Seven nights aboard the AmaSerena, roundtrip from Amsterdam, timed for the tulip fields at their absolute peak. We are holding ten staterooms.
There is one week a year when the Dutch tulip fields go from green to solid color, and it is the reason this sailing books out so far ahead. We have timed ours for the heart of it.
River cruising is different from ocean cruising, and if you have never done it, here is the short version. The ship is small, around 150 guests instead of thousands. You dock right in the middle of town rather than at an industrial port a bus ride away. You unpack once. And the scenery goes by close enough to wave at.
The AmaSerena is one of AmaWaterways' newer ships, with twin-balcony staterooms, a heated sundeck pool, complimentary wine with lunch and dinner, and included shore excursions in every port at three different activity levels, so you choose the pace that suits you.
I completed the AmaWaterways certification program specifically so I could plan and escort these sailings properly. I know these ships, and I know what questions to ask on your behalf.
Your home for seven nights
Around 150 guests, twin-balcony staterooms, a heated sundeck pool, and a chef's table restaurant. Complimentary wine, beer, and soft drinks with lunch and dinner. Unpack once and let the river do the rest.
Peak bloom, early April
Seven million bulbs across 79 acres, open only about eight weeks a year. Paved paths, benches everywhere, and greenhouses if the weather turns. Nothing else in the world looks quite like it.
Our adventure begins in the air. We depart the United States on an overnight transatlantic flight, so settle in and get what sleep you can. Amsterdam will be waiting.
We arrive in Amsterdam and board the AmaSerena, our home for the next seven nights. You unpack once and the ship does the rest. This afternoon we set sail along the Dutch waterways, gliding past Amsterdam's historic harbor and canals as the trip properly begins.
Into the heart of the Dutch countryside, where canals, bridges, and thatched-roof houses look like something from a storybook. The morning is scenic cruising through the Delta, with windmills and waterways showing the centuries-old bargain between Holland and the sea. In the afternoon you choose: a guided walking tour of Zierikzee and its medieval harbor, a visit to the Delta Works flood barriers at Neeltje Jans, which is a genuine engineering marvel, or a bike ride through Bruinisse and the Zeeland countryside.
Ghent's medieval heart, where canals run beneath castle towers and St. Bavo's Cathedral. Choose your morning: a walking tour that includes the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, a chocolate workshop where you make your own pralines alongside a master chocolatier, or a full day in Bruges with its cobbled streets, the Grote Markt, and the Church of Our Lady.
Antwerp in spring. In the morning, either the Floralia flower show, where a million hand-planted bulbs make an extraordinary display, or a tasting tour of Belgian chocolate, beer, and waffles. In the afternoon, a walking tour taking in Steen Castle, the Brabo Fountain, and the UNESCO-protected Cathedral of Our Lady, or a guided bike tour of the city.
The oldest city in the Netherlands. Walk the squares and streets, or take the Operation Market Garden tour and the story of the Waal Bridge and the city's part in the war. Alternatively, Valkhof Castle, once a residence of emperors and now set in a park above the river. Or a bike tour, if you would rather be moving.
The morning is Kinderdijk and its UNESCO windmills, eighteenth-century sails turning above quiet canals, with the chance to go inside a private windmill, or to see them by bike. In the afternoon, Rotterdam, the Gateway to Europe, on foot or by architectural bike tour, or the Royal Delft porcelain factory and the Pilgrim Fathers' departure point at Delfshaven.
The day most people come for. Scenic cruising into Amsterdam, then a canal cruise beneath the historic bridges and past the elegant canal houses of the Golden Age. And Keukenhof Gardens, seventy acres and millions of tulips at their peak, open only nine weeks a year and worth arranging a whole trip around.
Disembark in Amsterdam after breakfast and begin the journey home. If you would like to stay on, there are pre-cruise and post-cruise options in Amsterdam and beyond, and I am glad to arrange them.
Most days offer a choice of excursions at different activity levels, from gentle walking tours to guided bike rides. You pick what suits you each morning.
Please check with me for current pricing before you book.
AmaWaterways releases new offers every month, and the fares below are what was current when this page was last updated. Sometimes the promotion is better than what you see here, occasionally it has ended. Either way I will tell you exactly where it stands the day you call. My number is 931-801-9900.
| Category | Deck & description | Total per person |
|---|---|---|
| E | Piano Deck · 160 sq ft · two fixed windows | $4,179 |
| D | Piano Deck · 160 sq ft · preferred position | $4,229 |
| C | Violin or Cello Deck · 170 sq ft · French balcony | $5,778 |
| BB | Cello Deck · 210 sq ft · French plus step-out balcony | $6,378 |
| BA | Violin Deck · 210 sq ft · French plus step-out balcony | $6,578 |
| AB | Cello Deck · 235 sq ft · French plus step-out balcony | $6,778 |
| AA | Violin Deck · 235 sq ft · French plus step-out balcony | $6,978 |
| Suite | Forward Violin Deck · largest aboard · marble bath | $8,378 |
Per person, based on two travelers sharing a stateroom. Fares include the $280 per person port fees and reflect the $500 per person savings current at the time of writing. Offers change monthly, so call me for today's price.
Traveling solo? The single supplement on this sailing is only ten percent, where most river cruises charge twenty-five to fifty. Call me for exact rates.
Yes. River cruises are one of our couples-welcome trips. Bring him along.
Call me at 931-801-9900. There is a solo promotion running on this sailing with a reduced supplement, but solo rates are not published and I need to quote them personally. It cannot be combined with other discounts.
We are holding ten staterooms on this sailing. When those go, they go, and Tulip Time sailings fill earlier than almost anything else on the river.
No, but air packages are available through AmaWaterways and I can walk you through the options. Some people prefer to use miles or extend the trip on their own, which is easy to do from Amsterdam.
Your choice. Every included excursion is offered at gentle, regular, and active levels, so you can take the easy walking tour or the long one. The ship docks in the center of town, so there is no long transfer either way.
Cool and changeable. Days generally in the 50s, with real chances of wind and rain. Layers, a waterproof jacket, and comfortable walking shoes.
Yes, valid for at least six months past your return date. If yours needs renewing, start now, not in 2027.
Use the Email for More Information button below or call me at 931-801-9900. I will send you the full itinerary, stateroom categories, and current pricing.
Eight stateroom categories from $4,179 to $8,378 per person, port fees included. Solo travelers pay a single supplement of only ten percent on this sailing. Cruise offers change every month, so call me for current pricing before you book.
Booking is handled securely through our Trips Unlimited reservation system. Prefer to talk it through first? Call me.
Solo travelers, please call · Travel insurance strongly recommended · Passport required.
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