Essential Holland: Tulips in Spring - 2019

Pacing: You'll visit 8 ports of call in 11 days, cruising for 9 nights aboard a Vantage Deluxe European River Cruise Ship. Sailing distances between ports are relatively short, so you'll still have time to relax and enjoy the passing scenery from your river boat. This tulip time cruise itinerary has been designed to give you an optimum amount of time at each port while allowing you the opportunity to enjoy overnight and full-day stays in many ports, with the ship sailing at optimum times.

Easy & Fast Walking Tours: On your European river cruise, you'll have a chance to join included walking tours in select destinations that go at a more leisurely pace or some that go at a faster clip, depending upon your abilities and preferences. Either way, you won't miss any highlights, and on some tours you'll have free time to walk on your own.

Physical Activity: This itinerary is a relatively active one. All tours involve some walking over uneven terrain, cobblestone walkways, and flagstone paths, especially in ports of call like Schoonhoven and Hoorn. Expect multiple flights of stairs in some museums and in older houses. One or two tours may involve short uphill climbs. Canal tours may require embarking and disembarking a canal boat with a short flight of stairs. Panoramic city tours use air-conditioned private motorcoaches. Please note: Vantage river boats are not wheelchair accessible and there are steps on board.

Cultural Focus: Holland and Belgium come alive in the spring when the flowers are in bloom — the best time for a tulip time cruise! — and the pastoral scenery is at its greenest. With Vantage's comprehensive included sightseeing and "Cultural Connections," you'll experience the rich maritime history, the influence of Dutch and Flemish Masters on the Golden Age in art history, the legacy of World War II, and lovely canal-laced cities and villages. In all, you'll take a thorough look into the past, present, and future of these two great nations.