Tulips - And Museums - In Amsterdam With Avalon

The re-opening of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is the perfect reason to book an Avalon Waterways Dutch cruise, not only to marvel at the famous treasures on show in the city but to experience Holland’s culture, architecture and landscapes, which many famous artists drew their inspiration from - painters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Steen and Halls, who all feature in a Gallery of Honour at the Dutch state museum after its grand opening last week.

Avalon’s 8-day ‘Tulip Time’ river-cruise takes in all this and more, including the tranquil, open landscapes of Holland and Belgium. Highlights include the Keukenhof’s magnificent spring flowers in amazing displays (above) and the picturesque wooden windmills of Kinderdijk.  Visitors will also enjoy a guided walk in Veere, a canal cruise in cosmopolitan Amsterdam, sightseeing with local guides in Antwerp, Ghent and Middelburg as well as the fascinating city of Maastricht. The voyage is priced from £1,639 per person.

The 8 day ‘Tulips of Northern Holland’ cruise combines the well-known attractions of the Netherlands with those off the beaten track. Cruise from historic Haarlem to explore northern Holland, surrounded in tulip fields, and the charming area of Friesland, famed for its black and white cows. The cruise crosses the Ijsselmeer for a tour of the small town of Hoorn before visiting the pretty coastal town of Enhuizen and its ZuiderZee Museum, the Batavia shipyard in Lelystad, and an historic windmill near the fishing village of Volendam. In Arnhem, guests will visit the the city's Kröller-Müller Museum or nearby Het Loo Palace, and, from Rotterdam, an optional excursion is available to the spectacular Keukenhof Gardens. Highlights also include a visit to the famous cheese-making town of Edam, as well as a canal cruise in Amsterdam. It is priced from £1,609 per person. 

Prices quoted include return flights, seven nights full board deluxe cruise with wine served at dinner, private door-to-door home pick-up service, onboard gratuities,  guided city sightseeing and airport transfers. Extra nights in Amsterdam are available from £85 per person.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury river-cruise specialists.

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Swan Hellenic Go Arty On Dutch Rivers

Join Swan Hellenic for a Dutch river cruise this summer and discover the culture and art of the iconic cities of Amsterdam, Antwerp and Rotterdam, from £2,250 per person (based on two people sharing a cabin). 

Ideal for art enthusiasts, passengers on board the "Golden Age of the Dutch Waterways" cruise can visit the world famous Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam and the house of Peter Paul Rubens, the most famous of all the Antwerp painters, as well as the Frans Hals Museum.

The voyage takes place on board luxury river vessel Royal Crown, which is reminiscent of the golden age of cruising and takes just 79 guests in elegant surroundings and the highest standards of personal service. The cruise sails from Amsterdam on July 6 and calls at Kinderdijk, Dordrecht, Antwerp (overnight), Middleburg and Rotterdam (overnight) before returning to Amsterdam for another overnight stay.

Prices includes return flights and relevant transfers, a tailor-made programme of shore excursions, talks by an eminent Guest Speaker, meals and entertainment on-board, all gratuities and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's luxury river cruising specialists.

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Moorish Bargain From Holland America

Holland America Line is offering a five-star nine-night ‘Moorish Empires’ cruise from just £349 per person this autumn. 

Departing from Civitavecchia (Rome) on October 7, guests will enjoy nine nights’ full board accommodation on board flagship MS Rotterdam, combining Mediterranean sunshine with exciting cities on this voyage through Southern Europe. 

Guests have the chance to explore the delights of Rome before discovering the magical architecture and sumptuous food in the Catalan capital of Barcelona. The cruise then sails to vibrant Valencia, home to Spain’s best paella and Santiago Calatrava’s famous City of Arts and Sciences. 

Rotterdam then sets sail again and guests will be treated to the fascinating history of Cartagena, before stopping in Gibraltar and Portugal’s jewel in the crown, Lisbon (above). The cruise ends in Rotterdam on October 16.

This £349 per person cruise-only offer is based on two people sharing an inside stateroom and includes nine nights’ full board accommodation. Upgrades to an ocean view stateroom start from £50 per person and fly/cruise prices start from £849 per person. 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's leading cruise-agent specialists. 

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Avalon's New Tulips Cruise

Avalon Waterways is offering savings of £600 per person on its newly introduced 8-day ‘Tulips of Northern Holland’ voyage next spring aboard its newest ship the Avalon Visionary.

Now priced from £1,335 per person, based on an April 24 departure, it cruises from Amsterdam and highlights include the ‘Tulip Road’ excursion in North Holland, guided sightseeing in Makkum, Friesland, Hoorn, Lelystad, Arnhem and Rotterdam, plus an excursion to the spectacular Keukenhof gardens and seaside town of Volendam, Edam and a canal cruise in Amsterdam itself.

The price includes private door-to-door home pick-up service within 75 miles of chosen airport/station, 7 nights deluxe cruise with complimentary soft drinks with lunch and regional wines/beer, with return flights from London Heathrow, gratuities for cruise director and crew, all meals, excursions, all transfers, local port charges and airport taxes. 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's river-cruise specialists.

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Enjoy Free Taste of Holland America

A complimentary three-course lunch and free reign to explore one of Holland America Line’s luxury cruise ships is being offered by silvertraveladvisor.com, the new `over 50s’ travel review and advice website.

Regular cruisers and first timers alike can choose from nine dates and visit one of three of the line’s ships, Eurodam (May 22, June 3, July 9 and August 12), Ryndam (May 21, July 24 and August 7) and Rotterdam (May 31 and September 20).

The day also includes free parking at the port of Dover, with embarkation at 9.30am, a morning spent exploring the ship and a special three-course lunch on board, followed by a presentation before disembarkation at 2pm.

The offer is open to all Silver Travel Advisor members. To join this growing travel forum for over 50s, simply visit www.silvertraveladvisor.com and register, then e-mail service@silvertraveladvisor.com, stating which date and ship visit you are interested in, and the number of places required.

For more info, www.silvertraveladvisor.com or, for Holland America cruises, check with specialist cruise agents the Cruise Line Ltd.

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River Cruise Prize Draw at The Cruise Show

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Visitors to the Avalon Waterways stand (C12) at the Daily Telegraph’s Cruise Show taking place at Birmingham’s NEC from October 16-17 will be able to take advantage of an exclusive Cruise Show booking offer, special offers as well as enter a cruise holiday prize draw.

By booking at the Cruise Show, visitors can enjoy significant savings on their holiday. Not only that, they can enter an exciting prize draw to win an 8-day ‘Tulip Time’ cruise for two, worth more than £2,800. Avalon’s brand new cruise highlights the wide open spaces of Holland and Belgium with the pretty windmills of Kinderdijk, the medieval centre of Ghent and the dazzling displays of colourful tulips at the Keukenhof Gardens.

City sightseeing includes Antwerp’s superb architecture, the cosmopolitan city port of Rotterdam and the famous canals of Amsterdam. The prize includes chauffeur-driven transfers to and from home to the nearest UK airport (within a 75-mile radius), return flights and transfers, full board accommodation and complimentary soft drinks, wine or beer served with dinner.

The Avalon team, including knowledgeable cruise director Mark Wismeijer, will be on hand to tell visitors about their sleek and young fleet of ships with luxurious facilities and spacious staterooms, sized at 172sq ft each, as well as the highest levels of personalised service, fine dining and other creature comforts.

Would-be river cruisers can learn more about Avalon’s carefully-planned itineraries, with included excursions to get the most out of visiting Europe’s fascinating cities, famous landmarks and beautiful landscapes.

With state-of-the-art technology and design, these small and intimate ships are specially designed to provide the most relaxing environment to enjoy the passing scenery. Visitors will also hear about the two new ships which have been launched this year, the Avalon Felicity and Avalon Luminary (above).

Mark Wismeijer will be taking part in a panel discussion on river cruising on Saturday 16 October at 4pm in Cruise Theatre One. With cruise expert Steve Read acting as moderator, cruise executives from a number of river cruise companies will be taking a closer look at discovering the world by river. They will be joined by well known cruising journalist Jane Archer.

For further information or to request a brochure, ring Avalon Waterways on 0800 668 1802 or look up www.avaloncruises.co.uk/show.

Dont forget to check out the full details on the Cruise Show venues at Birmingham in October (16-17) and London next March (26-27).

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