

That afternoon took us to the Floralia Spring Flower show at Kasteel van Groot-Bijgaarden which had 14 hectares of brilliantly colored tulips, daffodils and many other spring flowers. The garden area surrounds the castle where the almost 1 million bulbs are still planted by hand each year ! (loved the Peacock)

Floralia Castle
Floralia Castle
Floralia Garden and Planter
Floralia Garden and Planter
Floralia Peacock in Flowers
Floralia Peacock in Flowers

Then we headed for the beauty of Bruges which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that included medieval buildings, winding canals and statuesque churches. I could have taken pictures there all day and this one was at the famous corner that is used many times when displaying Bruges.

Bruge

Bruge

After leaving Belgium, we headed back towards the Netherlands stopping in Rotterdam where excursions could be taken to visit the bustling city or a bit farther took in the charming city of Delft (known for the hand-painted blue and white pottery) with a stop in The Hague before travelling back to the ship. In the afternoon, we sailed peacefully into Kinderdijk to see hundreds of windmills dotting the horizon. With the sun shining brightly, it made for a wonderful stroll or bike ride through the area.

Kinderdijk Windmills

Kinderdijk Windmills

Our last full day was a full one with the morning touring the spectacular Keukenhof Gardens, a 70 acre park that probably had the most flowers I’ve ever seen. It was so colorful and I’m sure the pictures don’t do it justice.

Keukenhof Gardens
Keukenhof Gardens
Keukenhof Gardens
Keukenhof Gardens

Then onto Amsterdam where we finished up with a great canal cruise through the city (where you find out why they call it “Venice of the North” )

Amsterdam Canals
Amsterdam Canals
Amsterdam Canals
Amsterdam Canals
Amsterdam Canals
Amsterdam Canals

Now that I’ve taken you through my trip, I realize that I haven’t even talked about all the wonderful food (and drinks) we had onboard Ama Waterways! The staff were really friendly and our Cruise Director Rachel was one of the best ones I’ve ever experienced. She delivered her port talks with humor, personal stories and kept everyone interested, on track and on time.
I was in a French Balcony cabin and since the weather was great, enjoyed sitting in the stateroom with the breeze flowing in on many occasions.

I would highly recommend a Tulip Time river cruise to anyone !

Filed Under: AMA Waterways, Amsterdam, Bruges, Europe, Keukenhof, River Cruise Lady, River Cruises, River Cruising, Tulip Time, Virtuoso, Virtuoso Travel

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River Cruise Lady Linda

1 month ago

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Mark your calendar for May 5th 2024 as that’s when I’d love for you to join me on the beautiful AmaMagna river cruise ship as we sail the lower Danube through the Iron Gates to spectacular Budapest.#rivercruiselady #amawaterways #rivercruise #danube #amamagna #savethedate #may2024 ... See MoreSee Less
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River Cruise Lady Linda is in Bayern, Germany.

4 months ago

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The last stop on our river cruise was in Nuremberg & before hitting their Christmas market we went on a WW2 tour which included a walk on the plaza where the rallies were held, then got to visit courtroom 600 where the Nuremberg Trials were held. #rivercruiselady #amawaterways #christmasmarket #rivercruise #amasonata ... See MoreSee Less
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River Cruise Lady Linda is in Bayern, Germany.

4 months ago

River Cruise Lady Linda
This star lined street leads the way to the 12th century old stone bridge in Regensburg where right next to it you’ll find the famous historical "Wurstkuchl" (Sausage Kitchen) which is the oldest one in the world!Their Thurn und Taxis entrance fee Christmas market is ranked as one of the most romantic ones with its palace backdrop wonderland setting🎄 Also found some smaller markets in town where many locals gathered & the apfelstrudel stall was calling out to me so just had to indulge 😋 ... See MoreSee Less
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River Cruise Lady Linda is in Bayern, Germany.

4 months ago

River Cruise Lady Linda
Arrived in Passau in the evening so took a walk to the Christmas market and watched them make our dessert 😋 with St Stephens Cathedral lit up in the background #rivercruiselady #Amawaterways #christmasmarket #amasonata #chimneycake ... See MoreSee Less
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