Avalon Imagery II, Tulip Time Highlights ex Brussels to Amsterdam

See your visions of tulip season in Holland and Belgium come into view while cruising from Brussels to Amsterdam. Take in the quintessential Dutch scenes of windmills, waterways, and seemingly endless rows of blooming colour. Embark in Brussels and sail to Ghent—“The Diamond of Flanders.” Visit St. Bavo’s Cathedral with its stunning Flemish artwork. Sail to Bossuit for moving battlefield remembrances, including In Flanders Fields Museum and the Last Post Ceremony. On to Holland for a visit the former Dutch East India Company trading port. Visit the fascinating Flood Museum to hear and see the stories of the flood of 1953. In Kinderdijk, see 19 windmills built in 1740 for water management and marvel at the Erasmus Bridge in the historic port city of Rotterdam.

Be amazed at the varieties and volume of tulips and other flowering bulbs in the flower farm regions of Zaandam and Haarlem before docking for two nights in Amsterdam. Take a guided canal cruise past bridges and homes of a golden age.

Day 1
Welcome to Belgium. Your Suite Ship is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Brussels must arrive by 2:00 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm. Enjoy dinner on board as you sail for Ghent this evening.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO GHENT (D)

Day 2
Medieval Masterpieces and Flemish Finery
Visit the Adventure centre for today's activities with your Adventure Host.
ACTIVE - Explore a different side of Ghent by foot with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC - Explore Ghent-"The Diamond of Flanders"- with a Guided Sightseeing Tour of this showcase of medieval Flemish wealth. You'll visit St. Bavo's Cathedral-with its remarkable Flemish artwork.
Alternatively, you may choose to join a full-day Guided Optional Excursion of Bruges to explore its canals, cobbled streets, and medieval buildings. You'll see its crisscrossed canals, the 13th-century belfry of Market Square, and charming patrician houses. This evening, enjoy live entertainment on board.
OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BOSSUIT (B,L,D)

Day 3
Battlefield Remembrances in Flanders
DISCOVERY - Visit the In Flanders Field Museum in Ypres-named for the soldier's famed poem. Learn about the story of the invasion of Belgium, the first months of the mobilization, the four years trench war in the Westhoek, the end of the war, and the lasting remembrance to follow. After your visit, enjoy lunch at the museum's cafe.
DISCOVERY - Following the museum, visit battlefields, cemeteries, memorials and private collections.
DISCOVERY - Experience the Last Post Ceremony, taking place nightly under the arches of the Menin Gate. Enjoy some free time for dinner before the Ceremony starts.
OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MIDDELBURG (B,L,D)

Day 4
A Spicy History in Middelburg's Dutch Harbor Town
ACTIVE - Explore Middelburg by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC - Join a Guided Walking Tour through the winding cobblestones and canals of Middelburg. See the 15th-century Gothic Town Halland learn about its important role in the spice trade and Dutch East India trading.
Enjoy lunch on board while cruising to Veere.
VEERE: The Delta Works Stand Strong as a Technical Marvel
ACTIVE - Bike your way to the beach from Veere with your Adventure Host, OR:
DISCOVERY - Visit the fascinating Flood Museum to hear and see the stories of the flood of 1953, reconstruction, the Delta Works, and flood risk management – told by the people who have experienced it. Later, explore the town of Veere.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO KINDERDIJK (B,L,D)

Day 5
Harnessing the Wind for 300 Years
Join your Adventure Host for today's special activities.
ACTIVE - See the windmills of Kinderdijk by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC - Join a Guided Tour of Kinderdijk where 19 windmills were built in 1740 as flood prevention and water management. You'll hear about the windmill's vital role in the Netherland's history and why it became a national symbol of Holland.
Enjoy a cruise through Rotterdam harbor.
ACTIVE - Experience Rotterdam by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC - Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Rotterdam featuring innovative architecture, including the marvelous Erasmus Bridge.
Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.
OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ZAANDAM (B,L,D)

Day 6
Windmills, Waterways, and Waving Fields of Flowers
Arrive in Zaandam this morning with free time to explore this quintessential Dutch town. During tulip season, you may take a Guided Optional Excursion to Keukenhof gardens. Outside of tulip season, join a Guided Optional Excursion to Zaanse Schans to see historic windmills and charming Dutch houses.
Cruise to Haarlem this afternoon while enjoying lunch on board.
HAARLEM: Tulips and North Sea Trading Ports
ACTIVE - Enjoy an easy bike ride to the beach with your Adventure Host, OR:
CLASSIC - Visit Haarlem, a major flower bulbs growing district outside of Amsterdam. Explore the former North Sea trading port with its medieval features, gabled houses, and leafy courtyards.
Enjoy dinner on board your ship this evening as you sail to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM (B,L,D)

Day 7
Canals of Colourful Amsterdam
ACTIVE - Join a Biking Tour through the Dutch countryside past polders, dykes, and quaint centuries-old villages, OR:
CLASSIC - Explore the iconic waterways of Amsterdam on a Guided Canal Cruise past stately homes of Amsterdam,s "Golden Age".
This afternoon, you might consider joining one of the Optional Excursions available.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN AMSTERDAM (B,L,D)

Day 8
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning. (B)